In conversation with 2024 Sleek Geeks winner Cate
Who Cate Y., PLC Sydney, NSW
What A fun, fast-paced, experimental film about Cate’s favourite snack – popcorn! In Popcorn Magic: Unlocking the Energy Within, Cate conducts a series of experiments to solve the mystery of why some corn kernels don’t pop.
Winner in the 2024 University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Primary.
Cate accepting the 2024 University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Primary from Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. Photo by Mel Koutchavlis.
Image: Mel Koutchavlis© Australian Museum
Congratulations on being awarded a Eureka Prize! What were you thinking as you made your way to the stage?
Thank you! I was thinking my legs felt so heavy and I hoped I wouldn’t trip on the stairs walking up to the stage and that would have been embarrassing! Then I saw Dr Karl smiling at me and I felt much better. I had lunch that day with him and he was so funny and interesting.
You explore the laws of thermodynamics to solve the mystery of why some kernels. What was the most interesting thing you learned throughout this process?
The most interesting thing I learnt was how much energy and the different types of energy that goes into making popcorn! And after many many years of eating popcorn, I finally learnt why some corn kernels don’t pop!
Your film is filled with a wonderful series of experiments. Which was your favourite to create and why?
My favourite experiment was when we had the can filled with water, and when we heated it up and boiled the water, the pressure inside, like water inside a corn kernel, made the lid explode like a kernel popping! We filmed it in slow motion to watch that moment the lid flew off and made sure we recorded the sound it made too, which was awesome.
What did you enjoy most about making your film?
What I enjoyed the most was putting it all together - the short clips, animating the drawings, adding the sounds and stickers. And then it was really satisfying to see the final film.
What did you find the most challenging?
I think keeping it under 2 minutes was most challenging because after you have filmed so many clips and added all the special effects, it becomes hard to decide the favourite scenes to keep.
Cate at the 2024 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes Award Ceremony. Photo by James Alcock.
Image: James Alcock© Australian Museum
Sponsored by the University of Sydney, the Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize encourages students to communicate a scientific concept in a short film. It is intended to support budding young scientists across the nation, who will be our future leaders in research, discovery and communication.
