One of the top three 2011 breakaway brands, YouTube and computing company Lenovo are rolling out a science contest for students called SpaceLab to conduct its space experiment.
Photo: a snapshot from YouTube’s SpaceLab page
International students aged 14 to 18 or groups of up to three can apply with their experiments on biology and physics to compete for a chance to have their experiments conducted and live streamed from the International Space Station in 2012. They will be judged by acclaimed astronauts, scientists and educators, including scientist Stephen Hawking and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté.
Two global winners—one from the 14—16 age group and one from the 17—18 age group— will also be offered a choice between a trip to Tanegashima Island, Japan, to watch their experiment implementation or a trip to StarCity in Russia for a week of cosmonaut training. In the latter case, they have to be 18 years old. More prizes including like the weightless experience ZERO-G flights, Lenovo IdeaPad laptops will await lucky winners.
Google’s YouTube has partnered with Lenovo for an effort to encourage smart teens to deepen their knowledge in science, technology and space.
“Can plants survive beyond Earth? Can proteins observed in space reveal the mysteries of life? Science experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) could unlock the answers and now we’re giving you a chance to ask the questions,” wrote Zahaan Bharmal, Director of European marketing for Google in a post on the Google’s blogspot.
Interested students should upload a two-minute video explaining their experiment following the scientific method to YouTube by Dec. 7, 2011. The SpaceLab’s official rules are here.
The people at YouTube also hope to inspire educators with the SpaceLab project. Interested teachers can find advice on how to incorporate video with their lessons at YouTube.com/Teachers.
YouTube has also unveiled it’s adding a feature called the Merch Store that will allow YouTube partners to offer fans merchandise directly on your channel. Fans will be able to buy artists’ merchandise, digital downloads, concert tickets and even unique experiences like meetups, says YouTube global blogspot.
