Sometimes great things can come from just taking a walk. That was the case for observant 13-year-old Aidan Dwyer, who noted while taking a winter stroll that the bare branches in the trees around and above him formed a distinct pattern.

Putting two and two together, he made measurements and discerned that there really was a repetition in the branches. Dwyer wisely figured the reason was to increase exposure of leaves to sunlight. He went on to create a “tree” that repeated the pattern with its “branches” covered in small solar panels. The results of his study turned out the “tree” configuration captured more sunlight (from 20 percent to up to 50 percent during low-light times like the winter months) than standard flat solar panel layouts.

For his insight and innovation, the seventh-grader from New York was awarded the American Museum of Natural History’s Young Naturalist Award.

If we can team up Dwyer with the Indiana teen who created the solar death ray, I think our nation will be in good hands in the future.

I wonder if the guy who came up with the electric-eel-powered Christmas tree won an award.

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