this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023
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Heman Bekele was inspired by Ethiopian workers laboring under the sun, and wanted to help ‘as many people as possible’

A middle-school teen has been named “America’s top young scientist” after developing a bar of soap that could be useful in the treatment of melanoma, a skin cancer that is diagnosed in about 100,000 people in the US each year and kills approximately 8,000.

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[–] PatFussy@lemm.ee 145 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (23 children)

Lets get 1 thing straight, no he most likely didnt invent this, a team at 3M did. You always see these stories about rich kids and how they did this amazing thing while at their internship where their dad is the lab manager/owner when in reality these companies just wanted a poster child who was just some intern that is still learning about what titration means. I would bet that the extent of this kids biochemistry knowledge is that mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 56 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Also almost certainly doesn't work as the headline describes.

"Teenagers cures cancer" is shameless click bait.

[–] Cosmicomical@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

Yeah "wins award" is also ridiculous, if that was true this kid would deserve the nobel prize

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[–] hark@lemmy.world 48 points 11 months ago (2 children)
[–] MicroWave@lemmy.world 105 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Looks like it does from another article:

Heman’s mentor, 3M product engineering specialist Deborah Isabelle, said she could see the teen’s energy and passion for the project from their first meeting. She described Heman as “focused on making the world a better place for people he hasn’t necessarily even met yet.”

The soap, called Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS), works by using a compound that helps revive dendritic cells, which are killed by cancer cells. Once the dendritic cells are revived, they are able to then fight against the cancer cells. In essence, it reactivates the body’s healing power, Isabelle said.

Similar creams and ointments exist, Heman said, but he doesn’t believe soap has ever been used to fight against skin cancers in their early stages.

He has a five-year plan, which includes seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Isabelle has already connected him with other scientists who specialize in medical products to help him move forward with his plans.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/10/25/heman-bekele-skin-cancer-soap/

[–] jasory@programming.dev 71 points 11 months ago (7 children)

Whenever you read "X-year old does something", it's usually already been done or a slight modification of something already been done.

[–] RedditWanderer@lemmy.world 44 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Don't underestimate our ability to miss the obvious. You're talking about the race that over 3000 or so years, forgot scurvy was cured by vitamin C over 10 times.

They also used to shape steel wire by pulling it really hard through a kinda steel funnel. This works because the tensile strength of steel is much higher than its yield strength, so you can pull on it with more force than it takes to shape it, without it snapping.

Back in the day, we figured out corrosion helped make the steel slippery when it went through the shaping tool. We though it was because some dudes pissed on the steel, so for a while after people pissed on their steel. Until people started figuring out beer worked just as well, and then half beer half water.

Until they finally realized water worked just as well to create corrosion. It took a couple hundred years.

Sometimes it just takes someone to think about it and do it. At 14 that's incredible, kids aren't that selfless at that age.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 33 points 11 months ago (1 children)

At 14 that’s incredible

It's incredible to have the opportunity to mentor with a senior research analyst at 3M.

Wish more kids were given this kind of opportunity without going six figures into debt

[–] MonkCanatella@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago

I think both of your statements are correct - lots of innovations are right in front of us, are simple, and that's the kinda shit scientists love. More kids, but really people of any age, should be given opportunities like this given passion or even a passing curiosity.

[–] snooggums@kbin.social 26 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Whenever you read “person does something”, it’s usually already been done or a slight modification of something already been done.

[–] blanketswithsmallpox@lemmy.world 26 points 11 months ago

On the shoulders of giants is a thing for a reason.

[–] rustydrd@sh.itjust.works 11 points 11 months ago

Even if the active ingredients are already known, developing a new mode of application for an existing drug is an enormous accomplishment for a student his age. Plus, the alternative (minors doing experiments with unapproved drugs) is likely illegal, so there's only so much they could do.

[–] grabyourmotherskeys@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

When I was 14, I was not helping to cure cancer. My science fair project was about salt raising the boiling point of water. :) I'll give him props but you're right.

[–] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Were your tests conclusive?

I did mine on whether brown eggs would boil faster than white.

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[–] _number8_@lemmy.world 35 points 11 months ago (3 children)

He has a five-year plan

this is one of those business buzzwords that makes my skin crawl

[–] WoahWoah@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago (7 children)

Yes, a timeline and plan for reaching a goal. So buzzy.

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[–] ThePantser@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago

There's a cream for that

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[–] wandtpag@kbin.social 3 points 11 months ago

Soap is a rinse-off product. It'll never be as effective as leave-on ointments because the substances that actually do something will mostly be gone as soon as they're rinsed off the skin...

[–] jwt@programming.dev 43 points 11 months ago

Sponsored by 3M. Cool, so now they can give the soap to all people living near their PFAS plants.

[–] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 37 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I believe in this guy 110% simply because of his massive Carlton vibes

[–] moistclump@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Strong Carlton vibes. It’s true.

[–] Hotdogman@lemmy.world 27 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Aaaand patented. JandJ's new cancer bars require you to use the soap everyday for the rest of your life to stave off the cancer.

[–] GentlemanLoser@ttrpg.network 34 points 11 months ago (1 children)

To stave off cancer caused by their other products

[–] jasondj@ttrpg.network 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Wait when did J&J cause skin cancer? I’ve only known of the asbestos baby powder.

[–] GentlemanLoser@ttrpg.network 10 points 11 months ago

Breast cancer, skin cancer...Are we gonna split squamous cells here

[–] uberkalden@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago

Let me guess, J&J is hiding the true magic cure for cancer from us all?

[–] espentan@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Of course, if you don't want to die you best spend a significant amount of your income helping the few get rich(er).

[–] Hangglide@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Add in some sunscreen to the soap and it will clean, prevent, and cure. A trifecta!

[–] andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago

HeMan and the Soap against Melanoma

[–] EternalNicodemus@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Wait the immortality elixir is just all soap? Always has been shoots

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