“They heard what the commissioner said and decided it was time to tuck in their tails and scurry back under whatever rock they climbed out from,” added Siobhan.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Corp sold its stake in the Fresh & Pure water company,” said Tisa, “seeing how it’s become a public relations disaster.”
“I did hear Dr. Zimm tell his troops that they needed to go back to the warehouse to pick up a ‘piece of equipment,’” said Siobhan.
“Lenard,” said Max.
“Exactly.”
“Oops,” Max said with her own giggle.
“What?”
“Lenard is gone. He’s on his way to CMI headquarters in Jerusalem with Klaus. He’s not a bad robot, you guys. He was just programmed that way.”
“So, we’re going to counter-program the genius menace?” said Tisa. “We’re going to make sure his artificial intelligence is filled with smarter, better ideas?”
“Not us,” said Max. “Klaus.”
“Crikey,” said Siobhan. “The bloomin’ bot is going to want to eat sausages all day, every day.”
Max and her friends laughed.
It felt great.
To laugh.
And to have friends.
56
Two weeks later, the CMI team had six water-cleaning machines up and running in Jitwan.
They were all self-sufficient and green—manufacturing their own electricity by using the waste products skimmed off the top of the bubble tanks to create gas to power their self-contained generators.
Max was super proud of her team. Yes, they were young, but they had already accomplished so much. They’d brought electricity to the Congo and, now, clean water to Jitwan.
And there was so much more to do.
“I wish Jitwan had a better infrastructure to deliver our freshly cleaned water,” said Vihaan. “The underground water pipes are antiques, left over from the days of British colonial rule. To replace them would cost a fortune.”
“I’ll talk to Ben,” said Max. “Maybe he could help out with an interest-free loan.”
Keeto posted all the CMI plans for cleaning water on the internet so towns and villages all over India (not to mention all over the world) could copy what had been done in Jitwan.
“This is how we make big-time change,” said Max. “We find a problem, we work with it until we come up with a solution, and then we test out that solution on a small scale.”
“And once we prove that it works,” said Annika, “the next logical step is to share it with the world.”
“For free!” added Toma.
“Yep,” said Max. “I think that’s why the Corp hates us. They don’t understand the word ‘free.’ They like another R-E-E word better: greed!”
“So, what’s our next problem in need of a solution, Max?” asked Hana. “Where do we go next?”
“I’m not sure,” said Max. “I have all sorts of ideas, of course, but I think I need to talk them over with Ben.”
As if on cue, her satellite phone started buzzing.
It was a call from Ben.
He quickly agreed to the loan idea. Then he said he wanted to meet Max.
Right away.
In London.
57
“When you’re done in London, come back to visit us up in Ireland,” Siobhan told Max as they packed up their suitcases in the hotel.
“I might do that,” said Max.
Max had added a new souvenir to her suitcase collection of Einstein memorabilia: a copy of a photograph that Vihaan had given her, showing Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein together.
The quote Vihaan had written on the back of the photo meant a lot to Max, too.
I believe that Gandhi’s views were the most enlightened among all of the political men of our time. We should strive to do things in his spirit; not to use violence in fighting for our cause, but by non-participation in what we believe is evil.
—Albert Einstein
Max agreed. She would not participate in anything she believed was evil.
She would not build a quantum computer for the Corp, no matter how much information about who she was and where she came from Dr. Zimm promised her.
Max flew to London with Isabl. She felt right at home in the foggy city. A lot of people were bustling around in floppy trench coats, just like hers. Max hoped to see some of the tourist sites. The London Eye Ferris wheel. The Science Museum. Buckingham Palace.
But Ben had other plans.
“I wonder why he wants us to meet him at this obscure restaurant,” said Isabl when she received a text with further instructions.
“He’s Ben,” said Max with a shrug. “He’s quirky.”
“I wonder if you’ll be living in London now?” Isabl asked.
“Maybe. I’m not sure.”
“It must be difficult not having a home.”
“It was,” said Max. “But now, I do have a home. The CMI. Wherever we go, that’s my home.”
Ben had asked to meet Max and Isabl at a place called Kitchin N1 at 8 Caledonia Street in the Kings Cross district of London.
Max did a quick internet search and discovered it was a two-hundred-plus seat Chinese-Thai-Indian-Italian fusion restaurant with an “all you can eat” buffet—everything from pizza to tandoori to fish to Chinese noodles.
“That’s a lot of food,” Max mumbled. “And you can eat all you want for one price.”
“Good thing I’m hungry,” added Isabl.
They found Ben seated at a table not far from a cascading fondue fountain gurgling with thick brown chocolate.
“Uh, hello, Max. Isabl.”
“Hi, Ben,” said Max. She was glad to see the young billionaire again.
“Good job in, you know, India.”
“Thanks.”
“So, Ben?” asked Isabl. “When did you start going to restaurants with all-you-can-eat buffets?”
