NASA challenge wraps up at LU Orillia
Lakehead University's Orillia Campus hosted the 2024 NASA Space Apps challenge this weekend, which allowed teams of students, mentors and scientists to brainstorm solutions for global issues using real-world NASA data.
"Every time people think about space, they think it's so futuristic and distant, but there are a lot of similar challenges on Earth," said Anastasiia Prysyazhnyuk from the Canadian Space Agency, one of the mentors. "[Challenges] such as isolated and remote communities across Canada that don't have access to health care resources, they don't have access to health care professionals. And that is something we can truly bridge the gap by utilizing space technology and the knowledge that we've acquired."
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
16 teams of all ages came up with ideas that solved a real-world challenge and pitched them to the group. The top three were awarded prizes.
Noah Richardson, a high school student at Stayner Collegiate Institute Student, worked with his group to figure out how the UN's Sustainable Development Goals for the environment could be taught more practically in school.
"We're just trying to increase the amount of info actually taken in by students so that they can properly use it in our day-to-day lives and improve our environment," said Richardson.
All submitted projects from around the world will be reviewed by NASA partners, who will eventually award the top ten winners.
"Universities exist to bring people together to have conversations about important things," said Jessica Lovett, Lakehead University's director of career services at Orillia. "No matter what happens with [the] individual project ideas, everyone who's taking part is building skills, gaining experience working on a problem and expanding their professional network, and it's going to contribute to their future career success."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live election results: With Trump's battleground wins, Harris's path to White House gets narrower
With former U.S. president Donald Trump winning the swing states of Georgia and North Carolina, the path to victory for Vice-President Kamala Harris has become far narrower.
Trump wins Georgia and North Carolina, moving closer to reclaiming the White House
Donald Trump on Wednesday won the battleground state of Georgia, the onetime Republican stronghold that had voted for Democrats four years ago, which along with his win in North Carolina narrowed Kamala Harris’ pathways to victory and expanded his routes to reaching the 270 electoral votes needed to become the next president.
Early election takeaways: Trump weakens Democrats' coalition
The 2024 presidential election already has exposed the depths of a fractured nation as the candidates navigated political shifts based on class, race and age under the near-constant threat of misinformation and violence.
'Ready for both': Canadians prepare for any outcome as U.S. election results roll out
MPs, diplomats and political staff gathered around the parliamentary precinct to anxiously take in preliminary results of a U.S. presidential election that they all agreed would have an enormous impact on Canada and the world.
Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware to become first openly transgender person to serve in Congress
Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride has been elected to the U.S. House and will become the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress.
B.C. parents sue Irish nanny for quitting on short notice
Two parents filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court last week seeking damages from their former nanny, alleging she quit on short notice and "never said goodbye to the children."
Blues forward leaves rink on stretcher after being struck in neck by puck
St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway left Tuesday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning and departed the rink on a stretcher after being struck by a puck late in the first period.
Lamborghini driver who crashed into parked cars while trying to pass streetcar sentenced to prison
A mortgage broker who totalled his Lamborghini and left a passenger with life-altering injuries after trying to pass a Toronto streetcar at nearly three times the speed limit has been handed a two-and-a-half year prison sentence.
Ben Affleck had this to say about his ex, Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck may be going through a divorce, but it sounds like things are amicable.