Since my high school days the most prestigious science talent search was concucted by Westinghouse and it has now been taken over by Intel. To be a semi-finalist from all over the country is already a distinction, and to be among the 40 national finalists invited to Washington, DC, guarantees you, I believe, a scholarship to any college or university of your choice in addition to any prize you might obtain from Intel. I thought readers might be interested in the student who placed fifth among the forty finalists, and his project: Fifth Place: a $25,000 scholarship was awarded to Michael Theprathan Hasper, 18, of Tallahassee, Fla., a student at Maclay School, for his physics project titled "Violin Bridge: Will the Stradivarius Legend Continue?" For his project, Hasper, who has played the violin since age 6, tested the properties of 11 bridges that he made of wood, metal or other materials. He concluded that no single bridge created the best sound for each of the four violin strings. Michael has won numerous math, music, sailing and science competitions, including a Grand Award and First Place Physics award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF). see http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20010312corp.htm The Website doesn't explain how young Mr. Hasper determined the "best sound" or why what seems to be a serial testing of 11 bridges fashioned out of different materials qualifies that project for such a high prize, especially when compared w/ some of the other project described on that Web site. Walter Meyer