Dozens of bright young minds gathered today at this year's Saskatoon Regional Science Fair.
The fair brings top students from the area together to battle it out for science glory. Many of the students who make it to this level have worked for months on their projects.
Dalmeny High School student Kezia Fourie is studying how clay soil affects the crystallization of potash.
"Potash companies need to know when they're mining, what are they mining," she said. "What's in the mineralogy?"
Due to the complicated nature of Fourie's research, she worked with researchers at the University of Saskatchewan to access their expertise and equipment.
"At first, I was really nervous because I know I knew a whole lot less than they did," she said. "But after that, I got a lot more comfortable and I realized there were times we were finding out the exact same information, they don't know this, and we're finding things out at the same time."
For the love of it
Of course, it's not all high level science. Grade 6 student Jesse Hamm and his partner made a citrus battery, using lemons as a power source.
"The reason why we're doing this is we love to invent things and we love a good challenge," said Hamm.
Organizers hope small projects like this will create the scientists of the future.
"In terms of really understanding why science works, the best way to do it is to actually put your ideas into practice," said Jim Langen, Provincial Coordinator of the Saskatchewan Association of Science Fairs.
The winners of the event will represent Saskatoon at the Canada-Wide Science Fair to be held in Windsor, Ont. next month.