New Scout badge celebrates the bicentennial of John Tyndall, Ireland’s most influential scientist.
Orla O' Sullivan, Ronan Crowley and Scout Leader Lee Barry of 97th Cork Innishannon Scouts
at the launch of the Scouting Ireland Tyndall Badge, created in partnership with Tyndall National Institute
in celebration of Irish scientist John Tyndall's 200th birthday.
Photograph: Clare Keogh
Tyndall National Institute is delighted to celebrate the launch of Scouting Ireland’s new Tyndall Scout Badge in celebration of the bicentenary year of John Tyndall’s birth. The new badge recognises his extraordinary contribution to science and education.
John Tyndall’s major scientific interest was studying the interaction of light with matter, and he is known for his experiments with light, which later inspired the invention of fibre optics. The transmission of light signals through thin flexible glass fibre or other transparent material is the foundation for modern day telecommunications, including the Internet running into our homes, schools and businesses. It can also be used for internal inspection of our bodies. In recognition of John Tyndall’s profound scientific impact, Scouting Ireland and Tyndall National Institute have developed the Tyndall Scouting Skills Badge.
Activities for the badge encourage engagement with research centres; contribution to a national or international citizen science project; peer education; and a range of hands-on activities, all looking at science and communication. The badge combines both online and offline accomplishments, for example signalling with Morse code and a flashlight; planning circuits online; and constructing circuits as a troop project.
“This kind of experimentation and learning is a wonderful tribute to John Tyndall, who ranks among Ireland’s most successful scientists and educators,” commented William Scanlon, CEO of Tyndall and former Scout. “We’re delighted Scouting Ireland has chosen to honour John Tyndall with a badge that encourages the same kind of experimentation, learning and communication we build our success upon at Tyndall National Institute.”
To earn your Tyndall Scouting Skills Badge, please contact epe@tyndall.ie for more information.