Physics Society hosts competition testing knowledge

By Katdie Norton
Reporter

If you’ve ever wondered if you might be smarter than someone like Sheldon Cooper, you have the chance to find out during a game show-style competition against a team of physics majors.

The Society of Physics Students will host the competition at 6 p.m. Thursday in E125 Baylor Sciences Building, but there’s a catch — the topics aren’t physics related.

“It’s called ‘Are You Smarter Than a Physics Major,’ but that’s more of a promotional name,” said Caddo Mills sophomore Christlynn Henderson, president of the Society of Physics Students “Our questions aren’t aimed at anything we think the physics majors would have come into contact with more than anyone else.”

The game is in Jeopardy format with 11 categories that the event’s Facebook page has listed as Baylor traditions, modern and classical music, history, geography, science, art and literature, TV and movies, logos, social media and slang and a miscellaneous category.

“There are 11 categories, but only five will be played at a time,” Henderson said. “So, every team might have a completely new set of questions.”

Teams will consist of three to five people. Participants can either pre-form a team, or come by alone and be placed on a team.
“Depending on how many teams come, there will either be two or three teams playing at a time,” Henderson said. “One person at a time will go and they will have to stay until they get their question right.”

Also similar to Jeopardy, points will be deducted for incorrect answers.

Registration is at the door and costs $3 a person, which will benefit the society. People can register as a team or individually. Henderson encourages those who plan on coming to join the event’s Facebook page called “Are You Smarter than a Physics Major?”

“We really want people to confirm on the Facebook page,” she said. “That’s kind of like their sign-up, that way we know how many people are coming.”

Each member on the winning team will receive a green T-shirt with “Smarter Than a Physics Major” printed in white.

The physics majors already have their “dream team” assembled and looking forward to the event.

“I may be decent at physics, but I am terrible at trivia, so I am a little worried about dropping the ball on Thursday,” said Pflugerville senior Geoffrey Morizot, physics and mathematics major. “But overall I think the event will be fun for everyone who attends and I hope we get a good turnout.”