JUDGING GETS under way this afternoon in the annual BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS, Dublin.
President Mary McAleese will be on hand to formally open the exhibition, with entertainment provided by a spectacular international juggling team.
This is the 47th annual Young Scientist event, making it one of the largest and longest-running science fairs of its kind in the world.
The 2011 competition has once again set records for the largest number of student applicants yet.
The initial 1,735 projects submitted for possible inclusion in the competition were reduced to just 520 and these will now go forward for judging later today.
The students are vying to win the title of Young Scientist of the Year, with the winning individual or group project receiving a trophy and a cheque for €5,000.
Dublin-based students began setting up their projects at the RDS yesterday and, this morning, students from all across the island of Ireland will arrive to put their stands together and prepare for the judges.
There are projects from all 32 counties this year in the usual four categories which are physics, chemistry and maths; biological and ecological; social and behavioural, and technology.
“To be surrounded by smart students whose sole focus is on solutions to problems is refreshing, and their optimism, vision, passion and can-do attitude is contagious,” Graham Sutherland, the chief executive officer of main sponsor BT, stated yesterday.
The top prizes will be announced by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan at a special awards ceremony on Friday evening.
The exhibition itself runs through Saturday and is open to the public from tomorrow afternoon until Saturday evening.
Up to 35,000 visitors are expected to attend.
More information about the exhibition is available from the web site btyoungscientist.com
Don't forget to visit The Irish Timesstand at the exhibition to find out more about Bang – the paper's exciting new science magazine – and to see ambassadors from the Science Gallery carry out some of Prof Butterknut's and Kronk's experiments throughout the day