Power cut cancels Wicklow school classes but Curiosity Cube saves day
The retrofitted shipping container came to Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir for the fourth year as part of a Europe-wide tour.
The Life Sciences Volunteer team from Merck – the science and technology company driving the Curiosity Cube – reached out to the local community through WhatsApp and social media and invited other local schools, students, families and friends to work alongside Merck employees from Sigma-Aldrich Ltd, the primary centre for cGMP production of commercial and late-stage APIs and advanced intermediates.
In total, 130 children from Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir, their families and other local primary schools enjoyed an interactive day at the Curiosity Cube.
Throughout the visit, students from Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir and other local schools explored real-world science through three interactive experiments focused on the fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI): image authenticity, pattern recognition and self-driving cars.
These hands-on activities were designed to show students how STEM is all around them and to equip them with critical thinking skills needed for future careers.
Site administrator for Merck's Sigma-Aldrich Ltd in Arklow, Sharon Kennedy, said: 'We love to have the Curiosity Cube back in Arklow every year, it means an awful lot to our local community and our colleagues that we are here every year visiting the schools.
'For four years and counting, the visit of the mobile science lab has always been making a big difference to not only us on site but also the students and the community in Arklow in general.'
Despite the growing demand for STEM professionals, many students struggle to see themselves in these careers. A recent survey funded by Merck found that nearly half (48pc) of middle school students find it difficult to envision themselves as scientists, despite engaging in STEM-related activities every day.
In 2024, the Curiosity Cube engaged more than 43,000 students across Europe and North America, visiting 14 countries and hosting 282 events.
ADVERTISEMENT
This year, the Curiosity Cube embarked on its fourth European tour, aiming to connect with 20,000 students via more than 130 events. Each stop on its tour is supported by employee volunteers who share their passion for science, providing students with real-world insights into STEM careers.
'Every student who walks into the Curiosity Cube walks away with a new way of looking at science,' Curiosity Cube coordinator Stefanie Rammer said.
'That spark of curiosity can make all the difference in shaping the scientists of tomorrow.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Asian hornet: The invasive insect that could give Ireland a buzz we don't want
Following the confirmation that an Asian hornet had been found in Dublin in 2021, Cork (of course) has now got its own hornet, found in a beer garden (of course) in the city this week. So what's the story? The Asian hornet, Vespa velutina, is a large predatory wasp, larger than the common yellowjacket of summer picnic fame, but smaller than the European hornet. Its diet consists of foods rich in protein and carbohydrate, such as other insects, pollen, fruit and even carrion. One of the reasons that there is such alarm at the spread of this invasive species in Europe is that it is a fierce predator of domestic honeybees, as well as pollinating insects. Although it can give a potentially painful sting, the Asian hornet is not particularly aggressive and poses only a minor risk to people and domestic animals, although fatalities are known (but very rare) from Asian hornet stings. Its native range is Central and Eastern Asia, but it has become established in Europe since 2004, when a single fertilised queen arrived in France hiding in a shipment of pottery from China. From this single accidental introduction, the Asian hornet has spread throughout much of western Europe and its population is now thought to number in the many millions. Asian hornets mate in late summer, and fertilized queens from a nest will disperse into the wider landscape in autumn looking for well-insulated nooks and crannies to hibernate in over the cold winter months, such as under the bark of trees, in small cavities – and ceramic pots! When these solitary queens emerge from hibernation in early spring, they seek to build small, primary nests in warm, sheltered places such as old abandoned buildings. As the number of worker hornets from this primary nest grows, the queen may build a secondary nest outside, such as the tops of tall trees, and this then may number many thousands of individuals, where the main job of the nest is to produce new males and queen hornets. Worker hornets are very active in summer searching for food and can easily find their way into lorries transporting fruit and vegetables. They are also commonly found around campsites in France, attracted by the volumes of discarded food and overflowing bins, and can hitch rides in amongst camping materials and in campervans. Asian hornets in Ireland The hornet in Cork most probably arrived on the ferry from northern France, via one of these routes. Fertilised queens - with the potential of establishing a population in a new area – tend to disperse in autumn looking for hibernation sites and so it is more likely that the specimen found in Cork recently was a sterile worker looking for food. The Asian hornet is a continental species and requires warm, dry summers to thrive. Migrant queens have arrived on multiple occasions into southern England from northern France, either in freight traffic or flying across the channel with wind-assistance. Although these queens can and do make small nests, it remains to be seen whether they will establish a permanent UK population. But could they do so here in Ireland? It is very likely that we will see more Asian hornets arriving in the country, brought here in vehicular traffic, and some climate projections show that Ireland is within the hornet's potential future range. The Irish climate is much more oceanic than that of southern English, and is typified by cool, wet summers and (relatively) warm wet winters. The lack of consistent warm summers in Ireland and the relative paucity of habitat and potential food - particularly in spring when queens emerge from hibernation and need sugar-rich food to begin making their primary nests – reduce (but not eliminate) the likelihood of the Asian hornet becoming a serious problem in Ireland in the future. Vigilance however is needed by drivers returning from the continent to prevent the Asian hornet from hitch-hiking its way to our shores. Although Irish beekeepers are well aware of the threat posed by Vespa velutina, and are constantly on the lookout, the public should keep their eyes open for the insect and report all potential sightings (with photos if possible) to the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford. Even if they see them in beer gardens. Dr Simon Harrison is a lecturer at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), University College Cork
