Take 3,000 primary school pupils; stir in large amounts of enthusiasm, curiosity and fun; drop in a large dollop of science and you might have an idea of what to expect at the Primary Science Fair at the RDS that runs in conjunction with the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. You wouldn't see as much excitement at an All Ireland Final.
The RDS organises and runs the Primary Science Fair as a way to get children interested in science very early. It is open to nine- to 12-year-olds in 4th, 5th and 6th class, and school participation increases every year. The 2011 event has pupils from 100 schools across Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the level of interest and fun at the fair is amazing.
"They absolutely love it, they really enjoy it," said teacher Louise Quinlan who with colleague Venetia Mantero bring a team of 6th years to the Primary Science Fair from Terenure College in Dublin. "It is a great experience for them."
Terenure had a stand titled "We are what we eat, or are we?", and it included posters, experiments and displays to explain all the science involved. The school sent 36 pupils all together, and Bill, Aidan, two Davids, Parth and Edon were on hand to discuss their findings. They established from a survey that a student's favourite foods include steak, pizza, chips, sweets and chicken.
More importantly, they were able to say that the top five foods for making a kid hyper were Coca Cola, candy floss, Fanta, SunnyD and Skittles. You have been warned.
The range of projects on display were remarkable and included recycling, chemistry, "mini-beasts" in our gardens, how to prevent skin cancer and how to generate electricity to name just a few. Different student groups come each day on Thursday through Saturday to occupy the stands and present their research findings.
It is not a competition, but everyone still manages to win a top prize, and those exhibiting certainly get a top prize for their enthusiasm and commitment to making sure you don't miss the smallest detail of what is on display.
Go visit the Primary Science Fair at the RDS if you want to see what science and research are all about.