TED: A young inventor's plan to recycle Styrofoam | Ashton Cofer

The video describes a student's journey in a science project aimed at recycling Styrofoam into activated carbon. It begins with a fire incident during an experiment, leading to the exploration of Styrofoam waste issues. The team hypothesizes using Styrofoam's carbon for water filtration. Despite failures, they succeed, earning recognition and planning further development.

What unexpected event occurred at the narrator's home that marked the beginning of their science project?

• A family dinner caught fire.

• The narrator's video game console exploded.

• The narrator's science project caught fire.

• A tree fell on the house.

What inspired the team to focus on Styrofoam waste for their project?

• A local community cleanup event.

• A trip to Central America where they saw Styrofoam littering beaches.

• A documentary about ocean pollution.

• A school assignment on recycling.

Why is Styrofoam considered a non-renewable material?

• It is banned in all countries.

• It is made from rare materials.

• It is too expensive and potentially contaminated to recycle.

• It can only be used once.

What was the team's hypothesis regarding Styrofoam?

• It could be used as a fuel source.

• It could be turned into activated carbon for water filtration.

• It could be used to build houses.

• It could be melted and reused as plastic.

What challenges did the team face during their experiments?

• They couldn't find a laboratory.

• Their samples vaporized or exploded.

• Their equipment was stolen.

• They ran out of Styrofoam.

What recognition did the team receive for their project?

• They won a local science fair.

• They received funding from the NSTA's eCybermission STEM in Action program.

• They were featured in a national newspaper.

• They were invited to present at an international conference.

What are the team's future plans for their project?

• To focus on a different environmental issue.

• To abandon the project and start a new one.

• To file a patent and continue developing their process.

• To sell their idea to a large corporation.