What do bouncy balls have to do with solving the global water crisis? More than you might think, according to a local high school pupil who is going to the United States to present her award-winning science project that could have a major impact on global water conservation.
What do bouncy balls have to do with solving the global water crisis? More than you might think, according to a local high school pupil who is going to the United States to present her award-winning science project that could have a major impact on global water conservation.
Grade 10 Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) pupil, Kelly Long is heading for Houston, Texas for the annual science conference; the International Sustainable World Energy Engineering Environment Project Olympiad (I-SWEEEP ).
The project Kelly developed involves using specialised polymers (kinds of plastic) to seal water storage dams more efficiently than current methods can. The term polymer is often used to refer to plastics such as those used in bouncy balls or even skateboards, although in actual fact it includes a far larger class of natural and synthetic material with a great number of possibilities.
Kelly's been working on the project for nearly a year now, making sure it's as good as it can be for her trip to Houston. She entered her project into the Eskom regional Science Expo in Grahamstown in 2011, as DSG encourages their girls to do every year.
It was awarded a gold medal and Kelly then attended the National Science Expo in Boksburg, where she was awarded yet another gold medal. The criteria to be allowed to participate in an international science conference such as I-SWEEEP is that the applicant must have won a national level competition and have passed the stringent interview process.
At the conference, Kelly will meet other young scientists from around the world where ideas and research can be shared and create networks. There is even the possibility that a global business could take notice of Kelly's project. She explained to Grocott's Mail where the idea for her project came from.
"I grew up on a fruit farm in Adelaide and so the situation with our water supply and the state of the dam was always talked about. My dad is always stressed about water! The farm was my inspiration for the project and my dad helped me a lot. We would sit and discuss the dam and he helped me brainstorm the idea for the sealant," she said.
The method proves to be cost effective, environmentally friendly and it performs better than current products on the market, Kelly said. It's no wonder that Kelly's supervisor, Dr Ingrid Foster, is extremely proud of the high standard of work Kelly has produced.
“Kelly's project is not only of a very high standard in terms of the depth of research that she has done, but her project is highly relevant – being in the field of water conservation – and her research could potentially be of benefit world-wide,” said Dr Foster, a Life Sciences and Natural Sciences teacher at DSG.
“Kelly is an inspiration to the young women of DSG to get involved in the sciences; there's been a lot of excitement surrounding her achievements!” From 2 to 7 May 2012, Kelly will present a poster of her research to scientists from all over the world, showcasing the world-changing potential and talent that South Africa has to offer.
