ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ashton Cofer - Youth inventor
Ashton Cofer and his FIRST Robotics team won the Google Science Fair for developing a process to convert Styrofoam waste into activated carbon for purifying water.

Why you should listen

Ashton Cofer has several patents pending, including a method to convert polystyrene foam waste into activated carbon for purifying water. He and his teammates recently won the 2016 Google Science Fair’s Scientific American Innovator Award. Ashton has a passion for science and technology, and in addition to inventing, he also competed in FIRST LEGO League robotics and teaches robotics workshops to local area youth in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

More profile about the speaker
Ashton Cofer | Speaker | TED.com
TED-Ed Weekend

Ashton Cofer: A plan to recycle the unrecyclable

艾希頓.科弗: 年輕發明家計畫回收保麗龍

Filmed:
1,379,778 views

從填充用的保麗龍球到免洗咖啡杯,光是美國每年就生產了重達二十億鎊的保麗龍,而且全都無法回收。艾希頓.科弗和他的科展組員對耗費資源和掩埋場感到洩氣,因此研發了一種加熱處理過程,用來將廢棄保麗龍分解成有用的東西。他們最初的設計同時榮獲 FIRST 樂高聯賽全球創新獎和 Google 科學展的美國科學創新獎。
- Youth inventor
Ashton Cofer and his FIRST Robotics team won the Google Science Fair for developing a process to convert Styrofoam waste into activated carbon for purifying water. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
It was just an ordinary普通 Saturday星期六.
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那天只是個平凡的星期六。
00:15
My dad was outside mowing刈草 the lawn草坪,
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我爸在外面除草,
00:17
my mom媽媽 was upstairs樓上 folding摺頁 laundry洗衣店,
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我媽在樓上摺衣服,
00:19
my sister妹妹 was in her room房間 doing homework家庭作業
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我姊在她房間寫作業,
00:22
and I was in the basement地下室
playing播放 video視頻 games遊戲.
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我在地下室打電動。
00:25
And as I came來了 upstairs樓上
to get something to drink,
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我上樓去喝東西的時候
00:27
I looked看著 out the window窗口
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看向窗外,
00:28
and realized實現 that there was something
that I was supposed應該 to be doing,
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才意識到有件事我應該要做,
這就是我看到的。
00:32
and this is what I saw.
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00:35
No, this wasn't
my family's家庭的 dinner晚餐 on fire.
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喔不,這不是我家的晚餐著火了,
00:39
This was my science科學 project項目.
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這是我的科展計畫。
00:42
Flames火焰 were pouring澆注 out,
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火焰滾滾冒出,
00:43
smoke抽煙 was in the air空氣
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煙散在空氣中,
00:44
and it looked看著 like our wooden deck甲板
was about to catch抓住 fire.
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看起來就像
我家的木頭露臺快著火了。
00:48
I immediately立即 started開始 yelling大呼小叫.
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我馬上開始大叫。
00:50
My mom媽媽 was freaking再用 out,
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我媽快瘋了,
00:51
my dad ran around to put out the fire
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我爸為了滅火跑來跑去,
00:53
and of course課程 my sister妹妹
started開始 recording記錄 a SnapchatSnapchat video視頻.
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當然我姊也開始用 Snapchat
錄影做記錄。
00:57
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
00:59
This was just the beginning開始
of my team's球隊的 science科學 project項目.
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這是我的小組一開始的科展計畫。
01:03
My team球隊 is composed of me
and three other students學生們
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小組有我和另外三個學生,
01:06
who are here in the audience聽眾 today今天.
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他們今天也都在觀眾席。
01:08
We competed競爭 in FIRST LEGOLEGO League聯盟
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2016
我們參加過 FIRST 樂高聯賽,
01:10
which哪一個 is an international國際
LEGOLEGO robotics機器人 competition競爭 for kids孩子,
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那是專設給兒童的
世界級樂高機器人比賽,
01:13
and in addition加成 to a robotics機器人 game遊戲,
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而且除了機器人比賽,
01:15
we also worked工作
on a separate分離 science科學 project項目,
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我們也做了另一個科學實驗,
01:18
and this was the project項目
that we were working加工 on.
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這就是我們一直在做的計畫。
01:20
So the idea理念 for this project項目 all started開始
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這個計畫的點子
