Japan Joining Science Olympiad?

[foreverphysics]

Let me explain better: Imagine competing Division B against Division C. Kind of the same thing. I feel sorry for Japan and their natural disaster,but what does that have to do with scioly? It might be cool to have a couple of teams here from Japan, but all in all, it's just like saying, "Hey, let's pit a couple of sixth graders against some twelfth graders who have had much more experience". I study all year long, two or three hours a day, and yet...but the thing is, they teach it. They have tests that count. I'm not trying to say anything against them, I mean, it's just that...well, Ohio doesn't offer courses like that. Japan does. Ohio is great, but at least most people can have a chance to beat them, no matter that they've won for a couple of years in a row. Japan...they learn it in school. I'm sorry, but I just don't think it's right to pit us against them. I don't want to ban them. I just think that...again, sixth graders against twelfth graders.

[winneratlife]

Let me explain better: Imagine competing Division B against Division C. Kind of the same thing. I feel sorry for Japan and their natural disaster,but what does that have to do with scioly? It might be cool to have a couple of teams here from Japan, but all in all, it's just like saying, "Hey, let's pit a couple of sixth graders against some twelfth graders who have had much more experience". I study all year long, two or three hours a day, and yet...but the thing is, they teach it. They have tests that count. I'm not trying to say anything against them, I mean, it's just that...well, Ohio doesn't offer courses like that. Japan does. Ohio is great, but at least most people can have a chance to beat them, no matter that they've won for a couple of years in a row. Japan...they learn it in school. I'm sorry, but I just don't think it's right to pit us against them. I don't want to ban them. I just think that...again, sixth graders against twelfth graders.

For the record, Solon B could tear my team apart, any day of the week.

On top of that, they don't "learn it in school". No sensible typical Japanese highschool curriculum is going to spend time teaching kids to, say, identify fossils, or build reversing mousetrap vehicles. They might get a slight edge on TPS or Chem Lab, but note that they lose a lot of ground on the less conventional sciences, because they have so little free time to commit.

[foreverphysics]

No, they learn all the mechanics involved and then they can design and consequently build one. Solon is awesome, and I know that. And anyways my team will basically be pitted against all these people next year, seeing as of all the years our team has been formed (16) we've only not gone to Nats. once. I'm not saying we'll definitely get to Nats next year, but the chance is pretty high, seeing as our coach is recruiting already and half the team is already studying (including me). Honestly, Japan just has a much better chance than we do. And don't compare it to Solon because Solon is much older and has way more experience--that's why they win so often.

[bearasauras]

I think you're saying that the science curriculum in the US is not as rigorous as the one in Japan, but isn't one of the goals of Science Olympiad to improve the quality of K-12 science education? One can always compete with a team that's weaker just so they can win, but I'm not sure if you really need Science Olympiad for that.

[winneratlife]

No, they learn all the mechanics involved and then they can design and consequently build one.

When was the last time Towers was about mechanics? It never was; mechanics are simple enough. It's about putting in the hours to build tens of towers and perfect your building technique; make jigs; etc. That's not something they teach you in school.

What about mousetrap vehicle? That's about microcalibration, knowing how much to offset, how much to wind; the physics or ideas are simple enough. It's about taking the time to run trials and make data sheets.

Also, by your logic, Exeter and Andover and Horace Mann, etc, should be dominating; they are considered to be the best private schools in the US, are they not?

[Epidemiologist]

Not really, I'm just saying, it won't be fair. If the US raises their standards of education...now that would be the first step, best step. However, currently, they are so much above us that we stand next to zero chance.

You stand a zero chance. Stop stereotyping, if I can take on the smartest kids in America, it's very likely I can take on the smartest kids in Japan.

[mnstrviola]

SO isn't about winning, it's about having fun and meeting new people! ... (sarcasm)

I think Japan having their own national tournament would be good. If only a lot of the major countries had SO, and there would be an international tournament and everything. THAT would be epic. And then, when we find some intelligent life forms in space, there can be an INTEGALACTIC SO COMPETITION!!!!!!

[zyzzyva980]

foreverphysics: If you're so concerned, get off of here and start working to beat them. Solution!

[Epidemiologist]

I'm all for the intergalactic competition. That would really run nice. And if we figure how to bend the space time fabric, not only would we be able to compete with other galaxies, we could compete with past humans and past intergalactic beings. And if we manage to reproduce and project our imaginations, we could play against the crew of Star Trek, or the students of Hogwarts. Or perhaps we could find a way into a parallax of your universe, in a squared dimension (4 or 9), in which we could compete with our alter egos in a semi-altered universal theme-box.

Or we could just do internationals...

[zyzzyva980]

Hogwarts? Talk about unfair advantages. I'd be perfectly fine with internationals. Who knows? Int'l Tournament could happen in a couple of years or a couple of decades or never. We'll see.