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How to win a science fair Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Fri, 1 Mar 2002 11:05:07
In Reply to: OT: Science Fair Ideas., nick  [Profile/Gallery]
, Wed, 27 Feb 2002 21:39:00
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In my senior year of high school I actually did a science fair project whose theme was "how to win a science fair". It was a psychological idea cloaked as electronics (I turned out to be an electronics engineer).
I studied winning science fair projects, and determined that in many cases, the judges based the winners on how many folks gathered around a given project, and how long they stayed there. So I came up with an idea that would attract people and keep them to my project.
There is a simple electronic circuit called a relaxation oscillator, consisting of one resistor, one capacitor, and a neon bulb. Hook it up right, apply power, and the bulb flashes. More volts, faster flashing. I made up a pegboard with a 5x5 grid of bulbs, about 10 inches square, and stuck it on a post about 4 feet high. To keep direct light off it, I put a big black cardboard lightshade around the sides. The result is something that looks like Darth Vader's head with flashing lights, and it's higher than every other project there, and can be seen from across the gym. Nobody can miss it, and they all want to know what it does.
Next, I ran the wires down to a circuit board, and let all the electronics hang out for all to see. Oooh! Pretty components! Since the changing the voltage changes how fast the bulbs flash, I put a big knob on the board, so people could change the voltage and how fast things flashed.
The entire technical description ran to less than a page. It was about a Saturday's work. It came in 2nd place, behind some girl that had done about 3 months work nights and weekends on peptide chains and enzyme cleaving.
The keys - make your project Big, Brighter, and Different. Interesting that those are the same features that the Navy trains its pilots in to be noticed for rescue. Make it impossible for folks to ignore it - lights, sound, size. Next, make it interactive - People like to push buttons, turn knobs, flip levers. Make something exciting happen when they do it.
Basically, I believe you would win a science fair project if you built a pinball machine.
Good luck!
posted by 140.157....
, Wed, 27 Feb 2002 21:39:00, Fri, 1 Mar 2002 11:05:07 <-- Viewing This Message
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