是在那之前幾個月前開始,
01:22
when a few少數 months個月 earlier,
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01:24
a couple一對 of my teammates隊友
took a trip to Central中央 America美國
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我的幾個組員到中美洲去玩,
01:27
and saw beaches海灘 littered散落 with Styrofoam泡沫塑料,
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看到海灘上到處是保麗龍,
01:29
or expanded擴大 polystyrene聚苯乙烯 foam泡沫.
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或是其他聚苯乙烯塑料。
01:32
And when they came來了 back
and told us about it,
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他們回來之後告訴我這件事,
01:34
we really started開始 thinking思維 about the ways方法
in which哪一個 we see Styrofoam泡沫塑料 every一切 day.
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我們就開始去想
日常生活中看到的保麗龍,
01:37
Get a new flat-screen平面 TV電視?
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收到一臺新的平板電視嗎?
01:39
You end結束 up with a block of Styrofoam泡沫塑料
bigger than the TV電視 itself本身.
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你收到的保麗龍會比那臺電視大。
01:43
Drink a cup杯子 of coffee咖啡?
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喝咖啡嗎?
01:44
Well, those Styrofoam泡沫塑料 coffee咖啡 cups
are sure going to add up.
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嗯,保麗龍咖啡杯
當然會越積越多。
01:47
And where do all these items項目 go
after their one-time一次 use?
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這些東西被用過一次之後
會跑哪去?
01:51
Since以來 there aren't any good
existing現有 solutions解決方案 for used Styrofoam泡沫塑料,
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既然目前沒有處理
廢棄保麗龍的好方式,
01:54
almost幾乎 all of them
end結束 up right in the landfill垃圾填埋場,
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幾乎所有保麗龍
最後都會直接到掩埋場,
01:57
or the oceans海洋 and beaches海灘,
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或是海洋裡、沙灘上,
01:58
taking服用 over 500 years年份 to degrade降級.
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要花超過五百年時間分解。
02:01
And in fact事實, every一切 year, the US alone單獨
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而且事實上,光是美國一整年
02:03
produces產生 over two billion十億
pounds英鎊 of Styrofoam泡沫塑料,
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就生產 20 億磅的保麗龍,
02:06
filling填充 up a staggering踉蹌
25 percent百分 of landfills垃圾填埋場.
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足足可以填滿 25% 的掩埋場。
02:09
So why do we have these ghost
accumulations積累 of Styrofoam泡沫塑料 waste浪費?
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為什麼我們會有這些幽靈
囤積廢棄的保麗龍?
02:13
Why can't we just recycle回收 them
like many許多 plastics塑料?
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為什麼不能像很多塑膠一樣
回收保麗龍?
02:16
Well, simply只是 put, recycled回收
polystyrene聚苯乙烯 is too expensive昂貴
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簡而言之,回收保麗龍太貴,
02:19
and potentially可能 contaminated污染,
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而且保麗龍本身有可能受汙染,
02:21
so there is very little market市場 demand需求
for Styrofoam泡沫塑料 that has to be recycled回收.
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所以回收保麗龍的市場需求非常小。
02:25
And as a result結果, Styrofoam泡沫塑料
is considered考慮 a nonrenewable不可再生 material材料,
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結果是保麗龍被當成是
非再生材料,
02:29
because it is neither也不 feasible可行
nor也不 viable可行 to recycle回收 polystyrene聚苯乙烯.
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因為回收保麗龍既不可行也不可能。
02:33
And in fact事實, many許多 cities城市 across橫過 the US
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事實上很多美國城市
02:36
have even passed通過 ordinances條例
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甚至已經通過法令
02:37
that simply只是 ban禁止 the production生產
of many許多 products製品 containing polystyrene聚苯乙烯,
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禁止很多含有聚苯乙烯的產品生產,
02:41
which哪一個 includes包括 disposable一次性 utensils餐具,
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包括了免洗餐具、
02:43
packing填料 peanuts花生, takeout取出 containers集裝箱
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填充用的保麗龍球、外帶餐盒,
02:45
and even plastic塑料 beach海灘 toys玩具,
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甚至是塑膠製的海灘玩具,
02:47
all products製品 that are very useful有用
in today's今天的 society社會.
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所有產品在當代社會都很實用。
02:50
And now France法國
has become成為 the first country國家
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現在法國也成為第一個
02:52
to completely全然 ban禁止 all plastic塑料 utensils餐具,
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完全禁止塑膠餐具
02:55
cups and plates.
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和杯盤的國家。
02:57
But what if we could keep using運用 Styrofoam泡沫塑料
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但有沒有可能
