Take some Legos, some clay, some electronic circuits, a homemade microscope and--voila!--you've got an awesome invention. At least that's what Adam Ezra Cohen, 17, of New York City put together. His "electrochemical paintbrush" can print 50 words on a surface the width of a hair! The invention just earned Adam first prize in Westinghouse's Science Talent Search. Adam was tops among 1,652 high school seniors competing. His prize: a $40,000 college scholarship.

In his lab, er, bedroom, Adam has fiddled with more than 100 inventions. Not all have been winners. "I have lost in many competitions," Adam told TFK. "Kids can be much better at science than adults," he says. "Kids are more creative."

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March 21, 1997 World Report