Connolly calls for climate ‘paradigm shift’ as she opens Young Scientist event

There is a need for an urgent “paradigm shift” on tackling climate change, the president said, as she opened the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (YSTE).

The YSTE was founded in 1965 and attracts more than 40,000 visitors on average to the RDS in Dublin, making it one of the biggest events of its kind worldwide.

More than 1,000 students presenting 550 projects are competing for more than 200 prizes throughout the week.

The projects were chosen from a pool of almost 2,000 entries.

President Catherine Connolly, who opened the event for the first time as head of state, told attendees she gets her “hope for the future” from young people.

In an address in Irish and English, she said it was a “privilege” to be back at the event as president.

She said the YTSE allows students to demonstrate their “creativity, ingenuity and knowledge”, as she described the range of projects submitted as “wonderful” and “very impressive”.

Ms Connolly called for an “open and honest” debate on data collection, as well as “transformative change” for climate justice.

“This annual event serves as an opportunity for science and technology themselves under the microscope – and indeed to pose the question: what conclusions might our society come to following a rigorous application of that same scientific method to science and technology itself as subjects?

“More specifically, what questions are being asked, what data is being collected, the nature of the analysis carried out, the conclusions that are being drawn and will be drawn, for what purpose and for whose benefit?

“Clearly, in my opinion, there needs to be an open and honest debate on these issues so that science and technology can be a part and an essential part of the transformative change required to meet the interconnected challenges of our time – irreversible climate change, biodiversity loss, the normalisation of war, force displacement, global hunger and poverty.”

The president said she was recovering from an illness so had postponed an expected walkabout in the exhibition hall.

The overall winner – to be announced on Friday – receives a prize of 7,500 euros and will represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists.

This years main sponsor is Stripe, which has taken over from BT Ireland after 25 years.

Stripe, founded by Irish brothers and former YSTE entrants Patrick and John Collison, will sponsor the exhibition under a five-year agreement.

Patrick Collison won the competition in 2005.

Addressing the opening ceremony remotely after his flight to Dublin was grounded due to snow, he said the event had changed his life, adding: “It is a huge honour to be here.

“The Young Scientist was a huge event and huge presence in my life – and in John’s.

“School is great, but it is a prescribed set of train tracks and it is hard to do something wholly unorthodox.

“The Young Scientist was the first time I felt I had the chance to do something of my own volition just for its own sake and for to have other people take it seriously.”

Mr Collison said teenagers can “chart their own direction” and “do real important things”.

The tech firm, which operates a dual headquarters in Dublin and San Francisco, offers programmable financial services for millions of businesses to accept payments.

Nearly a quarter of the projects use or examine artificial intelligence, while environment and climate-related projects also feature heavily this year.

Other entrants looked at behavioural science, health and wellbeing, and mathematics.

Rohan Gupta, from St Francis College in Rochestown, Co Cork, designed an instrument that can analyse the state of a chess game through a camera.

He says his system, which took six months to design, has benefits for people who prefer the feel of physical chess boards or cannot afford more expensive equipment.

“This improves accessibility for people and tournaments and school clubs who cannot afford to spend thousands of euro.”

Alex O’Connor, from CBS The Green in Co Kerry, designed an AI-powered system that he thinks could help combat the invasive Asian hornet species threatening Ireland’s native bees.

It uses a 3D-printed mount carrying a sensor and lasers which can differentiate between Irish pollinators and the invasive hornets.

It then disrupts the flying of the Asian hornets by firing a laser into its eyes.

Fifteen-year-old disability campaigner Cara Darmody entered with a project examining misconceptions and misinformation about autism diagnoses.

Cara gained national prominence with her campaign on the shortcomings in the assessment of needs system.