2009 Finalists
Jesse Anderson
Lyneham High School, ACT
Project title: Rocking Power
Jesse showed the importance of using the sideways rocking motion
of a floating buoy to generate electricity instead of the up and
down motion of the waves which most other researchers have
studied. The converted energy from the waves was enough to light
up 50 super bright LEDs and could be used for navigation buoys.
This method has the potential for larger scale electricity
production.
Mathuja Bavan
Queensland Academy of Health Sciences, QLD
Project title: Testing Toys for Lead
Mathuja was concerned about the lead levels in cheap imported children’s toys.
She tested the paint in a selection of these toys using a home testing kit and
then used an atomic absorption spectrophotometer to analyse the concentration of
lead in the only toy which tested positive. The lead concentration was very low
and the toys were safer than expected.
Campbell Chambers
Shore School, NSW
Project title: Effectiveness of Thermal Insulation
From his research, Campbell extrapolated that insulating houses saves energy and
reduces CO2 output from coal fired electricity generators when the energy is
used for air conditioning. His results demonstrate that polystyrene foam is an
effective insulator and he concluded that using it Australia wide in previously
non-insulated homes could reduce CO2 emissions by 2 million tonnes.
Luke Fletcher and Hannah Younger
Marist Regional College, TAS
Project title: Bloomin’ Algae
Hannah and Luke investigated the effects of fertiliser on the growth of algae in
fresh water. Unexpectedly, they found that algae grew most in the absence of
fertiliser. The addition of nitrogen-free fertiliser caused algal bleaching,
which could be of use in the agricultural industry to reduce eutrophication of
waterways.
Catherine Gaggin
Marist Regional College, TAS
Project title: Bio-Sludge: To Reuse or Not to Use?
Catherine’s research discovered that Bio-sludge was an effective alternative
fertiliser to superphosphate, producing plants with a heavier dry mass and
costing considerably less than superphosphate. She concluded that Bio-sludge
should be tested further to investigate bacterial levels prior to its adoption
as a fertiliser.
Christine Goosem
Trinity Anglican School, QLD
Project title: Eutrophication and Algal Blooms
Christine investigated the effect of commercial fertiliser on blue green algal
blooms in fresh water. She found that as fertiliser levels increased the growth
of algae increased leading to reduction in dissolved oxygen concentrations in
the water. She concluded that the oxygen concentration dropped because the algae
increased turbidity in the water, reducing penetration of light to other
photosynthetic organisms.
Brendan Hiscock
Scotch College, SA
Project title: Why Do People Get Dumped?
Brendan designed and constructed a wave generator to find out why body surfers
get dumped by waves.
He created model swimmers and tested their success at catching waves. He
correlated the entry speed and point of entry and found that the swimmer’s speed
was important but the crucial factor was the entry point. Swimmers in front of
the wave got dumped, but if they are right at the break or slightly behind the
crest they caught the wave.
Savannah Holwill,
Marist Regional College, TAS
Project title: Taking the Al Out of Alzheimer’s
Savannah set out to find ways of eliminating aluminium from our food intake, as
there is speculation that it could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Her
investigation covered aluminium in cooking, drinking water and from aluminium
cans. She recommends avoiding vinegar when cooking foods in aluminium foil and
filtering water if aluminium sulfate has been used to remove sediment.
Storm Holwill
Marist Regional College, TAS
Project title: Getting the Dirt of Soil Carbon
Storm investigated the effectiveness of Tasmanian soils to act as a carbon sink.
She measured the dry weight of pasture grass and calculated the humus content of
soil sods, comparing tilled and no-till pasture. Storm concluded that the
targets in the Garnaut report could be more easily met if 50% of agricultural
land was treated as no-till pasture.
Rebecca Jackson
Shenton College, WA
Project title: The Effect of Caffeine on the Swimming Performance of Swimming
Squad Athletes
Rebecca’s hypothesis was that caffeine would improve the performance of squad
swimmers. Swimmers trained under controlled conditions taking either a dose of
caffeine or a placebo prior to each exercise session. She found that swimmers
taking caffeine completed their laps in a shorter time than when taking either a
placebo or just water.
Abhijith Prakash
Canberra Grammar School, ACT
Fossil Ecology of the North of Tennant Street
Abhijith collected fossils, classifying and dating them. He used this
information to construct a paleohabitat map of the area. From the type of
organisms found he concluded that the area was once an inland sea and that water
depth would have been the key factor in their distribution.
Lisa Sealey
Keebra Park State High School, QLD
Project title: Iron Fertilisation and its Effect on Microalgae Growth
Lisa’s hypothesis was that greater algal growth and subsequent reduced
atmospheric CO2 levels could be achieved by fertilisiing oceans with iron which
acts as a catalyst in photosynthesis. Using ferrous sulfate as a soluble iron
source, she found that algal growth increased as the iron concentration
increased but noted that further investigation was needed because there may be
negative consequences.
Mitchell Sutton
Reece High School, TAS
Fishing for DNA: A Path for the Thylacine’s Return?
Mitch’s dream is to bring back the Thylacine. He investigated a gene sequencing
technique used to detect human chromosomal abnormalities to see if it could be
used to produce an artificial chromosome for the Tasmanian tiger using Tasmanian
Devil DNA. His conclusion was that the technique could be used for that purpose
and that it has many wider applications in biotechnology.
Chaneg Torres
Redeemer Baptist School, NSW
Project title: Hey? Can You Hear Me?
Chaneg mapped sound levels in the classrooms of his school to find the optimum
seating positions. He used decibel readings to create Isobel contour maps
superimposed on the classroom layout, finding that classroom shape, furnishings
and structural features all affected the way sound traveled. His maps could
provide a useful tool for determining seating positions, especially with hearing
impaired students.
Rosie Watters
Trinity Anglican School, QLD
Project title: Investigating Different Foams in Bicycle Helmets
Rosie’s research was looking for ways to reduce brain injuries in cycle
accidents. She tested different densities and thicknesses of foam, looking at
the effects of changing momentum and altering the shape of the impacting object.
She found that 25mm thick, low-density polystyrene was the most effective sample
to use in bicycle helmets so they do protect your head.
Finalist Camp
From all the projects received, 16 Finalists are selected to attend a four camp in Melbourne and face the final judging process.
They make a poster summarising their project and prepare a speech to explain to the judges how they carried out their research and what they discovered. The camp provides opportunities to meet like-minded people, to visit scientific research centres and meet the scientists who work there and to meet distinguished members of the scientific, business and academic community at the awards presentation. Communication skills are an important focus of the camp, honed over dinner and while visiting Melbourne’s sights.