I remember

there was a time when you could sit down to any piano and start playing

lovely pieces while you waited for us to get ready.  Why didn’t I ever

record it?

I miss your

stew.  And coming over to your house and finding a ring of orange lipstick

on the container of whipping cream.  I still laugh thinking about how you

denied it. 

You packed me

a lunch one morning when I had to leave for a meeting at 5 AM during my

senior year.  Nobody had ever packed me a lunch before.  I

didn’t like the type of sandwiches you made or the cheese, but the gesture

meant the world to me.

I loved that

you were the classiest grandmother in our neighborhood – the best dressed.

I miss your

home.  I miss seeing you walking down the front hallway to greet us when

we came through the back door. 

It wasn’t what

you knew… but who you knew. 

No woman has ever

owned more purses, belts, shoes and dresses or received more catalogues in the

mail.

I wish I’d

taken more pictures of you – pictures of me with you and you with my

kids. 

You had the most stalwart, staunch testimony in God and the prophet Joseph Smith that I have ever seen.  It didn’t blind me from seeing you get angry as hellfire at some of the things you had to endure or demanding answers at some future point.  But you never lost your faith. 

I love how

this song will always make me think of you – the snapshots

of many youthful months spent with you in Los Angeles.

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.

1. 
   
   

   
   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.

   
   


2. 
   
   

   
   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.

   
   


3. 
   
   

   
   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.

   
   


4. 
   
   

   
   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.

   
   


5. 
   
   

   
   Plastic-Eating Microbes, Daniel Burd:

   
   

   Plastic that is simply dumped into landfills can take centuries to decompose, if it ever really does, but this young thinker came up with a better way. Burd beat out leading scientists to discovering a microbe that eats plastic, increasing the rate of decomposition by more than 40%. This project won him the Canada-Wide Science Fair and garnered a fair amount of international media attention as well.

   
   


6. 
   
   

   
   Space Exploration Balloon, IES La Bisbal School:

   
   

   The students at this Spanish school produced a science fair project that was out of this world — literally. A team of four students sent a camera-operated weather balloon into the stratosphere, snagging atmospheric readings and stunning photographs more than 20 miles above the Earth’s surface.

   
   


7. 
   
   

   
   Cancer and Chicken Marinades, Lauren Hodge:

   
   

   At just 14 years old, Lauren Hodge is getting a jumpstart on a science career with this amazing project, which won her an award at the international Google Science Fair competition. So what did she find? Some chicken marinades block carcinogenic compounds from forming when chicken is grilled — a process known to raise the level of carcinogens in meat. Among the marinades she tested, lemon juice was the most successful, so consider these stellar findings the next time you’re hosting a backyard BBQ.

   
   


8. 
   
   

   
   Image-Based Search Engine, David Liu:

   
   

   While most search engines work at dissecting the web’s textual information, David Liu’s pet project is all about creating one that looks at images instead. While he is still working to perfect his software, Liu’s search engine is already being used in the real world, analyzing satellite images and making relevant web searches much more effective. An impressive feat for a 17-year-old.

   
   


9. 
   
   

   
   Problems with Ovarian Cancer Treatment, Shree Bose:

   
   

   Taking top prize at the Google Science Fair, Bose will get to spend several weeks studying marine life in the Galapagos Islands. The work that netted her this prize is awe-inspiring coming from a teenager. Bose uncovered a number of problems with popular ovarian cancer treatments and drugs, producing a report that would be more at home in a medical journal than a high school classroom. Hopefully, this will influence some changes in how treatment is doled out to suffering patients.

   
   


10. 
    
    

    
    Computer Speed Enhancing Software, Kevin Ellis:

    
    

    Slow computers are the bane of every office worker’s existence, but with the work of Kevin Ellis, an unresponsive machine may be a thing of the past. Rather than upgrading computers with more memory, Ellis has developed software that analyzes how programs are running and spreads out their needs over all the CPUs to make everything more quickly. His amazing software netted him $ 50,000 and the rest of the world a way to speed up computers that may have otherwise been tossed out.

    
    


11. 
    
    

    
    Quantum Computing for Difficult Computational Problems, Yale Fan:

    
    

    Despite his name, this young genius chose Harvard over Yale to continue working on his education. Part of what got him there, undoubtedly, was this impressive bit of science. Yale’s research project, titled “Adiabatic Quantum Algorithms for Boolean Satisfiability” analyzed the applications of quantum computing for solving some of the most complex and difficult computational problems. Most adults don’t have half an idea what that even means, so it’s all the more impressive that this teen was already studying it in high school.

    
    


12. 
    
    

    
    Photodynamic Cancer Therapy, Amy Chyao:

    
    

    The definitive cure for cancer is still undoubtedly a long way off, but young researchers like Amy Chyao are certainly helping in the fight with innovative new ideas. Amy’s science project used photodynamic therapy to target and kill cancer cells. The project was so promising, it garnered her the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair award in 2010.

    
    


13. 
    
