A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the inaugural UKSDC Digital Heat on Saturday, 14th November: teachers, students, parents, alumni and volunteers…we couldn’t do this without you!

At 8 am on Saturday, when most UK teenagers were enjoying a lie in, 60 students displayed that trailblazing spirit that has been the backbone of scientific discovery and exploration for time immemorial.

The very few problems logging in were addressed rapidly, and attested to the expertise that everyone has acquired during this year with increased online working.

In the opening presentation we were all transported to year 2061, and the task ahead of the students was unveiled. When they were put into their Engineering Companies, the students quickly elected their company officials, attended specialist engineering talks, and then set to work.

With around seven hours to work collaboratively on their designs, we were delighted with the excellent presentations that well addressed the challenging Request for Proposal they had been given. Olympus Mons Trading Company were the winners this week, but as we will be deciding on best runners up from all of the Digital Heats, a complete list of finalist teams will be announced on January 11th, 2021.

As ever, no UKSDC proceedings would ever be complete without the intrepid band of alumni and volunteers that we are lucky enough to have. Not only do they run the actual competitions, they also work tirelessly all year round to make sure that our futuristic events reflect changing ideas and perceptions….too many of you to list – you know who you are!