Back to Top	Agricultural Genetic Engineering
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? I chose the category of exhibitions for my essay, because I thought it would be interesting to try to convey information as a designer as well as a writer. Representing research in visual terms, such as in the format of a museum exhibit, is challenging, however it can provide the viewers with a better understanding of the subject matter (than just writing about it). 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? I feel that the most pressing scientific question facing my generation is the extent to which we should partake in genetic engineering and cloning. Although this technology offers many positive uses, it also allows us to significantly alter the natural world. The means to perform these revolutionary processes are becoming increasingly advanced, and it will be the responsibility of the current and future generations to decide how this technology should be applied. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? While doing this project, I discovered that the genetic engineering of crops and farm animals is not only in the experimental stage, but products altered in this manner are already being sold. Researching this topic gave me the opportunity to learn of the many proposed benefits and concerns surrounding this field of research. In addition, the project helped me to realize the necessity of planning ahead when writing an essay. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? I think that two of most influential scientists are Mendel and Darwin, because they each did extensive work and developed theories that are the basis for our understanding of modern biology. My favorite writers include Charlotte Brontë, Harper Lee (author of "To Kill A Mockingbird"), and Betty Smith (author of " A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"). I enjoy the beautiful paintings of landscapes and flowers by Claude Monet and Georgia O'Keefe.
Back to Top	The Big Chill: Calming Signals Among Wolves
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? I chose the expedition category because I love to observe wolves and I feel that they are horribly misunderstood and mistreated. I think that the only way to preserve the wolf is to learn about it by first-hand observation. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? I think the most important scientific question of our generation is exactly what we plan to do with the genetic engineering techniques we have mastered. There are many risks in this field of study and I think we need to examine the moral and ethical questions surrounding these risks. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? I found out that the animals not only communicated with each other, but also with me as I did my observations. They would come up to the fence and direct calming signals toward me. I found it fascinating that the wolves (in captivity) accepted humans to the point of attempting communication. It appears that the distance between us may not be so great after all. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? I don't have a particular favorite scientist, but I have great respect for Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Stephen Hawking. I am intrigued by how spiritual the study of physics is becoming. My favorite writer is J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, because she is very creative and has broken new ground in adolescent literature. I am a painter and have many favorite artists, among them are Marc Chagall, Alphonse Mucha, Pierre Auguste Renoir, John Singer Sargeant, Giotto, and Giovanni Cimabue. One artist I particularly like who unites storytelling and art is Georges Remi, better known as Hergé.
Back to Top	Can Tropical Fish Survive in a Lake in Southwestern Montana?
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? I chose expeditions, because I had heard about Lake Trudau during the summer and thought it would be excellent for this project. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? That question would be: Is there life on other planets? 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? One thing I discovered was that I could paddle faster than a raft can leak. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? My favorite scientist is Albert Einstein. My favorite author is Ben Michaelson. My favorite artist is my mom, Anne Aller Overstreet.
Back to Top	The Circle of the Food Chain and Decomposition
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? I chose the expedition category because I wanted to travel around my once small town which is now becoming large enough to be called a city, to see how the developers had made the soil better or worse. My town is one of the fastest growing towns in the nation (and my county is one of the fastest growing counties) and a lot of construction and development is happening. I have seen land cleared for roadways, highways, and new neighborhoods. I wanted to investigate what the developers did to the soil to cause it to be in such a bad condition that hardly anything will grow. My expedition has now expanded to my own schoolyard where they are building two new buildings for classrooms. I have seen mature trees bulldozed and topsoil carried away in dump trucks during the school construction. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? The most pressing scientific question for my generation is how can we work with all of the natural forces instead of against them--even to the point of destroying them. With space travel, cloning, and dealings with our environment, etc., we must realize the consequences of man's tampering or disregarding of natural laws. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? I discovered that you should use composting to enrich the soil. Compost is organic matter and will not hurt our soil or water. We should realize that the effects of development can harm the environment, both plant and animal life. If we must tamper with nature, we must consider how to repair the damage, such as replanting trees, so that there are habitats of animal life, and to prevent erosion, and help keep our air clean. I also learned that the universal food chain is just one big circle. We are all dependent on one another whether we like it or not. Decomposition might sound gross, but it too is just part of the food chain--just like us eating a T-Bone steak! 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? One of my favorite scientists is Albert Einstein, because he was first interested in compasses--just like me! After studying his biography, I also realized that he was concerned with the world, environment and people. He appeared to be such a happy individual! I also admired Marie Curie. I admired her for being a woman who faced the challenge of being one of the rare females of her time to be involved in science. My favorite writers are Michael Donahue (Memphis Commercial Appeal), John Grisham (Mississippi writer), and L. Frank Baum (series of Wizard of Oz books). I like the Oz books because of the imaginative writing and the encouragement to always have a brain, a heart, and courage! My favorite artists are Claude Monet for the way he studied color and light, and Leonardo da Vinci, for his paintings and inventions!