    

    
    Antarctic Submersible, Ryan Garner and Amanda Wilson:

    
    

    These two teens have come up with an amazing way to do research on climate change. With a budget of $ 5,000, the pair built an underwater rover designed to take on the challenges of some of the harshest conditions in the world — like those at the Antarctic Circle. Equipped with a camera, the device can explore and take measurements, and is currently being used by the University of California-Santa Barbara to study marine life.

    
    


14. 
    
    

    
    Nuclear Weapon Detector, Taylor Wilson:

    
    

    Sixteen year-old Taylor Wilson began his nuclear detection project at the age of only 11. Supported by his parents and a grant from Homeland Security, he eventually created a device that can reliably detect nuclear weapons and explosive materials as vehicles pass through his drive-through sensor.

    
    


15. 
    
    

    
    Teaching Robots to Speak English, Luke Taylor:

    
    

    South African Luke Taylor submitted this amazing project to Google’s Science Fair, which lets humans communicate more easily with robots. His software translates the English language into code that the robot can then understand and execute — allowing just about anyone, anywhere to program one to perform a variety of functions. Even more impressive? Taylor is just 13 years old.

    
    


16. 
    
    

    
    Better Password Technology, Jacob Buckman:

    
    

    How many of your online passwords are truly secure? If you’re like most people, probably not many. This young man may have come up with a solution, monitoring the biometrics of how people type to create a more secure way of gaining online account access. He discovered that passwords using the length of time between keystrokes and the length of time keys were held down could be just as accurate and potentially more secure than traditional passwords.

    
    


17. 
    
    

    
    Asthma and Air Quality, Naomi Shah:

    
    

    Taking home top prize in her age group at the Google Science Fair, Shah’s work takes a critical look at the air quality in the world today — and the impact it can have on those suffering from breathing disorders like asthma. She created a mathematical model that helps quantify the effects of air quality on symptoms. And had a few harsh words about the U.S. Clean Air Act as well, based on her findings.

    
    


18. 
    
    

    
    Mind Controlled Prosthetic Limbs, Anand Srinivasan:

    
    

    It’s hard to believe that this awe-inspiring science project came from the mind of a 14-year-old. Hooking his brain up to an EEG scanner, Srinivasan worked to test out a new method of improving mind-controlled prosthetic limbs. He found that data from the EEG could help with data classification and signal processing when using them, providing a better and more efficient user experience.

    
    


19. 
    
    

    
    Managing the Power of Household Devices, Ankush Gupta:

    
    

    You likely have a lot of vampires in your home, and not the sexy Hollywood kind either. These are energy vampires, and they’re sucking up and wasting energy that you’re still paying for. Gupta has come up with a solution with this amazing science project using demotic technology. By monitoring energy use around the home, Gupta’s system allows users to manage the power states of computers and other devices around the home to reduce energy usage and save money.

    
    


20. 
    
    

    
    Reducing CO2 Emissions, Jun Bing and Alec Wang:

    
    

    Using a process known as acid base neutralization, Bing and Wang developed a device capable of sequestering carbon dioxide gas released from cars (and other sources) that burn fossil fuel. Not only does it remove the harmful substance from the air, but also collects in a way so it can be stored, used, or sold.

    
    

Taken From Online Universities

There’s a wealth of free interactive science sites, and some terrific sites for science projects and experiments.

My neighbor’s daughter received her 20-page booklet of guidelines for submission of science fair projects in November.  Yikes.  Is it time for that already?  According to my neighbor, the guidelines go out three months in advance so students have plenty of time to submit a good project.

So I started sorting through some online material to help her daughter pick out a project.  And there I had it.  The idea for my next K-12 Top 12 list . . .  science projects and experiments.

As a quick refresher, there are several parts to a science project.  Your child:

1. picks out a question in an area of science that interests her


2. does some background research on the topic


3. develops a hypothesis to answer her question


4. constructs an experiment to test her hypothesis


5. conducts the experiment and records her observations


6. draws conclusions based on her observations


7. compiles the required reports, display boards, presentations

The website I’ve found that does the best job of helping kids with all these steps is Science Buddies. I’ve recommended it to dozens of students and parents.

A project can be elaborate with several experiments requiring weeks or months to conduct, expensive equipment and material, and extensive reports and presentations.  Or it can be simple, with an an experiment conducted in an afternoon, inexpensive supplies, and equipment you already have.

A key part of any of these projects is the appropriate amount of adult supervision.   Just ask my daughter, who decided to conduct her balloon and soda experiment in the kitchen on her own.  She tested her hypothesis — and then cleaned up the two liters of Coke that covered the floor and flowed under the stove.

Often, though, kids just want to conduct an experiment for fun.  Or for a class assignment.  There are many websites on my list that have interesting experiments.  The equipment and supplies are in the kitchen or garage.  And your child’s excitement is contagious.  You’re just as fascinated as he is by what happen when you suspend string in a jar of sugar water for two weeks.

So whether for fun or science fair fame, find some help at my K-12 Top 12 Science Project Websites. For still more ideas, go the the Science Projects section of LearningReviews.com.