Primary and high school students from across Australia have been celebrated for their creative science films in the 2025 爆料王 Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize.
This year, students were asked to use the theme 'above and below' to create two-minute films that communicate scientific concepts in accessible and engaging ways.
School students from all across Australia submitted their unique, creative and entertaining responses, resulting in two winners, six finalists and 19 highly commended award winners who were celebrated during the Eureka Prizes ceremony held on Wednesday 3 September 2025.
The prizes are named after the Sleek Geeks 鈥� Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at the 爆料王, and Adam Spencer, Mathematics and Science Ambassador at the 爆料王.聽
Primary school finalists
Winner: Keira P., PLC Sydney, NSW
Keira, in Year 3, has designed and conducted an experiment to discover which thread count of cotton bedsheets is best at keeping out dust mite poo, while still allowing air through. Dusty鈥檚 Mitey Poo 鈥� Hidden Below includes lots of information about dust mites and features Keira in a 鈥榤itey鈥� costume.
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Runner up: Barnaby Y., Varsity College, QLD
With quirky characters acted out by Year 6 student Barnaby, sung mnemonics and even a chocolate-coated analogy, Above and Below the Earth is an entertaining, funny, fast-paced romp about a young Jules Verne fan who explores the fascinating layers of our planet from its core to its atmosphere.
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Runner up: Meredith Z., Abbotsleigh, NSW
鈥淜eep exploring and stay curious,鈥� says Meredith enthusiastically at the end of her film Animal Habitats: Above and Below The Surface. The Year 5 student summarises features of aerial, terrestrial, subterranean and marine habitats, using a mix of video and her own drawings to explore animal adaptations to their surroundings.
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Secondary school finalists
Winner: Sophie M., St Philip's Christian College, NSW
In Swing Smart to Stand Tall, 15-year-old Sophie explains how a giant pendulum helps stabilise a skyscraper during earthquakes and typhoons. Through clear narration and straightforward diagrams, she explores how engineering can protect lives above ground from seismic forces that originate below 鈥� bridging physics, design and the mechanics behind towering structures.
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Runner up: Noah C., Aiden K., Paige T., Tahlia W., and Madeline Z., Viewbank College, VIC
Combining handmade graphics, animation and engaging narration, The Science of Talking Trees reveals how trees communicate through both root networks and airborne chemicals. By exploring the hidden ways trees interact with their environment, the Year 10 students highlight a complex natural system often missed by those who only see the surface.
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Runner up: Daisy G., Grace O., and Jacquie Z., Lauriston Girls' School, VIC
In The Brain Beneath Your Feet, these Year 11 students explore the hidden intelligence of fungi through the underground mycorrhizal network 鈥� often called the 鈥榳ood wide web鈥�. Using clear narration and simple animation, the film explains how fungi communicate, share resources and support trees through vast, unseen networks.
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Highly commended
- ,聽Josie B., Little Grove Primary School, WA
- ,聽Alexander C., Whitsunday Anglican School, QLD
- ,聽Jeremy G., Freshwater Christian College, QLD
- ,聽Frankie H., Lake Illawarra Public School, NSW
- ,聽Kaitlyn L., PLC Sydney
- ,聽Henry M., Cudgegong Valley Public School, NSW
- ,聽Elizabeth O., PLC Sydney
- ,聽Aaron P., Marshall Road State School, QLD
- ,聽Eleanor P., PLC Sydney
- ,聽Charlotte V., Queenwood School for Girls
- ,聽Eugenia Y., PLC Sydney
- ,聽Dylan D., Balmoral State High School, QLD
- ,聽James G., Newington College, NSW
- ,聽Jemma G., Kedron State High School, QLD
- ,聽Addison H., Unity College, QLD
- ,聽Jethro M., Marist Catholic College Penshurst, NSW
- ,聽Dev P., Angadjot S. and Zarif W., Penrith Selective High School, NSW
- ,聽Iestyn R., St Johns Anglican College - Forest Lake, QLD
- ,聽Neomi V., Abbotsleigh, NSW