NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - Next time someone says “these kids today aren’t motivated…” may we introduce some kids from our area who are finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search Project. Topics range from sugar addiction to teen cellphone dependence. Top prize is $100,000.

Wayne Cabot spoke with Jan Gong from Garden City High School.

Also in the running from our area: Michelle Hackman of John Miller Great Neck North who studied the effect of separating teenagers from their cell phones. She did it after noticing her friends at a group dinner were texting each other instead of speaking,

The other finalists from our area are Grace Phillips of Larchmont; Jonathan Goldman of Plainview; Matthew Lam of Old Westbury; Jenny Liu of Orange, CT; and from New Jersey: Joshua Bocarsly of Plainsboro, Alison Bick of Short Hills, and Wenyu Cao of Belle Mead.