{"id":182098,"date":"2025-03-04T06:42:54","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T20:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=829090"},"modified":"2025-03-04T06:42:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T20:42:54","slug":"university-high-knows-the-answers-at-nasa-jpl-regional-science-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=182098","title":{"rendered":"University High Knows the Answers at NASA JPL Regional Science Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"
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3 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"A<\/a><\/figure>
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A team from University High School of Irvine, California, won the 2025 regional Science Bowl at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on March 1. From left, co-coach Nick Brighton, sophomores Shloke Kamat and Timothy Chen, juniors Feodor Yevtushenko and Angelina Yan, senior Sara Yu, and coach David Knight.<\/div>\n
NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In a fast-paced competition, students showcased their knowledge across a wide range of science and math topics.<\/em><\/p>\n

What is the molecular geometry of sulfur tetrafluoride? Which layer of the Sun is thickest? What is the average of the first 10 prime numbers? If you answered \u201csee-saw,\u201d \u201cradiation zone,\u201d and \u201c12.9,\u201d respectively, then you know a tiny fraction of what high school students must learn to compete successfully in the National Science Bowl.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, March 1, students from University High School in Irvine answered enough of these kind of challenging questions correctly to earn the points to defeat 19 other high school teams, winning a regional Science Bowl competition hosted by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Troy High, from Fullerton, won second place, while Arcadia High placed third.<\/p>\n

Some 100 students gathered at JPL for the fast-paced event, which drew schools from across Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties. Teams are composed of four students and one alternate, with a teacher serving as coach. Two teams at a time face off in a round robin tournament, followed by tie-breaker and double-elimination rounds, then final matches.<\/p>\n

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\"Students,<\/a><\/figure>
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Students, coaches, and volunteers gathered on March 1 for the annual regional Science Bowl competition held at JPL, which has hosted the event since 1993.<\/div>\n
NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The questions \u2014 in biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, energy, mathematics, and physics \u2014 are at a college first-year level. Students spend months preparing, studying, quizzing each other, and practicing with \u201cJeopardy!\u201d-style buzzers.<\/p>\n

It was the third year in a row for a University<\/a> victory<\/a> at the JPL-hosted event, and the championship round with Troy was a nail-biter until the very last question. The University team only had one returning student from the previous year\u2019s team, junior Feodor Yevtushenko. Both he and longtime team coach and science teacher David Knight said the key to success is specialization \u2014 with each student focusing on particular topic areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wake up and grind math before school,\u201d Feodor said. \u201cBeing a jack-of-all-trades means you\u2019re a jack-of-no-trades. You need ruthless precision and ruthless speed.\u201d<\/p>\n

University also won for four years in row from 2018 to 2021. The school\u2019s victory this year enables its team to travel to Washington in late April and vie for ultimate dominance alongside other regional event winners in the national finals.<\/p>\n

More than 10,000 students compete in some 115 regional events held across the country. Managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Bowl was created in 1991 to make math and science fun for students, and to encourage them to pursue careers in those fields. It\u2019s one of the largest academic competitions in the United States.<\/p>\n

JPL\u2019s Public Services Office coordinates the regional contest with the help of volunteers from laboratory staff and former Science Bowl participants in the local community. This year marked JPL\u2019s 33rd hosting the event.<\/p>\n

News Media Contact<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Melissa Pamer
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-314-4928
melissa.pamer@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

2025-030\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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