Galileo to be a big star during next year's young scientist exhibition

ASTRONOMY WILL provide a theme for the 2009 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin to mark the world…

ASTRONOMY WILL provide a theme for the 2009 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS in Dublin to mark the world celebrations of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s invention of the telescope in 1609.

Major sponsor BT Ireland has also identified other key topics for the 45th annual exhibition, including climate change, robotics, ecology and technology.

The event “is one of the finest showcases in the world for science, technology and mathematics”, said the company’s chief executive officer Chris Clark.

He was speaking yesterday in Dublin at the release of details of next January’s exhibition.

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He said the company’s commitment to the event helped to encourage students to pursue science subjects at Leaving and third-level, which in turn supported the development of Ireland as a knowledge economy.

The company is the main sponsor of the event but also provides other services, including project management, IT expertise and other supports.

A team of 10 employees help organise the event on a near full-time basis. Some 100 BT volunteers also give five days of their time at the RDS.

The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition takes place from January 6th-10th.

Dick Ahlstrom

Dick Ahlstrom

Dick Ahlstrom, a contributor to The Irish Times, is the newspaper's former Science Editor.