The 14-year-old student was recognized at the 1st Balkan Summer School of Astronomy and Astrophysics – He spoke alongside the most important living Greek space scientist, Stamatios Krimigis.

Viktor Giannikopoulos, a student in the second grade of Gymnasium at Pierce College, was awarded for his work titled “Voyager 1 and 2: The Epic Journey in the Vast Cosmic Sea” at the 1st Balkan Summer School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The event was focused on “A child from the Balkans counting the stars.” Viktor’s presentation was selected as the best speech at the summer school, which was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from August 26 to 30, 2024.

Viktor was inspired by the Voyager missions, led by Dr. Stamatios Krimigis, the current President of the Academy of Athens and former director of NASA space programs. Viktor’s presentation focused on human messages sent into the depths of space and how humanity survives. His emotionally charged and inspiring talk was described as deeply touching.

Dr. Krimigis, the most prominent living space scientist, personally chose Viktor to stand beside him during a joint interview aired on ERT on November 23, 2024.

In fact, part of the interview given by the 14-year-old student went viral on social media, thanks to his mature remarks and insightful words.

The student, Viktor Giannikopoulos, said, among other things: “Some kids my age have lost their way. They spend too much time on social media, and it becomes a battle for likes. They try to take the best photo to get the most likes. In my opinion, they should focus on something more creative. Now, they are heavily influenced by social media.”

He gave a simple example: “Around 1600, when Newton was a student in England, a pandemic broke out, and he had to isolate himself at home for two years. Those two years were the most productive years for him, as he discovered the laws of motion, the law of gravity, and the refraction of light. Back then, there were no social media, internet, or electricity.”

“Some young people seem to be addicted to these platforms. We also have artificial intelligence, which, in the wrong hands, could be catastrophic. Also, I think the media tend to overemphasize incidents of juvenile delinquency.”

The Summer School was organized by the Union of Greek Physicists, the Balkan and European Union of Physicists, under the auspices of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, and 80 students from all the Balkan countries participated.