All about science

By Leslie McCartney, of The Montana Standard - 02/28/2007

Jackson Darham, of Bozeman, explains to judge Doug Abbott his project of hand-rendered architectural site plans inspired by a fantasy world during the Regional Science and Engineering Fair held at Montana Tech Tuesday morning. Walter Hinick / The Montana Standard.

After months of work, it all came down to waiting for Big Sky High School senior Christopher Casas.

Casas spent much of the year researching at the University of Montana-Missoula, where he probed layers of sediment seeking clues as to how the Earth may have looked millions of years ago.

On Tuesday, Casas patiently waited for people with clipboards and badges to judge the results of his hard work.

With practiced poise, Casas explained his project and its long title, “Establishing the Connection between Eastern Laurentia and Western Siberia by a Point-Count Analysis of Rift-Related Sediments.” “As soon as you start talking your brain kicks in,” Casas said as he translated his complicated project into laymen’s terms.

For 48 high school students, Tuesday’s Regional Science and Engineering Fair at Montana Tech is the first step toward earning berths at state and national contests.

It caps months of intense work — some students are in their second or third years of investigating problems that interest them, and for others it could mean scholarships for college as well.

While some students produce projects on their own, such as homeschool pupils, others, like those from Ennis High and Big Sky High, take classes that encourage them to participate.

Big Sky High, in Missoula, has an advanced problem-solving class and the direct result are stellar science fair projects.

“I’ve been researching this all year,” said Drew Sheehy, a senior who participates in the class and whose project is called “The Integration of Remote Infrared and Temperature Sensors into Model Rockets in the Pursuit of Rapid Data Collection.” A fascination with rockets, as well as designing a method to quickly capture flight data, provided the impetus for Sheehy’s project. He thinks the skills he uses in science will help him in college. He hopes to someday become a psychologist.

Bozeman homeschool student Jackson Darham presented one of the more unusual projects — his colorful board illustrations lured bypassers.

Called “Out of Site/Out of Mind: Hand-Rendered Architectural Site Plans of a Fantastical World,” Darham’s intricate drawings of fantasy worlds, such as those depicted in “Lord of the Rings” or “Harry Potter,” are a natural subject for a student who loves both fantasy novels and who wants to be an architect.

Ennis’ sophomore Gabe Dennis said the science fair offered him a chance to experiment with his favorite medium: music.

Called “Musical Brain Food,” Dennis tested students while different types of music were playing. To his surprise, he found that his test group did better on testing when metal music was played, followed by classical music by Mozart.

“But there are too many variables; you can’t control everything,” he said.

— Reporter Leslie McCartney may be reached at leslie.mccartney@mtstandard.com