This page contains automatically translated content.

04/13/2019 | Pressemitteilung

Exciting experiments at the University of Kassel: Young researchers win prizes at the first state competition "Schüler experimentieren

Today (April 13) the winners of the first Hessian state competition "Schüler experimentieren" were awarded at the University of Kassel. Young researchers from all over Hesse won prizes for their scientific and technical experiments. "Schüler experimentieren" is the junior division of "Jugend forscht" for young researchers up to the age of 14. It is organized by the University of Kassel and the cdw Foundation.

Image: Nicholas Frank.

The event at the Department of Electrical Engineering/Computer Science at the University of Kassel in Wilhelmshöher Allee was very popular. Winners were chosen in seven disciplines: physics, mathematics/computer science, work environment, technology, chemistry, biology, and earth and space sciences. The first prizes are each endowed with 150 euros.

"It is important to guide young people in independent research work at an early age to motivate them to study STEM subjects," said Prof. Dr. René Matzdorf, vice president of the University of Kassel. The so-called MINT subjects include mathematics, computer science, natural science and technology.

"The University of Kassel is committed to sustainably promoting young talent from the STEM fields," said Prof. Dr. Axel Bangert, dean of the Department of Electrical Engineering/Computer Science. "'Schüler experimentieren' is an important contribution to this."

The first prize in the "Working World" category was won by Laurin Wiedemann (13) from the Erich-Kästner-Schule in Bürstadt for his project "Is the tube really empty?" He investigated the question of why toothpaste tubes empty so quickly. First prize in the "Biology" category went to Friedrich Krausgrill (10), Paul WIkiera (11) and Jannis Mikscha (11) from the Rabanus-Maurus School in Fulda for the project "Henriette in the Skinnerbox - A chicken learns". They investigated the learning ability of chickens. In the "Chemistry" category, first prize went to Isha Noreen Ahmad (14) and Atka Kareem (14) from the Ernst Reuter School in Dietzenbach for the topic "Cayacrylate - a red-hot substance".

The winner in the "Earth and Space Sciences" category was Mia Bäumer (14) from Kopernikusschule Freigericht. She determined the mass of the planet Jupiter. First prize for "Mathematics/Computer Science" went to Finn Bender (14) and Florian Meyer (14) from Schuldorf Bergstraße, Seeheim-Jugenheim, with a project on the popular parlor game "Four Wins". They wrote a program that develops strategies for the game. Daniel Homburg (13) and Mirja Sophie Thieme (13) from Darmstadt Technical University took first prize in the "Technology" category for their project "Robotalk," a robot that can use sign language to communicate with deaf people.

The first prize in the physics category stayed in Kassel. Jason Luke von Juterczenka (13) from the SchülerForschungsZentrum Kassel won it for his "Investigation of a chaos pendulum using spatial space." He also won the special prize for the "best creative work" from the Hessian Ministry of Education.

Participants in the competition, who qualified for the state competition as the best in the seven regional competitions in Hesse, worked on projects on questions of their own choosing. They first presented their results to a competition jury in a written paper. This was followed at the competition itself by an oral presentation and questioning by a panel of experts. In addition, the young researchers designed a stand where they presented their research results to the public.


Contact:

Prof. Dr. Axel Bangert
University of Kassel
Dean of Department 16 Electrical Engineering/Computer Science
E-mail: bangert@uni-kassel.de
Tel.: +49 561 804-6366

David Wüstehube
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
E-mail: david.wuestehube@uni-kassel.de
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961