The annual science contest

The 2007 science contest

For the second time in a row, and for the first time in Nysgjerrigper's history, the same school is awarded the first prize in the science contest. Hillestad school's 5th graders investigated why we fold our hands differently - and impressed the jury with their work.

To bring focus to the ongoing research initiative, the International Polar Year, Liv Arnesen, the famous explorer and first woman to go solo and unsupported to the South Pole, was chosen to hand over the trophy to the winners.

The students did an impressive amount of work and tried various ways to test their hypothesis. Read a summary of the winner project here!

The 2006 Science Contest

The prize ceremony of Nysgjerrigper's annual science contest 2006 was held at the international conference Communicating Science and Technology (CST 060606).

The 7th graders from Hillestad School at Holmestrand outclassed more than a thousand children from all over the country in the ‘Nysgjerrigper of the Year’ 2006, a science contest for children.

The Minister of Research and Education, Øystein Djupedal, awarded the pupils from Vestfold County the most curious children in Norway for the project "Is it necessary to have different types of flavour additives in Non Stop?". In addition to honour and glory, the winners get to spend three experience-rich dream days in Northern Norway.

The Holmestrand pupils have done research on 4323 Non Stop, performed heaps of taste tests of colours and made a large number of bar charts. They have performed tests both blindfolded and not blindfolded, and found out that more than half the respondents could not tell the difference between the various flavours in a Non Stop bag. The main conclusion drawn by the pupils was that it is not necessary to use so many flavour additives.

About the project the jury says:

"Your research, performed in the true spirit of Nysgjerrigper, is of very high quality. You have come up with creative questions to be studied and they are solved in a brilliant way. The jury is impressed by the way the survey and the taste tests have been carried out. You work systematically, and you come up with answers to your questions. Your report shows that you are talented researchers. Stay curious in comprehensive school and in the future!"

Next years competition

Not much longer now before curious children will compete for awards again! The jury are expecting lots of reports, and the last chance of submitting to next year's contest is May 1st.

Previous winners

The winners of the 2005 Annual Science Contest were awarded their prizes at the Norwegian Museum for Science and Technology. They did research on why our skin gets all wrinkled up under water. Do you know the answer? Lots and lots of exciting projects were submitted in the spring of 2005. It was not easy for the jury to pick the winner.

Read more about previous winners in the articles on the right side!

The Nysgjerrigper Fund

The Nysgjerrigper Fund has some money available to help with the cost of performing your research projects. The deadlines for submitting applications are 15 November and 15 January.

The Nysgjerrigper way of doing things

On our website at www.nysgjerrigpermetoden.no, you will find six steps about how to carry out a research project. In the world of science, this is called a research method. You can add your own text, pictures, tables and forms. While you are at it, you can get some good ideas from our ‘tool box’.

This article presents a summary of the Norwegian article. For the original Norwegian article containing supplemental information, please click here!