Steinmühle School participated in the nationwide “Informatik Biber” competition with 15 students from grades 5 through 13. The Informatik Biber is an annual computer science competition for students held in November, featuring brainteasers that explore concepts in computer science. The questions are answered online using a multiple-choice format.

The students at Steinmühle not only participated in this national competition, but also performed well. In addition to five certificates of recognition, they won eight third-place prizes. Anton Schmenk and Julian Alshut (front center) each even won a second-place prize.

Principal Björn Gemmer and Steffen Ullwer, head of Department III, congratulated the students on these great results and posed for the photographer alongside them. In the photo (back row, from left): Björn Gemmer (principal), Velten Schulz (13d), Leonard Schmidt (5b), Max Preidel (10b), Steffen Ullwer (Head of Department III), Leonard Hilger (5i). Front row, from left: Ferdinand Verburg (5i), Akaash Bhagwat (5i), Carl Höpfner (5a), Anton Schmenk (5b), Julian Alshut (5c), Leonard Hilger (5i), Ari Araam (5i), Johannes Stroth (5i). Missing from the photo are Paula Hartmann (10c), Mats Böhmer (10c), and Julius Lehnig (5b).

The Informatik-Biber is one of the student competitions recommended by the Conference of Ministers of Education.

Highly Qualified Teamwork in the Language of Science

“Unfortunately, technology and invention aren’t school subjects.” — That’s not just the view of the vice president of the Technical University of Darmstadt (TUD), Prof. Dr. Jens Schneider. The Steinmühle school administration and Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, the school’s STEM coordinator, also have their eyes on one or two male and female students who might be interested in such a subject. Currently, the Inventor Lab in Darmstadt offers interested and talented students a platform each year to engage in dialogue with scientists from the Institute of Materials Science at TU Darmstadt. This year, Jan Audretsch from Steinmühle was there and conducted research as part of a team focused on the energy transition.

It’s teamwork at the highest level. “A total of 16 exceptional students from all over Hesse took part again this year to conduct experiments in a professional setting and then present their findings clearly to a wider audience.” – This statement from the press release illustrates the level at which the team of young researchers was operating. “We urgently need the next generation of researchers,” say the experts.

The closing ceremony took place virtually once again. But even on the online stage, according to reports, everyone looked great. The closing ceremony was streamed.

“Youth Shapes the Future”—that was roughly the working title of the event. It focused on sustainable solutions, alternative technologies, and innovative concepts for the world of tomorrow.

Insights into research beyond the daily school routine

“Ms. Töhl-Borsdorf asked me if I was interested and registered me accordingly,” says Jan Audretsch, describing how he came to participate in the prestigious event. “Afterward, I received all the further details by email from the Center for Chemistry. I worked on the topic ‘Hydrogen vs. Batteries,’” says the young scientist. The other groups conducted research on the topics ‘Cooling with Magnets,’ ‘Can Solar Cells Clean Themselves?,’ and ‘The Battery of the Future.’ All results had to be explained in a 10-minute presentation tailored to a high school audience.

“I think the basic concept behind the Inventors’ Lab is really great and exciting,” Jan Audretsch says, reflecting on his participation. “The opportunity was very valuable to me—it allowed me to step away from my everyday school routine and gain insights into research at the university.”

On a personal level, the high school senior has confirmed his desire to pursue a degree in the natural sciences. But Jan Audretsch says it’s still too early to make a decision: “I don’t know exactly what yet.”

On Bioplastic Films, Microplastics, and Rusting Processes

The 57th “Jugend forscht” Regional Competition for Central Hesse took place on Friday and Saturday, February 25 and 26, 2022. As was the case last year, the competition—which, unfortunately, was held exclusively online—was jointly organized by the Technical University of Central Hesse (THM) and Justus Liebig University Giessen. Under the theme “Randomly Brilliant?”, a total of 34 projects were presented, including two projects from Singapore and one from Buenos Aires.

This year, Steinmühle launched three projects as part of the “Schüler experimentieren” competition, in the fields of chemistry, physics, and biology. Steinmühle emerged successfully from this competition, taking first, second, and third place, as well as a special award for dedicated mentors. All prizes include certificates and cash awards.

Rusting keeps you warm, too!
Noah Wieder (8th grade) and Toshiro Beato del Rosal (7th grade) wondered just how quickly rusting actually occurs after they noticed two rusty shopping carts at the boathouse that had been “fished out” of the Lahn River. Since rusting releases small amounts of heat, they developed model experiments under the supervision of Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf and measured temperature changes over time under various conditions. They found that the process occurs faster when the salt content is high and the pH is low. Since the temperature changes are very small overall, these measurements were not easy to perform experimentally.
The jury praised the ambitious project idea and the students’ advanced subject knowledge, as well as their excellent presentation skills, and awarded them third place in the chemistry category.

What effect do microplastics have on plant growth?
Lina Wicherek and Sabine Auer, both seventh-graders, have been studying the issue of microplastics in the soil. In their research, which focused on a specific type of microplastic (PA), they were able to show that, depending on the amount of microplastic introduced, PA negatively affects or even completely inhibits the germination of cress. They also demonstrated that the extent of the inhibition depends on the substrate. They succeeded in defining the maximum tolerated amount of PA for the substrates “sand” and “cellulose.”
The jury was impressed by the highly topical subject matter, the precise research question, and the reproducible experimental design. The project was awarded second place in the biology category. The project was jointly supervised by Antje Seel and Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf.

Biofilms vs. Plastic Films—Manufacturing and Measurement of Physical Properties
Leonard Berger and Quentin Herwig received a lengthy commendation. Under the supervision of Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, they produced biofilms from various food-grade thickeners and developed a physical measurement apparatus to test their suitability for everyday use. The films should be as tear-resistant, transparent, and impermeable as possible.

They measured tear strength using digital sensors, transparency using a smartphone, and water vapor permeability using an analytical balance.
All of their measurement methods are now working very well, and during the production of the films, they also identified individual films with promising properties (e.g., made from tapioca, arrowroot, or konjac starch). Further research is needed to find an all-around film that performs well in all areas.

The judges were not only very impressed by the presentation, but also by the “in-depth understanding of the topic.” They also praised the comprehensive and clear description of the experiments, a very well-thought-out discussion, and the ideas for further developing the project. In addition, they recommended that the students enter their tests in the “Jugend testet” competition (Stiftung Warentest).
First, however, they’ll be heading to the state competition in Kassel, as the two won first place in the physics category and have thus qualified for the in-person competition. Due to the pandemic, however, the event must take place without parents and behind closed doors. At least the mentors are allowed to travel with them, and the interaction with the other young researchers—which has been missing for the past two years—will likely be able to take place.
Leonard has been participating since 5th grade—this is his fourth consecutive year in “Jugend Forscht”—and has always advanced to the state competition with his respective group. A great achievement!

Talent and Interest in the Best Hands

Last year, students Joshua Wieder, Morten Köhler, and Benjamin Schul also advanced to the state competition. The group decided to take a break this year, as the members were less enthusiastic about the online version of the competition.
Nevertheless, they didn’t sit idle and investigated how effectively various oxygen-based cleaners can remove different types of stains. This project was submitted to the ongoing “Jugend testet” competition.

Finally, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf received another award—the Special Prize for Dedicated Talent Promoters, sponsored by the Heinz and Gisela Friedrichs Foundation. Once again, she served as the advisor and coordinator for the school’s participation in the “Jugend forscht” competition.

Steinmühle is proud of all the award winners!