The International Physics Olympiad competition is on in Isfahan, Iran right now! 76 countries sent 340 of their brightest high school physics students to compete. They were welcomed to Iran Friday, July 13th, with opening ceremonies held Saturday morning.
Kenan Diab, Jenny Kwan, Rui Hu, Haofei Wei, and Jason LaRue are representing the US at Isfahan University. Since their arrival, they have taken a theory exam, visited the Persian Gulf and walked about town, braved the searing heat of up to 120°F, feasted on kabobs, and enjoyed an introduction to Iranian culture. But you don’t have to take my word for it. The team (or, largely the coaches) have been recording their activities in a blog.
They took the theory exam on Sunday and finished the experimental exam today, so it’s a little late to be wishing them luck, but they’ll have a few more adventures in Iran before heading back home on July 22nd. I’ll post more when I find out how they did. As last year’s team took home four gold metals and one silver, they have big shoes to fill. They are a wicked smart bunch, though, so expect great things.
Photo Credit: Matt Payne, American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)