DUBAI // Youths flocked to enter a competition that aims to raise interest in science subjects and its numbers are more than a third higher than last year’s.
On Tuesday, the finals of the Think Science Competition, a national programme of the Emirates Foundation, featured the best of this year’s 640 entries – 515 from schools and 125 from universities, an increase of 35 per cent. The entries included fog dispersal technology, a self-sanitising surface that uses ultraviolet light, and “smart” asphalt, which can repair itself and absorb rainwater.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, attended a ceremony for the competition, honouring 50 young Emirati scientists who won the contest.
“Our responsibility is to prepare generations for future and our ambitions are to have scientists who contribute to the progress of mankind,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
The competition is aimed at encouraging Emiratis between the ages of 15 and 35 to follow their passions for science.
“Creating a platform like this is hugely important,” said Maytha Al Habsi, the foundation’s deputy chief executive. “You’re allowing the youths to feel a sense of confidence and importance in what they think and what they innovate.”
As most students nationally study business, information technology or media-related subjects, competitions to engage them in science are vital.
Dr Warren Fox, executive director of higher education at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai’s education regulator, said: “When new universities approach us, we tell them that we are underserved in areas such as science, education and health.”
Mohammed Al Naqbi, 17, and his three teammates, were among the winners in the schools category for their robotic arm for amputees.
Their invention came about because one of their friends lost an arm in a road accident.
Mohammed said the competition “helps to show people that you can do good things with science”.
mswan@thenational.ae
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
