Saratoga News
Education
Photograph by George Sakkestad
Saratoga 12-year-old David Zarrin is a semifinalist in the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge. David earned recognition for his science fair project, 'The Effect of Wheels on Catapult Efficiency.'
Channel makes discovery--David Zarrin
By Michele Tjin
Archimedes may have been the brightest mind in his day, but he didn't understand all the science behind his principles. If he were to talk to Saratoga's David Zarrin, he could learn a thing or two.
David, 12, studied the physics behind why a catapult with wheels simply works better, something that Archimedes knew but may not have understood. David conducted the research for his science fair project, "The Effect of Wheels on Catapult Efficiency," he did last year as a sixth-grader. For his efforts, he has been named a semifinalist in the Discovery Channel's Young Scientist Challenge, which selects contestants from a pool of students who entered science fairs nationwide.
"I've always been into science," said the Redwood Middle School seventh-grader. "I tend to ask a lot of questions."
Of all the things he could have studied, David said he chose wheels on a catapult because of a "Nova" documentary he saw and because of his history class last year, when he learned about Archimedes and the wheels he put on catapults.
For two months, David tested a catapult that he built, videotaping the movements and running simulations online. He found that wheels allowed his machine to launch an object further and faster.
"He is one of the most amazing students I've had," said Gail Inlow, a science teacher at Redwood and the science fair coordinator. "He is an incredible person. Most students are not at his level."
The folks at the Discovery Channel aren't the only ones who have taken a liking to David's project. He won first place in the Synopsis Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship in San Jose and third place in the California State Science Fair in Los Angeles.
"I was surprised because there were so many who entered," David said of being named a semifinalist with the Discovery Channel contest. "I'm happy with the result."
David finds out on Sept. 12 if he advances to be one of 40 finalists.
"I'm especially proud of his ability to communicate the science," said his mom Teresa Zarrin. "He did a good job of presenting his project to judges. We need more scientists who can talk to people."
The Zarrin family members are no strangers to the concept of asking questions and feeding their curiosity. David's two older sisters, Sarah and Haley, are past state science fair veterans, and Haley competed in the Discovery Channel contest last year.
"How things work is a common topic around the house," Teresa said.
There may not be any direct applications of David's research; the market for catapults seems fairly limited. But any good teacher will say that the journey is just as important as the lesson. For David, he taught himself physics and became familiar with different types of computer software as he analyzed his results and made posters. Neither he nor his mom is too worried about coming up with an idea for this year's science fair to top last year's project.
"If you do something that you're interested in, it will take on a life of its own, and it will be a good project," Teresa said.
David's future aspirations for when he's long done with school include pursuing science as a physicist, much like his father Simon, or else inventing something and marketing it. Other current interests are math, running and soccer, but science remains a hot subject matter.
"I encourage kids to enter science fairs," he said. "It's a good experience. You learn a lot."
