SWITHUN GOODBODY,
Madam, - The annual Young Scientist and Technology exhibition at the RDS is a worthy institution, but, having visited the exhibition on Saturday, I feel it could be greatly improved. While there were several interesting stands, too many were boring and poorly presented, with some being no more than a re-hashing of information already available in school textbooks.
I suggest that the selection committee raise the standard for acceptance and reduce the number of entrants to about one-third of the present number, which I believe is more than 700. About 250 well presented and less cramped stands showing technologies, ideas or findings with some measure of originality would provide a much more interesting exhibition for the public, and would give a greater sense of achievement to those young scientists whose work was accepted. - Yours, etc.,
SWITHUN GOODBODY,
Villierstown,
Co Waterford.
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Madam, Our young scientists, present and past, well deserve the tributes paid to them in your Editorial of Thursday, January 9th. Your praise of the generosity of the sponsors and the academics who adjudicated was also well deserved.
However, I was extremely disappointed to find no trace of the word "teacher" in your 400-odd words of praise. Nor could I find a mention of "second-level schools" or "parents". Are all these children laboratory-produced clones? Are they autodidacts? Is the contribution of teachers and parents of no relevance in the eyes of The Irish Times? I do not teach science but I am aware of the importance of the work that my science-teaching colleagues are doing. The Irish Times is, I am sure, concerned about the decline in the numbers of students opting for science subjects. Sadly, your Editorial will have done nothing but discourage those who are working hard to reverse the trend. - Yours, etc.,
DENIS O'DONOGHUE,
Countess Grove,
Killarney,
Co Kerry.