NATIONAL YOUTH SCIENCE CHALLENGE

 
Terry O'Neill introduced a remarkable young man, Patrick Purcell who is the Club's sponsored Youth Science Forum participant. Patrick, through a number of interviews, both by our club members and the National Youth Science Forum Committee, won selection to the Youth Science Forum which was held in Canberra mid-January.
Patrick introduced himself to the club at a meeting in November, shortly after the National Youth Science Forum Orientation Program, held at Federation University, Ballarat. Patrick is 18, in Year 12 at Brauer College, studying Mathematical Methods, Advanced General Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics, along with outdoor education. Patrick describes himself as having an inquisitive nature and a passion for science and maths. Patrick also has a keen interest in music, having played drums for five years and guitar for one.
Patrick also holds a CASA approved student pilots license and is currently able to fly both a light sport aircraft and a larger Cessna 172 aircraft and through his aptitude for flying and his passion for science, is hopeful to one day mix the two at a career level in the fields of aviation technology and aviation science.
Patrick then provided those present at the meeting with an interesting summary of background of the NYSF and the extensive selection process to end up one of 50 students selected from across Victoria. Patrick was lucky enough to be placed in the physics and engineering group with fourteen other like minded students from Australia and Germany.
Some of the laboratory visits his group went to were:
  • Physics lab at ANU- heliac and plasma research facility, where he got to see Australia's plasma fusion research facility. 
  • Ion accelerator in the Department of Nuclear Physics at ANU
  • Raijin Super Computer Facility (NCI) at ANU
  • Physics Department Optics and Lasers
As well as scientific experiences students were given the opportunity to explore Canberra and the many famous sites it had to offer, i.e.
  • War memorial which Patrick found to be a truly remarkable place and has recommended it to all his family.
  • Parliament House where they had their opening ceremony, followed by a guided tour of both the Senate and House of Representatives, then took part in a mock senate enquiry.
  • The Australian Academy of Science.
  • Video conference with CERN at the Hadron Collider in Switzerland, where they got to visit Questacon to have a live video interview with a CERN physicist who taught them about the importance of the Hadron Collider Project. This rare opportunity was one that Patrick won't soon forget as inspirational and intriguing.
  • Partner talks at which they met some partners of the NYSF, a brilliant opportunity to network and meet possibly future employers and contributors to the scientific world.
Patrick thanked the Rotary Club for providing him with this great opportunity to meet new people and take a giant leap towards his future. This has taught him some lessons that Patrick will keep for life and was more rewarding than he could have anticipated. Patrick said that when he went to Canberra, he learned that science isn't just about working in a laboratory, it's about working together and speaking in a global language to achieve one common goal to make the world a better place.