Winners of Science Essay Competition Announced
The winners of the Bell Burnell Society Science Essay Competition 2024 have been announced!
The Bell Burnell Science Essay Competition challenges Sixth Form students to conduct independent research and analysis on a topic of emerging scientific interest, and to produce an original essay detailing their findings.
Congratulations to the following students for their prize-winning work.
-1st place: Samaksh
‘To what extent can ageing be described as a disease?’
-2nd place: Isabella
‘To what extent can the physical universe be described as deterministic? Compare and contrast examples of deterministic and stochastic systems.’
-3rd place: Khadiza
‘To what extent should GMOs be used to feed the growing global population?’
The winning essays are available to read at the top of this article.
The Bell Burnell Society was very impressed by the high standard of essays this year. Amongst the 33 entries, students wrote about a range of advanced topics that extended far beyond the school curriculum. One answer offered an explanation of the mathematical roots of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, referencing aspects of mathematics that are usually introduced in the second-year of a Physics degree!
As well as demonstrating technical understanding, many of this year’s entries considered possible real-world applications for their research, with a notable emphasis on humanitarian aid. The judges were particularly excited by the findings of an essay exploring 'Golden Rice' and its potential to save up to one million children per year.
Britt Dewing, President of the Bell Burnell Society, credits this trend to the unique, intersectional, nature of the competition itself:
“The Bell Burnell Society chooses to run a science essay competition precisely because it invites students to question the artificial gap between science and humanities that they experience in school. The competition format allows students to get curious about the interaction between scientific discoveries and social issues, and it is encouraging to see the 2024 cohort using their data to better express and understand the topics that resonate with them emotionally.”
A note of caution:
The Bell Burnell Society was disappointed to receive one entry that was flagged as 100% AI generated. As this competition is aimed at students who hope to study at top universities, the Bell Burnell Society wishes to remind all entrants that the University of Cambridge holds the following stance on submitting AI Generated work for assessment:
A student using any unacknowledged content generated by artificial intelligence within a summative assessment as though it is their own work constitutes academic misconduct, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment brief.1
Academic Misconduct is punishable by a number of severe sanctions.
Future competition entrants should note that entries are put through the same detection software that Cambridge University uses to detect AI and plagiarism in formal exam submissions.