2016, CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES
In response to the growing issue of e-waste, Sam Haward from Wyoming High School decided to create a solution that extends the lifetime of old electronics while also ensuring that the entire device will be recycled once it’s lifespan has ended. The plan would first be implemented on a small scale through the Wyoming’s science department, first creating a small array of devices running the BOINC program, an app that connects these devices to supercomputers across the globe. By doing this, various supercomputers running data like Oxford University’s Global Climate Change Model can save energy and time by using client devices rather than generating number in one place.
Sam would donate the devices that cannot support BOINC to the HopeLine program, which supports victims of domestic violence. The arrays of BOINC devices could potentially be made completely self-sufficient over time by utilizing solar power, and interest generated by the small scale arrays can influence students across the county to donate their used electronics rather than leaving them to gather dust or throwing them away. In this way, these devices will find a new life, aiding scientific research, conserving and protecting the environment, while also freeing up space around the house too!