May 2011

30 teams, 16 high schools, and 143 students enjoyed another year of action, adventure, and mystery! The events were:

Balloon Car Derby

Flying Egg Gun

MacGyver Magnet

This year marked another first for JPEC; despite dazzling performances from many schools, nobody could out dazzle the veteran JPECkers from Enver Creek Secondary, who placed first in both prebuild events!

This year we consumed 50 large pizzas in a very orderly fashion.

Balloon Car Derby

How much fun is a balloon powered distance contest, when it's followed up with a head to head race? (contest rules here). Enver Creek cruised to victory with their uber-lightweight design-good for distance and a mean short track competitor. Not to be overlooked was New Westminster Secondary, who snagged silver and bronze!

Winners: Enver Creek Secondary

2nd: New Westminster Secondary A

3rd: New Westminster Secondary B

Flying Egg Gun

An aircraft-carrier-inspired launcher seeks to accelerate egg-bearing gliders into the wide blue yonder (contest rules here). If there was a tough event, it was this one. A technical disaster at the onset of the event challenged the coordinators, but all was good after a bit of true MacGyver action! Many interesting designs were submitted to this challenging task, with spectacular (and peculiar) results.

Winners: Enver Creek Secondary

2nd: Templeton Secondary C

3rd: Eric Hamber Secondary A

MacGyver Magnet (Mystery Event)

The 1980's TV superstar made a guest appearance with an electrifying challenge; create the most powerful electromagnet possible with limited time and materials. The most weight lifted, compared to the mass of your device, WINS!

Winners: New Westminster Secondary B

2nd: Templeton Secondary B

3rd: New Westminster Secondary A

UBC Physics Show & The Levitating Train

If you thought your pizza was cold, consider the Levitating Train! Using the weird, super cold, and wonderful properties of superconductivity, Dr. James Day explained how a floating barge could make smokey, billowing laps around a magnetic track.

Judges are fickle, and nothing provides them with the time to privately fuss over scores like a big time science show. Replete with violins, Tesla Coils, and infrared cameras, Dr. Waltham, Dr. Kotlicki, and their graduate students delivered the goods!