About 240 senior high school pupils from throughout New Zealand swarmed on to the University of Otago campus yesterday at the start of the university's latest annual Hands-On Science school.
This is the 26th time pupils have gathered to take part in the national event, which is billed as a ''week of serious fun'' and organised by the university's division of sciences.
Organisers said they had received a record 520 applications for 240 places at the latest school, and had had to make ''some very hard decisions''.
Hands-On Science co-ordinator Sandra Copeland said a group of ''very excited and eager'' pupils, about half from the North Island, had begun taking part in orientation activities in the University Union hall at 4pm yesterday.
New research projects on oceanography and nanochemistry are being offered this year.
And Prof Mike Colombo, of the university's psychology department, will give a public lecture at the university's Castle 2 lecture theatre at 7.30pm today on ''Your brain is full of grandmother cells''.
As well as undertaking week-long research projects in the mornings, the pupils will also take part in shorter science ''snack'' events in the afternoons, including trips aboard university research vessel Polaris II.
The Hands-On Science week aimed to raise awareness about science study possibilities at Otago University and to encourage pupils to consider pursuing careers in science and technology, organisers said.