Events 2017-2018

[whythelongface]

What's the big hype over fermi questions. I mean it sounds interesting but ......

What a great question. Honestly, having to guess outrageous measurements is a nightmare for me, but of course it would have appeal to people who probably really enjoy trying to guess the actual number of goldfish that fit in the Earth's oceans.

[Unome]

What's the big hype over fermi questions. I mean it sounds interesting but ......

People just really like Fermi. Considering the typical quality of the rotating Inquiry events, especially in Div C, a good one is nice to have.

Now that I've read the P&P trial rules: It seems like an interesting event, similar to Materials Science in some ways. The rules topics aren't clearly identifiable to me after one reading, but I expect it will become more clear as tests start being made. However, I'm a little concerned that one of the sample questions seems to concern specific information about an organism (giant hogweed) not listed under 3.a.ii, since the precedent would be that tests can cover just about any organism. I wouldn't want this event to be about just stockpiling tons of information about organisms on notesheets at 2 point font, which it will definitely become if asking about any organism becomes common (for the same reason as Microbe Mission - disease questions tend to predominate on tests because they're easier to write).

it would have appeal to people who probably really enjoy trying to guess the actual number of goldfish that fit in the Earth's oceans.

Number of goldfish that fit in the Earth's oceans is probably around E14

[WhatScience?]

As someone who dis microbe mission last year, my partner and I had to cram 6,500 words worth of notes and 15 images onto our two page notes in the smallest font possible. I do not like the plant question in P and P at all for the very same reason. I will be asking for a rule clarification once the official rules are out if this problem persists.

[whythelongface]

As someone who dis microbe mission last year, my partner and I had to cram 6,500 words worth of notes and 15 images onto our two page notes in the smallest font possible. I do not like the plant question in P and P at all for the very same reason. I will be asking for a rule clarification once the official rules are out if this problem persists.

What was the problem? I did Microbe Mission as well, made a notesheet that lasted, with few modifications, from my first invite to Nationals.

[Unome]

As someone who dis microbe mission last year, my partner and I had to cram 6,500 words worth of notes and 15 images onto our two page notes in the smallest font possible. I do not like the plant question in P and P at all for the very same reason. I will be asking for a rule clarification once the official rules are out if this problem persists.

What was the problem? I did Microbe Mission as well, made a notesheet that lasted, with few modifications, from my first invite to Nationals.

Microbes isn't too bad. Sure, it's one of the most info-intensive study events, but the bio committee emphasizes that disease questions should be limited to the list. However, the P&P trial rules don't specify, and also set a precedent against it in rule 4.

[WhatScience?]

As someone who dis microbe mission last year, my partner and I had to cram 6,500 words worth of notes and 15 images onto our two page notes in the smallest font possible. I do not like the plant question in P and P at all for the very same reason. I will be asking for a rule clarification once the official rules are out if this problem persists.

What was the problem? I did Microbe Mission as well, made a notesheet that lasted, with few modifications, from my first invite to Nationals.

Its just I believe science should be more about logic than just cramming everything you can. I guess that is why I prefer my phyics and chem events but to each his own I suppose.

[WhatScience?]

As someone who dis microbe mission last year, my partner and I had to cram 6,500 words worth of notes and 15 images onto our two page notes in the smallest font possible. I do not like the plant question in P and P at all for the very same reason. I will be asking for a rule clarification once the official rules are out if this problem persists.

What was the problem? I did Microbe Mission as well, made a notesheet that lasted, with few modifications, from my first invite to Nationals.

Microbes isn't too bad. Sure, it's one of the most info-intensive study events, but the bio committee emphasizes that disease questions should be limited to the list. However, the P&P trial rules don't specify, and also set a precedent against it in rule 4.

You are right i that sense of microbe. Some of the tests I took were simple enough but I remember at states me and my partner (who happens to be one of the smartest people I know, scoring a 35 on the ACT in 7th grade) were faced with questions that were just really obscure facts.

[whythelongface]

As someone who dis microbe mission last year, my partner and I had to cram 6,500 words worth of notes and 15 images onto our two page notes in the smallest font possible. I do not like the plant question in P and P at all for the very same reason. I will be asking for a rule clarification once the official rules are out if this problem persists.

What was the problem? I did Microbe Mission as well, made a notesheet that lasted, with few modifications, from my first invite to Nationals.

Its just I believe science should be more about logic than just cramming everything you can. I guess that is why I prefer my phyics and chem events but to each his own I suppose.

That depends on whose test you're taking. There are good tests, and there are bad tests. However, keep in mind that microbiology, pathology and immunology are some of the most memorization-rigorous areas of biology, so do not be surprised by a test that seems to expect you've crammed every single bit of knowledge into your brain/your notesheet.

[WhatScience?]

What was the problem? I did Microbe Mission as well, made a notesheet that lasted, with few modifications, from my first invite to Nationals.

Its just I believe science should be more about logic than just cramming everything you can. I guess that is why I prefer my phyics and chem events but to each his own I suppose.

That depends on whose test you're taking. There are good tests, and there are bad tests. However, keep in mind that microbiology, pathology and immunology are some of the most memorization-rigorous areas of biology, so do not be surprised by a test that seems to expect you've crammed every single bit of knowledge into your brain/your notesheet.

But if there is so much to memorize don't you think that more notes should be allowed than 2 pages like some other events?

I feel like the people who designed these events were thinking solely about the amount of time spent cramming obscure information while those who designed some of the physics and chem events are fine with you bringing more notes and that they want to test about how well you grasp the subject in a more practical setting. That is why the one bio event I am doing this year will be Disease Dets because after doing it last year I can say that with the case studies it is somewhat practical while the multiple choice test import information vs. obscure information. Your thoughts?

P.S. people other than whythelongface, I would be interested in hearing your opinions too.

[Unome]

Its just I believe science should be more about logic than just cramming everything you can. I guess that is why I prefer my phyics and chem events but to each his own I suppose.

That depends on whose test you're taking. There are good tests, and there are bad tests. However, keep in mind that microbiology, pathology and immunology are some of the most memorization-rigorous areas of biology, so do not be surprised by a test that seems to expect you've crammed every single bit of knowledge into your brain/your notesheet.

But if there is so much to memorize don't you think that more notes should be allowed than 2 pages like some other events?

I feel like the people who designed these events were thinking solely about the amount of time spent cramming obscure information while those who designed some of the physics and chem events are fine with you bringing more notes and that they want to test about how well you grasp the subject in a more practical setting. That is why the one bio event I am doing this year will be Disease Dets because after doing it last year I can say that with the case studies it is somewhat practical while the multiple choice test import information vs. obscure information. Your thoughts?

P.S. people other than whythelongface, I would be interested in hearing your opinions too.

Each rules committee has its own peculiarity - for example, it's somewhat well-known that the bio committee consists largely of professional educators (at least in mentality), and that physics tends to allow binders (per a post by chalker, this has quite a bit to do with his preference for allowing binders). The fact that the events are divided into rules committees can account for many aspects of the rules (e.g. Microbes allowing one sheet while, say, Simple Machines/Compound Machines allowed binders).