Fifth-grader Clara Lazen was just messing around with a molecule modeling kit in class, trying to construct a stable molecule that followed basic chemistry rules. What she ended up with was a completely novel molecular structure, and a coauthor credit in the resulting journal article. Man, what were YOU discovering when you were 10? Masturbation and Faith No More?
What’s extra-rad about Lazen’s discovery is that the molecule, if it can be synthesized, has the potential to store energy and could possibly be used to make a new kind of battery. Or, you know, it could explode, which is maybe less useful BUT MAYBE JUST AS USEFUL and certainly cooler to a 10-year-old. (I’m not just guessing about that. In this news video, Lazen is kind of excited about the military applications of her molecule.)
