Halala: Meet 7 Young SA Scientists Competing in World’s Largest Pre College Science Competition in USA
- The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists announced that seven young scientists will travel to Atlanta to represent SA in ISEF
- The selected high school learners created amazing projects that range from research into environmental issues, aerodynamics and a cost-effective diagnostic system
- Eskom Group Executive for Government and Regulatory Affairs, Nthato Minyuku, expressed her pride in her pupils' scientific brilliance
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Seven of South Africa’s finest young scientists will travel to Atlanta, Georgia in the USA to represent the country at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and the Broadcom Masters International Programme from 7 to 13 May 2022.
The Eskom Expo for Young Scientists made the amazing announcement recently, sharing that the learners will showcase their scientific brilliance following their achievements in the 2021 Virtual Eskom Expo International Science Fair.
Source: UGC
An official statement revealed that the selected projects that are entered in the competition, ranging from research into the aerodynamics of Formula 1 cars to an efficient cost-effective diagnostic system that can autonomously detect respiratory diseases.
The scientist and their inventions
Curro Durbanville Grade 11 learner, Dashayin Gilbert is a Formula 1 racing enthusiast who combined his passion with his problem-solving aptitude to investigate the aerodynamics of the cars used.
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Protea Heights Academy Grade 9 learners, Audrey Hunn and Sarah Hackland, investigated a comparison between two rocky shore ecosystems on different coastlines along the Southern African coast. Their current research is an important benchmark for future research, due to the long-term effects of global warming on the species diversity, abundance and composition at these sites.
Source: UGC
Horizon International High School Grade 11 learner, Sachin Mohan, designed an efficient cost-effective diagnostic system that can autonomously detect respiratory diseases. Sachin’s investigations provide us with new insights into how physical indicators such as sound, temperature and oxygen saturation can be translated into digital data through the re-design and digitisation of traditional tools used by medical professionals.
Somerset College Grade 10 learner, Michael Shepstone’s research was spurred by the necessity of having clean and sterile environments in health care facilities, specifically after our experiences with Covid-19. Michael’s engineering solution is an automated machine capable of cleaning HVAC systems and other flat surfaces in areas and environments where humans cannot.
Source: UGC
Gabonewe High School Grade 11 learner Kutlwano Tshatiwa used millions of images to test two methods of model training, i.e. a custom model and a knowledge distillation model. He found that knowledge distillation techniques outperformed the custom model in terms of accuracy.
Curro Hermanus Grade 11 learner, Ra'ees De Witt found that paracetamol prevalence (state of dissociation) and presence (number of unionised drug molecules) were greatest when the gastric fluid is most acidic. Ra’ees has made several recommendations on how to mitigate the negative effects of gastric pH on the bio-performance of pharmaceutical drugs such as pre-treatment with organic acids.
Source: UGC
The group will be joined in the USA by Chaylin Myburgh, originally from Newton Primary School in the Northern Cape and now attending Kimberley Girls’ High School, who was selected to represent South Africa in the Broadcom Masters International Programme.
“Eskom is proud of these aspiring scientists who not only have the opportunity to witness the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution but are becoming active participants as the development unfolds.
“All the participants have excelled in their fields of research and are now allowed to represent South Africa, and to present their research projects on the international stage. I am confident that they will represent South Africa honourably and make the country and Eskom proud. We wish them well in the competition,” concluded Nthato Minyuku, Eskom Group Executive for Government and Regulatory Affairs.
Keerthana Nair honoured to scoop 2021 Best Female Project award
Meanwhile, Briefly News reported on a young Keerthana Nair who is the latest recipient of the Eskom Award for Best Female Project after claiming it earlier this month. Nair recently had a chat with Briefly News to speak about his massive accomplishment.
In an exclusive interview, the Bryanston High learner said she feels honoured to bag this top accolade and urged her peers to aim for big things.
Nair was recognised for her contribution to detecting malnutrition. Nair researched more on the topic and discovered that the colour of a fingernail could be an early detector – one of four such awards in the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists.
Source: Briefly News
