Boost to appliance of science

Date: 04/09/1997

AN AMPHIBIOUS bicycle, the link between BSE and Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease, how to prevent circular saw accidents and the decomposition of Europe's so-called bog bodies are just some of research projects put forward by youngsters competing for prizes in the European Union's annual competition for young scientists.

Just over 70 students between the ages of 15 and 20 have beaten 20,000 other competitors in national heats to make it through to the final, which will be held in Milan next week (9-14 September).

The contestants, who come from all 15 EU member states, plus Iceland, Israel, Norway, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland and Ukraine, will showcase their entries and explain them to the panel of 12 scientists from around the world.

The president of the jury, Dr Sue Kingsman of Oxford University, says she will be looking for curiosity and enthusiasm from contestants. “They should be excited and knowledgeable about science and able to explain the subject to non-experts,” she added.

Dr Kingsman says the quality and range of entries is good and predicts it will be difficult to make a decision. “It is a bit like comparing apples and oranges,” she said.

The European Commission took over the running of the contest nine years ago as part of its Training and Mobility of Researchers Programme (TMR) in an attempt to attract more young people to careers in science and technology.

Dr Kingsman said the competition was vital in raising people's general awareness of science.

“It is important that scientific endeavour is recognised. Musicians, poets, writers all have their platforms. Science is one of the most creative and imaginative of human activities, but we do not have a culture of encouraging young scientists.”

She said she was impressed with the questions the students had posed in their entries. “Without curiosity there would be no applications and benefits for society,” she insisted.

For individual contestants, taking part in the EU finals has proved to be a springboard, according to Graham Blythe, the Commission official in charge of the project. “It sets these guys up and gives them exposure to the international stage.”

He cites two examples of this. One Greek 15-year-old's work on creating a ratchet in his father's garage using very limited materials has led to a patent, while Daimler-Benz is planning to use the results of the work done by last year's first prize winner, Tobias Kippenberg from Finland, in their production. Kippenberg developed an ice-detection system which warns drivers about ice on the road.