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘Well worth viewing': Perseid meteor shower to continue Wednesday night
One of the most eagerly awaited astronomical events of the year – which promised one or two meteors or 'shooting stars' a minute – is set to continue in Irish skies on Wednesday night. Tuesday night saw about 60 meteors an hour darting across the sky and stargazers can expect about half that amount on Wednesday night. 'The Perseids will be half as strong tonight as they were last night, so that's still 10 times more meteors tonight than a normal night, so well worth viewing,' said David Moore from 'The best time to view is dusk until dawn,' he said. READ MORE 'We had people sending us counts of how many they saw every 15 minutes from 10:30pm last night when it got dark enough to see them. I saw some after 4am when dawn was breaking.' Perseids meteor shower as seen from sky in Plumbridge, Co. Tyrone. Photograph: Astronomy Ireland magazine contributor Catherine Conway 'Dublin gets much the same view as the rest of the country, indeed, all of Europe,' Mr Moore said. 'This year the moon is in the sky so even those in the countryside will have moonlit skies so even suburban viewers will get the same view.' Met Éireann has forecast a humid night with clear spells on Wednesday, however a few showers are possible which could be heavy or thundery. Mr Moore advised stargazers to ensure they are comfortable while looking up. 'Standing with your neck craned back for hours is not comfortable. 'Look anywhere in the sky. If there are clouds look in the clear patches. If totally clear stand with your back to the moon so it does not dazzle you,' he said. 'The paths of the meteors will all point back to the constellation Perseus but you do not have to look at Perseus.' The Perseid meteors are caused by dust particles shed by the comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet, which takes 133 years to orbit the sun, was last seen in Irish skies in 1992. At this time of year, Earth moves through this debris cloud, making one of the most celebrated astronomical events and arguably the most predictable. Particles from the debris cloud subsequently burn up on entering Earth's atmosphere and create flashes of light. The shower is active for several weeks. 'It's such a special time of the year,' said astronomer Danielle Wilcox from Blackrock Castle Observatory, Cork. A meteor streaks across the sky over West Virginia during the annual Perseid meteor shower in 2021. Photograph: Bill Ingalls/Nasa 'It's a really good meteor shower in particular because it gives us a lot of meteors per hour compared to other meteor showers,' she said. 'That's what's so exciting about it, especially for people who have never seen 'shooting stars', this is your chance to get out there and see that,' she said. 'Take some time to look up,' she said.
The Journal
9 hours ago
- The Journal
An Asian Hornet (the kind known for bullying bees) has been found and captured in Cork
AN ASIAN HORNET has been captured in Cork in what the government has said is a 'significant threat to biodiversity in Ireland'. Asian Hornets are a type of wasp indigenous to southeast Asia and an invasive species present in many European countries, though rarely seen in Ireland. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has confirmed a recent sighting and subsequent capture of an Asian Hornet in Cork. They pose a biodiversity threat because they have the capacity to significantly devastate honeybee populations by hunting them down and 'colonising' their hives. A member of the public reported the sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre's website . The report included a photograph and entomologists confirmed it showed an Asian Hornet. A survey team was deployed to the area for monitoring and surveying conducted. Initially, no evidence of a hornet nest or any other hornet activity was observed, but subsequent surveillance led to the trapping of an Asian Hornet yesterday. More monitoring is set to continue over the coming weeks to determine whether the case involves just the one individual hornet or if there is evidence of a larger population. The Department of Local Heritage has said the sighting has triggered a government-led response and a new taskforce. The Asian Hornet Management Group, chaired by the NPWS, will coordinate efforts to gather further information and monitor the situation over the coming weeks. Its membership includes the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the National Museum of Ireland. Advertisement Beekeeping associations have also been briefed and are 'playing their part' to watch out for any more evidence of Asian Hornets. This is only the second time a verified sighting of an Asian Hornet has been confirmed in Ireland. The first identification was of a single hornet in the Dublin area in 2021. 'Asian Hornets are a threat to our native pollinators and our biodiversity. We must take even a single sighting very seriously,' said Minister of State for Biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan. 'NPWS responded quickly to this report, with a team of experts rapidly tasked to monitor and survey the area. One individual was captured and a co-ordinated response is now underway through a new cross government taskforce who will continue to monitor the situation,' O'Sullivan said. 'We are also very grateful for the support of beekeepers and their associations in this endeavour. 'This incident shows us that members of the public are our eyes on the ground. Early detection is key if we are to prevent the establishment of this invasive species. 'I urge everyone to be vigilant and inform themselves so that they can recognise and report any sightings of the Asian Hornet to help us contain this invasive species and protect our biodiversity.' Members of the public are being asked to watch out for any Asian Hornets and to report any suspected sightings through the National Biodiversity Data Centre's Alien Watch reporting portal . The advice to the public is that if someone suspects they have spotted an Asian Hornet, they should not attempt to disturb or capture the hornet. Although they not generally aggressive to humans, Asian Hornets may sting if provoked. Any photographs, location coordinates or samples (if safe to collect post-mortem) of Asian Hornets are highly valuable to the response team. Asian Hornets can sometimes be confused with native species such as the giant woodwasp, the dark giant horsefly, or the common wasp. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