Back to Top	Fiddler on the Marsh
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? As part of a biology fieldtrip, I visited the marsh at Delaware Bay. Observing the fiddler crab in its natural environment sparked my curiosity and caused me to continue my research. When I returned from the expedition, I delved further into the role of the fiddler in its environment and its uncertain future. I felt that the Young Naturalist Essay was a fitting extension of the product and an excellent way to organize and present my experiences and research. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? I think that the most pressing scientific question of our generation is whether or not we should change the natural genetic sequence of nature. I feel that the human race needs to carefully consider all sides of this issue before continuing progress in the field of biotechnology. The manipulation of genes could be the greatest achievement of all human history if it is used for the treatment of genetic diseases or to increase crop yields to feed the hungry. However, in the wrong hands, its awesome power can cause a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions, as the creation of dangerous viruses or malignant mutations can destroy millions of lives. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? While on this expedition, I truly learned how fragile our Earth really is. I discovered that all ecosystems have a delicate, natural balance, and that even minor human intervention has a profound impact. The removal or dislocation of even one organism has far-reaching and potentially disastrous effects. We need to protect our Earth, not destroy it. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? Stephen Hawking is one of the most prominent scientific minds of our time, and his handicap makes his great contributions to his field even more exceptional. Respected by his peers, Stephen Hawking's story should be an inspiration to us all. Despite being unable to use pen and paper, he can develop and manipulate complex equations and theorems in his head. The brilliance of his work has assured him a place in history alongside Newton and Einstein as one of the greatest men the world has ever known.
Back to Top	Genetics: An Increasingly Important Field of Science
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? The category I chose was research on the topic of genetics. As I am very interested in the field of genetics and in possibly becoming a geneticist one day, I took this contest as an opportunity to research on the topic. Since genetics and the Human Genome Project have been in the news lately and many developments are occurring in the field of genetics, I decided that this topic would be perfect for the prompt that was given. I could write about the knowledge known in 1900 as well as the present. Also, in the future, there will definitely be many developments in this field, so many things could be explored for the essay. Since I like researching on the topic of genetics, the paper was enjoyable to write. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? In modern society today, many developments and technological advancements are occurring. As the completion of the Human Genome Project draws near, we, as a complete human race, must decide what can and cannot be done with the information that we gather from the coding of the various nucleotide sequences. A very pressing scientific question that has come up and will continue to come up in the future is whether or not gene therapy should be allowed. Gene therapy, also known as human genetic engineering, has the capabilities to cure hereditary diseases such as PKU (phenylketonuria), yet there are dangers to the procedure that prevent successful therapy from becoming a reality. For example, the viral vectors used to transport the healthy genes are currently unable to impart permanent changes and may even harm the patient. Still, since I am currently composing a social issues research paper on gene therapy in my English class, I have learned that gene therapy has many virtues. If enough clinical trials and research are performed in this field, it is possible that gene therapy may prove to be a wonderful cure for many diseases including certain cancers. The only problem is that many people must scale back their inhibitions about the potential of gene therapy, and gain an understanding of gene therapy and its pros and cons before making generalizations. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? Since I already know much about genetics through my biology classes and my own personal research on the topic, I didn't discover too much new material when I did my project. I did, however, become more fascinated in the topic. I also learned that the Human Genome Project will be completed sometime this spring, which is a very exciting development. The more I learned about the history of genetics, the more I wanted to become a part of it. Just thinking about what the future of genetics may bring is exciting in itself. There may come a day that genetic disorders and other diseases may be cured with a single gene therapy treatment! 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? One scientist I really admire is Gregor Mendel, who is also known as the "father of genetics." Ever since I first heard his name, I have been interested in his experiments with pea plants. In my ninth grade non-western cultures class, the class was assigned to read a biography on a person of our choice and write an accompanying paper. I chose to read a biography on Gregor Mendel, which proved to be quite interesting. Also in ninth grade, I learned about Mendel's experiments in my Honor Biology class. This year, in my AP Biology class, I was able to gain a more in-depth understanding of Mendel's experiments and the laws he discovered, such as the law of independent assortment and the law of segregation. I admire his determination and ambition in conducting his experiments despite the fact that his work was not recognized in his lifetime. He represents a crucial turning point in the field of genetics.
Back to Top	The Indian Ricegrass
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? I chose the expedition category, because it pertained to my current study in school. Plus, the area where I live has many places to explore and research. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? The most pressing scientific questions in my generation relate to Global Warming. This is important to me because it will affect everyone in the world if nothing is done about it. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? The discovery that I made while doing this project is that not very many people think about the land around them. They use it, abuse it, and then go on. This is my opinion based on what I observed. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? My favorite artist is Salvador Dali. He painted weird and unusual things. The paintings are unique in that they make the audience think about what he painted and take a close look at the picture.
