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Last week, novice and experienced scientists alike flocked to Reno, Nevada to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. This event is the largest of its kind, affording millions of high school students around the world the opportunity to compete for nearly $4 million in prizes and scholarships. These young scientific minds first enter their projects, which may be focused in one of 17 disciplines, in state and regional competitions. Of the winning participants, 1500 were chosen to showcase their projects at the 2009 exposition and to have their work judged by doctoral-level scientists and engineers. Over 500 of these participants received scholarships and prizes for their outstanding work, and the top three winners were each awarded a $50,000 scholarship by the Intel Foundation.
This year’s winning projects included development of a biosensor to detect the presence of contaminants in the water supplies of developing countries; the isolation of a gene that can be used to improve the intelligence of a worm and may someday aid in the prevention and treatment of mental disabilities in humans; and the classification of a complex evolutionary relationship between sweat bees and nematode worms. Past winning projects have focused on everything from hydrogen production to cancer research to “cracking the brazil nut effect.” Toppling the commonly-held belief that male students are more naturally inclined to excel in the sciences, the grand winners of this as well as last year’s competition have all been women.
Clearly, the above are not your typical science fair projects, but neither are we discussing your typical high school students. These are some of the best and brightest young minds the world has to offer, and past winners have gone on to make substantial contributions to their respective scientific fields. But producing a winning project involves a great deal more than brains and in-depth research. The successful participants must gracefully combine many seemingly unrelated skills into one complete package – skills that include writing, statistics and public speaking, just to name a few. Participants learn that science is more than just research and analysis; rather, one’s methodology and purpose must be presented clearly and convincingly in order to be accepted by the scientific community and the general public. The process of completing a science fair project “yields mature, self-confident, skilled, and competitive young leaders who have career goals and the preparation, discipline, and drive to attain them.”
To learn more about entering the competition, becoming a judge, or just to see what else students have to offer, see the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair website.