我們可以繼續用保麗龍,
02:59
and keep benefiting受益
from its cheap低廉, lightweight輕量級, insulating絕緣
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保有它便宜、輕量、絕緣
03:03
and excellent優秀 packing填料 ability能力,
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和絕佳的包裝特性,
03:05
while not having to suffer遭受
from the repercussions反響
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而不必苦於必須丟棄的下場?
03:07
of having to dispose部署 of it?
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03:09
What if we could turn it into
something else其他 that's actually其實 useful有用?
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我們有沒有可能
把它變成有用的東西?
03:12
What if we could make
the impossible不可能 possible可能?
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我們有沒有可能
讓不可能變成可能?
03:16
My team球隊 hypothesized假設 that we could use
the carbon that's already已經 in Styrofoam泡沫塑料
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我的小組假設我們能
用存在保麗龍裡的碳
03:21
to create創建 activated活性 carbon,
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製造活性碳,
03:22
which哪一個 is used in almost幾乎
every一切 water filter過濾 today今天.
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現在過濾水都用這個。
03:25
And activated活性 carbon works作品
by using運用 very small micropores微孔
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而且活性碳用非常小的微孔
03:29
to filter過濾 out contaminants污染物
from water or even air空氣.
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過濾出水,甚至是空氣中的汙染物。
03:32
So we started開始 out
by doing a variety品種 of heating加熱 tests測試,
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所以我們開始各種加熱測試,
03:36
and unfortunately不幸, we had many許多 failures故障.
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不幸的是我們失敗很多次。
03:39
Literally按照字面, nothing worked工作.
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說真的,沒有成功過。
03:42
Besides除了 my dad's爸爸的 grill烤架 catching on fire,
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除了我爸的烤肉架著火,
03:44
most of our samples樣本
vaporized蒸發 into nothing,
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我們大部分的樣品也都人間蒸發,
03:47
or exploded爆炸 inside expensive昂貴 furnaces,
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或是在昂貴的火爐裡爆炸,
03:49
leaving離開 a horribly可怕 sticky mess食堂.
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留下一團黏黏的東西。
03:52
In fact事實, we were so saddened悲痛
by our failures故障 that we almost幾乎 gave up.
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其實我們大受失敗打擊
到幾乎想要放棄。
03:57
So why did we keep trying
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那為什麼我們還繼續試,
03:58
when all the adults成年人
said it was impossible不可能?
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即使所有大人
都跟我們說不可能?
04:01
Well, maybe it's because we're kids孩子.
We don't know any better.
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嗯,可能因為我們是小孩,
我們什麼也不懂。
04:04
But the truth真相 is, we kept不停 trying
because we thought it was still possible可能.
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但真相是我們繼續嘗試
是因為我們認為還有可能。
04:08
We knew知道 that if we were successful成功,
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我們知道如果成功,
04:10
we would be helping幫助 the environment環境
and making製造 the world世界 a better place地點.
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就可以幫助環境、
讓地球變成更好的地方。
04:13
So we kept不停 trying
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所以我們繼續嘗試、
04:15
and failing失敗
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繼續失敗、
04:16
and trying
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繼續嘗試、
04:18
and failing失敗.
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繼續失敗。
04:20
We were so ready準備 to give up.
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我們都已經準備好要放棄了。
04:22
But then it happened發生.
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但後來成功了。
04:24
With the right temperatures溫度,
times and chemicals化學製品,
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有了對的溫度、時間和化學物質,
04:26
we finally最後 got that successful成功 test測試 result結果
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我們終於測試成功,
04:29
showing展示 us that we had created創建
activated活性 carbon from Styrofoam泡沫塑料 waste浪費.
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看到廢棄保麗龍變成活性碳。
04:33
And at that moment時刻,
the thing that had been impossible不可能
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在那當下,
那個一直以來不可能的事情
04:35
all of a sudden突然 wasn't.
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瞬間都變可能了。
04:37
It showed顯示 us that although雖然 we had
many許多 failures故障 at the beginning開始,
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我們看見雖然一開始失敗很多次,
04:40
we were able能夠 to persevere持之以恆 through通過 them
