59th Annual STS (1999–2000)
Finalists
Brian David Hemond

MASSACHUSETTS
Brian David Hemond, 18, of Lexington, has been named as a finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search for his botany entry which could have applications in environmental research, forestry and agriculture. His project deals with the electrical charge flowing through the stems of certain plants, believed to cause a phenomenon known as streaming potential created by sap flowing through the stems and transpired as water vapor. Brian's experiments, conducted with plants grown inside a cage shielded from electromagnetic interference, sought to determine whether the source of the voltages was in fact streaming potential or some other plant process. He also investigated other potential explanations such as light, heat or air currents. He concluded that streaming potential was indeed the correct hypothesis and that the bioelectric currents are directly related to the transpiration rate and sap flow of plants. Brian has won a half dozen academic honors and participates in track and field. The Lexington High School student is the son of Dr. Harold Hemond and Dr. Carol Thomson. He hopes to earn an engineering degree at MIT.