The LET THERE BE LIGHT CHALLENGE

Give the teams a string of Xmas lights & a swift moving stream. The teams have to come up with a hydro-electrical generating device that will crank out enough juice to light the most lightbulbs, or appliances, or TVs, or whatever. The team that generates the most juice wins. Then watch for these devices to pop up all over the English countryside.

This is not only terribly interesting, but also "earth-friendly", and very educational. Not all challenges have to be about kicking the crap out of each other or destroying something...this would take a great deal of strategy, and there are literally thousands of ways this could be accomplished.

-- Paul Martel (martel.p@hfcrd.ab.ca), January 30, 2001

Answers

As a high school science teacher I think my students would find an episode like this one to be very interesting.

You've got my vote! It should be pretty easy to find experts for this challenge.

-- Jack Hull (pysanka@hotmail.com), January 30, 2001.

If the teams could do this they might be able to market their inventions to folks who own cottages, cabins, etc. near rivers.

I like it!

-- Yu Nang (buzz@bcseeds.com), January 30, 2001.

Good challenge. It's important that the output be measured because it's relatively easy to generate electricity - just keep the water off the old car alternator. Hey wait, how would you string a bunch of alternators together?

I'm now intrigued.

-- Serge Bouvier (serge_bouvier@hotmail.com), January 30, 2001.

You don't need a bunch of alternators to do this. Just one big one and bank of batteries. The trick to this challenge would be NO RUNNING STREAM... piece of cake..for 12 volt. Try 110 volt.Now there's a challenge without an invertor...

-- Craig Wardle (cwardle@execulink.com), January 31, 2001.