New gadget can recharge a cell phone in 30 seconds

May 17, 2013: Top winner Ionut Budisteanu, 19, of Romania (center) with second-place winners Eesha Khare, 18, of Saratoga, Calif. (left) and Henry Lin, 17, of Shreveport, La. celebrate their awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest high school science research competition. More than 1,600 high schoolers from 70 countries, regions and territories competed for more than $4 million in awards this week. (Intel/Chris Ayers)

Your dead battery will be gone in 60 seconds.

A new device can fit inside a cell phone’s battery and recharge it fully in less than half a minute. Is it the latest from Duracell or Energizer? The brainchild of a startup with $20 million in the bank? Nope. This mind-boggling invention came from the mind of an 18 year old.

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Eesha Khare of Saratoga, Calif., took home the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award Friday in Phoenix as part of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and a $50,000 prize. Her gizmo could fill the crucial need for energy-efficient storage devices and may have potential applications for car batteries.

First prize in the festival went to Ionut Budisteanu, 19, of Romania who won for using artificial intelligence to create a viable model for a low-cost, self-driving car. Could it some day rival Google’s self-driving car tech?

Henry Lin, 17, of Shreveport, La. also received the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award for simulating thousands of clusters of galaxies. Lin provided scientists with valuable new data, allowing them to better understand the mysteries of astrophysics: dark matter, dark energy and the balance of heating and cooling in the universe's most massive objects, the company said.

“We support the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because we believe that science and math are the foundation of innovation, which is imperative for global economic growth and advancing society,” said Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation.

“This competition encourages millions of students worldwide every year to explore their passion for math and science while developing solutions for global challenges.”

This year, approximately 1,600 young scientists were chosen to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. They were selected from 433 affiliate fairs in more than 70 countries, regions and territories.