>> >>JOANNE: EIGHTH GRADER JONAH KOHN WAS SITTING IN ONE OF HIS CLASSES AT THE SAN DIEGO
JEWISH ACADEMY ATTEMPTING TO PLAY HIS GUITAR.
THE CLASS WAS SO LOUD HE COULDN'T HEAR WHAT HE WAS PLAYING.
THAT LEAD TO HIS INVENTION HE SAYS CAN ENHANCE THE MUSIC EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE WITH HEARING
LOSS.
HERE'S A LOOK AT JONAH'S SUBMISSION TO GOOGLE'S SCIENCE FAIR.
>> >>: THE TEST, EVERY SUBJECT WAS ASKED TO RATE A SONG FROM ONE TO 10 USING SPEAKERS.
AT THE END OF THE TEST, PLACED IN OPTIMAL POSITION, ALONG WITH THE SPEAKERS AND HAD
THEM RATE IT AGAIN.
THAT END OF THE TESTING, SUBJECTS WERE ASKED TO LIS TOON MODERN PIECES AND CLASSICAL MUSIC
TO TEST THEIR ABILITY TO PERCEIVE MELODY, BEAT AND LYRICS.
>> >>JOANNE: JOINING ME IN STUDIO ARE JONAH KOHN, AND DR.ﾊJANE WILLOUGHBY, COCREATOR
OF THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM THAT SCHOOL.
SO, JONAH, FIRST OF ALL, IT WHERE DID YOU GET THIS IDEA?
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PLAYING YOUR GUITAR, YOU CAN'T REALLY HEAR IT, WHAT DID YOU DO?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: WELL, ME AND MY FRIEND CAME UP WITH A WAY WHERE YOU PUT YOUR TEETH ON
THE VERY TOP OF THE GUITAR AND YOU CAN HEAR IT THROUGH THE VIBRATIONS NO MATTER HOW LOUD
IT IS.
>> >>JOANNE: WHAT MADE YOU THINK OF PUTTING YOUR TEETH ON THE GUITAR?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: I CAN'T REMEMBER Y.THINK WE WERE AT HIS HOUSE A COUPLE DAYS EARLIER
AND PLAYING WITH HIS LITTLE SISTER AND HE PRETENDED TO EAT IT OR SOMETHING.
>> >>JOANNE: SO WHAT THEN, HOW DID YOU MAKE THE CONNECTION THAT BY FEELING THAT VIBRATION
SOME HOW IT COULD HELP SOMEBODY?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: WELL, I HAD A FRIEND WHO HAD HEARING LOSS AND I GUESS IN THE CLASSROOM
I MADE THE CONNECTION I COULDN'T HEAR WHAT WAS AROUND ME.
>> >>JOANNE: WOW.
>> >>JONAH KOHN: ANDﾊ >> >>PEGGY2: AND SO WHAT MADE YOU THEN DECIDE
HEY, I'M GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: I THOUGHT IT WAS AN INSPIRING IDEA.
IF IT WORKED IT COULD HELP A MASS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.
>> >>JOANNE: DR.ﾊWILLOUGHBY, WHEN YOU LEARNED OF THIS EXPERIMENT, WHAT DID YOU THINK?
I MEAN, THIS IS VERY IMPRESSIVE?
>> >>JANE WILLOUGHBY: I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS AND THIS WAS AN ASTOUNDING PROJECT,
AND THE CREATION OF THE IDEA I THOUGHT WAS EXTREMELY INTRIGUING, BUT ALSO A POTENTIAL
SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE'S LIVES.
THAT'S WHAT IMPRESSED ME.
IT HAD THE IDEA ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THAT OBJECTIVE.
EXTREMELY IMPRESSED.
>> >>JOANNE: THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THE SCHOOL HAS PRODUCED AN AWARD WINNING, OR CLOSE
TO AWARD NOW WINNING SCIENTIST, YOUNG SCIENTIST W.
>> >>JANE WILLOUGHBY: IN THE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM WE HAD A RESEARCH PROGRAM, AND IN THE LAST
FOURﾊ WE'VE RUN IT FOR FIVE YEARS.
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS WE'VE HAD FOUR STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY WERE ACCEPTED UNTIL IN THIS
YEAR WE HAD A FIRST PLACE WINNER F.YOU PUT THAT IN A CONTEXT OT OF A SCHOOL UPWARD OF
300 STUDENTS, 7 MILLION STUDENTS VIE FOR A PLACE TOORKS HAVE A INTERNATIONALLY FIRST
PLACE, WAS A WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENT.
>> >>JOANNE: NOW, YOU ARE A FINALIST IN THIS VERY BIG SCIENCE FAIR, WHEN YOU LEARNED ABOUT
THAT, WHEN YOU FOUND OUT THAT YOU WERE NOW DOWN TO JUST FIFTEEN RIGHT?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: YEAH.
>> >>JOANNE: WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: I WAS VERY SURPRISED Y.DIDN'T EXPECT TO MAKE IT THIS FAR IN THE GOOGLE SCIENCE
FAIR Y.THOUGHT GETTING INTO THE TOP 90 WAS GOOD ENOUGH.
>> >>JOANNE: AND SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
NOW YOU'RE A FINALIST, THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: I HAVE TO FLY UP TO MOUNTAIN VIEW WHERE I COMPETE WITH THE OTHER 14 SUBJECTS,
THE OTHER 14 COMPETITORS FOR GOOGLE JUDGES.
>> >>JOANNE: AND WHEN WILL YOU FIND OUT WHO WINS?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: ON JULYﾊ23.
>> >>JOANNE: SO WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS SAY ABOUT THIS?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF ME.
>> >>JOANNE: AND DO YOU HAVE BROTHERS AND SISTERS?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: YEAH, I HAVE A TWIN BROTHER AND SISTER, THEY'RE BOTH 10.
>> >>JOANNE: ARE THEY INTERESTED IN THIS KIND OF THING AS WELL?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: I THINK THEY LOOK UP TO ME.
>> >>JOANNE: TELL ME SOMETHING ELSE, YOU MADE THIS GUITAR.
>> >>JONAH KOHN: YES, I BUILT AN ELECTRIC GUITAR IN SIXTH GRADE.
>> >>JOANNE: WHAT MADE YOU BUILD A GUITAR?
>> >>JONAH KOHN: AT THE SCHOOL I WAS AT, BETWEEN SEMESTERS, THEY HAD KIND OF A VACATION WHERE
THERE WERE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT TEACHERS DOING THEIR OWN SPECIAL THING, AND THE TEACHER I
GOT ASSIGNED SE SAID WE'RE ALL GOING TO BUILD SOMETHING.
BECAUSE I PLAY GUITAR, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING CAME TO MIND.
>> >>JOANNE: CONGRATULATIONS, WE'LL BE ROOTING FOR YOU HERE IN SAN DIEGO.
YOU'LL HAVE TO COME BACK.
YOU CAN HEAR MORE OF THIS CONVERSATION AT KPBS.ORG I KNOW YOU WERE BOTH SPEAKING TO
MAURINE CAVANAUGH EARLIER TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU, JONAH.