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Young science Spielbergs honoured at glitzy ceremony

28/04/2008

"Weâ€™ve been really impressed by the quality of the films we received. They show that science can be exciting, relevant and even very amusing."

Forget the BAFTA’s, the winners of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts’ Planet SciCast competition, which challenged young people to make mini movies of exciting science experiments, have been honoured at a razzmatazz ceremony hosted in London by TV scientist, Dr Laura Grant.

The films were judged in nine categories including Best Chemistry Film, Best Film by an All-Adults Team and Best Film 2008. Entries came from teams young and old across the UK, with school science clubs, university students, and teachers, among others, submitting movies.

The big winners of the day were Starlink from Leicester who walked away with the Best Film 2008 statuette for Physics - Stronger Than Those Who Study It?, which shows university physics lecturers demonstrating how the strength of friction between the overlapping pages of two books prevents them from being pulled apart. Vibrant Films (Hampton - Middlesex) had audience in stitches with Refraction, which is shot in an old-fashioned ‘silent film’ style and was awarded Best Entertainment Film.

Entries were judged on their ability to depict interesting scientific demonstrations, facts or problems in a unique way. Through Planet SciCast, NESTA and its partners the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB), and the Institute of Physics hope to increase creativity in and out of the classroom and boost science engagement. All entries can be viewed at www.planet-scicast.com.

Speaking about the winning entries, TV scientist Dr Laura Grant said:

“The films are great and proof of the huge effort teams have gone to win. They are both entertaining and education which is exactly the sort of thing we need when it comes to science teaching. We need to switch young people on to the possibilities that careers in science offer and with a generation that is tapped into things like YouTube and blogging, Planet SciCast seems to have hit the nail on the head.”

NESTA CEO, Jonathan Kestenbaum added:

“We’ve been really impressed by the quality of the films we received. They show that science can be exciting, relevant and even very amusing. By bringing together film-making and science, we want to demonstrate how it’s possible to engage young people in science. It’s also a great way to learn team and problem solving skills which are useful in all fields.”

Entries for this year’s competition are now open. To enter go to: http://www.planet-scicast.com/competition.cfm

NESTA spokespeople are available for comment and interview. To arrange to speak to someone from NESTA or representatives from the winning teams, please contact Catherine Anderson on 02074382609 or catherine.anderson@nesta.org.uk.

Notes to editors:

Winning Films:

Best Chemistry Film: Combustion and Stoichiometry - Helston Science (Cornwall)

Best Biology Film: Grow Your Own Body Parts - Queen Mary (London)The Institute of Physics’

Best SciCast Physics Film: The Physics of Roundabouts – Dizzy - Thomas Hardye School (Dorset)

Best Engineering Film: Magnets and Rollercoasters - Go (London)Best Entertainment Film: Refraction - Vibrant Films (Hampton - Middlesex)

Best Film by a Team which includes Primary School Students: Around the Universe in 2.5 Minutes - Marshions (Surrey)

Best Film by an All-Adults Team: Combustion and Stoichiometry - Helston Science (Cornwall)

Best Technical and Artistic Achievement: Refraction - Vibrant Films (Hampton, Middlesex)

Best Unpublishable Film: Bermuda Triangle - M and H Productions (Dunfirmline - Fife)

Best Film 2008: Physics - Stronger Than Those Who Study It? - Starlink (Leicester)

NESTA
NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts. We do this in three main ways: by working to build a more pervasive culture of innovation in this country; by providing innovators with access to early stage capital; and by driving forward research into innovation, with a view to influencing policy. Planet Sciencewww.planet-science.com NESTA’s Planet Science is a free popular online resource and newsletter for school students of science and their parents and teachers. It’s a mix of interactive features, games and teachers materials designed to engage and inspire, and a free weekly e-newsletter to keep in touch with its audience.

The Engineering and Technology Board (ETB)
The Engineering and Technology Board is a registered charity that seeks to promote the vital contribution that scientists, engineers and technologists make to prosperity and quality of life. The ETB works in partnership with business and industry, Government, education and the profession to improve the perception of science, engineering and technology in the UK. The driving force behind these partnerships is the desire to ensure a supply of appropriately skilled individuals to meet the present and future SET skill needs of UK plc.

Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific membership organisation devoted to increasing the understanding and application of physics. It has an extensive worldwide membership (currently over 35,000) and is a leading communicator of physics with all audiences from specialists through government to the general public. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics.