JSU to host 1,500 students at regional science and engineering fair - March 26-27

(JACKSON, Miss.) – Young scientists will reveal discoveries ranging from the makeup of a golf ball to which type of wood burns the fastest at the annual Mississippi Region II Science and Engineering Fair March 26-27 at Jackson State University.
            Held in the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center on the university’s downtown campus, 1400 John R. Lynch St. in Jackson, the fair attracts more than 1,500 students from 250 public and private schools in Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Jefferson, Madison, Rankin and Warren counties.
            The competition helps spark interest among young people in science and math, and serves as the preliminary to the Mississippi Science and Engineering Fair slated for April 1-2.       
            Student projects will include experiments in biochemistry, botany, chemistry, physics, microbiology, zoology, medicine and health, and earth, space and environmental science. Some 300 experts with advanced degrees in science, mathematics or engineering have volunteered to judge the entries. 
            This year’s projects include an experiment to determine whether Flintstone vitamins can make a plant grow faster, an epidemiological study of classroom illnesses and a behavioral study that shows whether children are motivated by rewards or punishment. Other entries respond to the nation’s economic crisis by revealing which supermarkets have the best values and determining the most effective diapers, batteries, glue, mouthwash and detergent.
            The lower fair for grades 1-6 will be held March 26. The upper fair for grades 7-12 will be held March 27.
            For more information, call 601-979-3448 or visit www.jsums.edu/scifair.