Irish View: And Promotion Economy Science Examiner Is For A Of Appliance Boost

Irish Examiner view: Promotion and appliance of science is a boost for economy — And Radioactive?' Project Their Ireland Our With Lady’s School Science Killian Emma Exhibition Photography Fennell From Devoy 'is The Picture: Heidi Terenure For

Thu, 11 Jan, 2024 - 02:00

It’s that time of year again, with thousands of pupils descending on the RDS in Dublin this week to take part in the 60th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition and Primary Science Fair.

The name may have expanded slightly over the years, but this remains one of the longest-running events of its kind in the world, showcasing research and innovation in project entries from learners aged between 12 and 19.

The exhibition has much to recommend it. It is a great event, with 550 projects from 219 schools on display. The organisers estimate that more than 150,000 students have taken part in the event over the years, a staggering number of participants over six decades.

The fact that the exhibition fosters a greater interest in science is also laudable. This has been a testing week for education, with a good deal of commentary about a contributor to RTÉ’s Up Front with Katie Hannon asking why he should study a subject he has no interest in; the enthusiasm, commitment, and energy of those students in the RDS contradict any perception of modern students being lazy or entitled.

The exhibition also underlines Ireland’s modern reputation as a country with a deep interest in research and innovation as well as science and technology.

That is not a description that always applied to Ireland, but the variety of projects on show in Dublin this week shows how far we have come.

The potential employment benefits for Ireland are obvious — if we are seen as a society that produces masses of students immersed in the sciences, then clearly large companies will be interested in operating here.

But there is also a general boost for Irish society if enlightenment, research, and learning are rewarded and foregrounded. By doing so, we are ensuring that Ireland does not become prey to falsehoods and wilful ignorance, a fate that has befallen some of our neighbours.

A desperate act

The shocking news from Rosslare on Monday brought home to all, once again, the dangers faced by refugees and migrants in Europe and beyond.

Some 14 people, most of them Kurdish nationals, had to be rescued from a refrigerated container at the Europort facility in the Wexford town — they had to cut a hole in the side of the container as they were struggling to breathe, and when one eventually made contact with British emergency services, they alerted the relevant Irish authorities.

It is not an exaggeration to say that a terrible tragedy has been narrowly averted. In 2001, a similar situation was uncovered in Rosslare when 13 people were discovered in a shipping container. They had been confined inside the container for five days, and eight of them, including four children, had suffocated.

The sheer ruthlessness of those trafficking in such human misery cannot be overstated. Those who are risking their lives to stow away in such dangerous conditions must pay huge sums to the gangs that oversee such operations.

Court proceedings relating to the 2001 incident heard that the gang responsible earned approximately €12m a year from human trafficking, a vast sum then and now. It is hard to think of a clearer example of people willing to profit from the misery of others.

There is also an uncomfortable truth here which is not likely to be widely shared by those seeking to spread fear and uncertainty about refugees.

People who are prepared to become indebted to dangerous criminals and to risk their lives, and those of their children, on such hazardous journeys are clearly escaping truly desperate circumstances. If those people were the opportunists described by right-wing propagandists, would they really be risking suffocation in refrigerated lorry containers to get to Ireland?

The emergency services that responded to the situation in Rosslare this week are to be commended for their swift action — and for reflecting true Irish values when those values were needed most.

Keep up support for women's sports

The focus on Ireland at last year’s World Cup was just one more encouraging example of the growing interest in women’s sport here.

Taken in conjunction with perennial public favourite Katie Taylor’s recent victories, and the large crowds at the All-Ireland ladies’ football finals of recent years, the signs look good for women’s sport.

Or do they? Research shows that almost two-thirds of Irish people have never attended a live women’s sporting event in this country, that Irish people are five times more likely to attend a premier men’s event in person than an equivalent female event, and that almost half say men’s sport is generally better to watch.

The research was commissioned by ladies’ football sponsor Lidl and offers plenty of intriguing morsels that may spark different debates.

Despite the sexist assumptions surrounding the perception that men’s sport is better to watch, the research also suggests that more men are likely to attend a live women’s sports event than women.

A comfortable majority of those surveyed also said they would prefer to watch men’s sport on TV rather than attend a live female sporting event. Does watching a sport on TV constitute “following” that sport, particularly when compared to those who make the effort to go in person?

That is the stuff of enjoyable, though inconsequential, debate. It’s more important that the momentum generated by women’s sport be maintained by supporting those sports.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

Irish Examiner View: Budgeting a worthwhile exercise for families