Students from across Australia demonstrated their scientific talents in Think Science! 2025, a unique competition designed to spark curiosity and encourage critical thinking.
Open to learners in Years 3 to 10, Think Science! challenges teams of two to four students to conduct original investigations, applying the scientific method and presenting their findings through concise, engaging videos. Primary students produced 3 to 4-minute presentations, while secondary students prepared 4 to 5-minute reports, all highlighting the five keyscience inquiry skills outlined in the Australian Curriculum.
This year we had over 650 students participating from 44 schools across all six states and the ACT—including many from rural and regional communities.
Our panel of judges were highly impressed by the students’ creativity, scientific rigor, and the diverse range of topics explored. Their comments and the winning entries are shared below. We hope you enjoy watching them as much as our judges did!
We sincerely thank all participating students, schools, and teachers whose support and commitment made this event possible. See all of our participating schools.
Winning schools will receive between $300 and $1,000 in science educational resources. Outstanding students will be awarded ANSTO medals and certificates, with first-place winners also receiving gift cards. For further details about the competition, please visit our website.
For enquiries, please contact our team at thinkscience@ansto.gov.au
Years 3-4 winning entries
| Place | School | State | Investigation title | Team members |
| 1st | Loftus Public School | NSW | The effect of battery and electronic waste contaminated water on lettuce | Hunter, Frankie, Cyrus and Zoe |
| 2nd | Iqra College | SA | Slip, Slide and Science - A Friction Investigation | Ayaan, Eusoph and Imran |
| 3rd | Macarthur Anglican School | NSW | How does changing the angle of a light source affect the length of a shadow? | Lyla, Elianna and Mahlia |
| Highly Commended | Homeschool | VIC | Battle of the cleaning agents | Arianna and Inika |
| Highly Commended | Warrigal Road State School | QLD | Paper Plane Flight Challenge: "Mission: Fly High!" | Eston, Stella and Izaac |
1st place
The effect of battery and electronic waste contaminated water on lettuce
Loftus Public School, NSW.
Hunter, Frankie, Cyrus and Zoe
What the judges liked about it: A beautifully presented video, with an elegant and thoughtfully crafted scientific investigation demonstrating these students commitment to science and their environment.
2nd place
Slip, Slide & Science - A Friction Investigation
Iqra College, SA.
Ayaan, Eusoph and Imran
What the judges liked about it: A unique scientific investigation with a wonderfully creative and entertaining video presentation. We were impressed that they developed their own launching apparatus.
3rd place
How does changing the angle of a light source affect the length of a shadow? Macarthur Anglican School, NSW.
Lyla, Elianna and Mahlia
What the judges liked about it: A carefully planned and conducted investigation with a good, clear video presentation. We liked that the investigation was directly linked to their daily experiences at school.
Years 5-6 winning entries
Place | School | State | Investigation title | Team members |
| 1st | Macarthur Anglican School | NSW | What materials block radio waves the most? | Ariane, Ruohan and Jenny |
| 2nd | Islamic College of Brisbane | QLD | Which Material is the Best Insulator? | Hibba, Khadija and Drira |
| 3rd | Bangor Public School | NSW | How does changing the amount of enzymes and proteases in different fruits affect the stability of jelly? | Bree, Alessia and Elise |
| Highly Commended | Hurstville Public School | NSW | Coke and Mentos Experiment | Triston, Jaden, Jeremy and Richard |
| Highly Commended | Hurstville Public School | NSW | How do different environments affect the way jelly sets? | Jennifer, Aria, Olivia and Mia |
1st place
What materials block radio waves the most? Macarthur Anglican School, NSW.
Ariane, Ruohan and Jenny
What the judges liked about it: A highly unique and thoughtfully planned scientific investigation, presented in a creative and engaging video that demonstrates that science can be approached with a sense of humour and fun.
2nd place
Which Material is the Best Insulator? Islamic College of Brisbane, QLD.
Hibba, Khadija and Drira
What the judges liked about it: A very carefully and thoughtfully planned investigation with a very clear and well-sequenced video.
3rd place
How does changing the amount of enzymes and proteases in different fruits affect the stability of jelly? Bangor Public School, NSW.
Bree, Alessia and Elise
What the judges liked about it:The investigation was thoughtfully planned and conducted and was presented in an engaging video. We liked how there was a very clear application from the results of their investigation to their daily lives.
Years 7-8 winning entries
Place | School | State | Investigation title | Team members |
| 1st | Lesmurdie Senior High School | WA | The Science of Singing Glasses | Charan and Kairav |
| 2nd | Christway College, Kingston | VIC | Water Wheel Efficiency | Samuel, Caleb, Angela and Gabrielle |
| 3rd | Loreto Normanhurst | NSW | Comparing Vitamin C in Fruits and Vegetables | Julia, Zoe and Julia |
| Highly Commended | Christway College, Kingston | VIC | How do liquids change in temperature when energy is applied? | Levi, Gabriel and Noah |
1st place
The Science of Singing Glasses, Lesmurdie Senior High School, WA.
Charan and Kairav
What the judges liked about it:A captivating investigation linked to the world of music. We loved the video footage showing how the experiment was carried out, and the comprehensive discussion of the results in relation to wave theory.
2nd place
Water Wheel Efficiency, Christway College, Kingston, VIC.
Samuel, Caleb, Angela and Gabrielle
What the judges liked about it: A comprehensive investigation that addressed all science inquiry skills competently and was clearly presented. We loved the slow-motion video of the water wheel showing the experimental set-up.
3rd place
Comparing Vitamin C in Fruits and Vegetables, Loreto Normanhurst, NSW.
Julia, Zoe and Julia
What the judges like about it: This video captured our interest from the start. It is a thorough investigation, and we loved the use of two control solutions of differing concentration, the excellent graph and the detailed discussion.
Years 9-10 Winning Entries
Place | School | State | Investigation title | Team members |
| 1st | Wesley College | WA | Detective Gigacho - the effects of lying | Jericho, Ronish, Isaac and Jaxon |
| 2nd | Blacktown Girls High School | NSW | Earth Batteries | Diya, Keerat, Arwyn and Wafia |
| 3rd | Glen Waverley Secondary College | VIC | The Mpemba Effect | Seara, Jason and Jolie |
1st plac
Detective Gigacho - the effects of lying, Wesley College, WA.
Jericho, Ronish, Isaac and Jaxon
What the judges liked about it:A comprehensive, well-presented investigation, which included an extensive data set involving 17 participants. We were engaged from the start to the end.
2nd place
Earth Batteries, Blacktown Girls High School, NSW.
Diya, Keerat, Arwyn and Wafia
What the judges liked about it: An entertaining video which communicated all parts of the investigation well and showed great teamwork. It was great to see data for four trials shown.
3rd place
The Mpemba Effect, Glen Waverley Secondary College, VIC.
Seara, Jason and Jolie
What the judges liked about it:A well-presented video of a comprehensive investigation. Excellent results tables and graphs were constructed, and we loved the connections made to the real world.
Rural area winning entry
To support learning in rural areas we offered a rural area prize again for Think Science! 2025
| School | State | Investigation title | Team members |
| Manangatang P-12 College | VIC | What chocolate melts the quickest? | Rory, Lilly and William |
Think Science! 2025 Participating Schools
Thank you to all the schools that participated in the Think Science! Competition in 2025!