61st Annual STS (2001–2002)
Finalists
Beckett William Sterner

ILLINOIS
Beckett William Sterner, 17, of Chicago, submitted a physics project to the Intel Science Talent Search, a computer simulation study of the statistical aspects of certain polymers -- chain-like lengths of identical molecular units. Beckett studied a particular type of polymer chain, one that does not intersect itself, called a self-avoiding walk (SAW). He successfully introduced an alternative way to examine the statistical properties of SAWs. Prior to his SAW project, Beckett attended a university physics lecture about percolation simulation. As a result of his interest in the subject, he created a computer program showing the evolution of structures in a small-scale forest fire. He has since posted his simulation on the Internet as a public shareware program. At University of Chicago Laboratory School, Beckett is co-president of the science team, participates in soccer and track, and plays piano for the choir and chamber trio. He is also winner of a school fine arts award. Beckett credits his father with his interest in computing saying, "My dad first sat me down in front of a Macintosh when I was 18 months old." The son of William Sterner and Dr. Margot Browning, Beckett hopes to attend MIT.