After just a first glance at the entries, I was already quite impressed by how many really good ideas there were.  The future of science and technology is in very good hands (and heads)!

Entries that particularly caught my eye were those that were clearly bio-inspired, in the best spirit of what the contest was about.  “Bio-inspired” is about developing an idea from something that nature does, and not merely using a natural product for something.

Another factor that, for me, contributes to the eventual success of an entry is whether or not the idea is simple.   By “simple”, I don’t necessarily mean “easy”.  I mean an idea that is elegant, with a good likelihood that it can be made to work in some useful way.  I am really being guided by a long-used philosophical principle known as “Ockham’s Razor” (named for William of Ockham, a monk who lived 700 years ago), which states that the simplest solution to a problem is usually the best solution.
Science at its best will have a positive impact on society – it has the capacity to improve the quality of life.  Entries that connected their proposal to a plausible benefit of this kind were more likely to hold my attention.

Ultimately, I was most captivated by those entries that made me want to run into the lab and start doing some experiments.  I am looking forward to doing just that in the company of the winner.  And I very much hope that kids everywhere, when they read about the winning projects, will want to work with their teachers and/or families and/or friends to try some related experiments too.

A team in California created these paper Flying Geckos (and other flying animal oddities), as tests of Bio-Inspired flying machines!

We asked some of our judges what makes for a good entry.  Here’s what they said:

David Clark is a former science teacher for elementary and middle schools in Kansas.  He is currently a science producer for Faraday Studios and the Discovery Channel.
“Scientists use models to explain their ideas.  The students that used more originality in their drawings scored higher.”In addition to the detailed drawings, I wanted the language of the entry to reflect the student’s thoughts and ideas using the scientific process.”

Steve Jacobs is a chief scientist for the Discovery Channel, the science writer for Myth Busters and the former director for science education and production of the seminal Mister Wizard television program.
1. Writing clearly and distinctly.
2. Did their explanation achieve closure….did it make the point?
3. Was it obvious they knew at least some basics / rudiments of the field of science from which their “dream” was drawn?  Did it appear they had found / researched some background information on their topic before they entered…or were they making something up and shooting in the dark…hoping for a good grade?
4. Was the idea focused with a measurable outcome? .. something fairly specific hoped for.
5. Did it stay in line with the rules, regulations, and specifics of the challenge?
6. Did I sense any excitement in their presentation / explanation?
7. Did I sense that it was indeed their personal work?

Kenny Luna is columnist for Discovery’s Tree Hugger, and an elementary and middle school teacher on Long Island, NY.
“I’d ask myself the following:
1. What makes my idea unique?
2. Is my idea realistic in a practical sense?
3. Who would be my target audience with this idea? (who will want to buy/ use it and why?)”

Other judges include:
Michael Templeton, Science Advisor, The Magic Schoolbus, Cyber Chase
Jim Metzner, Producer, The Kids’ Science Challenge
and  participating KSC scientists, engineers and advisors: Bob Full, Christopher Viney, Ron Fearing, James Spencer, Kathleen Corrado, Judy Holmes, Tyna Gaylord,  Mo Lupia, Bruno Battisoli, Stephenie Lievense, David Delgado, Ashwin Vasaveda, and Brett Kennedy.

How did you come up with your entry?
We learned how coral reefs are dying.  There are reefs near where we live. We wondered if you could find out who has been dumping sand and dredging  that could be smothering the reefs.  It’s detective science.

Favorite sports – golf

Advice to kids entering next year’s challenge?
Try to find something unique that you feel strongly about.

Our Award-winning idea: Coral reefs are being killed by the sand and silt from dredging operations. The mystery is “who is killing the coral reefs in Florida?” To catch the culprits we will take the samples of sediment that has been dumped on/around the coral. Also, take samples of past dredging areas and compare/match them. Using the samples of sediment we will trace the area it came from, and research and find out what dredging companies were used in that specific place. Using that information we will go from there.
We have found out that killing coral is illegal. We would like to catch whatever company is dumping wastes/sediment, from dredging, on coral instead of going farther out where they are supposed to go. I hope they know that killing 1 coral is killing over 39 organisms that live in and around it.

(Caitlyn and Mason will visit Syracuse University in New York and Pali Adventure Camp)

How did you come up with your entry?
I like basketball and I thought about the magnetic soil on Mars.  My idea is a fusion of these two things.

Advice to kids entering next year’s challenge?
Think of something you like and watch all the videos on the Kids Science Challenge website.

Favorite Sports: Basketball, kick ball and dodgeball.

My award-winning idea: My idea for a game is called magnetic soil ball. The equipment you will need is a magnet ball, golden astronaut suits, basketball hoops, with buckets and a helmet to protect your face. The object of the game is to get a magnetic ball and cover it with as much magnetic soil as possible. After you do that, you have to dunk or shoot the magnetic ball in the basket. When the ball goes into the basketball hoop, the magnetic soil falls of into a bucket below the hoop. Whichever team fills their bucket first wins the game. The other team could steal your ball. The players wear golden astronaut suits to reflect the sun. The magnetic ball could also collect dust so the players could see.

I came up with this idea by thinking of a basketball and a magnet fused together. As I watched the video I found out that the soil was magnetic. I also wanted to use the gravity for making baskets, magnetic soil, and UV raise.

(Tyrone will visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.)

How did you come up with your entry?
I like launching helicopter seeds from maple trees and making paper ones.  I got the idea to drop a person or food-drop package using a seed umbrella-propeller design.  It could drop faster than a parachute and could be cheaper.

Hobby: playing the trumpet

Advice to kids entering next year’s challenge?
Think of something that fits and is a big issue.

My award-winning idea: I would like to use helicopter seeds (maple tree seeds) to safely and quickly drop emergency parcels and people from great heights.

(Olivia will visit the University of California at Merced and the San Diego Zoo)

We received a total of 1612 entries in this year’s KSC; more than double the entries last year. In the last two weeks of the competition, 700 entries were submitted. This coincided with numerous snow storms (we stopped counting after five) and the largest power blackout ever reported by Central Hudson! We’ve been on a tear ever since, uploading entries, sending out kits, working with judges and making up for a week of down time. Next year, we’ll give ourselves a bit more time to do all of the above! Nevertheless, we encourage all parents, teachers and kids to enter earlier in the year. Remember – only the first thousand entries receive the free activity kits. For those kids who sent in drawings, please check out the Drawings Gallery and get ready to vote for your favorite drawing in the Kids’ Choice Awards.

Thanks for the wonderful entries. Check this blog for an upcoming preview of next year’s science fields. We welcome your comments.

Jim Metzner, Producer
Kids’ Science Challenge