Back to Top	Mars - Past, Present, Future
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? I chose the research category because I felt it would be interesting to learn about what we knew in 1900, now, and what might happen by 2100. I thought it would be interesting to see how much we have accomplished on Mars research. 2. What do you consider the most pressing question of your generation? I think that my generation has many different and difficult questions to answer. But, I think the most pressing question probably is whether there is life on other planets or not? That is a very important question that my generation may be able to answer. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? I learned that our knowledge of the planet Mars has a very long history dating all the way back to 400 B.C. when the Babylonians first observed the planet, and that over time we learned more and more about it. I learned that when the planet was observed through telescopes we learned and formed theories about the planet. Some of these theories were proved right when the first lander was launched in 1975. Also I learned that we might rely on our neighboring planet in the future for resources. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? My favorite author right now is J.K. Rowling, who writes the Harry Potter series. I like her writing because her books have a lot of suspense in them. When I have one of her books in my hands I can't put it down. Also, she is very good at telling a story.
Back to Top	Operation: The Human Genome Project
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? I was initially interested in the exhibition essay because it sounded like it would be a lot of fun. Earlier in the year I had the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Patricia Burke and other museum curators at the Milwaukee Public Museum on a field trip arranged by my science teacher. There I got a behind-the-scenes look at all of the planning and hard work that goes into creating new museum exhibits. After the field trip experience, I decided that designing an exhibit would be both challenging and interesting. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? I cannot pinpoint one specific pressing, scientific question of my generation, but I think that the most pressing scientific QUESTIONS would be bioethical questions. Questions that address issues such as the pros and cons of cloning, the advantages and disadvantages of the Human Genome Project, and other similar questions are the kind of issues about which we will need to find some answers in the near future. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? I learned all about the Human Genome Project while doing this project. I wasn't too familiar with HGP before I did this project, but through my research and essay writing, I became aware of all of the hard work that HGP researchers and scientists have been doing, and of how far the project has progressed in the last few years. It opened my eyes to all of the extensive research that has been going on to map all of the human genes. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? I like a wide variety of literature, and especially enjoy reading fiction. Some of my favorite writers include Maya Angelou, Edwidge Danticat, Alice Walker, Kate Chopin, Ernest Hemingway, and Charles Dickens.
Back to Top	Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Rochester, New York, Area
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? I chose the expedition category for my essay, because I enjoy going on field trips and finding fossils. I have collected fossils most of my life and thought it would be enjoyable to do a project about them. When I find a fossil it may be the first time it's seen light in 400 million years, and it's mine to keep. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? The most pressing scientific question of my generation would be: is there intelligent life on other planets? If so, when will it be discovered, how will it be discovered, and what effect will it have on the world? 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? While doing this project I discovered that I could determine what the climate was like 400 million years ago by researching and identifying the fossils found in rock. I also discovered that by looking at the color of the rock I could infer how much oxygen was in the warm, shallow sea that covered the Rochester area. I concluded the lighter colored shale indicated more oxygen and therefore held more abundant fossils. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? There have been many scientists I have been interested in, including Albert Einstein and Issac Newton, but for now my favorite scientist is Ray Evernham. Evernham is the former NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) crew chief for Jeff Gordon who led him to three Winston Cup championships in seven seasons. Most people wouldn't call a NASCAR crew chief a scientist, but he really is. My involvement in auto racing has increased my interest in science. I have been track champion for three years racing sprint carts at a track near Rochester, New York. A scientist is defined as a person who uses the facts and laws of science. Evernham uses his knowledge and application of science to make him successful. He uses math, aerodynamics, downforce, and Bernoulli's effect to have a competitive edge over the other racers. His knowledge of friction, drag, and horsepower help him to excel as a crew chief. At the Daytona 500 in February 2001, Evernham will lead Dodge's return to NASCAR auto racing. Evernham's Intrepid will be the first Dodge in a Winston Cup race since 1985. With Bill Elliott behind the wheel it will be interesting to see if Ray Evernham's use of science, knowledge, and experience can lead his new team to victory.
Back to Top	Seeing Double: An Exhibit on Cloning
	1. Why did you choose the category (research, exhibitions, or expeditions) for your essay? The main reason I chose exhibition was that this category called upon my creative side. It allowed me to have the freedom of choosing how my research would be displayed in a visual setting. 2. What do you consider the most pressing scientific question of your generation? I think the future holds the most questions--the future of humans, the future of technology, the future of cloning, the future of the ozone layer. To distinguish which question of the future is most pressing, though, is difficult. I guess, after much consideration, "Where will technology lead us?" is the most pressing scientific question. Technological advancements seem to be increasing exponentially and I always wondered how this rapid change will affect humans and the Earth in the future. 3. What discoveries did you make while you were doing this project? Since my project was on cloning in the past, present and future, I became educated on various aspects of cloning such as methods and uses of cloning. Through this acquired knowledge, I realized why cloning is such a debatable issue and why the future of cloning is extremely controversial. 4. Who is your favorite scientist, writer, or artist? My favorite scientist is Albert Einstein. He was a brilliant man and accomplished so much in his lifetime. I recognize him as a genius not only from his scientific contributions to society, but also from his wisdom. Two of my favorite quotes said by him are: "Imagination is more important than knowledge," and "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."