Bright minds compete for Brain Bee award

The annual NZ Brain Bee Challenge with more than 150 participants from all over the North Island got underway last week at The University of Auckland.

The Year 11 students competed at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences for the title in challenges consisting of both team and individual competitions.

The students were tested on the wonders of the brain – including intelligence, memory, emotions, stress, ageing, sleep, and disease such as addiction, Alzheimer’s and stroke.

Apart from testing their grey matter, the students also visited laboratories within the Faculty and Centre for Brain Research to do hands-on experiments and talk with neuroscientists and graduate students.

Organiser of the challenge, Professor Louise Nicholson, says: “[It’s] a wonderful opportunity for the students and their teachers to work together to learn more about the human brain and the importance of neuroscience in our everyday lives.

“Neuroscience is an exciting area of modern science and can be tremendous fun.”

The winner will take on the best brains from the South Island and will compete at the National Australia - New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge, which will be held as part of the international neuroscience conference at the Gold Coast, Queensland in January 2012.