Annual young scientist event to include study of bacterial counts in holy water fonts

Studies of bacterial counts in holy water fonts, the effects water charges may have on domestic life and gauging happiness levels across Ireland based on tweets are just three of 550 projects at the 2015 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.

The annual event will be held at the RDS in Dublin from Wednesday, January 7th, to Saturday 10th, with the overall winner being announced on Friday.

The research projects cover all science disciplines along with social science research. Technology-based projects will also be on hand, a part of the exhibition that is always of interest.

The exhibition is all about the hard work put in by the students, but there is also time for fun. Live shows including The Roney & Joe Science Show, Stellar Adventures and W5's Light Fantastic Show will entertain children and families.

The seven-foot Titan robot will make another appearance this year, while android aficionados can watch Doctor Who's daleks and Star Wars' R2D2 battle it out in The World of Robots.

The exhibition received 2,077 applications, the highest number of projects submitted since the competition was started in 1965.

Some of the most successful contributing schools include Kinsale Community School, Co Cork, with 22 projects; Desmond College, Limerick, with 17; and Scoil Mhuire gan Smál, Roscommon, with 13 projects. Some 105 projects came from schools based in Co Dublin.

Bacteria

The rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria inspired Michael Spurway, Danielle Craig and Hayley Donaldson to test the antibacterial properties of plants in the wooded areas beside their school in Bangor, Co Down. They tested extracts for antibiotic properties, comparing them against recognised antibiotic drugs.

Interest in geography led Fearghal Burke to investigate whether patterns could be seen in how Eurovision votes are distributed across the Continent.

“I know that certain types of music might be popular in certain regions and this could be a reason for countries close to each other to vote for each other,” says the student at Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare.

All sunglasses block harmful UV rays ... or do they? Amy McArdle, Caoimhe Mc Evoy-Warr and Ciara Babington from St Vincent's Secondary School, Co Louth, built a test rig to challenge this assumption.

The team tested designer, generic, unbranded and prescription sunglasses. They also tested whether the shape of the lenses affected the level of protection afforded.

Transition year students Lisa McCloat, Molly Mew and Lauren Hunt, from the Convent of Mercy, Roscommon, examined whether deduction and reasoning skills can be taught.

Deduction

Inspired by Sherlock Holmes and a forensic science workshop they attended, the trio taught one of two groups of students methods of deduction and presented both groups with a staged crime scene and suspect. The team then evaluated the students’ ability to deduce what had happened.

Judging starts on Wednesday afternoon and continues until Friday morning. The exhibition is open to the public from Thursday to Saturday from 9.30am. Tickets cost €6 for students, €12 for adults and €25 for family passes.

The exhibition is open to second-level students aged between 12 and 19 in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The winner of the Young Scientist of the Year will receive a perpetual trophy, a cheque for €5,000 and the chance to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists 2015, taking place in Milan this September.