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Tuesday, 15th September 2009: John D. O’Callaghan and Liam McCarthy, winners of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2009, have tonight won First Prize at the EU Young Scientist Contest and walk away with €7,000*. The awards ceremony took place this evening in Paris, France. John D. and Liam’s project entitled “The Development of a Convenient Test Method for Somatic Cell Count and its Importance in Milk Production” was given high praise when it won in January, most notably for its simplicity and commercial viability. Since then the boys have worked hard developing the project further in preparation for the EU contest. Commenting on the award, Chris Clark, CEO, BT said, “This is fantastic news and we are very proud of John D. and Liam’s latest achievement. As farmers’ sons, they were acutely aware of the challenges all farmers face. In developing this test method farmers may very soon have a practical and affordable way of dealing with milk souring. John D. and Liam are an inspiration to others so I hope the news of this win inspires students throughout the island to enter the 2010 exhibition.” As part of their prize for winning the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition last January, John D. and Liam won the right to compete alongside other young scientists and technologists from throughout Europe. In the past 21 years of the EU contest, Irish entrants have taken home 11 awards in total. The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2010 will take place in the RDS, Dublin 4 from 12th – 16th January 2010. The closing date for entries is Monday,... read more
Record Number of Schools Enter the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2010 329 schools with a total of 1,588 projects entered Thursday, 5th November 2009 : A record number of schools have entered the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition for 2010, proving that interest in science, technology, mathematics and engineering continues to grow throughout the country. Spread across the 32 counties, 329 schools have submitted a total of 1,588 projects for the upcoming exhibition in January. The increase in schools entering the competition is a positive result and follows a focused campaign by BT to evolve the exhibition and encourage more schools to enjoy the experience. Over 20 more places have also been made available at the exhibition in January, enabling 520 projects to compete in the finals. This years’ entries at a glance: – 1,588 projects entered – 329 schools throughout the country represented in the entries – Projects received from each of the 32 counties – 520 projects will take part in the final, an increase of 20 places on last year – Projects entered in all four categories including: Technology – 198 entries Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences – 303 entries Biological & Ecological Sciences – 534 entries Social & Behavioural Sciences – 553 entries – 57 percent entrants are female and 43 percent are male – 1,273 (80%) entries are group entries and 315 (20%) are individual entries Chris Clark, CEO, BT said, “Our focus is on continually evolving this fantastic exhibition, and we’re delighted that more schools than ever have responded positively and entered for 2010.” “This showcase of young talent is... read more
Dublin, Tuesday 5th May 2009: The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2010 launches its search for innovative projects today. BT, organiser and sponsor of the exhibition, is encouraging students throughout the island to use the summer break to put their thinking caps on and be in with a chance to win one of 100 awards at the exhibition in January. Ireland, as a nation, has renewed its focus on becoming an ‘innovation island’ and ‘smart economy’. The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition can play a key role in enhancing our government’s directive to encourage and facilitate students, the economy’s most natural resource, in the areas of technological and scientific development. The exhibition aims to germinate an interest in the key skills of science, technology, engineering and maths and provide a platform for students and schools throughout Ireland to showcase their ingenious ideas and inventions. Chris Clark, CEO, BT commented, “This exhibition is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when the private and public sectors work together in pursuit of a common purpose – to nurture our young students interest in the sciences and technology, the skills that we require to secure a prosperous future. We believe there is a strong link between innovation and entrepreneurship, science and business generation, and in these challenging times we want to be at the forefront in supporting that growth.” BT has organised and sponsored this event for 10 years, bringing the financial support that allows this exhibition to thrive, as well as providing over 100 employees to work on the competition. The 2010 event is a huge celebration for... read more
John D. O’Callaghan (aged 14) and Liam McCarthy (aged 13), 2nd year students from Kinsale Community School, Co Cork have won the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2009 with their project entitled, “The Development of a Convenient Test Method for Somatic Cell Count and its Importance in Milk Production”. The announcement was made by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen T.D. and Chris Clark, CEO, BT at the awards ceremony held this evening at the RDS, Dublin 4. John and Liam were entered in the Biological & Ecological Sciences category, Junior section. An Taoiseach Brian Cowen accompanied by Chris Clark presented the group with a cheque for €5,000, a Waterford Crystal trophy and the opportunity to represent Ireland at the 21st European Union Contest for Young Scientists taking place in Paris this coming September. “Never has this exhibition been so important. The students who win these awards are the natural resource that will power this island in 5, 10, 15 years time,” said Chris Clark, CEO, BT. John and Liam’s project not only showed ingenuity and creativity but is a prime example of a innovative idea that has commercial viability.” John and Liam’s project impressed the judges so much that it was a clear decision for them. “John and Liam are two farmers’ sons from Cork. They were concerned with the financial losses incurred if milk sold from their farms had high contents of somatic cells. Somatic cells reflect infection in the mammary gland of the cow and downgrades the processability of the milk during cheese making. Current tests for somatic cells are expensive and slow. After searching the boys... read more
