High School Level Science Fair Projects

Sunset High student's project on asthma wins scholarship at Google Science Fair

Now that Naomi Shah is one of the top three international Google Science Fair winners, maybe President Obama will finally take notice.

Some of the world's top scientists found the 16-year-old's work worthy of award. But, so far, neither the White House nor the Environmental Protection Agency has responded to Shah's letter offering to explain her findings on asthma and pollutants.

"It probably ended up in a recycling bin somewhere," she said.

Shah, a Sunset High School junior, won the 15-16 age category in Google's first science fair for her project, "Air Pollution Impacts Lung Health of Asthma Patients," and brought home a $25,000 scholarship.

She rose through the global competition from being among 7,500 entries to 60 semi-finalists to 15 finalists.

"At this point, I was ecstatic," Shah said. "I didn't expect to make it this far. I was dancing around the house."

Google flew Shah to its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., where she presented her project to a panel of judges, including a Nobel Prize-winning chemist, a physicist inventor and one of the fathers of the Internet.

During a formal dinner, Shah sat with her older brother, Priyam, who attends the University of Southern California , and watched a huge screen of faces flip by, stopping on the face of the first winner.

As it spun a second time, it stopped on Shah's face, but she didn't react. "I was stunned for a minute," she said. "My brother had to nudge me."

She made her way to the stage where Vinton Cerf, vice president and chief Internet evangelist for Google, handed her a trophy made of blue Legos.

"I was, like, trembling on stage," she said.

Most of the time, Shah is a calm, cool, collected teenager who sounds far more mature than her 16 years as she explains her project and her desire to help others.

"I read that asthma is the most prevalent lung disorder, and I wanted to do research that would help the most people," she said. "I've noticed just in my test subjects . . . how small improvements have helped them."

Shah hypothesized that the exhalation rate of the asthmatic subjects would vary based on the level of airborne particulate matter, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC).

At first, Shah had trouble finding test subjects.

20 Most Impressive Science Fair Projects of All Time | Online ...

While science fair projects still typically consist of paper mache volcanoes, LEGO robots, and crystals grown in a jar, many students these days are going above and beyond the staples, taking on projects that would even be awe-inspiring as a college thesis. From exploring the effectiveness of cancer treatments to revolutionizing the disposal of plastics, these students prove you don’t have to be an adult to have amazing, world-changing ideas about science. Take a look at these 20 amazing science fair projects we’ve listed here. They may just inspire you to step up your game in your own college-level science courses.

Nuclear Fusion Reactor , Thiago Olsen:

With a budget of only $3,500, this Michigan high school student built a nuclear fusion reactor in his garage when he was only 15 years old. How did he do it? He studied physics textbooks, used vacuum pump manuals, and surfed the web for the best deals on parts. While his device is not self-sustaining and produces fusion only on a small scale, it’s a pretty impressive feat for any teenager.

Diesel Hybrid Car , West Philadelphia High School:

Working as a team at West Philadelphia High School, students constructed a diesel-hybrid race car that can go from 0-60 in just four seconds. If that speed wasn’t already impressive enough, the vehicle also gets more than 60 miles to the gallon. The students constructed it for entry into the Automotive X contest, with a grand prize of $10 million — the only high schoolers in the nation to do so. They are reworking their design to improve their chances of winning, and hope to get the car up to 100 MPG.

Chemical-Sniffing LEGO Robot , Anna Simpson:

Many a science fair project involve LEGOs, but few on the level that Anna Simpson’s does. Her robot, built of the plastic blocks, is capable of sniffing out toxic chemicals and other hazards, keeping humans at a safe distance. Simpson’s work won her the California State Science Fair and could have a number of industrial and public safety applications if adapted.

Spacecraft Navigation Software , Erika DeBenedictis:

This bright, young rising star in the scientific community came up with some ingenious software for helping spacecraft move faster and use less fuel while navigating the many obstacles in the vacuum of space. Her amazing software won a substantial award from the Intel Foundation, and more than likely will help assure her a future career at NASA.

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