If you wanted an answer to an unexpected question, Thursday was a great time to be at Stikine Middle School.

Among the questions posed (and answers attempted) at the annual sixth grade science fair were: which brand of hair tie can hold the most weight? Which type of bait do squirrels and juncos prefer? Does listening to up-tempo music increase your blood pressure? Which school has the most bacteria?

Students have worked on the questions, and the experiments and accompanying displays, since February, according to Stikine Middle School teacher Winston Davies, who oversees the annual fair.

"W...