An innovative third-year student at Gonzaga College in Dublin has developed an app that utilizes artificial intelligence to correct exams. Joe Molloy, who wanted to highlight the positive potential of AI, created the app to tackle the issue of teachers spending excessive time correcting exams. The software uses AI to pinpoint relevant aspects of the work, correct spelling and grammar, and provide feedback to the student. Quality control tests have shown that the app not only corrects exams accurately but also serves as a valuable study aid. Molloy believes the app can be expanded to correct exams in other subjects, including science and maths.
Fruit Bowl Design Reduces Decomposition
A group of fourth-year students from Mount St Michael in Co Cork has come up with an ingenious solution to reduce fruit waste. Ben Sheehy, Jerome McCarthy, and Ryan Fitzpatrick created a fruit bowl that significantly extends the shelf life of bananas. By using lasers to create the box and incorporating a fan to remove ethylene gas, which causes fruit to spoil, the students were able to prolong the bananas’ shelf life by up to six days. The fruit bowl design aims to reduce fruit waste, which is estimated to be around 40% in a typical household. The students plan to further test their design with other fruits and improve the aesthetics of the bowl.
Gender Bias in Lego Products
Two fifth-year students from Presentation College in Dublin have conducted research that reveals gender bias in Lego products. Gana Sharaby and Rhianna Bandera discovered that Lego products have clear pathways for boys to explore advanced robotics, while girls are more likely to be attracted to sets with themes like “Lego Friends,” which includes cupcake stands and other stereotypical feminine paraphernalia. The issue came to the fore when the students participated in the First Lego League competition and found that most of their male counterparts had more experience with Lego at the advanced level. The students believe this gender bias has implications for girls’ interest in STEM subjects and plan to continue their work to address the problem.
Biodegradation Solution Uncovered with Wax Moths
A student from Coláiste Mhuire in Cork has made an intriguing discovery while working on a project to address plastic pollution. Ellen O’Donoghue initially tried using a microbial mix but faced difficulties. She then turned to wax moths after learning that they had eaten through a plastic bag in a beehive. The oxidase enzymes in their saliva proved effective at breaking down plastic, particularly heavy-duty waterproof sheets and bin liner bags. The process was less successful with bottle tops, but O’Donoghue’s findings offer a promising solution to the decades-long decomposition of plastics.
The source of the article is from the blog lisboatv.pt