Fractal Lungs

• A fractal is a complex geometric structure that displays self-similar patterns. This means that the parts that make up the structure look like miniature versions of the whole. A tree, with its tree-like branches, is an example of natural fractals. Scientists have discovered that human lungs display fractal architecture. The arteries found in the lung, which are responsible for absorbing the oxygen people breathe, display a fractal structure. This complex branching structure allows the lungs to take in more oxygen than they would otherwise be able to take in. Create a poster board project displaying several diagrams of the inside of the lungs. Create cross sections showing that the smaller sections of arteries look like miniature versions of the whole pattern.
  
  

Cancer Survival Rates

• Cancer has touched a great many lives, either directly or indirectly. Consider creating a science project on the survival rates of patients with different kinds of cancers. There are many tables and charts available online that show survival rates of different cancers. They are typically broken down into 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-year survival rates. Create a series of graphs showing which cancers are most likely to kill their human victims. Include lung cancer, brain cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer. Also include some of the less common cancers such as ovarian cancer and stomach cancer.
  
  

Video Games and Stress

• Create a project exploring the effect of video games on stress. Select three genres of video game. You may choose a first-person shooter, a strategy game and a puzzle game. Select a population of subjects and ask them to report on how stressed they feel. Ask them each to play one of the genres of video games for two hours. Ask them how stressed they feel after they have finished playing and record how it compares to their stress level prior to playing. Also record which genre created the most stress.
  
  

Judging Temperature

• Develop a hypothesis regarding how well humans can identify the temperature of a room. For example, you may suggest that they are better at identifying temperatures that are cooler than their body temperatures than they are at judging temperatures that are hotter than their body temperatures. Select a population of subjects. Set the temperature of a room to somewhere between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Ask each subject to estimate the room temperature. Record how close they came to the actual temperature. Notice whether people are better at identifying warmer room temperatures, colder room temperatures or room temperatures that are the same as their body temperature. This experiment will shed light on the question of whether our perceptions of temperatures match actual temperatures.