Budding engineers putting their minds together to problem-solve
Problem-solving was the theme of the day for four Year 13 students who competed in the annual New Zealand Engineering Science competition on Saturday 10 August. The team of Zach, Katie, Leon and Tim, who are all interested in Mathematics and Science, entered this fun and challenging competition run by the University of Auckland's Department of Engineering Science and Biomedical Engineering.
The team was tasked with answering the question: How many airships would be required to replace the Cook Strait Ferries?
Working together, they had one full day to research and produce a report on this topic. Computers were whirring and the white boards scattered around the St Peter’s science lab were being crammed full of information. Links between separate areas of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science were made and the production of the final solution provided good testament to the analytical and research skills developed over the years. After a mildly stressful last 30 minutes of final checks and report uploading, the team finished the competition satisfied that no stone had been left unturned in the production of their solution. They research day was filled with humour, great insight, exceptional analytical skills, and lots of good food.
Over 250 teams from around the country competed this year, with results released in Term 4. No matter the result, Zach, Katie, Leon and Tim should all be proud of their efforts.