Hauppauge, NY, June 2013 – Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker recognized Luke Katona from West Middle Island Elementary for his first place win at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Science Fair for elementary school students.

“Luke has demonstrated a tremendous understanding of the scientific method,” said Legislator Anker. “I commend him for his dedication, and I would like to congratulate Luke on his hard work.”

Inspired by ants crawling over his juice box last summer, Luke decided to find out what drew the ants to sugary foods. After building an ant farm, Luke observed the patterns of ants working together, digging tunnels, and carrying food. Luke then chose seven different varieties of food to learn whether ants prefer certain types to others. By observing the number of ants on each type of food during interval periods, Luke determined that ants tend to prefer sweets like fruit and ice cream rather than salty snacks such as pretzels or cheese.

More than 100 Suffolk County schools take part every year in BNL's Elementary School Science Fair. Some 470 projects, created by over 500 Suffolk County children ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade, compete.  The student projects include charts, experiments, demos, diagrams, and collections with a scientific objective. Brookhaven National Laboratory scientists and elementary school teachers judge the contest.

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For More Information, Please Contact:
Kim Tucker
631-854-1600
Kimberly.Tucker@suffolkcountyny.gov