Philadelphia student wins $25,000 in science contest

Driving the news: Aiden Rubin Sanxhaku, a student at Philly's Julia R. Masterman High School, received $25,000 for his project studying how to improve redox flow batteries (RFB) — a promising renewable alternative to lithium batteries.

• Sanxhaku found that adding "low levels of metal additives" improved RFBs and reduced their charging time.

By the numbers: The top 10 winners, whittled from a pool of 2,500 applicants across the U.S., received awards ranging from $40,000-$250,000.

• Regeneron awarded a total of $3.1 million in prizes, including $2,000 to each top scholar and their school.

Zoom in: The 18-year-old Philly senior — who founded a psychics and engineering club at his school — also plays soccer, co-captains the Science Olympiad and plays clarinet and tenor saxophone.