2009 Press Releases

Rapping Science!
22.09.2009

Can you rap science? This is the question being posed to Irish second-level students in a new competition as part of Science Week 2009. Science Raps Challenge is aimed at encouraging young people to express their thoughts about science and technology through rap music.

Students of all ages are invited to participate in the event which offers great prizes including laptops and Flip video cameras. Entrants are simply required to compose and video their own Science Rap, upload on YouTube and send in the link on a completed application form.  Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday, October 23rd 2009. Information will be sent to all Irish secondary schools.

The competition is organised by the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), University College Cork and Teagasc Moorepark, Cork and the initiative was inspired by the Large Hadron Rap which has had more than 5 million hits on YouTube. Young science rapper, Jon Chase was commissioned by the APC to compose a rap to challenge Irish students to compose and video a Rap on this year’s Science Week theme: “Celebrating Creativity and Innovation” showing how creativity and innovation contribute to science and technology. Jon Chase is a young researcher in Science Communication at the University of Glamorgan, Wales and holds undergraduate degrees in aerospace engineering, and science and science fiction.  His Rap can be found on You Tube on the Pharmabiotic channel.

Commenting on the initiative, Professor William Reville, Public Awareness of Science Officer, University College Cork and Irish Times Science columnist said: “this competition is a novel and fun way to encourage young people to ponder how creative and innovative thinking is so vitally important to progress in science and technology”

The Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (http://apc.ucc.ie) is a research centre focussing on gastrointestinal health and is a partnership between UCC, Teagasc Moorepark Food Research Centre and industry.  The APC is one of ten centres of excellence in Ireland funded by the Science Foundation Ireland and dedicated to advancing Ireland’s smart economy through cutting-edge research and development.  Forging innovative partnerships with industry, government and academia, the centres add value to Ireland through job creation, inward investment and international excellence in science, engineering and technology.  

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