CSI flavour to Nobber students' Young Scientist exhibition entry

Students from six schools across Meath will be showing they could be the scientists of the future when they showcase their projects at the annual BT Young Scientist Exhibition, which takes place in the RDS, Dublin, from 12th-16th January. Jamie Raleigh and Jack Carey, who are second year students in O'Carolan College, Nobber, have entered a project as a junior group in the chemical, physical and mathematical scientists category. Their project investigates the current and alternative casting materials for 3D footwear impressions and looks at the effectiveness of various materials that are or could be used as casting materials for 3D footwear impressions for forensic investigations. Their teacher, Shane Talty, explained that, currently at crime scenes, dental cement is used to make a cast and the students wanted to see if they could find a better method than dental cement that would be stronger and faster. Of the materials they tried out, so far sodium acetate is showing the most potential. As part of their research, Jamie and Jack also got to visit Garda Headquarters in the Phoneix Park and went on a tour of the forensics department to see how Gardai take the casts. Beaufort College, Navan, students Sybilla Krula and Daria Dlubala have also entered a project in the chemical, physical and mathematical sciences intermediate section which is study of the absorbency of disposal nappies versus cloth nappies. Eureka Secondary School, Kells, is represented by Rachel Robin, Sarah Tobin and Aine Bennett, who have entered a project in the biological and ecological intermediate section investigating the most effective way of sterilising baby bottles. In their project, the students have investigated if it is necessary to sterilise and, if so, which is the most effective method. Mark Gallagher, Shane Curran and Thomas Traynor from Franciscan College, Gormanston, undertook a project in the intermediate section of the social and behavioural sciences category, which investigates which age group is the most computer literate. To do this, they got many volunterrs to perform tasks on a computer and compared the results. Jessica Maguire, Nicole Preston and Joyce Cunningham from Loreto Secondary School, St Michael's, Navan, will compete in the social and behavioural sciences category. Their project is entitled: 'Letting your thoughts do the talking - a text vocabularly for the non-keyboad generation - a study in linguistics'. Their aim is to create a simple vocabulary that could be used when non-interface technology comes into effect. Three groups from St Peter's College, Dunboyne, have entered projects in this year's Young Scientist Exhibition. Roisin Fulcher, Gary McCormack and Shane Goodwin will showcase their project in the social and behavioural sciences category which investigates which bones children are most likely to break and what the main cause of this is. Entering an individual project in the chemical, physical and mathematical category is Eoin O'Reilly, also from St Peter's College, Dunboyne. His project, 'Forensics: The investigation of blood splatter' is about whether the radius of blood splatter changes from different heights or different speeds. Jack Carolan and Sinead Cornyn from St Peter's entered their project in the biological and ecological category which looks at the application of mushroom waste as a potential bio resource. Their project produced peat-free compost using mushroom waste and the pair investigated if the composted material could be a potential resource for the production of bioethanol.