to get the test測試 results結果 that we wanted.
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我們還是堅持到底,
從中得到想要的結果。
04:44
And moreover此外, not only were we able能夠
to create創建 activated活性 carbon
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而且,不只是我們可以製造活性碳
04:47
for purifying清潔 water,
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來過濾水,
04:48
but we were also able能夠
to reduce減少 Styrofoam泡沫塑料 waste浪費,
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我們還可以減少廢棄保麗龍,
04:51
solving two global全球 problems問題
with just one solution.
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只用一個方法
解決全球的兩個麻煩。
04:54
So from then on, we were inspired啟發
to take our project項目 further進一步,
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從那之後,我們受到鼓舞,
讓計畫更進一步
04:57
performing執行 more tests測試
to make it more effective有效
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做更多測試,讓它更有效益,
04:59
and testing測試 it in real真實 world世界 situations情況.
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並用在真實生活之中。
05:01
We then proceeded繼續 to receive接收 funding資金
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我們開始收到資金,
05:03
from the NSTA'sNSTA的 eCYBERMISSIONeCYBERMISSION
STEM-in-ActionSTEM在行動 program程序
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來自全美科學教師協會的
E 網路科學競賽 STEM 行動計畫,
05:06
sponsored贊助 by the US Army軍隊,
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由美軍贊助,
05:08
as well as FIRST Global全球 Innovation革新 Awards獎項
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以及第一全球創新獎,
05:10
sponsored贊助 by XPRIZEXPRIZE.
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由 XPRIZE 基金會贊助。
05:12
And we were also honored榮幸
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我們也很榮幸
05:13
with the Scientific科學 American美國
Innovator創新 Award
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得到美國科學創新獎,
05:16
from Google谷歌 Science科學 Fair公平.
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由 Google 科學展頒發。
05:18
And using運用 these funds資金, we plan計劃
to file文件 a full充分 patent專利 on our process處理
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運用這些資金,我們預計為
這個程序申請完全專利,
05:21
and to continue繼續 to work on our project項目.
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並繼續我們的計畫。
05:24
So yes, although雖然 we started開始
with catching my dad's爸爸的 grill烤架 on fire
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沒錯,雖然我們
是從燒了我爸的烤架開始,
05:28
and failing失敗 so many許多 times
that we almost幾乎 quit放棄,
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而且失敗無數次到幾乎要放棄,
05:31
it was well worth價值 it
when we look back at it now.
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現在回頭看都還是覺得
非常值得,
05:33
We took a problem問題
that many許多 people said was impossible不可能
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我們把每個人都認為
不可能解決的麻煩
05:36
and we made製作 it possible可能,
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變成可能,
05:38
and we persevered堅持 when it looked看著
like nothing that we did would work.
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我們堅持到底,
即使我們做的事看起來毫無希望。
05:41
We learned學到了 that you can't have success成功
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我們學到了你不可能成功,
05:43
without a little,
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卻沒經歷過一些
05:45
or a lot, of failure失敗.
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或是非常多失敗。
05:47
So in the future未來, don't be afraid害怕
if your grill烤架 goes up in flames火焰,
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所以未來你的烤架著火時,
不要害怕,
05:51
because you never know
when your idea理念 might威力 just catch抓住 fire.
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因為你永遠不知道
你的點子什麼時候可能點燃。
05:55
Thank you.
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謝謝。
05:57
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Marssi Draw
Reviewed by Regina Chu

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ashton Cofer - Youth inventor
Ashton Cofer and his FIRST Robotics team won the Google Science Fair for developing a process to convert Styrofoam waste into activated carbon for purifying water.

Why you should listen

Ashton Cofer has several patents pending, including a method to convert polystyrene foam waste into activated carbon for purifying water. He and his teammates recently won the 2016 Google Science Fair’s Scientific American Innovator Award. Ashton has a passion for science and technology, and in addition to inventing, he also competed in FIRST LEGO League robotics and teaches robotics workshops to local area youth in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

More profile about the speaker
Ashton Cofer | Speaker | TED.com