A record number of schools entered the BT Young Scientist exhibition this year. Over 1,500 pupils entered their projects from all thirty-two countries.Five hundred of these entries have been selected for the Exhibition at the RDS and the competition runs from January 12th – 16th.
The competition’s principal objective is to make science fun, giving students the opportunity to explore the possibilities of science outside of the classroom.
Attracting attention this year is an experiment devised by pupils seeking to find the answer to an age-old myth. After in-depth analysis involving hundreds of fellow pupils and teachers, the students from Drumcree College in Portadown, Co Armagh discovered three quarters of redheads were fiery, 59% of brunettes were boring, and 64% of blondes scored ‘below average’ in IQ tests.
Last year, fourteen-year-old John O’Callaghan and thirteen-year-old Liam McCarthy, students from Kinsale Community School, Co. Cork stunned judges with their groundbreaking test which helps to establish the health of cattle using washing up liquid. Their project won the overall award 2009 BT Young Scientist.
As well as the 500 student projects on display, there are a further four exhibition halls filled with science and technology based exhibits and entertainment, making it an exhilarating event for those who enter and for general visitors too.
