TRURO - Emilee Reid wanted to come up with something special for this year's Colchester West Regional Science Fair.
The Onslow Mountain resident finally decided to create her project around the use of cellphones and brain cancer.
"I thought the idea was really original and I really wanted a cellphone but my parents said no," said Reid, a 12-year-old Grade 6 student at North River Elementary School.
Reid's display was one of 90 featured in this year's fair in Truro yesterday, which were evaluated by volunteer judges.
During research, Reid found that when a person uses a cellphone ‘radio waves' are then created which then causes radiation. The tissue closest to where the phone is held can absorb energy.
Reid has been taking part in the science fair for three years, one of which was titled ‘Is there a ghost in your house?' and which earned her a bronze medal in the ‘discovery' category.
"I love the paranormal so I hope to do something in that when I'm older," she said.
Ross also hopes to take part in the science fair when she will be eligible to attend nationals, which is only open for students in grades 7 to 12.
Grade 8 student Ian George is one of those junior high school students hoping to attend nationals this year and he entered a display about prosthetic hands.
"I'm testing which amount of fingers are used
most on hands in everyday use," said George, a 13-year-old Mount Uniacke District School student.
"I would like to become a prosthetic limb designer someday because it is something I like. So, I created the straw hand."
In order to work the hand, strings were attached to the straw fingers. When pulled, the finger would move.
His results show all fingers use the same amount of usage each day.
More than 150 students and volunteers attended the fair with the displays ranging from health to environment sciences.
Winners will be announced tomorrow with some moving on to the Canada-Wide Science Fair held in Lethbridge, Alta., later this year.
Fast Facts
- More than 500,000 young Canadians participate in a science-based project.
- Youth Science Canada was established in 1962.
- The Nova Scotia Institute of Science was founded in Halifax in 1862.
