Amazing Student Initiative!

It is a continually astounding fact that some students amid all of their responsibilities and stresses, manage to do some truly wonderful and amazing things. An example of an incredibly resourceful student in Britain really epitomizes what is possible. This particular student was able to take what she had learnt in her science lessons and create a truly unique invention which no-one else (no big corporate or doctoral student or research lab) had thought of before. Kudos to Emily Cummins in the U.K., this is what she did.

She invented a solar powered, portable, eco-fridge using bits and pieces in the family shed. The fridge is now being used extensively in poverty stricken countries where the simplicity of its construction makes it viable even amongst the poor. In addition to providing chillers to poor hot countries, the use of the solar powered fridge has expanded to include a portable model for transporting chilled goods in a fresh state. This includes medical supplies and bio chemicals.

The fridge wasn’t Emily’s first invention. She is also credited with inventing a toothpaste squeezer for people with arthritis and a water carrying device.  She says she came up with the idea for the fridge by considering how humans cool through sweating, or the process of evaporation. Of her own invention Emily says, "My time in Namibia made me wonder how often we miss the simplest solutions to problems." Wise words!

Here’s the most ironic part of this story. This woman was refused admittance into an engineering program because she lacked the correct credentials! Instead she is studying Business Management at Leeds. Somehow I don’t think she’ll need that engineering degree anyway.