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Hairspray for houseplants and other good info

By Alyson Walls, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, April 2, 2004
Details
The Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair

Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon

Heinz Field, Club East Lounge (enter at Gate A)

  • The public is invited to view more than 700 exhibits by students in grades 6-12 from 90 school districts in western Pennsylvania.

  • Winning projects will also be displayed at the SciTech Festival, Carnegie Science Center, April 17-25.
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    • Ever wonder which bridge can hold the most weight -- truss or arch? Or what kind of glue holds boards together best?

    How about how far a piece of gum will stretch, or how we can control erosion?

    These were just some of the questions posed by local students in the annual Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair last year.

    This year's fair, set for Saturday at Heinz Field, promises a new round of interesting research for more than 700 students in grades 6 through 12 from school districts throughout Western Pennsylvania.

    "I'm always impressed with the imagination of young people competing at the fair," said Charles Vukotich, chairman of the 2004 SciTech Festival. "Some are doing world-class research, and everyone is searching to explain the world around them."

    Vukotich said his all-time favorite project came from a well-coiffed young lady who wondered how her hairspray was affecting the growth of her plants.

    "It turned out that hairspray was actually good for them," he said.

    Coordinator Lisa Kosick said the fair began at the Buhl Science Center in 1939. Now a component of the Pittsburgh SciTech Festival -- a nine-day event showcasing innovations in science and technology from throughout the United States -- it has become the region's largest student competition of research projects in science, mathematics and engineering.

    "I think the public enjoys seeing what our young scientists and engineers are doing ... the work they put into it, and the excitement when they speak about their projects," Kosick said.

    This year's participants will compete for more than $300,000 in scholarships offered by local colleges and universities. Up to four students will win an all-expense paid trip to Portland, Ore., to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair May 9-14. Junior and intermediate division winners are nominated to continue in the Discovery Channel's Young Scientist Challenge.

    "We hope students make connections that nurture a continued interest and curiosity in science and technology, and foster inventive and inquiring minds," Kosick said.

    Did you know?

  • The carburetor of the first Harley was made from a tomato soup can.

  • The Ferris wheel was invented by a Pittsburgher.

  • The prototype for the Jeep was invented in Butler County.

  • Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors.

  • The first simultaneous heart, liver and kidney transplant was done in Pittsburgh.

  • The first stethoscope was made from a roll of paper.

  • A 15-year-old American invented ear muffs in 1873.

  • One man invented the yo-yo, parking meters and Good Humor Ice Cream.

    Source: Pittsburgh International Science and Technology Festival

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