11th grade at Trinity School (New York, New York)
Honorable Mention
In a classroom somewhere, the air is thick with the scent of books and eraser shavings. Posters of constitutions, important figures, and timelines hang from the walls, tacked up next to the creations of students past. On the whiteboard, the ghostly remnants of a previous lecture persist in the form of smudged marker ink.
Nestled in a corner, a globe sits atop a wooden cabinet. Its 23.5-degree tilt allows the printed Atlantic Ocean to soak up the sunlight streaming in from the window, some of which reflects off the brass base. It wobbles slightly when spun, a result of too many hands giving it a good whirl. The blues and greens covering its papery surface have faded and a thin layer of dust has settled on it from disuse, but its labels are still legible.
Globes became a staple educational apparatus in the 19th century; however, the widespread digitization of geographical tools in the 21st century has rendered them less essential for navigation and research. Services such as Google Earth and NASA’s Worldview offer three-dimensional models, satellite imagery, and street-view images of our planet. Geographical information systems (GIS) can create detailed maps and analyze spatial relationships, while environmental modeling software can simulate natural environments for research on climate change.
Yet, despite this shift, the globe has retained a largely similar structure throughout its history; consequently, it has preserved several of its major benefits as an instrument. Most importantly, the usage of globes in the classroom and at home helps students’ spatial cognition and their ability to mentally visualize the world. The tactile nature of a globe is also particularly beneficial for kinesthetic learners—those who learn best through touch. Still, studies have shown that incorporating multiple senses into learning, regardless of learning style, boosts both engagement and information retention.
Paradoxically, although technological advancements may have initially made physical globes seem outdated, recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) have opened the door for their revitalization. To integrate AI seamlessly into a globe, its illustrations could be replaced by an interactive surface that retains the classic ability to spin the globe by hand. The use of this spherical screen would also allow for users to switch between a terrestrial view, depicting the Earth’s surface, or a celestial view, depicting the sky. By selecting a specific area, the globe could display relevant details—such as population, land mass, or an AI-generated description of the location—creating an informative experience, right on the globe itself. Additionally, the globe could feature an AI-powered voice assistant, similar to Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri, not only to improve the globe’s accessibility for those who have impaired hearing, but also to increase user control of the device. Using natural language processing (NLP), the assistant would interpret questions about different locations and receive voice commands to change the globe's display. A user could ask for the globe to show the travel path of a hurricane, the migration routes of different animal species, or a view of a globe from the 1700s.
Through combining the depth of information from digital geographical tools with the tactile interaction of a physical, three-dimensional model, a smart globe could offer numerous educational benefits. It would be able to integrate real-time data, dynamic visualizations, and interactive storytelling in one device, making it a more cohesive tool for younger learners. Its AI integration would bridge the gap between the static illustrations on an ordinary globe and the tangible ways different areas of the Earth exist and interact. For instance, a child could look at a globe and notice the white, triangular expanse representing Greenland. Without prior knowledge of the country, their understanding of the region might be limited to that shape and color. However, with a smart globe, this child could virtually travel to Greenland without leaving their seat; they could hear its national anthem, explore a Google Earth-like street view of Nuuk, its capital, or see visualizations of its glaciers, all while learning about its history and customs. This kind of cultural immersion would enhance a student’s knowledge and help foster respect for diverse environments and ways of life around the world.
Notably, for a smart globe to work properly, it would require more personal information from its user compared to a traditional globe. A smart globe should adapt to the profile of the user, wording its responses based on the user’s name, age, and primary language. Fortunately, this information could be entered on the spot. To further tailor the globe’s outputs, it would also be useful to have the user’s location data, which could be derived from the user’s IP address. However, location data is sensitive, and privacy concerns may arise if it’s leaked. Since younger children would likely be the main audience for this product, it’d be crucial to implement safeguards against hacking or data breaches. A standard way to secure data is through encryption, a method that scrambles data in an unreadable way that can only be decrypted by authorized users; thus, even if unauthorized parties intercept data, they won’t be able to read it. Attacks can also be mitigated simply by minimizing the amount of sensitive data that the system collects; in fact, reducing the amount of data that needs to be entered helps keep the globe user-friendly for a younger audience.
The integration of AI into a smart globe would also raise some unique issues, particularly around racial and political bias. Several popular LLMs, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Bard, have come under fire for generating text with racial stereotypes, such as by promoting race-based medicine or associating negative traits with African American dialects. Since a smart globe would need to use a LLM to generate its responses, it’s crucial to ensure the AI doesn’t present skewed opinions about different cultures or regions. In addition, the depiction of borders on a globe can be politically charged, as countries may disagree on where those borders lie. To address these risks, the smart globe’s AI should be trained on diverse datasets that don’t over or underemphasize certain groups and be monitored by experts to ensure accuracy. It should also provide multiple perspectives on contentious issues, such as by offering alternative border views backed up by historical and political context. While it’s nearly impossible to create an AI with no bias, prioritizing transparency and listening to customer feedback would help ensure that the product operates responsibly.
In a classroom somewhere, a globe still wobbles under the touch of a curious hand. In a few years, perhaps the rush of digital advancements that have reshaped our geographical toolbox will render it a relic. Attempting to elevate its utility with AI would undoubtedly present challenges, but the potential that a smart globe presents for young learners is immense. With its new capabilities, a student could embark on a journey with just a spin—a journey that doesn’t just trace lines on a map, but immerses them in the landscapes, voices, and traditions of their desired destination. In this way, a smart globe could impact the minds of an entire generation of children, cultivating a deeper respect for others that would last a lifetime.
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These winning entries in the 2025 EngineerGirl Writing Contest showcase the lifecycle of everyday items and the types of engineering involved along the way. Congratulations to all winners and finalists!
