Winning the prize an ‘incredible privilege’

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He completed the work as part of the International Young Physicists’ Tournament last year, when he was in year 13 at Onslow College.

Presented with a problem at the tournament, Benjy decided to investigate how elastic bands acted when twisted or stretched and built a device to measure their pull and resistance.

He found that the current mathematical models used to predict measurements either don’t work or are limited.

“This area of research can apply to many structural engineering situations, such as bungee jumping and construction cranes,” Benjy says.

“If we could predict the behaviour of these materials to prevent fatigue or breaking, it would be very advantageous.”

Winning the Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize is “an incredible privilege,” Benjy says.

“The calibre of all the other prize winners was so high, so it’s an honour to be counted alongside them.”

The award comes with a prize of $50,000 to support tertiary education, which Benjy is putting towards his Bachelor of Science majoring in Physics and Computer Science at Victoria University, with hopes of continuing down this path of physics research.

“The thing I like most about physics is that you can use the precise nature of mathematics to describe the real world and be able to predict what will happen using that.

“I’d like to continue exploring that—taking the chance to experience some of the opportunities available at university, and maybe going forward into a research career,” Benjy says.

The Prime Minister’s Future Scientist selection panel said they were very impressed with the details of Benjy’s experimental design and consideration of multiple variables and also his statistical analysis.

“The most significant gains for Benjy have been in the learning of how to carry an in-depth investigation at this particular level,” his nominator Kent Hogan, who is a mentor for the New Zealand Young Physicists, says.

“It was evident to me that Benjy had a gift for science and scientific research but his skills and abilities in these areas have grown over the years.

“Benjy has had to learn how to solve some very challenging and difficult mathematics, physics and engineering problems.

“The problem-solving skills he has developed are skills that he will be able to apply to a wide range of situations for the rest of his life and career,” Mr Hogan says.

Benjy’s work has implications in several fields where elastic material under tension is modelled using Finite String Theory.

It could have significant implica- tions in applications where steel cables undergo stretching and twisting when loaded.

The coupling between extension and torsion in elastic materials was first observed by Poynting, hence is known as thePoynting Effect. The effect originally observed was the lengthening of wires when twisted under a constant force.

To investigate the coupling, for force and torque produced, Benjy measured a number of elastic bands at a variety of extensions and rotations.

He found two distinct trends separated by the experimental critical value at which the band transitions from a helical geometry to a tubular one. Further critical points occur where the band starts forming further instabilities.

Benjy concluded that the most likely cause for the force and torque deviating from the current model is the current inability to accurately predict the geometry of the band, accounting for the instabilities that occur.

He suggested several additional requirements for an improved model that can accurately predict the force and torque by observing multiple trends which are separated by critical rotations when the band stops being a helix and further instabilities start to form. Benjy has had to delve deep into some very complex and niche fields. He needed to learn several advanced mathematical techniques such as practical differential calculus, matrix algebra, and other mathematical tools. He has also had to learn physics that is way beyond most year 13 students.

I recently hosted a meeting which included local property developers and representatives from the City and Regional Councils. The background for the meeting was the need to ensure all people involved in providing more housing in our electorate, whether it be those building them or those regulating and permitting that building, understand the issues which govern the ability to build the houses everyone agrees we need.

There are essentially two types of development; greenfields and brownfields. Greenfields means building on currently undeveloped land, typically ex farmland on the edges of current urban areas, where infrastructure like sewers, water supply and other essential services don’t exist are usually built by the developer.

Once again, we in Wellington watch our fellow New Zealanders, particularly those in the north, suffer from flood inundation, while we again escape the worst of the weather. Climate change is upon us here and everywhere and it will take herculean efforts by the whole world to reverse the effects. NZ always does its bit in worldwide efforts, and we will have to now. People who think we can opt out somehow are sadly mistaken, and we as Government are and will make the brave calls. Those calls will be popular with our grandkids even if they’re not today. The same applies to infrastructure investment.

Brownfields development means rebuilding on existing sites, and there has been considerable discussion in recent times around how much intensification should be allowed in existing suburbs, especially changing of height limits to allow for more apartments.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages; the Regional Council in particular see their role to prevent more runoff and other material ending up in our harbours, especially the Porirua harbour in the case of development north of Johnsonville and Newlands. The Wellington City Council are concerned that the existing infrastructure cannot handle the pressure it comes under when new housing areas are developed. Existing infrastructure is aging and needs upgrading across our city, as evidenced by recent pipe failures. An advantage of intensification of existing areas means more people, therefore more ratepayers to pay for those upgrades.

Too many local bodies and governments have been elected promising lower rates and taxes, only to leave it up to the next generation of both to carry the burden, when the generation who copped-out have well gone.

Being progressive means being future focused, not nostalgic for the good old days which were often not quite as good as we remember. It is said pain has no memory.

We saw many Americans supporting Donald Trump who offered them a return to a socalled glorious past, which was only glorious for a small section of the population. Now he has been exposed, hopefully people will understand that creating a society where everyone gets a fair go is far preferable to looking after the interests of a few.

Developers of course need to make a profit, and wish to keep their compliance costs as low as possible. Many believe the Resource Management Act is too cumbersome. We as government for our part have undertaken to rewrite that act.

The feedback was good, but the success will be when there are sufficient affordable houses to meetdemand. That is certainly my goal as your MP.

That, and of course having a vibrant and functioning Johnsonville Shopping Centre we can all be proud of.

There’s plenty to be getting on with.

Closer to home, it’s good to see progress on Ngaio Gorge where an unstable hillside has severely disrupted traffic for some time. I take my hat off to the patience of gorge users who have put up with the inconvenience with little complaint. Here’s hoping it’s not for much longer.