Last week I saw the future. No, I'm not a fortune teller or a psychic. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of the Society for Science & the Public, was held in Reno at the Convention Center from May 10-15.
Approximately 1,500 students in grades nine through 12 from all over the world were here to present their projects to judges who came in from all across the country as volunteers to evaluate the results of the students' work.
The fair is only open to the public for one day while the remainder of the time the students are meeting with previous Nobel Peace Prize winners and other distinguished members of the science and engineering community.
SSP is a nonprofit organization founded in 1921 and dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement: to inform, educate, inspire, according to their Web site http://www.societyforscience.org/. They began the Science Talent Search in 1942 to encourage high school students to enter fields of science or engineering.
It is now the oldest and most revered science contest for high school seniors responsible for providing $4 million in scholarships to almost 3,000 finalists over its 60 year history. They now have programs for students from fifth grade through high school.
Often the student was inspired by a family member as one student from China explained his reason for developing a device that can predict rainfall within a two-hour period.
His grandfather and those in wheelchairs are prone to other health and safety issues if caught unprepared in a sudden downpour. His device is a little larger than a quarter, clips to the person's clothing, and can alert the wearer to seek shelter based on changes in atmospheric conditions.
Another student tested the amount of mercury that is released into the atmosphere from the soil during and after a prescribed burn.
Several students analyzed different aspects of solar and wind energy for individuals as well as large scale operations. One student developed a mixture of recycled paper cellulose and bits of recycled rubber tires as a longer lasting insulation against heat, cold and sound.
Another student explored different roofing materials (cedar shake, asphalt, and a slate/rubber combination shingle) and found that roofing that has recycled rubber as a component tended to burn as a ring around the edges which often caused the flames to pour down the walls of the building, making it more dangerous to firefighters.
A few students looked into various methods for making biodiesel from used vegetable oil. An added benefit to oil based biodiesel is that after a few weeks on the product, engines were cleaner internally and ran more efficiently according to the test results of one of the students.
I left the fair with a renewed sense of optimism for our future. Congratulations to all the participants. They are all winners.
Have a ramblin' good week.
Reach Gail Davis at RuhenstrothRamblings@yahoo.com
or 265-1947.
