The race to find out who is the nation's top young scientist began Sept. 5 as Discovery Communications, Inc. announced the 400 middle school students from around the country who have been selected as semifinalists in the 2006 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC). Six of the semifinalists are Boulder students-five attend schools in the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) and one attends Boulder Country Day.

The countdown to choosing America's Top Young Scientist continues on September 14th, when the field of 400 semifinalists is narrowed by the DCYSC judges to the "Final Forty." The young scientists will use their scientific know-how to find solutions to this year's five-part challenge. The students will compete for more than $100,000 worth of scholarships and special prizes, as well as the title of "America's Top Young Scientist of the Year."

"Discovery is proud to continue the tradition of supporting middle school education and cultivating the next generation of American scientists," said John Hendricks, Founder and Chairman, Discovery Communications. "Each year, the breadth of knowledge demonstrated by the DCYSC's 400 semifinalists is inspiring and a bit humbling. These young men and women have the intelligence, energy, creativity and dedication to become the nation's scientific trailblazers of the future. We remain committed to celebrating their achievements and scientific learning."

The DCYSC is the nation's premier science contest for students in grades 5-8. The competition, created by Discovery Communications, gives students the opportunity to test their knowledge and push their limits as they explore the world of science.

The six Boulder students who have been selected as semifinalists are:

Robin Betz
8th grade, Summit Middle School, BVSD
Project Title: Evolving Solutions: Methods of Solving Sudoku Puzzles

Davis Goodin
7th grade, Southern Hills Middle School, BVSD
Project Title: LED Headlights: Illuminating the Path to the Future

Elizabeth Hardwick
7th grade, Boulder Country Day
Project Title: Well, That Was Random

Carson Kahn
6th grade, Centennial Middle School, BVSD
Project Title: Beware of the WYDSIWYG (What You Don't See Is What You Get): A Study of Inattentional Blindness

Radhika Rawat
8th grade, Summit Middle School, BVSD
Project Title: Got Vitamins?

Alan Seltzer
8th grade, Summit Middle School, BVSD
Project Title: A Dose of Detergent and Duckweed

The full list of 16 Colorado semifinalists, their schools and the titles of their winning entries can be found at: http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/dysc/finalists/states/co.html.