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Sticky gummy bears and edible water bottles: “Jugend forscht” 2020

71 curious young researchers, 40 exciting projects: According to the motto „You Can Do It!“, “Jugend forscht – Schüler experimentieren” (lit. “Youth Researches – Pupils Experiment”) drew a large crowd to Lohmann’s TEC Center in Neuwied, last Saturday, February 8.

 

 2020_JuFo_Gruppenbild.jpgEstablished in 1965 by Henri Nannen (chief editor „Stern“), the competition takes place on a regional, country and federal level in cooperation with various sponsoring companies. For almost 40 years now, Lohmann has been hosting the regional competition, alternating yearly with ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein GmbH, at the respective company sites in Andernach and Neuwied. In 2020, for the first time, Lohmann’s CEO Dr. Jörg Pohlman was patron of the event.

The younger attendees of the junior segment „Pupils Experiment“ (up to 14 years) as well as the older researchers of the category „Youth Researches“ (ages 15-21), examined topics in the fields of biology, geo- and space sciences, physics and chemistry. For example, Pauline Schrank monitored for months the parental bee colony in her garden to evaluate “What are the influences on the flight of bees?” (winner in the category “Biology”, “Pupils Experiment”) while palm-sized hissing cockroaches moved in with Fynn Zimmermann to be scrutinized thoroughly. Apart from real animals, sweet conspecifics were part of research, too: Valentin Loudovici’s sweet tooth led him to a scientific examination of the adhesion of licked gummy bears – to each other, to paper, to glass. Could they be a substitute for regular adhesives? Attentive Bonding Engineers were already scenting innovation for the tape industry… “The gummy bears are not bonding to paper very well. I tested that. In my textbook“, Loudovici dissuades adjusting his spectacles. The winners of „Youth Researches“ category „Biology“, Maaike Bach and Leonie Fabienne Job, did research on edibles as well: Their water capsules, a biodegradable alternative to plastic bottles, impressed the jury. Such pouches made of water, alginate and calcium had been given to the athletes during the 2019 London Marathon, according to a “zero waste” premise. Maaike and Leonie will be continuing experimenting after the competition – they want to equip the capsules with different flavors.

Mingling with cheering teachers, tutors and parents was, apart from Neuwied Mayor Michael Mang, Lohmann’s CTO (Chief Technology Officer) Dr. Carsten Herzhoff. The chemist did not only present the certificates during the award ceremony but was especially thrilled with the spirit of the discovery of the young researches, i.e. the next generation of professionals from the STEM fields.

We wish all the winners the best of luck for the next round in this competition! It will take place from 31.03.-02.04. in Ludwigshafen (Jugend forscht) and from 07.-08.05. Ingelheim (Schüler experimentieren) on country level.

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Pauline Schrank, Winner Biology (Pupils Experiment), Dr. Carsten Herzhoff (CTO)

Martin Schilcher (CFO), Michael Mang (Mayor Neuwied), Dr. Jörg Pohlman (CEO), Dr. Carsten Herzhoff (CTO) Vivien Christl, Winner Geo and Space Sciences (Youth Researches)
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  Valentin Loudovici, Second Place Chemistry (Pupils Experiment)  

 

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