Defying the Odds

The team's prosthetic arm passed the test.                                         UC Irvine

A group of students from a low-performing middle school in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles took top honors at a national competition with their design for a prosthetic arm. The arm is deceptively simple and low-budget, made of a plastic water bottle, wire, metal rod, and clamp. "Just because we're from here doesn't mean we're not smart," commented Jacqueline Sanchez, one of the team members. Indeed: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-science-winners-20130721,0,6120200.story