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14-Year-Old Innovator Wins $25,000 for Weight-Bearing Structure

12/5/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Miles Wu, a 14-year-old from New York City, won first prize at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge in October, earning $25,000 for a structure that can hold over 10,000 times its weight.
His idea grew from studying deployable disaster shelters during the Southern California wildfires and Hurricane Helene, and he tested the Miura-ori fold with different papers.
His parents plan to use the prize money for his education.

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Story summary

Miles Wu, a 14-year-old from New York City, won first prize at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge in October, earning $25,000 for a structure that can hold over 10,000 times its weight.
His idea grew from studying deployable disaster shelters during the Southern California wildfires and Hurricane Helene, and he tested the Miura-ori fold with different papers.
His parents plan to use the prize money for his education.