Page 10 - The Edge Issue 7

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Story and Photos by Kaitlyn Sollberger
Nikhil Iyer
1st Place Senior Intelligent Machinces Robotics and Systems Software Division
At last year’s science fair Nikhil Iyer
Iyer
10 saw a a a a a a a a a a a project that focused on on neural networks Immediately Iyer
Iyer
wanted to to see what he he he could do to to to further research this field In the the initial iteration of of his his his his project project Automating Optimization of of Artificial Neural Network Architecture he he he he found that this interesting project project project idea sparked his his his creativity and curiosity His project project ended up testing whether there could be a a a a a a a a a method method of optimizing an an an artificial neural network using an an an algorithmic method method This topic of study came easily to to him him making its beginning simple but the project’s possible applications were what made him him even more interested in in in in in pursuing neural networks “Machine learning is a a a a a a a a a a a hot topic right now and I I I wanted to to see if I I I could make a a a a a a a a a valuable contribution ” said Iyer
The
Tests
with the Edgewood Science Fair students took the gold at this years science fair t t t Bes
s s t t t Jamie van Hooven 3rd Place Junior Engineering Division
For her project Jamie van Hooven 7 assembled an an effective way to test the effects of tsunamis on bridges- using nothing but popsicle popsicle sticks sticks “I used popsicle popsicle sticks sticks because since tsunamis are more powerful and last longer in in real life I I I thought I I I could use use use a a a a a a a a a a a a a less resistant material than brick or or metal to to make the experiment proportional to to to real giant waves ” said van Hooven In her her project What Bridge Can Stand Up to to a a a a a a a a a a a a Tsunami van Hooven Hooven crafted her her own bridges using popsicle sticks thread glue and bricks Van Hooven’s hypothesis was that those those structures which included an an an an arch would be more stable than those those possessing other structural forms Her experiment yielded surprising results demonstrating that truss and beam bridges bridges bridges held up remarkably well in in in comparison to arch arch bridges bridges bridges In fact arch arch bridges bridges bridges were only the third most durable structural form Caspian Chaharom 1st Place Senior Mathematics & Computational Sciences
Division
and Best in Show Senior Physical
Caspian Chaharom 12 took his his physics and chemistry knowledge to to the next level with his his project Solving The
Schrodinger Equation Using Artificial Neural Networks for Applications in in in in Quantum Chemistry Schrodinger’s equation is is designed to predict the unknown of of a a a a a a system system in in terms of of probability Charharom wanted to to to use this system system to to to determine some characteristics of atoms such as ionization energy energy and and binding energy energy His process took some trial and and error to to reach the final result “The most surprising thing was that that it worked: that that chemical properties (bond length bond bond energy orbital shape etc) popped out of nothing but that Schrodinger equation ” said Charharom Charharom Charharom’s results represent an incredible step forward in in research His project demonstrated immense technical and scientific skill