From horse hair and hazelnuts to ballet and biofuels, Westmeath students have been busy investigating some of the more unusual scientific questions, and will learn of their success later this evening [Friday] as the winners of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition are announced.
Nine Westmeath entries are among 520 projects from across the country taking part in the 2011 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the RDS, Dublin over this weekend.
The Westmeath entries to make it to this final stage of the competition include five from Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone; two from the Marist College, Athlone; one from Athlone Community College; and one from Moate Community College. There is also one from St Joseph’s College, Summerhill, Athlone.
The entries from Our Lady’s Bower are:
‘Does ballet dancing improve posture?’ by Katie Donaghue, Leigh O’Sullivan, and Shannon Barrett;
‘Will DNA survive when separated from other cell components?’ by Lynne McCormack, Mary Dunlea, and Niamh Kenny;
‘An investigation of alternatives to horse hair for violin bows’ by Máirín Ryan
‘Investigating the potential of cobnuts and hazelnuts as biofuels’ by Rachael Bowe, Deirdre Campbell, and Aislinn Carey;
‘A study of hazardous compounds and waste disposal in Irish school chemistry labs’ by Annette Benson, Emma Fagan, and Kayle Crosson.
The entries from the Marist College are:
‘An investigation into the Milgram theory’ by Christopher McGloin, Kevin Cooper, and Joseph McNamara;
‘Electrical energy from fruit and vegetables’ by David Fitzsimons
From Athlone Community College:
‘Looking at Lough Owel as a fishery and assessing Lough Owel’s reliance on stock fish - trout’ by Jack Magee
From Moate Community School:
‘A look at rotifers and how they can be used by teachers in class’ by Oisín Foley.
From St Joseph’s College, Summerhill:
‘To investigate how copper and other trace elements can be effective on the performance of an Irish sheep flock’ by Claire Leonard, Katie Nagle, and Aishling McCormack
This year’s Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition received the highest number of entries in the 47-year history of the competition. A record-breaking 3,943 students from across the island of Ireland entered the exhibition with a total of 1,735 projects.
The number of technology projects soared by 35 per cent. Organisers BT this year evolved the exhibition to link students’ research to the business skills that they need to turn those ideas into commercial opportunities.
The winners of the 2011 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition will be announced later this evening [Friday].
