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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Eighth-grade science fair participant Lucas Kinney exhibited to judges Tuesday evening a well-formed experiment that successfully isolated his personality variable from his surrounding environment of peers.

Kinney launched an experiment in January aimed at defining glycosyl composition of cell walls in lower land plants, but during his chemical analysis experiments he unexpectedly discovered a method for isolating himself from a group of less studious classmates.

By frequently discussing the scientific method with his science teacher and working ahead on life science homework to spend more time on his project, Kinney formed a detracting force with other eighth-graders that he described as “something not even a coordinate covalent bond could bring together.”

“I never set out to accomplish this,” Kinney said of his unintended discovery. “But by holding constant the variables of classmate interaction and awkwardness and manipulating my superiority, the find just fell into my ergonomic chair.”

While Kinney was officially judged only for his experiments with lower land plants at Tuesday’s exhibition, vast judgments from peers left the young researcher contemplating possible ramifications of his new find.

Kinney’s parents have encouraged him to end his experimental societal isolation, but the eighth-grade honor student and gardening enthusiast feels the sacrifice is worth the potential discovery of even-greater isolation from other peer groups and subcultures. “The implications of continuing this experiment could be huge. I may be able to isolate myself from entire cultures. I think I’ve already seen those indications in African-Americans’ reactions to me.”

Kinney, who expects to share his findings on his ability to isolate his personality during another science fair in the fall, added his accidental breakthrough could even lead to new theories on his unpopularity and disregard among females.