Through play children (and adults) learn how to use their imaginations, to experiment with different ways of doing things. This might seem like it has relevance only for their self-development, but it's also through imagination and experimentation that the human race as a collective arrives at the solutions to its problems. As such, it's vital that we encourage children and people more generally to use their imaginations and to experiment, and it's to this end that LEGO, of all things, has an important role to play in nurturing the next generation of engineers, scientists and problem solvers. And we're not just talking about informal play with LEGO here, since one organization in particular has taken it upon itself to incorporate the famous Danish toy in competitions and workshops, all of which aim to instil a love for science and engineering in children. This organization is FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit public charity based in New Hampshire that works to inspire young people to pursue careers and education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. Beginning in 1999, it partnered with the LEGO Group itself to launch the FIRST LEGO League, tapping into the LEGO brand to bring children to science.

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems can recognize your speech like Siri or identify images like Facebook, but these types of machine intelligences are built on statistical approximation, using loads of data to make educated guesses. Though statistical approximation was a significant technological advancement for devices, experts at Future Lab's AI Summit in New York City believe that it is time to expand the bounds of artificial intelligence--to democratize it--by "engineering knowledge." For Puri, that is the next level of AI--its ability to not only say what something is, but to reason and understand the intent of its being, to answer the'why' question. "Working with kids gives you grounding. They ask questions because they are not shy," says IBM Watson's Chief Architect, Dr. Ruchir Puri, in an interview with EdSurge.

Never mind that the robot and the heart are made of Legos. Her team at KIPP DC: AIM Academy, a charter school, is part of a burgeoning program that uses the children's toys to make engineering more exciting and accessible to students in elementary, middle and high school - an effort that has experienced success in its first years. At Washington area Lego robotics competitions, Brittany's team is one of a small but growing number of predominantly African American groups. Although most of the Virginia/DC First Lego League's 3,500 entrants and 437 teams are from the suburbs, the Symbiotic Titans are one of a few teams from east of the Anacostia River. Maryland also has a First Lego League.