In a quick competition, the students presented their knowledge on a wide range of scientific and mathematical subjects.
What is the molecular geometry of sulfur tetrafluoride? What layer of the sun is the thickest? What is the average of the first 10 prime numbers? If you responded to “See-Saw”, “Radio Zone” and “12.9”, you know respectively a tiny fraction of what high school students must learn to successfully compete in the National Science Bowl.
On Saturday March 1, students from the Irvine University Lycée correctly answered these kinds of difficult questions to win the points to defeat 19 other high school teams, winning a regional Bowl of Sciences competition organized by the NASA propulsion laboratory in southern California. Troy High, by Fullerton, won second place, whileCadia High ranked third.
A hundred students gathered at JPL for the event to the rapid rhythm, which attracted schools from Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino. The teams are made up of four students and another, a teacher serving as a coach. Two teams at the same time compete in a tournament at the Robin round, followed by a break in equality and a double elimination, then of final matches.
The questions – in biology, chemistry, earth and space sciences, energy, mathematics and physics – are at the level of the first academic year. Students spend months preparing, studying, questioning each other and training with “Jeopardy!” – Buzzers style.
It was the third consecutive year for a University victory During the event hosted by JPL, and the round of the championship with Troy was a bitre of nail until the very last question. The university team had only one student to return to the team from the previous year, Junior Feodor Yevtushenko. He and the longtime coach of the team and science teacher David Knight said that the key to success is specialization – each student focusing on special subjects.
“I wake up and put in mathematics before school,” said Feodor. “Being a jack of all means you are a Jack of No-Trades. You need ruthless precision and ruthless speed.
The University also won four years in rank from 2018 to 2021. The school victory this year allows its team to go to Washington in late April and to compete for ultimate domination alongside other regional events in the national final.
More than 10,000 students participate in around 115 regional events organized across the country. Managed by the American Department of Energy, the National Science Bowl was created in 1991 to make mathematics and fun sciences for students and encourage them to pursue careers in these areas. It is one of the largest university competitions in the United States.
The JPL Public Services Office coordinates the regional competition with the help of laboratory staff volunteers and former participants in the Bowl des sciences in the local community. This year marked the 33rd of JPL by organizing the event.
Melissa Pamer
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
626-314-4928
melissa.pamer@jpl.nasa.gov
2025-030