Young science minds show their talent

Dhaka division winners of IGNITE, a science project competition, gather on stage for photos at Viquarunnisa Noon School and College yesterday. The Daily Star and Grameenphone organised the competition for the internet generation. Photo: Star

Using nothing but the extract of Patharkuchi (kalanchoe pinnata) leaves as electrolyte, seventh graders Aswa and Tasnuva lit up a light-bulb, demonstrating how the houses in even the remotest corners of the country can be brightened.
Easily cultivable and available, Patharkuchi can be used as an accessible source of energy, quipped the girls.
They were two of over 1,200 students of 31 high schools participating in Dhaka Divisional Finale round of the science festival -- "Ignite: Science for the Internet Generation", a joint initiative of The Daily Star and Grameenphone.
Hosted at the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNSC) in the capital, Ignite was launched on March 22, 2014 to raise the interest of secondary school students in science, engineering and technology.
Young science minds competing in three categories -- Discover Science, Idea Flight and Imagine the Future -- displayed in the competition their budding genius in the infinite arena of science. Students of classes VI-VIII participated in Discover Science, a 40-minute MCQ quiz, while students of classes VI-VIII and IX-X prepared concept papers on different projects for the Idea Flight category. Imagine the Future featured science and technology-based projects from the students of classes IX-X.
A total of 140 innovations like Aswa and Tasnuva's turned up in the final round. A team from Shaheed Bir Uttam Lt. Anwar Girls' College showed how cars equipped with specific sensors can detect when the driver is falling asleep, or if the driver has more alcohol in their breath than permissible for driving.
Students of Sir John Wilson school talked about how rickshaw pullers can convert the energy produced from pedalling to electricity, which can be stored in a battery and later used to light up their homes.
On the other hand, a team of Holy Cross School students toyed with the idea of turning plastic into fuel.
"A large part of the waste in our country is plastic. If heated up to 300 degree centigrade, plastic can be used to produce diesel, gasoline and kerosene," said Anika, a team member.
Meanwhile, Anirban and Palak from Ideal School showed how sunlight directed through a magnifying glass of a certain diameter and thickness can be used to cut steel while Ariful from Willes Little Flower School and College visualised a robotic help for people with reducing physical strength.
However, outclassing all of them, Tahzeeb Rahman Alvi of St. Joseph Higher Secondary School won the title of Discover Science while Aniruddha Chowdhury and SM Taufique of Mastermind school won the Idea Flight competition from the junior category with their project “Jarvis”. The senior category title was a tie between a Mobile Control Rescue Robot and a Smart Voltage Multiplier by Shakti Banik of BNM Public School and Arian Ashfaq of St Joseph School respectively.
Anogh Zaman and Zafreen Sultana of Aga Khan school won in the Imagine the Future category with their science proposal titled “Evolution of Mind”.
In the prize giving ceremony attended by students, their parents and guests, champions received a laptop each as the first prize, while other winners received tablets and science books.
Stressing on science education, Manju Ara Begum, principal of the VNSC, said a lack of interest in science is being witnessed in the country, especially in the rural areas.
"Such science festivals are essentially important to make more students interested in science," she said.
Nusrat Jahan Mim, a judge of the competition, said the jury was mesmerised to see the innovative projects the students came up with.
"It was difficult for us to judge ... You all are awesome and your styles of work are superb ... If you go on with such scientific minds and analyse your steps in your life, you will make a different Bangladesh one day," she said, adding that the judgements were given on the basis of four criteria -- creativity, originality, methodology and the presentation style.

Students of Viquarunnisa Noon School and College show their project “Save the Buriganga with scavenger” at the science project competition IGNITE held at their institution yesterday. The project is about cleaning up the polluted life line of Dhaka. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Moderating the prize giving ceremony, Munir Hasan, project consultant and secretary of Bangladesh Math Olympiad, said the country might not be enriched with natural resources like oil and gas, but it has got talented young minds, who will take forward the science education in the country.
"And we have that tradition as we are the descendants of famous scientists like Satyendra Nath Bose, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose and Amar Bose," he added.
Thanking all, Syed Tahmeed Azizul Huq, head of Grameenphone's corporate communication, said that more such initiatives will be taken in future.
Marcus Adaktusson, who heads the communications department of Grameenphone, said the largest mobile phone service provider aims to empower society through the expansion of internet. "We believe all of you, sitting in this auditorium, will take internet and Bangladesh to next level"
In his speech, Salehuddin Ahmed, managing editor of The Daily Star, advised the students to experiment with science and make it easier to people.