The students were encouraged to undertake a research project into clean energy production during their Year 11 chemistry class, as part of the ‘Science Talent Search Competition’.
Working together, the two boys created the research project Energy production from uranium for Australia — It’s a no-brainer, analysing the role nuclear power could play in Australia’s energy production and specifically, what nuclear power could achieve in terms of Australia’s reduced emissions plan.
The paper was published in Science Teachers Association of Victoria professional journal LabTalk, a feat both 17-year-old Jordan and Riley, 16, agreed was “pretty cool”.
“It’s cool, it feels rewarding for the work we’ve done,” Mr O’Neill said.
“We researched about switching from coal power, which is bad for the environment, to another source that’s more sustainable.”
The paper delved into exploring Australia’s uranium deposits with additional analysis of a senate paper on the matter.
Both students agreed their paper covered important and particularly relevant areas.
“It’s basically on how it can become viable in Australia, the courses of action and other stuff that we need to make it sustainable and safe,” Riley said.
“It’d be great to educate more people to understand why we need to make the change.”
With the publication of their work, the two also received certificates.
St Augustine’s College chemistry teacher Dilshan Fernando said the publication was “pretty massive”, considering the entry was one of around 3000 from VCE students across Victoria.
“It’s their work which is important, and they researched the senate paper themselves as well,” Mr Fernando said.
“Now that we are coming in carbon zero targets, this is an alternative that Australia can use, because we have 40% of world's uranium, right here in Australia.
“This is why these students investigated that aspect — we need to skill people within the nuclear physics industry and do a lot of research on that.”
While the two students are gearing up to complete year 11 exams, their aspirations for the following year are already set in stone, with hopes of achieving ATARs above 90 — scores that will give them both options in their chosen fields down the track.
“I’m not too sure what I want to do after school, so I’ll just see what I feel like doing then,” Jordan said.
“It’d be good to have some choices though.”
The pair are both completing physics, chemistry, specialist maths, maths methods and English, with Jordan doing legal studies as a sixth subject, and for Riley, design; a subject that will hopefully assist in the future.
“I wasn’t really much of an English sort of student, and I just always enjoyed sciences and maths,” Riley said.
“I’m thinking of doing something along the lines of engineering or architecture after school.”
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