Published: March 31, 2007 11:24 pm      

Science fair shows off local talent

For three weeks, 11-year-old Philip Brochu blew up balloons, attached them to straws, drilled holes in corks and watched as the balloons travelled down a string in his basement. He studied the measurements, drew conclusions, developed theories and watched as his project came to life.

“I wanted to know why balloons go all the way up and down,” said Brochu, a fifth grader from Model Laboratory School.

His efforts were proudly displayed among about 165 other science fair participants Saturday at the fifth annual Kentucky Science and Engineering Fair at Eastern Kentucky University. Students from 5th through 12th grade competed in more than a dozen categories.

“The fair’s mission is to expand educational opportunities for all students and to enhance the visibility and importance of science and engineering in Kentucky by providing annual statewide competitions that support, encourage and recognize student excellence in science and engineering research,” said Dr. Barbara Ramey, professor of biological sciences at EKU.

After finding a Ph meter on Ebay, Model Laboratory fifth grader Abdul Jadoon, 11, said he began his project to study the effects of time on Ph levels in common beverages. Using cans of Pepsi and 7-Up, Jadoon carefully measured the hydrogen and hydroxide and recorded his results.

“It was fun,” Jadoon said. “It didn’t take much time. I learned that chemicals in foods are important to us. If we have too much acid we might die because the blood supply is supposed to stay neutral.”

The students competed in two levels, one for middle schoolers and a second for high schoolers. The high school competition is affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. The best project from Saturday’s fair will continue on in May to the ISEF competition in Albuquerque, N.M.

Noy Schaal, a 14-year-old high school freshman from Louisville, combined science with one of her favorite things -- chocolate. Using a 3-Dimensional printer developed by Cornell University’s Computational Synthetics Lab, Schaal printed the letters KY on a chocolate bar. It took a long time to determine the seven factors needed to properly print the candy, Schaal said.

“It was fun,” she said. “I got to eat a lot of chocolate.”

The fair has continued to grow over the last several years, Ramey said.

“One of the hardest things to do is keep students interested in science and technology,” she said. “Fairs like this give them the opportunity to talk with students their own age. It encourages them to continue to ask questions and try to research their answers.”

The peer interaction helps students to realize that they can compete against other students interested in science. Ramey said she tries hard to get professional scientists to be involved in the judging process as an extra bonus for the students. Many of the judges are scientists from various industries and academia. The public was invited to view the projects after the judging was complete.

“The fair also gives the public a chance to see the quality of science being done in Kentucky’s schools and see what the students are capable of doing,” Ramey said.

Kelly Foreman can be reached at kforeman@richmondregister.com or 624-6694.