Monday 28th September 2009: The closing date for entries to the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2010 is only 1 week away; all entries must be submitted by Monday 5th October 2009. In order to submit an entry all that is required is the completion of an application form and a one page document outlining the aims, objectives, method and predicted conclusions of the experiment. BT is encouraging as many students as possible from schools throughout the country to get involved in the event and submit projects for this year’s exhibition. The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition provides an ideal platform on which to build and develop the skills necessary for our future. We are looking forward to a record breaking number of entries this year. Last year 1,616 entries were submitted, a massive 14% increase on the previous year and we hope to build on this momentum with even more entries this year. The competition is open to all students, aged between 12-18 years, across the island of Ireland. The exhibition has become renowned for encouraging students to develop their passion for science and technology. It offers an exciting alternative to traditional teaching and enables students to apply their knowledge in a fun environment. We encourage teachers and students not to be daunted by the competition and to avail of the support open to them including www.btyoungscientist.com. The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2010 will take place in the RDS, Dublin 4 from 12th – 16th January 2010. For more information on the exhibition and how to enter please visit www.btyoungscientist.ie or call 1800 924... read more
Dublin, Thursday 16th July 2009: Jobs, the economy and climate change are some of the issues worrying 73 percent of Irish teenagers, according to a recent survey commissioned as part of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. While the survey results show the younger generation is concerned about some of society’s big problems; it’s not all doom and gloom, however, with both the silver and small screens influencing teenagers’ ambitions for the future. Popular television shows such as CSI clearly have an influence with 42 percent of students surveyed choosing forensics as their ideal scientific job. Irish teenagers were asked about the importance of technology and science in everyday life, as well as the significance of continued technological innovation. A massive 73 percent agree that staying connected is vital, saying they can’t live without mobile phones, broadband and computers. One surprising, but some might say positive, finding was that only 2 percent of respondents chose computer games as a must-have technological invention. Every year practical inventions emerge from the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition that have the potential to benefit society. These include a computer game that could help combat school bullies, which was highlighted by 21 percent as a product that should be made available to the public. On a lighter note, 45 percent of the sample would love to try out a Star Trek-style transporter to beam users to their target destination! When asked why they would enter the exhibition, the majority of respondents said it would be for the honour of representing their school or community. Chris Clark, CEO, BT commented on the findings:... read more
Thursday 16th July 2009; The winner was today announced as Aidan McGrath from Fingal Community College in Co. Dublin. On hearing about his win Aiden say “WOAH! Thanks so much! I’m so glad that I regularly check the BT Young scientist Website otherwise I wouldn’t have seen this competition!” Congratulations to Aiden and a big thanks to everyone who took part in the survey. The key results are detailed below; Key findings from the survey of 128 teenagers, average age 16: • The biggest concerns for our respondents were “the economy” and “climate change”, making up almost two-thirds of all responses. • Only 2 percent of respondents said they couldn’t live without their games consoles. • However, a massive 73 percent said they couldn’t live without either their phone, computer or broadband. • The “ergonomic schoolbag – a bag that can improve your posture” was the project that most respondents thought should be made into a commercially available product. • When it comes to future inventions, a staggering 45 percent would like to see the invention of a transporter which ‘beams’ a person to a target destination in seconds. • Working in forensic science (as in CSI) was the most popular career choice in science/ technology. • Albert Einstein is considered inspiring and innovative by 26 percent of respondents, followed closely by Bill Gates at 24 percent • 84 percent of respondents are using at least one of the following social networking sites – Bebo, Facebook, Twitter, with some using all three!. Bebo is the most popular. • The funkiest sites on the web are 1. www.youtube.com 2. www.bebo.com 3. www.btyoungscientist.com • 61 percent of respondents keep in touch... read more
