Written by Amy, Year 9
Just before half-term, I entered two science competitions; these were the Oxford IF Poetry Competition and The Eurekas Challenge.
The Oxford IF Poetry Competition was a competition run by the Oxford Science and Ideas Festival. To enter, I had to write a poem about anything to do with science, be it a scientific discovery, an experiment or a scientific issue. I decided to write my poem on the periodic table and atomic structure as I had recently been learning about this in Chemistry. My poem is entitled “I Like Dreaming About Atoms”:
I like dreaming about atoms:
The big ones like Uranium two hundred and thirty three
And the little ones like Hydrogen that all belong to me!
The ions and the isotopes they make such a racket,
Partying all night long, oh how electrostatic!
The noble gases, they pretend not to care,
As the halogens beat them playing solitaire.
The alkali metals, they are so full of wrath,
Especially Rubidium, when he gets into the bath.
The food is displayed periodically on a table,
And is mostly eaten by Francium who is quite unstable.
The party ends at six o’clock
And on my door I hear a knock.
I do not want to rise from my slumbers
As copper’s trying to scare cats with cucumbers! (again)
The other competition I entered was The Eurekas Challenge. This competition was run by the Institute of Physics and it was about combining physics with something creative. For my entry I created a digital art piece showcasing how physics can save the world and combat climate change. I then had to accompany my entry with a short paragraph of 200 words:
“My picture shows the different ways physics can be used to combat climate change. In the centre of the picture is a Tokamak based on the Joint European Torus (JET) at the Culham Science Centre near Oxford. JET is a way to experiment creating reliable fusion that could be used to power millions of homes in the future. Physics is needed to develop fusion, it allows scientists to work on the theories that explain how particles collide in order to produce energy as well as to work on the efficiency of the machine itself. On the left hand side of my picture is a plane with fruit and veg coming out of it. This is meant to simulate biomass and how this can be used to power commercial air-transport in the future. Physics is important to develop the best combination of substances to use in biomass. My picture also shows a group of solar panels in the top right corner. Physics helps to develop these solar panels and research into solar cell technology. With the combination of mechanics, physics can also help to create the most efficient set up for these solar panels in order to produce the most energy.”
I greatly enjoyed entering both of these competitions as they combined artistic and creative aspects with science. I think that they are very inclusive competitions and a good way to get students interested in science. I am yet to know the results of the competitions but I am waiting hopefully.
