900 Calgary Students Show Off Science Fair Projects

A pot turning blue while washing dishes just led two Calgary high schoolers to develop a potential breakthrough in wound care monitoring.

Sarah Shafiq and Agamya Arora are among the 900 students showcasing their research at the Calgary Youth Science Fair this weekend. Their project started when Arora noticed her cooking pot mysteriously changed color.

"I was cooking something, and I realized midway through washing all the pots that my pot turned blue," Arora said. She teamed up with Shafiq, who was interested in health sciences, and they discovered red cabbage extract could detect pH changes in wounds.

Their experiment, called Cabbage and Gauze, Nature's Mood Rings for Wounds, uses a simple concept with powerful potential. Infected wounds shift from acidic to alkaline as they heal, and red cabbage naturally indicates these pH changes through color.

The students spent weeks testing their hypothesis, sometimes working four or five hours straight during exam breaks. They stayed after school and spent every lunch period running calculations and trials.

"What was special about our research was that it's a really, really simple experiment," Shafiq said. "Simple things are usually what are the greatest scientific discoveries."

The Calgary Youth Science Fair brings together students from all backgrounds and ages at the Olympic Oval. More than 500 volunteer judges are evaluating presentations that range from deforestation studies to golf ball efficiency tests.

The Ripple Effect

Grant Mansiere, Director of External Relations at the fair, says the mixing of different grades creates something special. Grade 5 students present alongside seniors, sparking conversations and friendships across age groups and schools.

"It's a melting pot of science and youth," Mansiere said. "New friends are made, jokes are cracked and the best science is pitched every moment of the fair."

Many students return year after year with improved versions of their projects. Because they choose their own topics, students stay genuinely motivated to continue their research long after the fair ends.

The process matters as much as the results. Students learn that science isn't about having all the answers right away.

"They may not come to a definite conclusion, but they'll learn a lot along the way," Mansiere said. "They will learn that science is a process and you get to meet a lot of interesting, fun people along the way."

The fair opens to the public on Saturday morning, with awards presented at noon.