To win, Suzi, a first-year PhD student at the University of Bristol, had to answer over 650 questions on subjects ranging from whether worms are ticklish to how the universe began. The questions came from schoolchildren across the UK through live web chats in their science lessons.
Suzi competed with four other scientists in the 'brain zone' for two weeks and each day during the second week the students evicted one scientist each day until Suzi emerged victorious.
In total there were 23 ‘zones’, each involving five scientists and around 400 students from eight schools, including St Mary Redcliffe & Temple School (Bristol), Mangotsfield School (Bristol) and Broadoak Maths and Computing College (Weston). The zones covered topics ranging from evolution and genes to forensics and sports.
Funded by the Wellcome Trust, the project gets teenagers talking to real scientists online and learning about real science. Students have fun, but also get beyond stereotypes, learn how science relates to real life, develop their thinking and discussion skills and make connections with real scientists.
Suzi, whose background is in psychology, is using data from the Children of the 90s study to explore whether there is a connection between smoking cannabis and mental-health problems including psychosis and depression.
She plans to use her prize money (£500) to travel the country and interview people for podcasts about recreational drugs and their effects.
Speaking about the experience, she said:
‘It means so much to me to have won – it was such an eye-opening event. The kids asked such brilliant questions. Not only do I feel I've taught them something, but I've learnt a whole lot myself – and even have a better understanding of my own research after taking the time to explain it to others. I thoroughly recommend any scientist to take part, it's one of the best public-engagement science schemes I've ever seen. I wish it had been around when I was at school!’
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Suzi is available for interview. Contact Dara O’Hare, Communications Manager at Children of the 90s on 0117 331 0077 or 07891 549144.
2. A photo of Suzi is available from Dara O’Hare on the above numbers.
3. Based at the University of Bristol, Children of the 90s is a long-term health research project that enrolled more than 14,000 pregnant women in 1991 and 1992. It has been following the health and development of the mothers and their children in great detail ever since. Find out more about the project on YouTube. Film courtesy of the Wellcome Trust.
4. The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests. www.wellcome.ac.uk