A DUBLIN PHYSICIST has won a €5,000 prize to fund a project that aims to educate morning commuters about physics and science.
Trinity physics lecturer Dr Shane Bergin won the top prize in ‘Designs for Learning 2012′ for his ‘D’art of Physics’ project, which would see commuters use smartphones to access mobile content that interacts with content placed on public transport itself.
Bergin says his project aims to “bring the mesmerising beauty of physics to daily commuters”.
Bergin’s award is half of a €10,000 fun put up by TCD’s Science Gallery as part of a contest co-organised with the National Digital Research Centre, who will offer further support to help develop the idea and bring it to fruition.
Other projects to be funded include €3,000 for the ‘Whispering Corpse’, a science-based murder mystery adventure aimed at Junior Cert students who will have to use scientific principles to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Another project, an online app to assess the English language skills of non-native English speaking children, won a €2,000 award.
Judges for the final pitches, which were delivered at the Science Gallery, included broadcaster Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, teacher and science blogger Humphrey Jones, Bernard Kirk of the Galway Education Centre, NDRC chief executive Ben Hurley and Learnovate director Martyn Farrows.
The Designs for Learning awards seek “compelling, original and feasible ideas” which could connect with the everyday lives of younger people and help educate the general public in scientific disciplines.
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