2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes spotlight the nation's brightest young scientists in School Science category

Author(s)

Claire Vince
Published

02 September 2021
Read time

2 minutes

Sydney, 2 September 2021: The Australian Museum (AM) today announced the six “Sleek Geeks” selected in the School Science category at Australia’s leading science awards, the 2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

The School Science category of the AM Eureka Prizes showcases some of Australia’s best budding scientists from primary and high schools. Finalists in this category were selected based on their short video submissions on a scientific concept of their choosing, with films covering everything from super volcanoes to square cube law.

Highlights of finalists in the High School student category include:

Sonya R., Eltham High School, Vic, whose film delves into some of the problems that humanity will have to overcome before living on Mars;
Jonathan D., Townsville Grammar School, Qld, who tackles how we can limit climate change through enhancing biodiversity on Earth.

Highlights of finalists in the Primary School student category include:

Zara M., PLC Sydney, NSW, who explores the impact of coral bleaching on ecosystems, its causes and prevention methods;
Scarlett O. and Scarlett P., Oak Flats Public School, NSW, delve into the threat posed by super volcanoes and, conversely, how they can be harnessed to provide green energy for future generations.

Known as the ‘Oscars’ of Australian science, the AM Eureka Prizes offer $160,000 in prize money, across a broad spectrum of research from environmental to innovative technologies, defence and mentoring.

The AM Eureka Prizes winners will be announced on Thursday 7 October at a live broadcast event. The event will be open to all audiences and free to stream online. Register to attend at australian.museum/eurekaprizes.

The 2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prize finalists in School Science are:

University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize - Primary

Leon H., St Andrew's Cathedral School, NSW
A self-proclaimed car enthusiast, Leon was fascinated by how his tiny toy cars defied gravity and travelled upside down around a loop track without falling to the floor. In Tour de Force, he uses a delightful combination of demonstrations, illustration and performance to examine the role of centripetal force in this natural phenomenon.
Zara M., PLC Sydney, NSW
Big Problem: Coral Bleaching is an entertaining investigation into one of the most widespread issues affecting coral reefs. Inspired by her passion for the ocean, Zara sets out to educate viewers on some of the main causes of coral bleaching, the scientific process behind it and ways that everyone can work together to help minimise the issue.
Scarlett O. and Scarlett P., Oak Flats Public School, NSW
If a super volcano erupted, the impacts would be widespread and catastrophic. In their film Super Volcanoes, Scarlett and Scarlett demonstrate the science behind these high magnitude eruptions and explain how they could be used as a source of power, providing green energy for future generations.

Scarlett O. and Scarlett P., Oak Flats Public School, NSW. Finalists for the University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize. Image: Oak Flats Public School, NSW
© Oak Flats Public School, NSW

University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize — Secondary

Jonathan D., Townsville Grammar School, Qld
In Rewilding Earth, Jonathan discusses the implications of climate change and investigates how enhancing biodiversity could help address this pressing issue. Through a series of interviews, he shares community concerns about the future of climate change then draws on research to explain the process of rewilding.
Isaac N., Ethan P., Reuben R. and Alex S., Willetton Senior High School, WA
The square-cube law states that as an object increases in size, its mass grows at a faster rate than its surface area. After considering whether it would be possible for Godzilla to exist, Isaac, Ethan, Reuben and Alex apply this principle to explore how large an animal could realistically get. Their film Square-Cube Law is a comprehensive presentation of the group’s findings.
Sonya R., Eltham High School, Vic
Have you ever contemplated what life would be like on Mars? In How to Get to Mars - A Big Question, Sonya uses clay modelling to explore a series of obstacles that humans would need to overcome before they could live on the Red Planet and proposes some practical solutions for each.