Nuthatch posts this description of the ultimate winning science fair strategy:

Materials

Raw hamburger
Three types of shoes
Modeling clay
Little boxes
15 male humans
An exciting paper on anything of your choice
216 beet plants
A little bit of sunlight
A saddle
Loose leaf paper
One hamster
Three different fingers to test
Paper towel (each cheese will be on it)
Human source of mouth bacteria

Procedures

Put on latex gloves.
Dampen your swab with distilled water.
Get permission from Mrs. Thayer.
Collect urine from my two St. Bernards
Stop at Jack’s Party Store and buy the same brand of nightcrawlers every time.
Let dry.
Wait until the ants come out.
Stick the thermometer in the person’s mouth.
Bring cheese home.
Do this for two weeks.


And, speaking of other efforts that deserve an A+, congrats to JQ on his Jeopardy! win. (It also established, with three replicates, that the cognoscenti do not listen to Barry Manilow.)