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CAITHNESS YOUNGSTERS WIN TRIP TO FUSION RESEARCH CENTRE
Young scientists from a Caithness school have made a flying visit to the centre of pioneering fusion research at Culham in Oxfordshire.

Stuart Campbell (14) from Wick High School travelled with a friend and teacher to the UKAEA site after winning the top prize in a competition during the Caithness Science Festival. The competition was designed to inspire and encourage youngsters to consider the relevance and impact of science on everyday life, and to consider science and engineering as a career.

Stuart won the top essay-writing competition with his essay reflecting on “What Science Means To Me”.

 The prize consisted of an all expenses-paid visit to the Culham Science Centre, accompanied by a friend, Alan Candeland (14), and school teacher Peter Darmady.

 Stuart said:  “I really enjoyed visiting Culham. It’s amazing to think that the research going on there will affect the future of the whole planet. ”

 UKAEA Dounreay’s Pat Kieran, who organised the competition, said:  “It was a very tough competition to judge, the essays were of a very high standard and it was difficult to choose a winner. However, Stuart’s essay impressed us with his grasp of the subject.”

 The competition was organised by local schools and UKAEA’s Dounreay site. The prize-winners visited the JET (Joint European Torus) Research Reactor at Culham, to find about its programme developing nuclear fusion as a viable energy source.