Press Release

(Hong Kong — 28 March 2023) The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE/Academy) recently sent a team to participate in an on-site international competition, the first time after three years of the pandemic. And the team went through the competition with flying colours, taking home three prizes from the "Safe Cracking" International Physics Tournament (IPT) 2023.

The Davidson Institute of Science Education hosted the competition under the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, from 19 to 22 March. The Weizmann Institute of Science is internationally renowned as one of the leading multidisciplinary research centres and has produced three Nobel Prize winners, while the Davidson Institute of Science Education is an institution dedicated to promoting science education for young people. This year, 46 high school teams from around the world participated in the tournament, and the HKAGE team was the only Asian team apart from Israel.

Participants of the tournament need to have a solid foundation in physics while using their inventiveness to construct engaging, entertaining, and challenging puzzles for their safes. According to the competition regulations, competitors are required to create a safe with one or two locking mechanisms based on various physics principles. The tournament has two stages. In stage 1, each competing team must answer a series of questions from three judges. In stage 2, each team should attempt to crack the safes of other teams; and vice versa, a team also needs to entertain cracking attempts from other teams in separate time slots.

The Academy sent five S4 and S5 student members for the competition: Alison CHENG, Austin  LEUNG, Tiffany SUEN, Daniel FANG, and Oscar CHAN. They underwent nearly eight months of preparation and training from last August to March of this year. Under the guidance of Dr CHAN Mau Hing from Hong Kong Baptist University, the "Catch Your Pokémon!" safe containing two physics puzzles was developed:

Puzzle (1) Thermoelectric Effect (Seebeck Effect); and

Puzzle (2) Ideal Gas Law.

The burglars must first use the thermoelectric effect to generate sufficient voltage before producing an air pressure difference to propel the Pokeball and capture Pokemon. The reward for successfully unlocking the safe is the Pokemon inside!

After several rounds of fierce competition, the HKAGE team won three awards:

1. The overall third place in the  "Safe Cracking" International Physics Tournament 2023
2. The first place in the "Best Burglars" prize
3. One of the Peers' Most Favourite Safes

The HKAGE team takes a group photo in Israel.

The HKAGE team completes the final preparations before the tournament.

A contestant examines the "Catch Your Pokémon!" safe with curiosity.

The competing teams check out each other's safes at an open exhibition held after the contest.

The HKAGE team tries to crack the Slovenian team's Titanic safe.

The HKAGE team takes time to enjoy spring in Israel.

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