60th Annual STS (2000–2001)
Finalists
Atalie Carina Young

PENNSYLVANIA
Atalie Carina Young, 17, of Pittsburgh, studied the effects of elevated carbon dioxide levels on plants for her Intel Science Talent Search project in botany. Captivated by the concept of global warming, she tested the effects of increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) on a leafy green plant (Brassica rapa). In one atmospheric chamber she approximated the CO2 level of the 1990s, and in another, the projected level for 2055. Nutrient levels were varied to represent farming areas and natural forests. After analyzing weight and mortality measurements, she concluded that projected increases in CO2 levels will have a drastically negative effect on roots, shoots and plant reproduction both in natural and in agricultural settings. At Keystone Oaks High School, Atalie participates in forensics, writes for the school paper and plays varsity soccer. A published poet and an accomplished musician, she plays with both the marching and jazz bands. She has won numerous top honors in Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science fairs at both regional and state-tournament levels. The daughter of Gary and Elsa Young, she hopes to study at Harvard for a career in medicine or medical research.