Carn CS students impress at Young Scientist Exhibition with embalming and golf

Two groups of students from Carndonagh Community School enjoyed what their teacher described as “an experience of a lifetime” after representing Inishowen at this year’s Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in Dublin.

Transition Year students Aoife McDermott and Jessica McLaughlin, along with Nathan McGuinness, Cian Lafferty and Finn Duffy, travelled to the RDS last week to showcase projects that ranged from the possible environmental impact of embalming fluids to the science of golf putting.

Christine Gilmore, a science teacher in Carndonagh Community School who teaches biology and chemistry to Leaving Cert, said simply being selected to exhibit at the prestigious national showcase was a major achievement in itself.

“It’s really difficult to be selected to exhibit at the show, and being selected to attend is a huge achievement in itself,” she said.

She explained that she had brought many groups from Carndonagh Community School to the Young Scientists Exhibition over the years, and that a visit by students to last year’s event helped spark interest in entering this prestigious competition.

Aoife McDermott and Jessica McLaughlin presented a thought-provoking project examining whether embalming fluids could leach from graveyards into nearby water sources and potentially damage aquatic life.

Their research was inspired by a widely used spring on the main road near Burt graveyard, which left them wondering whether, with decaying corpses quite nearby, the water would be safe to drink or whether traces of chemicals from seeping embalming fluid could be present.

Ms Gilmore said: “It’s a really interesting project. They interviewed undertaker Blaine McCarron about the embalming process and learned lots about that - it was an eye-opener for me too!

“Embalming fluid is a very potent chemical containing methanol and methanal.

“The undertaker reckoned it would take several months before any embalming fluid would leach into the soil around the grave.”

The girls carried out a series of experiments in the school laboratory, exposing pondweed - a common aquatic plant - to different concentrations of formaldehyde to see how it would react.

“The girls carried out experiments in the school laboratory, exposing pondweed that would be common in rivers to different concentrations of formaldehyde,” said Ms Gilmore. “Even at the weak concentrations, the pondweed was affected and turned black within a few days.

“They hypothesised that this could be happening in active graveyards close to waterways.

“They also measured the dissolved oxygen in the water, a prime indicator of the health of waterways - and essential for life from plants to insects to fish.

“Their results found that embalming fluids had a major effect on reducing oxygen levels.”

The students also took river samples to see if they could detect any trace of embalming chemicals in the environment.

“The girls sampled some rivers. Thought they saw a hint of embalming fluid in the river near Clonmany graveyard,” Ms Gilmore said.

She added that their work was far from finished and that the project could have a future well beyond the exhibition.

“They do intend to pursue their research further, and see whether the Atlantic Technological University in Letterkenny can help them carry out tests in river water, and take soil samples, to determine whether there's any presence of these chemicals.

“And they're going to examine whether there are alternatives to using those chemicals in embalming. It’s a relatively new thing in Ireland, so they're interested in exploring all that.”

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Alongside the environmental research, three other Transition Year students - Nathan McGuinness, Cian Lafferty and Finn Duffy - presented a project that brought together sport, science and statistics.

Their golf-based study stemmed from a classroom discussion about an infamous missed putt by Rory McIlroy at the Masters in Augusta, and from the idea that people perform differently depending on whether they use their dominant or non-dominant eye.

The boys, who are also members of Ballyliffin Golf Club, decided to turn that idea into a proper scientific investigation.

“They’re members of Ballyliffin Golf Club, and as part of the research they interviewed the club professional Gareth McCausland,” Ms Gilmore explained.

The students carried out their experiment with 117 participants, including classmates and members of Ballyliffin Golf Club, comparing putting performance over two to three metres when players used both eyes, their dominant eye only, or their non-dominant eye only.

“Students carried out the experiment with their peers and some with members at Ballyliffin Golf Club,” said Ms Gilmore, “and found those who putted with only their dominant eye open, did better.”

Their project found there was significant improving in putting for lower-skilled players when using only their dominant eye.

At the RDS, the boys’ stand proved hugely popular, with visitors eager to test their own putting accuracy under the different visual conditions.

“On Friday morning, they met Edward Walsh, the American ambassador to Ireland,” Ms Gilmore said. “He chatted to them for a long time and told them he'd golfed with President Trump!

“He had a go at their putting challenge - missed the putt with his two eyes open but when he used only his dominant eye he successfully made it.

“Taoiseach Michael Martin also called to their stand on Friday, engaged with them for a long time and tried their putting experiment as well.

“TD Padraig Mac Lochlainn was there too, and met with and chatted with the boys.”

Although neither project took home a prize, Ms Gilmore said the experience was hugely rewarding.

“While they didn't win any prizes, they got a lot of publicity and a lot of engagement from the various dignatories that visited the exhibition.

“And meeting with the judges - professors and lecturers from universities - it was a great experience for them and they're dying to get back next year!"