Sixth Annual Young Scientists' ExhibitionAuthor(s): J. DugganSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 16, No. 11 (Jul., 1970), p. 354Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25537440 .

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354

SIXTH ANNUAL YOUNG SCIENTISTS' EXHIBITION

J. Duggan

The Sixth Annual Young Scientists' Exhibition, sponsored by Aer Lingus?Irish was held in the Main Hall of the Royal Dublin Society in January. A total of 210

projects were submitted by students from different parts of the country, but due to the influenza epidemic only 186 of these projects were on display. These included projects in Biology, Bio-chemistry, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics, Physics and Sociology.

The title of Young Scientist of the year and the prize of ?300 was awarded to Maria

Edgeworth from Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford. Her project in junior biochemistry dealt with methods of extracting pigments from various flowers. She was investigating their possible practical uses.

Sixteen-year-old Pauline Sloane from Naas was awarded the prize for the best girl runner-up for the premier award. Her project in junior biology was an

elementary study of the phenomenon of web-building in selected species of spiders. She succeeded in preserving her web specimens by spraying them with hair-lacquer. As one would expect, the biology section had many projects of interest to naturalists. There were studies of moulds, fungi and camouflage and one competitor?Miss Sheila Cronin from Castleisland, Co. Kerry?did a survey of plant diseases in the Castleisland area. A number of competitors dealt with problems of pollution, and the approach of the young competitors showed an awareness of the extent of these problems.

The first prize in the junior biology section was won by Nicholas Power of Reedstown, Kilrane, Co. Wexford. Nicholas did a survey on the occurrence of cotton-weed (Othanthus maritimus) near Our Ladys Island Lake in the south Co.

Wexford. This plant has died out in England and the Wexford Station is the only known one. Nicholas found another separate Station in the same area at Tacumshin and his project included the making of an accurate density map of the plant in the area. He also made some suggestions as to why the plant is disappearing.

Ciaran O'Flanagain, who won second prize in the junior biology section, did a study of bird colonies at Dollymount, Co. Dublin and Gabrielle Fitzpatrick from Dublin studied the effects of low temperatures on the living cell.

In the senior biology section, Frank Keohane from the Comprehensive School at Shannon did a very interesting study of bird migration in Ireland, showing as he said himself that Ireland is the cross-road to bird migration throughout the world. Emer O'Dowd who attended the F.C.G. Convent at Bunclody won second prize with her project on an attempt to find plant material rich in hormones that stimulate plant growth or regulate plant behaviour. The third prize in this section was awarded to Maureen O'Rafferty from Blackrock, Co. Dublin, who did an investigation into the acclimatization of brown trout (a fresh water fish) to water in which the salts found in sea-water are present. Projects of interest to naturalists and biologists also occurred

in other sections particularly in the geography section. These included such projects as the study of the effect of trees on drainage; a study of the bogs in Ireland; the effect of drainage on drumlin soils in Leitrim; and a study of the cultivation of soil and the part it plays in our lives.

Over-all the exhibition was sucessful, though once again there were more entries by girls than by boys and there were far more entries in the junior than in the senior sections. This latter fact may reflect examination pressures and the sponsors of the exhibition might do well to reappraise the age groupings for junior and senior sections.

Nematology Department, Agricultural Institute, Kinsealy, Co. Dublin.

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