Steven Tobias admits, it's not easy to express the scientific principles behind his Westinghouse project to people with no background in advanced physics. After all, like almost every student who envisions what prestige may accompany a victory at the annual nationwide Westinghouse Science Talent Search competition, Tobias worked well beyond high school standards, researching at a graduate level.

As a finalist, Tobias is already ensured a $1,000 scholarship, and if his study reaches the top ten, that pot will jump to anywhere between $10,000 and $40,000. And to be candid, said the student about getting this far, "I was shocked."

To achieve finalist status, the Plainview resident labored long, arduous summer hours in a physics lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where next fall he will study materials science and engineering. Tobias gained access to MIT after he was accepted into the selective Boston University Science and Engineering Research Internship Program, under the supervision of mentor Dr. Jagadeesh S. Moodera at the Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory. His work carried over into this school year, and ultimately culminated in a report that chronicled Tobias' successful probe into whether a new metal alloy used in computer chips would enhance the memory of hard drives.

Scientists have shown that layers of thin, ferromagnetic film, separated by insulating barriers, form tunnel junctions that alter the resistance of magnetic fields. "This phenomenon, when optimized, has great potential for technological applications that include sensors and revolutionary memory elements," read Tobias' project abstract.

The metal alloy which Tobias studied, when combined with the element cobalt, comprises the essence of the ferromagnetic film. Scientists had been predominantly concentrating on the nickel-iron alloy Ni80Fe20. But, according to Tobias' report, "Investigation to Enhance the Sensor Response in Ferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions by Using Ni45Fe55," the nickel-iron alloy Ni45Fe55 is even more effective in boosting memory.

Tobias explained, in an interview, "By using this new kind of nickel-iron alloy, I was hoping for a larger, increased change between resistance levels in magnetic fields," which would yield even greater potential for memory applications in computers.

Because these ferromagnetic tunnel junctions are merely several hundred atoms in thickness, leaps in memory capacity would be colossal, from 10 gigabits in current systems to as much as 100 gigabits.

All of that chemical and computer jargon is already enough to boggle most minds. However, the reasoning behind Tobias' theory as to why his alloy would increase resistance levels is - well, as Tobias aptly put it, "This now gets complicated."

Nevertheless, Tobias attempted to explain that the number and placement of outer electrons in the elements comprising Ni45Fe55 increases a property called spin polarization in the tunnel junction. Explained Tobias, "Work had been done that showed that polarization is directly related to change in the magnetic fields of tunnel junctions." With this correlation in mind, Tobias determined that Ni45Fe55 tunnel junctions would have a greater "magnetic moment" than its past counterparts.

Angela Lukaszewski, Syosset High School science teacher and coordinator of the school's advanced research program, believes she understands why out of the 144 semifinalists in New York State - six from Syosset - Tobias was one of the select who advanced.

"I think it's because of its [the project's] practical applications," said the teacher, who remarked that an obviously painstaking amount of research and experimentation "came across in the preparation of his paper."

Since Tobias' successful discovery, MIT researchers have already looked past Ni45Fe55 and are studying new methods that may prove even more beneficial to tunnel junctions, said Tobias. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the work accomplished during his 40+ hour weeks at MIT. In fact, said Lukaszewski, because his work "stood out from the pack," MIT allowed him to stay for two weeks following the close of the summer program so that he could properly complete his project.

Even prior to his studies in Boston, it became evident that Tobias has a future, if he so desires, in the sciences. President of the Science Olympiad for the past two years, Tobias led his team to first place in the Western Long Island Regional. His honor student status is no doubt a source a pride to his parents Robert and Carol, and something to look up to for his brother David, who attends H.B. Thompson Middle School.

Tobias will be in Washington DC from March 3 to 9 for the final phase of the competition.