Posted on October 11th, 2011 in General + Irish Science
When 16-year-old Alexander Amini won a first prize at the 2011 EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) he was the latest in a long line of Irish winners. Irish contestants of the BT Young Scientist (BTYS) Exhibition have a remarkable record of going on to win in Europe.
Posted on May 10th, 2011 in General
Imagine being able to tweet, email, Google, take notes, photos or play Tetris while walking, talking, shopping, cooking (or any daily activity) without having to stop what you are doing?
Wearable computing is a lifestyle change that augments your life without interrupting it according to Thad Starner (founder of Contextual Computing Group at Georgia Tech’s College of Computing) who has worn his own customised wearable computer continuously since 1993.
In the video below Thad Starner gives us a glimpse of what a future integrated with technology could look like, while speaking at the Atlantic Corridor STEM conference in Tullamore in March 2011.
Posted on May 3rd, 2011 in General
The recent Atlantic Corridor STEM education conference that took place in Tullamore, invited second level students to voice their own opinions about STEM education and how it might be improved. The annual conference which trialed this approach last year, proved it to be a great success. The format involves running student workshops in parallel to the stakeholder conference, with both contingents merging in the afternoon to share their thinking.
At this event, students, teachers, industry representatives and policy makers come together to discuss how STEM could be made more engaging for young people. Such events are a regular occurrence these days with governments globally trying to encourage more students to pursue STEM at third level and beyond, and those with invested interests trying to find workable solutions. However, it is unusual to see students given such an open platform and an opportunity to have their own say.
From the below video it can be seen why this is an effective approach and how more of this collaboration is needed. Here the students themselves discuss issues concerning the promotion of STEM to young people, and the conversation is intelligently informed by their participation.
Posted on April 28th, 2011 in General
Sarah Baird is a member of the Arizona Centre for STEM Education, who has received an award for her work in maths teaching with children from President Obama – the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence. According to Sarah how we are currently teaching our children to learn maths is the equivalent of teaching them “ a bunch of words and never asking them to read a book.”
See the video below of Sarah Baird at the Atlantic Corridor conference on STEM education in Tullamore last month giving us the inside track on how she is changing the perceptions of maths and giving students (pre-school to adults) the freedom and flexibility to be critical thinkers.
Posted on April 6th, 2011 in General
Well known mathematician, author and broadcaster Marcus du Sautoy, has launched a competition asking people to help reveal the hidden mathematics of their city. Anyone can enter and the deadline is the 3rd May.
The competition invites you to create a mini site, with a virtual walking tour of your city, outlining examples of maths in the iconic buildings or landmarks in your surroundings. Photos, videos or or podcasts can all be used. For more information visit https://www.mathsinthecity.com or watch the video below.
Posted on April 6th, 2011 in General
There has been much interest in maths education in Ireland recently, with educators and policy makers looking for new ways to make mathematics relevant and real to young people. A valuable online resource has come to our attention, which profiles over 40 fascinating careers where a knowledge of maths is vital. It looks at careers that use maths that are inspirational, fulfilling and often fun. The website http://weusemath.com is a joint effort between the Mathematical Association of America and the Mathematics Department of BYU in Utah.
The result is a refreshing look at the application of maths in the real world, and how it can open doors to working as an astronaut, animator, air traffic controller, forensic analyst, climatologist, or political scientist, as well as the more well known fields that require mathematical knowledge such as chemistry, electrical engineering and computer science.
Outlining the pay rates for these diverse careers is an eye opener for many students (did you know that in the US a cryptanalyst can earn up to $112,780 dollars per year?). The site also has an interesting resource area for teachers, including videos such as the one below. If we are to encourage more young people to think about pursing careers that require maths, we need to present the opportunities it offers in just as engaging a way as this.
Posted on March 25th, 2011 in General
Last Sunday Discover Science & Engineering took to the streets to enjoy the festivities of the St Patrick’s weekend in Dublin, and entertained young and old with science shows at the Big Day Out in Merrion Square.
The DSE Science Zone held science shows with Paul McCrory, offered fun maths workshops and featured folk from Galway Atlantiquaria, Dublin Zoo and SEAI. From the photos below you can see there was lots of interaction, fun and wonder to be had.
The Big Day Out gives DSE a chance to talk to families about how they can introduce their children to science and maths in a fun way.
Surprise, joy and wonderment for one young person
Working it out at the Big Day Out
Playing the game of Safe Queens
Playing a game provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
Maths workshop at the Big Day Out 2011
Fun with Paul McCrory and his science show
Admiring some creepy crawlies at the Big Day Out 2011
DSE marquee for Big Day Out 2011
Rubic Cube robot at work
Posted on February 17th, 2011 in General + Irish Science
The Fulbright Commission has opened the application process for the Fulbright International Science and Technology Awards for 2012-2013. To date, four successful Irish candidates have been awarded PhD funding worth $1.2 million at US institutions such as MIT and Brown University since the Irish Commission started advertising the Award in 2007.
Irish candidates currently enrolled in the US, or heading over in September 2011 include, Jacqueline Hynes enrolled on a PhD in Neuroscience at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; Ronan McGovern enrolled on a PhD in Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Elizabeth Sullivan enrolling this year on a PhD in maternal nutrition, materno-foetal nutrition and infant feeding; and Ellen Roche also enrolling this year on a PhD in medical device design.
The Fulbright International Science & Technology Awards is the US Government’s most prestigious and valuable scholarship. There are 40 PhDs available to students around the world to study/research in the US. Individually they are worth $300,000 for students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines. The process opens 2 years in advance for undergraduates hoping to do a PhD in the US for 2012-2013.
For details on the application process, visit www.fulbright.ie. The application deadline is midday, Wednesday 18th May.
Posted on February 16th, 2011 in DSE News + General
The Discover Primary Science and Maths programme has announced they will be working with Abbott Ireland for this year’s Awards. The health care company will sponsor science equipment vouchers for 60 schools, randomly picked from those who have won. Together, Abbott and DPSM will develop a new ‘at home’ section on the website to make new resources available.
For more information visit www.primaryscience.ie.
Any primary school teachers interested in participating in this year’s Awards of Science and Maths Excellence take note that you have until March 25th to submit your intention to apply! You can also keep up-to-date with what is happening in the programme on Facebook.
Posted on January 14th, 2011 in General + How Did They Do That?
Power tool manufacturer SawStop has developed a circular table saw capable of automatically shutting off upon contact with any human body part. The saw reacts within 5 miliseconds of detecting contact with skin,
enough time for the current detecting sensors to register the conductivity of organic matter and stop a saw dead even at 5000 rpm.
In the video below SawStop’s creator Steve Gass bravely demonstrates its effectiveness on his own finger: