We started off the day bright and early by eating a hearty breakfast at Einstein’s Bagels. Afterwards, we headed towards the convention center to set up our posters and get checked by security. Though it took some time, each of us was checked and set up our displays, which look fantastic!
We also spent some time in the Intel Quad, where there were a variety of fun and intriguing Intel activities and demos to participate in, including the famed Oculus Rift. The experience was amazingly immersive and awe-inspiring, and we all enjoyed it very much! We then went to the souvenir shop to buy souvenirs for home.
Heading to lunch, we admired the Pittsburgh city line and culture as we entered Market Square, searching for one restaurant in particular: The famed Primanti Brothers. We ordered and waited in anticipation for the arrival of the world-famous Primanti burgers and fries. Their recognition was well-deserved, too; the consensus was that the burgers and fries were absolutely heavenly and were unmatched in quality. Never would we forget such an amazing burger as was experienced in the Primanti Bros. restaurant.
Afterwards, we went back to the hotel to take a break. We visited the hotel pool and admired the view from the balcony. Then, we boarded the shuttle to the convention center for the opening ceremony. After waiting for what seemed like forever, we finally got into the auditorium and took our seats.
The lights dimmed and the host came around, talking with ISEF participants from all over the world about their experiences so far. Then, we watched, amazed, as the Xpogo team sprang onstage, spinning and flipping in impressive coordination. Finally, at seven, the main host came onstage to welcome all of us to ISEF and introduce the speakers, including the headmaster of the University of Pittsburgh, a notable STS alumnus, the Intel futurist, and finally, the keynote speaker Luis von Ahn, the co-founder of reCAPTCHA, the founder and CEO of Duolingo, and the associate professor of the Computer Science Department of Carnegie Mellon University. He spoke about the transcription of books around the world into text through the use of CAPTCHA verifications, as well as the idea behind Duolingo. He raised interesting new ideas about harnessing collective human power for scientific advancement, and was an amazing presenter! We left the hall in awe and walked back to the hotel for a final pizza dinner before bed, waiting for the coming sunrise.
William Yin
Sophomore at Greenwich High School