Friday, February 24, 2006

What You Do and Do Not Need for a Great Science Fair Project

Do I need to be a rich geek to win the fair?: There are many common misconceptions about what is needed for a great science fair project. It is not about how much money you can spend and it is not about whether you are a geek or not. It is about whether you can put together a project that shows you understand science and the process of doing science.

Things you do not need for a great science fair project:
    A lab coat

    A lab

    An MRI or a Scanning Tunneling Microscope

    A cage full of mice

    40 textbooks

    Racks of beakers and test tubes, bubbling over rows of Bunsen burners

    A hunchbacked assistant with a limp and an Eastern European Accent

    An underground (or castle-based) lair

    Wild hair, a crazy laugh or lightning

The only thing you absolutely have to have is: Curiosity. Most people figure things out by doing. Whiles there is a lot to be learned from reading texts, doing homework and paying attention in class, to really understand the world around you, you need to investigate it yourself – and you need to want to.

No comments: