In an effort to attract more high school students to science, two teams at MIT took inspiration for projects from reality TV and from online games.

Their endeavors are part of a broader movement to alter stereotypes associated with science, engineering, and math and give students a novel way to learn and practice science. The researchers spearheading the two projects hope to draw in students by humanizing scientists and immersing the teens in the problem-solving challenges that lie at the root of science.