Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 15, 1995 TAG: 9502160004
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PETER AIREY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Case in point: harmful asbestos-filled buildings. As we now know, only one type of asbestos is potentially harmful and it was not widely used. But if a wall or ceiling is found to contain asbestos it has to be removed - at great expense. Well, Seyed Ali of Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond can determine the type(s) of asbestos contained by its infrared (heat) radiation and so show if the wall is safe to leave alone.
Or take the case last year in Roanoke where the Health Department closed a local sandwich-maker because it had wooden cutting surfaces. If the Health Department and legislators had inspected Levi Halsinger's work at Yorktown High School in Arlington, they would have realized that wooden surfaces are a preferred food-preparation surface.
An extensive survey by Salem High School student Johanna Fisher shows that for almost all students, the guidance counselors who do not teach are the least valued, by a wide margin, as a source for problem-solving. It may be politically correct to worry about the lack of guidance counselors in the elementary schools, but in the high schools, without daily involvement, only one in 60 will take a problem to "guidance."
Here is a brief sampling of science-fair projects selected for general interest and not necessarily those into high-tech.
Ever play poker? Does it matter how many times the cards are shuffled ? Work done by Christine Milton of Broad Run High School in Ashburn suggests that it can affect your chances of receiving a good hand. Her work on this project has opened her eyes to the value of learning about the theories of statistics and probability when that comes up in math this year.
Out hunting on a cold winter's day and have a critical shot to make? Justin Barker of John Handley High School in Winchester showed that it's worth your while keeping a few rounds of ammo warm in your inside pockets and so increase muzzle velocity up to 8 percent for a flatter trajectory.
Gardeners must have often wondered which pesticide will have the least harmful effect on beneficial organisms, such as earthworms, that they want to keep around. Of the many pesticides tested by Katherine Slimak of West Springfield, her work showed that Diazon had unexpectedly harmful effects on soil organisms and that Safer was safest.
What's a farmer to do when his favorite cow is about to go belly up in the fall from eating acorns? Zee French of William Monroe in Stanardsville showed that the harm to the cows comes from the acorns making the cow's stomach so acidic that the digestive processes are disrupted, producing side effects that can kill. The suggested solution is the equivalent of a major call for Rolaids!
Perhaps the most human, and humane, story was told by Lewis Wheaton of Petersburg, who had a part-time job working with a veterinarian. The previous summer, over a one-month period, he had seen three dogs brought in suffering from Lyme disease and die. He began a search for a cure using beta carotene. His tests, sad to say, were negative and showed that B-carotene might help the Lyme disease more than the patient! So it didn't work, but his next attempt might.
Whether it is OK to use sewage sludge containing heavy metal residue on your fields is a question any farmer might ask. Jason Sprinkle of the Governors School showed that these contaminants will remain isolated as long as the pH of the soil is kept up. However, if liming is ever stopped, the future might present some difficult questions to answer.
One project that did not make it to the state level but is of considerable interest was one by Jeff Painter of Roanoke County's Northside High School. He measured the pull-out resistance of different types of nails. Somewhat surprisingly, the standard common nail held, within a few percentage points, as well as the more expensive ringed and other "improved holding power" nails.
The above is a very thin sampling of more than 200 exhibits that included advanced medical research, aerodynamics and other engineering, science and computer topics too numerous to mention that would interest any technology buff or anyone with interests from cooking to automobiles.
The overall impression is that this, and all the previous school and local science fairs from which these exhibits were selected, are worthy of much more attention. It is also apparent that while a flair for presentation and access to expensive equipment can make a fancy display, there always remains an element of luck.
Then there are a few projects that keep you guessing. After all, what would a fair be without a huckster or two? Not all projects are quite what they seem. High tech or low, every so often one gets past the judges.
And talking of judging, that is a task that would tax a mechanized saint! The task of evaluating originality, industry, interest, creativity, understanding, accuracy, presentation, persistence in the face of adversity, luck, influence and use of outside help for a dozen or so projects - all in the space of a couple of hours - is, well, a mind-boggling and sobering experience.
However, there is one ingredient common to all exhibitors: persistence. They shared the understanding that, armed with determination, anyone can be a winner. Surely this is a message we would like our schools to promote.
Should we do more to encourage a wider participation in our schools' science fair? It seems that a case can be made that every high-school student should be required to participate in his or her school's fair, with class time allocated. This is where the rubber hits the road and education becomes relevant to the students themselves.
Most high schools will be holding their fairs in March, and the regional competition will be April 8 at Roanoke College. We can do our part just by going to see what's on display - and maybe learning something in the process.
Peter Airey of Roanoke County is a parent of two high-school students.
by CNB