“Today, I think. Yes. Today. This is my first time. Look at all that food.” He gestured toward the noodle bar and the tandoori oven. “They have garlic naan, plain naan, peshwari naan.…”
Naan was the warm and puffy Indian bread that Max had loved in Jitwan.
“They have chicken tikka, French fries, crispy duck… food from all over the world. They have desserts. Crème brûlée, apple crumble, chocolate fondue. And you can eat as much as you like—of anything and everything.”
“Oh-kay,” said Max. “I guess we’re in for a royal feast.”
“Good,” said Isabl. “We didn’t eat on the plane. I’m starving.”
“Ah,” said Ben. “You’re hungry. Just like 795 million other humans on the planet today. That’s about one in every nine people. This year, 36 million of those same people will die from hunger.”
Max pushed back from the table. “All of a sudden, I don’t feel so good about having dinner at an all-you-can-eat buffet.”
“Me, neither,” added Isabl, taking her napkin out of her lap and wadding it up into a crumpled cloth ball.
“Don’t just feel bad,” said Ben. “Let’s do something about it.”
“Is this our next mission?” asked Max. “World hunger is a major problem.”
“It’s huge,” said Ben. “But if anybody can solve it, you guys can!”
“Well,” said Max, “we know we can’t solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. We’ll need some new ideas. New thinking.”
“You may also need a new CMI teammate.” Ben stood up from the table. “He’s waiting for us in the parking lot.”
“You’ve recruited and trained a new member?” said Isabl as she and Max followed Ben out of the restaurant.
“Yes,” said Ben. “He’s a very good thinker. Knows how to work data like no one I’ve ever met.”
Ben led Max and Isabl to a tall van parked behind the restaurant. He rapped his knuckles on the rear doors. They swung open.
“Hey, Max. Hello, Isabl.” Klaus was in the van, munching on tiny sausages he pluck
ed from a tin can. “Meet Leo.”
He gestured toward the humanoid robot formerly known as Lenard.
“Hello, Max. Hello, martial arts lady.…”
“Her name is Isabl,” Klaus told the robot.
“Correction. Hello, Isabl.”
“Uh, hi, Leo.”
“Did you reprogram him?” Max asked Klaus.
“Yep. Followed your specifications as best I could. Added a few data points of my own.”
“Max,” said the boy-bot, “I look forward to working with you and your team. Your friend Klaus has filled my head with all sorts of fascinating new information, including several tasty sausage recipes from around the globe.”
Max laughed and shook her head. “You couldn’t resist, could you?”
“Nope,” said Klaus. “But I fed him all your good stuff, too.”
“Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment,” said Leo.
“Albert Einstein said that,” remarked Max.
“Yep,” said Klaus. “I figured a few quotes from Dr. Einstein might help permanently erase all that junk the Corp was feeding him. So I downloaded a complete digital copy of a book called The Ultimate Quotable Einstein. Now, you and Leo can swap quotations all day long.”
Max nodded and turned to Leo. “What about greed? Making money?”
“Well, Max, if I may offer some sage advice: Try not to become a person of success but rather try to become a person of value.”
Max smiled. “Dr. Einstein couldn’t’ve said it better himself. Welcome to the team, Leo.”
“Thank you,” said the smiling robot.
And then, it giggled.
“Yeah,” said Klaus. “That was one glitch I just couldn’t code out of him.”
WHAT WOULD MAX DO?
Read on for fun activities and experiments you can do yourself!
NAME THAT CHARACTER!
Max has some really special people in her life! Each one of them has unique qualities, thoughts, or expertise that makes them who they are. Below, you will find clues that are specific to one of her teammates at the Change Makers Institute. Unscramble the letters to find the name of the character.
Robotics expert; from Poland; loves all kinds of food.
uakls
A biochemist from Kenya; earned a doctorate at the age of 13.
aist
Expert in geoscience; hopes one day to develop technology that can predict major natural events.
oiahsnb
From California; computer scientist and expert hacker who studied at Stanford University.
eoekt
14-year-old billionaire; set up the Change Makers Institute.
enb
“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”
iahdng
“The only sure way to avoid making mistakes is to have no new ideas.”
iieennts
13 years old; PhD in quantum mechanics.
iaahvn
Considered a “master of formal logic.” She helped Max escape from the Corp in Jerusalem.
aainnk
Botanist from Japan; passionate about water conservation.
aanh
Astrophysicist; from China; obsessed with black holes, dark matter, and wormholes.
oatm
Who are some special people in your life? Create your own clues and scramble their names. Pass them along to a friend or family member to solve!
DO IT YOURSELF! HOW TO MAKE TISA’S CARBON DIOXIDE BLAST:
Materials:
2 tall cups
Water
Baking Soda
Dish Soap
Vinegar
Parental supervision advised.
