Breakthrough (23 page)

Now, when you are adding the last digit of the dividend, write it off to the side, because this will help you calculate your remainder.
In this case, you are adding 8 and 1, which is 9. 9 goes into 9 once, so you will need to add 1 to your last digit, in this case 8. So your answer is 3,569.

Let's try another. We will divide 153,214 by 9.

When you start, enter the first digit of the dividend, which is 1. 1+5 is 6, and then 6+3 is 9. 9+2 is 11, and 11+1 is 12. 12+4 is 16, which you should write to the side because it will help you calculate your remainder.

Since we have some double digits here, let's work from right to left to determine the quotient. Because 9 goes into 16 once, with a remainder of 7, 7 is your remainder and 1 must be added to the ones place of the quotient. 1+12 = 13. Leave the 3 in the ones place of the quotient and add 1 to the previous number, in this case, 11. 11+1 = 12, so the tens digit of the quotient is 2 and the 1 is carried to the hundreds place. 1+9 = 10, so the hundreds place of the quotient is 0 and 1 is added to the thousands place. 6+1 = 7. Your final answer is 17,023 with a remainder of 7.

Squaring numbers can be tricky. If you're looking for 17
²
, for example, you can multiply 10×10 and add it to 7×7, but there is a better way.

First, take the number you wish to square and round it to the nearest multiple of 10. So if you are squaring 27, you would round to 30.

Now, rounding 27 to 30 means adding 3. Subtract the amount that you rounded up by from your original number. In our case, that's 24.

Multiply 24 by 30 and then add 3
²
. 3 is the number that you added to 27 to get to the nearest 10.

Because multiplying by 10 is pretty easy (30×24 is just 3×24 with a 0 thrown on the end), this way is a lot faster.

Here our answer is 729: 30×24 is 720 + 3
²
(which is 3×3 = 9) gives you 729.

The rule for this trick is as follows: If you are squaring x, round it to the nearest multiple of 10, and call that x+r. Now take r and subtract it from x, so you have x–r. Multiply these two amounts together (x+r) × (x–r) and then add r
²
. The trick works no matter how many digits you have.

This works because (x+r) × (x–r) + r
²
= x
²
– rx + rx – r
²
+ r
²
= x
²
.

It turned out that one of the greatest adversities I would have to face during my path to discovery was the simple act of getting my hands on the information that other researchers had already contributed. 90 percent of all scientific articles are wrapped tightly behind paywalls, and buying a subscription that would give you access to a series of articles can cost you thousands of dollars per journal.

I believe that knowledge should not be a commodity and science should not be a luxury. Access to knowledge should be a basic human right.

Without the power of free, online access to scientific and scholarly research articles—a concept called “open access”—we are denied the most natural and efficient way that our society evolves: by building off each other's ideas.

If we are to have any hope of empowering the minds of young scientists to come up with new, creative solutions to the problems of the world, the fight to keep the flow of information free is one of our
most important battles.

The time has come to tear down this wall.

Fortunately, at the time of this writing, there is a bipartisan bill called the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (or FASTR) that would require research articles funded by taxpayers to be made freely available online within six months. This bill would help students and established researchers gain access to the articles they need to discover the next breakthrough, accelerate scientific advancement, and improve the lives of people all around the world.

You can tell Congress that you support FASTR and open access by going to the Alliance for Taxpayer Access, www.taxpayeraccess.org, and submitting the form available in their Legislative Action Center at www.congressweb.com/sparc/16.

While all efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in the following sections as of the date this book was published, it is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be complete or exhaustive, or a substitute for the advice of a qualified expert or mental health professional.

There are also many fantastic organizations working to help teens who need it. Some of these organizations are included in the following pages. Please note that none of them has endorsed or is otherwise affiliated with me, my story, or this book.

There are many different kinds of bullying, and none are acceptable. If you see someone being bullied, say something. Research suggests that half of all bullying ends if a bystander intervenes.

      
Physical
—Physical bullying is when a bully hurts someone's body or their possessions. This includes direct attacks, like punching or kicking, and also spitting, tripping, or breaking someone's things.

      
Verbal
—Verbal bullying can be either spoken or written. Name-calling, threatening, insulting, teasing, and offensive remarks all count. Verbal bullying can also include inappropriate sexual comments.

      
Social
—This type of bullying is usually more indirect. Social bullying includes spreading rumors about someone, exclusion, embarrassing someone in public, or even sending abusive mail.

