Knowledge, creativity and speed get the grade at National Science Challenge 2019
The teams, judges and hosts at the National Science Challenge 2019.
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Creating matching hair dye, figuring out how a wind tunnel works, guessing the amount of sugar cubes and answering tough questions in under 10 seconds – this year’s National Science Challenge (NSC) teams were pushed to their limits in their quest to be champions.
Now in its 16th season, the NSC is a major event for science and technology aficionados from secondary schools across Singapore. Every year, teams of four Secondary Three students battle it out in a television studio and at on-site challenges hosted by A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) institutes and other research organisations. The NSC is organised by A*STAR and Science Centre Singapore, and broadcast on Mediacorp’s Channel 5. Past episodes are available on Toggle.sg.
A CLOSE CALL
As the three finalist teams from the National University of Singapore (NUS) High School of Math and Science, Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) and Raffles Institution (RI) made their way through the gruelling quarter- and semi-finals, it was clear that the finals could be anybody’s game.
NSC judge Dr Arseniy Kuznetsov, senior scientist at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, said: “All the teams were very strong, and in the last round, it was close.”
His fellow judge Dr Andre Choo, institute scientist at the Bioprocessing Technology Institute, agreed: “In the last round, which was the Rapid-Response round, one question separated them. It was neck and neck.”
Eventually NUS High triumphed, thanks to the team’s deep understanding of the scientific material being tested.
NSC grand winner NUS High School of Mathematics and Science (from left: Koo Min Seo, Srivathsan Ram, Sim Jin Herng, Lucas Tan Shaen En)
NSC judge Dr Amit Singhal, who is principal investigator at the Singapore Immunology Network, was impressed by the way the NUS High team answered the rapid-fire questions. “The winning team was outstanding,” he said. “They knew the biology and the scientific concepts behind the questions asked. That’s why I think they won – they were quick to interpret the questions and see the best outcome.”
PREPARING FOR THE COMPETITION
Both RI’s David Zhang and NUS High’s Srivathsan Ram recalled watching past years of the NSC on TV. “The NSC has always made science interesting. It is able to engage me while explaining concepts in a simple manner,” said David.
NSC 1st Runner Up Raffles Institution (from left: Timothy Chek Jun Hou, Zhang Shengyang David, Lai Pengchong, Low Anh Minh)
Srivathsan, who considers himself an “avid science enthusiast”, admitted that he has always wondered what it would be like to be up there on stage. He got his wish after undergoing a selection process in school, where the team was formed.
Once the team members got to know one another, they delegated topics among themselves to read up on. “One of us read up specifically on physics, while others read up on biology,” explained NUS High’s Sim Jin Herng. “In our spare time, we watched science-related videos so as to further our knowledge.”
Besides studying for the NSC, the HCI team took training to a whole new level. Team member Fu Wenbo said that prior to the NSC, they participated in various science competitions and Olympiads in order to increase their knowledge.
AN UNEXPECTED WIN
According to NUS High’s Lucas Tan, the team did not expect to win, knowing that they would be going up against “the best schools in Singapore”. The last time NUS High took home the title was in 2017. Despite their pessimism, the grand final turned out to be what Lucas called “an exhilarating experience”.
His teammate Koo Min Seo felt the NSC was “stressful, but enjoyable”. He said: “There were several nerve-racking moments, but with the support of our friends, families and teachers, we managed to get through and emerge as champions.”
For the other teams, their time at the NSC taught them more than just examinable content. Said RI’s Lai Pengchong: “NSC has shown me the science is in everything around us. For example, for the challenge at iFly, we learnt so much about how a wind tunnel works and the physics principles behind it.”
His teammate Timothy Chek felt that he had learnt new ways to better understand scientific topics. “I have discovered that breaking down an idea systematically is important to a fruitful brainstorming session.”
Their HCI counterparts agreed that they had gained both a stronger grasp of science’s role in the world, as well as useful skills that would benefit their education and careers. Low Jeen Liang felt that he had learnt how to think out of the box when problem-solving, while teammate Pierre Yeap had his perspectives broadened on how science is used to discover new technologies that can improve the world.
NSC 2nd Runner Up Hwa Chong Institution (from left: Low Jeen Liang, Pierre Yeap Yu Song, Fu Wenbo, Kiefer Ong Xian Yao)
Said HCI’s Kiefer Ong: “My view of science has changed for the better. It is no longer just an interesting school subject, but a key piece of the puzzle for the development of mankind.”
Catch episodes of the National Science Challenge 2019 at tv.toggle.sg/en/channel5/shows/national-science-challenge-2019/episodes.