Instructions:
1. Pour water into cup until it’s about a third full.
2. Add two spoonfuls of baking soda.
3. Fill a separate cup with vinegar and a squirt of dish soap. Mix well.
4. Quickly pour the vinegar mixture into the cup of water.
5. Stand back and watch the eruption!
6. Add more vinegar to repeat the reaction until the baking soda mixture is gone.
How It Works
When they come into contact, vinegar and baking soda react and form a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2). The carbon dioxide gas surges upward through the mixture, causing it to foam up and expand out of the cup. Awesome!
Time to Experiment
Repeat the process a few times, but with small differences each time. Record your findings so that you can remember the best way to achieve maximum blast!
Skip the dish soap. Is there a difference?
Try adding one spoonful fewer of baking soda. What happens?
What if you added the dish soap to the baking soda mixture instead?
What other variations can you think of? Try them all!
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MAX EINSTEIN?
Max travels throughout the book (again!) working with the Change Makers Institute (CMI) to help those in need. Dr. Zimm is hot on Max’s trail to stop her good deeds and kidnap her so that he can use her knowledge for his own greed! Solve the clues to find out where Max went to escape the clutches of Dr. Zimm. You may need to use your book to help with these clues.
DESTINATION 1
Where in the world is Max?
Max got up bright and early to teach her Physics 1601 class. You can find her on the 3rd floor in Pupin Hall. Where is Max? (here)
It always helps Max to unwind at the end of a long day. She stopped here to play some chess with Mr. Weinstock. Where is Max? (here)
DESTINATION 2
Where in the world is Max?
Max was hungry for some fish and chips. She stopped here to eat. Where is Max? (here)
This hilly region is home to three S’s—Siobhan, sausages, and sheep. Where is Max? (here)
Klaus told Max she had to come here to try shepherd’s pie, herbed beef pastries, and an enormous bowl of beef stew. Where is Max? (here)
DESTINATION 3
Where in the world is Max?
Max paused from saving the world to take in the view here. She saw crowded hillsides and a town with brightly colored three- to four-story buildings. Where is Max? (here)
Max wanted to check on the bubble contraption they made for the people of Jitwan. Where is Max? (here)
Max woke up in this building after she was shot with a tranquilizer dart. Where is Max? (here)
ACTION/REACTION SCAVENGER HUNT
Max (and Newton!) have taught us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For example, picture yourself kicking a ball. Your foot swings toward the ball and makes contact—the action. Then the ball moves away with a similar amount of force and speed—that’s the reaction.
Max wants your help in preparation for her next lecture. She needs to find everyday examples of Newton’s 3rd Law. For this activity, you are going on a scavenger hunt to find examples of Newton’s 3rd Law in the world around you. You will have to figure out the action and reaction. Put on your walking shoes, grab your Max Einstein: Rebels with a Cause book, a pencil and paper, and head out into the world (or your neighborhood)!
1. Look up into the sky. Is it a bird, a plane, or Superman? IT’S A BIRD! Watch as the bird floats high above you. The wings of the bird are pushing air down, which is the action. That causes the bird to fly up in the air, which is the reaction.
2. Find a balloon. Take a deep breath… blow into it. Now, when the balloon is good and full… let go! The air coming out of the balloon is the action. The balloon moving rapidly is the reaction.
Now it’s your turn to find more examples. Here are some to get you started. What is the action? How about the reaction? Fill out the chart to finish the Scavenger Hunt. Good luck!
Blowing on a candle
Swinging a bat at a baseball
Dropping a book on the table
Touching a soap bubble
Pedaling a bicycle
Bouncing a ba
ll
Example of Newton’s 3rd Law: Bird flying in the air.
Action: The wings are pushing the air down.
Reaction: The bird going up in the air.
Example of Newton’s 3rd Law: Balloon
Action: Air coming out of the balloon.
Reaction: Balloon moving.
Example of Newton’s 3rd Law:
Action:
Reaction:
Example of Newton’s 3rd Law:
Action:
Reaction:
Example of Newton’s 3rd Law:
Action:
Reaction:
A SPEEDY ESCAPE
Max will not go anywhere without her suitcase containing all of her precious Albert Einstein items. It is the first item she always makes sure to have! Within her suitcase, you will find an Einstein doll, pictures, and other memorabilia. Imagine you were being chased by an evil scientist like Dr. Zimm and only had enough time to grab your suitcase and escape to a new place. What would you pack in your suitcase? Draw the items in the suitcase that are important to you.
MAX’S NOTEBOOK
Newton’s Laws of Motion
When Sir Isaac Newton was bonked on the head with an apple it gave him a knot but also a big idea! He came up with three rules to explain how objects behave in motion:
1st Law: an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Like when you’re riding a bike! If the bike is in motion, you can coast without pedaling. But if the bike is at rest (not moving), it’ll stay that way until you give it a push.
Rebels With a Cause Page 15
