Scientists of the future are caught in the media spotlight

Within three frenetic days, three teenagers from St Malachy's College, Belfast have featured prominently in four national newspapers, a live news broadcast on TV3 and several radio interviews.

There are requests to feature on even more programmes next week. With typical teenager coolness, they are mildly miffed at having to be back at school. They could be forgiven for thinking they need a media manager.

Their experience in outlining the workings of their "stomach similator" highlights how modern science has such a close and often demanding relationship with the world of communications.

"We expected some coverage, but not this much," said Aaron Moore (13).

Television cameras and radio microphones are almost at every turn in search of entrants to outline their research and, with many Esat Telecom staff wearing special headsets with microphone attachments as they marshal the intermingling of 1,000 students and 60 judges, entrants quickly realise they are part of Irish science set in a high-tech age.

Of course, topicality and quirkiness inevitably attract media interest as the search for "an accessible soundbite" on some form of scientific endeavour is pursued. The experience of facing a microphone or camera quickly improves presentation, according to Co nor Fitzgerald (13) from Green hills College, Dublin - verbal stumbles were soon ironed out.

With his colleague Dermot Looney (16), they have been in the media spotlight since Tuesday. They examined the effectiveness of the breathalyser test and suggested that consumption of grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, mouthwashes and glycerine could trigger a positive result using the blow-in-bag variety of test.

For 16 students from North and South, this year's exhibition is an opportunity for hands-on experience making their own radio station. They are managing and presenting Rocket FM, which has a special licence to operate on 96.7 Mhz.

They were trained by prominent broadcasters and programme managers from national, local and community stations after winning a competition in which they had to outline how they would create a station.

"It was difficult practising when there was nobody around," said Oliver Callan (18) of Patrician High School, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, "but it's going great now there is a buzz with so many people about."

Some of the best programmes being recorded are being archived on the Esat Telecom Young Scientist and Technology website (www.esat.ie/youngscientists).