Center Moriches Middle School Students Sweep Two Categories to Win Top Honors at Brookhaven Lab's Maglev Contest

March 24, 2015

UPTON, NY — Center Moriches Middle School students won six of the 21 trophies awarded at the 25th annual Middle School Maglev Contest held at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory on March 18. Students from Robert Moses Middle School won five awards, West Babylon Junior High School students won four, Longwood Junior High School won three, Berner Middle School of Massapequa won two, and Roslyn Middle School took home one trophy. 

Gordon Danby and James Powell, retired Brookhaven Lab scientists, invented and patented maglev — the suspension, guidance, and propulsion of vehicles by magnetic forces. Powell was an honored guest at the contest and gave a brief talk encouraging students to pursue a career in science or engineering. Powell predicted that within the next 20 years, a maglev network will be in place in the U.S. that would allow passengers to travel anywhere in the nation at a speed of 300 miles per hour. Powell also predicted that one day maglev might be used to launch rockets into space. "I am happy to see that each year there are more girls participating in the contest," added Powell. "You are the future of science and engineering. Keep up the good work!" 

More than 110 students from six Long Island middle schools entered the contest, in which they were required to design and construct model maglev vehicles according to engineering specifications in a choice of seven categories: electrified track, futuristic, wind power, gravity, self-propelled balloon, self-propelled-other, and scale-model design. Judging was based on speed, efficiency, appearance, and the students' written design process. More than 100 additional students from nine Long Island middle schools participated in the Maglev Contest held at the Cradle of Aviation at the same time as Brookhaven Lab's contest. The two institutions shared a web link during the contest so students at both locations could share in the excitement.

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