Irish Primary School Kids Are Now Fact-Checking Brainrot and AI

If you want a glimpse into what's really going on inside the minds of Irish primary school children right now? Forget asking them about their favourite YouTuber. Ask them about brainrot. Or phone addiction. Or whether AI is slowly turning us all into gullible eejits who can't tell a real photo from a deepfake.

ESB Science Blast 2026 kicks off today at the RDS, and the projects being presented by thousands of students from across Ireland are genuinely making us sit up and pay attention. These kids aren't just building volcanoes out of papier-mâché anymore. They're fact-checking the world around them with the kind of scepticism most of us didn't develop until our late twenties (and several disappointing online purchases).

From curious observers to mini investigators

The RDS has been tracking the types of questions submitted to ESB Science Blast over the past three years, and the shift is fascinating. Back in 2024, the kids were wonderers. They asked things like 'How does the brain store memories?' and 'Why do our fingers go wrinkly in the bath?' Classic stuff. The kind of questions that make you pause mid-towel-dry and think… actually, why DO they?

By 2025, things got a bit more competitive. Students started comparing and testing. Which is better for learning … hearing or reading? Does the colour of a drink affect how we think it tastes? (Spoiler: probably yes, which explains a lot about blue WKDs in 2007.)

But 2026? This is where it gets properly interesting. The questions have turned investigative. There's been a three-fold increase in verification-style language. Words like 'audit', 'compare', 'verify'. Almost half of all investigations now focus on external claims. AI outputs. Algorithms. Social media trends. These ten-year-olds are doing the kind of critical thinking most adults save for arguments in the group chat.

Brainrot, cheap vs expensive food, and sun cream sceptics

Some of the project themes being showcased this week are brilliantly of-the-moment. One group is asking whether watching 'brainrot' content can actually rot your brain. Another is investigating how our phones are designed to make us addicted. There's even a project examining whether we can tell the difference between AI-generated text and something written by a human. (If a ten-year-old cracks that one, they deserve a job at a newsroom immediately.)

Then there are the sceptical consumers. One project is cheekily titled 'Mischief Marketing: Are big name brands being transparent?' Another asks whether we can actually taste the difference between cheap and expensive food brands. And one group is testing whether sun creams really provide the protection they claim. Honestly? We'd love to see the results on that one before summer.

Other projects are digging into how our brains work. Does chewing gum make learning easier? Can a two-minute breathing exercise actually improve focus? Does 30 minutes of screen time change how our brains remember things? It's basically a wellness podcast but with actual scientific method behind it.

Climate, cows and bioplastics (yes, really)

The solution-seekers among this year's cohort are tackling some seriously grown-up problems. One group is exploring how to transform milk into bioplastics. Another is asking what we should do with old and broken electronics. And in possibly the most Irish sentence ever written in a science project… one class is investigating whether changing what cows eat could reduce methane emissions. Moo-ving towards a greener planet, indeed.

There's also a batch of projects exploring what the RDS is calling 'social physics'. Is yawning really contagious? (We yawned just reading that.) Do people perform better in tests when there's a prize? Does knowing what's in food change how we think it tastes? These are the kinds of questions that could keep you up at night if you let them.

Why this actually matters for parents

Look, we know what you're thinking. This all sounds very impressive but also very far removed from the reality of getting everyone out the door with matching socks and a lunchbox that doesn't contain last Tuesday's banana. But here's the thing. These projects don't come out of nowhere. They're the result of teachers building confidence in STEM methodology, bit by bit, in classrooms across Ireland.

According to a 2024 evaluation of ESB Science Blast, 91% of students are now reported by teachers to confidently 'stand over their science'. That means presenting findings and responding to challenging questions. 88% of classes develop a formal scientific hypothesis rather than just guessing. And nearly nine in ten teachers feel better equipped to guide their students in developing proper scientific questions.

That shift doesn't just happen. It's years of small wins, curious conversations and probably a lot of patience when someone asks 'but WHY?' for the fortieth time in one afternoon.

Paul Kelly, CEO of the RDS, said the organisation was proud to provide a platform for critical thinking and problem-solving. "As we welcome 13,000 students to the RDS this week, we are rapidly approaching a significant milestone of 100,000 participants since the programme began."

ESB Chief Executive Paddy Hayes added that the programme encourages students to ask questions about the world around them. "At ESB, we are proud to be partnering with the RDS on this unique programme, empowering young people to be curious, to think critically, and to interact positively with STEM."

The Class of 2040 is already thinking ahead

Unlike traditional science competitions, ESB Science Blast is intentionally non-competitive. Every participating class receives detailed feedback and a trophy, which means the focus stays on inquiry, collaboration and discovery rather than winning. The programme also maintains near 50/50 gender participation and actively supports DEIS schools, Gaelscoileanna and students with special educational needs.

In a future shaped by AI, climate innovation and rapid technological change… the ability to tell fact from fiction might be the most important skill any of us can have. And if today's ten-year-olds are already asking whether brands are being honest and whether their phones are manipulating them? They might be better prepared for it than the rest of us.

ESB Science Blast runs at the RDS Dublin from today through to 5th March. If your child is taking part, maybe ask them what they've learned. You might just get a more coherent explanation of AI bias than anything you've seen on the news lately.