      
Cyberbullying
—This is bullying that happens online or electronically. Cyberbullying includes sending hurtful text messages, emails, phone calls, instant messages, unwanted pictures, videos, or website links.
^1
2

What do you do if you're being bullied? Well, this is what I'd tell middle school Jack:

Looking back, I should have gone to my parents earlier. I think that would have saved me so much pain. If haters are making you so miserable that you find yourself wishing entire years of your life away, that might mean it's time to swallow your pride and call in the reinforcements.

If you are waiting for the perfect time to have this conversation, forget it. Know that nothing about the conversation will be easy. Just try to find someplace where there aren't any distractions and you have their complete attention. Remember, your parents want to see you grow up and be happy, not being tortured. And most important, if it gets really bad, parents are the only ones who have the power to remove you from that negative environment and place you in a
more positive one where you can have the opportunity to pursue the things that make you happy.

I know a lot of parents advise their kids to just stay offline, but that isn't always realistic today. For a young person, cutting off connections to social media can mean severing ties with their entire social circle. If you aren't willing to delete your Facebook profile, at least change your privacy settings so you can control who has permission to see your profile. If that doesn't work, you may have to put your profile in hibernation mode and reactivate your account later.

Twitter is a different story. If a cyber-hater is riding you on Twitter, it can be impossible to block mentions or interactions. In those cases, your only option might be to completely delete your account, at least until Twitter take steps to upgrade its privacy settings.

Today, more than ever, there are more and more quality learning opportunities, whether it be through the expansion of charters or great new online schools. By changing schools you aren't running away from your problems. You are choosing to take yourself out of a negative environment and place yourself in a positive one.

I understand that this probably isn't the answer most of you wanted or expected, but if you are serious about getting through
those rough years so you can achieve something special with your life, sometimes you are going to have to take a more unconventional route.

If you find yourself running out of options and need a place to turn, remember that there is always hope.

LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. LGBTQ teens like me are often teased or harassed for being different.

   
•
  
Nine out of ten people who identify as LGBTQ have reported bullying at school because of their sexual orientation.

   
•
  
Half of those people have been victims of physical bullying, and a quarter have been physically assaulted.

   
•
  
64 percent of LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. 44 percent feel unsafe at school because of gender identification.

   
•
  
32 percent of LGBTQ students have not gone to school for at least a day because they felt unsafe.
³

This project helps illustrate that life really does get better for LGBTQ youth. View a collection of videos and resources from LGBTQ adults and allies around the world at www.itgetsbetter.org.

No matter your age, you can get advice, support, and resources from peers throughout the United States at www.glbtnationalhelpcenter.org.

This is the leading national organization for crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth between the ages of thirteen and twenty-four. You can visit their website at www.thetrevorproject.org or call them at 866-488-7386.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for fifteen-to twenty-four-year-olds. That means more teens die every year from suicide than from terminal illness—way more than pancreatic cancer. On average, teens who commit suicide have twenty-five failed attempts before doing so. That's twenty-five times (at least) to get help.

If you are having thoughts about suicide, there are people you can talk to.

Talk to someone. Talk to your parents, your teachers, a trusted adult. They're here to help you and they're here to make sure you're here for a long time, too.

You can also always call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. They take calls 24/7.

Just remember, you are not alone.

JACK ANDRAKA
was just a fifteen-year-old Maryland high school student when he invented an inexpensive early-detection test for pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancers. Now, at eighteen, he has already won the 2012 Intel ISEF Gordon E. Moore Award, the 2012 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Youth Achievement Award, first place in the 2014 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, and the 2014 Jefferson Award. He speaks to audiences across the globe about his personal story, his research, LGBT issues, and his ideas for STEM education reform. He has been featured in several documentaries, including Morgan Spurlock's
You Don't Know Jack
, as well as countless radio, newspaper, and magazine articles. You can visit him at
www.jackandraka.com
.

MATTHEW LYSIAK
is a nationally recognized journalist and a former reporter for the
New York Daily News
. He is also the author of
Newtown: An American Tragedy
and has appeared as a contributor on the
Today
show, MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, and countless other national and local media outlets to discuss his work. For more information, visit
www.matthewlysiak.com
.

Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
hc.com
.

Cover photography © 2015 by Mark Tucker/MergeLeft Reps, Inc.

Cover art by Annemieke Beemster Leverenz

Cover design by Sarah Nichole Kaufman

Some names and identifying details have

been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

NOTE TO PARENTS: This book contains a number of experiments that may be dangerous if not done exactly as directed or which may be inappropriate for young children. All of these experiments should be carried out under adult supervision only. The author and publishers expressly disclaim liability for any injury or damages that result from engaging in the experiments contained in this book.

BREAKTHROUGH: HOW ONE TEEN INNOVATOR IS CHANGING THE WORLD
. Copyright © 2015 by Jack Andraka. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.