James's through to UK Final of Big Bang competition

Year 14 student James Hancock impressed the judges with his study into the use of emojis on Twitter, and how they relate to users’ popularity, and others’ perception of popularity. He will go on to join over 200 other project teams from the UK in the finals, which take place during The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair at the Birmingham NEC, March 2017.

The Big Bang Competition is an annual contest designed to recognise and reward young people’s achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), as well as helping them build skills and confidence in project-based work.

The competition is open to 11-18yr olds, and gives participants the chance to compete for top prizes such as international experiences worth over £50,000 and prestigious awards such as UK Young Scientist and UK Young Engineer of the Year.

Commenting on James’ success, Paul Jackson, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, which organises The Competition said: “This year’s entries to The Big Bang Competition highlight how talented the UK’s young scientists and engineers are. It’s easy to see why this project has secured a place at the national finals. We’re now excited about seeing all the finalists come together at The Fair in March, where they will have the chance to impress the judges and inspire other young visitors. Congratulations to James and Dalriada, and good luck for March.”

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Timothy Gamble from Dalriada School said: “Having the opportunity to put theory into practice has been a great opportunity to James, and has given him an idea of just how interesting a career in the social sciences could be. To be through to the national final is a wonderful achievement and I’m sure James can’t wait to show off his project again. We’re all hoping he comes back from March’s UK finals with an award!”

Online entries are still open until 20 November for people keen to take part. For more information visit www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/competition