Two Top Winners From Robert Moses Middle School at Brookhaven Lab's Maglev Contest
May 15, 2006
UPTON, NY - Two students from Robert Moses Middle School in North Babylon won first place in separate categories at the 16th Annual Middle School Magnetic Levitation Contest sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. Overall, Robert Moses students garnered five out of 21 prizes. Students from Nesaquake Middle School in Saint James and Center Moriches Middle School took four prizes each, Mineola took two, Northport took two, and East Northport, Hicksville, and North Babylon and Albert G. Prodell Middle School in Shoreham each garnered one prize.
Brookhaven Lab scientists Gordon Danby and James Powell, now retired, invented Maglev - the suspension, guidance and propulsion of vehicles by magnetic forces - and patented it in 1968. Maglev may one day be a remedy for the high cost of gasoline and traffic congestion.
Over 180 students from 13 Long Island schools entered the contest, in which they were required to design and construct model Maglev vehicles according to engineering specifications in their choice of one of seven categories: electrified track, wind power, gravity, two types of self-propelled, futuristic, and scale-model design. Judging was based on speed, efficiency, and appearance of the vehicles, and the students' written design process.
The first-place winners show off their trophies in the photo: (front row, from left): Brandon Bogaski, Albert G. Prodell Middle School, who won in the futuristic category; Jobin Abraham, Mineola Middle School, wind power; Anthony Canella, Nesaquake, electrified track; Andrew Bieler, Robert Moses, self-propelled; (back row, from left) Amanda Dia, Robert Moses, scale; Meghan Flynn, Northport, gravity; and Zachary Dellaqua, Center Moriches, self-propelled (balloon).
For a list of all the winners, see the following website: http://www.bnl.gov/education/contests/magLev/results.asp.
2006-10491 | INT/EXT | Newsroom
