RDS abuzz as bright sparks show off talents
The demonstration at Dublin’s RDS saw a performer step into a metal cage to protect himself from a potentially lethal charge leaping between two giant transformer coils.
“I’m absolutely fine, but don’t try this at home,” Simon Singh joked as he stepped unharmed from the ‘coffin of doom’.
His act was part of the sound and light extravaganza to mark the beginning of the four-day competition, which was attended by President Mary McAleese and hundreds of young competitors.
The show was kicked off by giant robot Titan and presented by Ray D’Arcy and Rose of Tralee Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, a theoretical physicist.
Launching the exhibition, Mrs McAleese said: “It’s a world class demonstration of Ireland’s young, its best brain power.”
Mrs McAleese told the students they were first-rate ambassadors for the country, and she was very proud of them all.
“You’re also slightly scary, you’re so good,” she joked.
The President said the 42nd annual Young Scientist Exhibition - one of the biggest of its kind in the world - sent out a message that science and technology were fun, fulfilling and things to get passionate about.
After the opening ceremony, Mrs McAleese looked at some of the exhibits. She was lost in admiration for the youngsters who made a computer.
“You actually made this,” she asked Anna-May Whelan, 11, and her classmates from Kill O’ the Grange primary school.
“Yes, we did,” the little ones chorused proudly. Too young yet to enter the main competition, they made the computer in two weeks, supervised by teacher James Malsed.
Stephen Church, who goes to Confey College Leixlip, Co Kildare, and also runs a business, pioneered a system that could make shopping a joy for visually impaired people.
Scan Man emits a radio signal that identifies the product being bought and how much the bill costs. It’s wireless and doesn’t require line of sight reading like current barcodes.
There are 500 finalists, with a prize fund of €5,000. Winners will be announced at a ceremony tomorrow night.
More than 35,000 people are expected to visit the RDS during the exhibition, which opens to the public today.
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