Tonbridge boys use Physics skills to win national safe-cracking competition

A Tonbridge team has won the UK round of the Weizmann Get Cracking competition. Run by Weizmann Institute of Science, this contest requires teams of Lower Sixth boys to design and build their own safe, which can only be ‘cracked’ by solving various Physics puzzles. Teams from schools and colleges across the UK take it in turns to find a way to open each other’s safes. 

Two Tonbridge teams entered the UK round of the competition, which took place at Dulwich College on Sunday 5 February. 

The winning team, named ‘Currently No Current’, consisted of Justin Leung (HS4), Vir Mirchandani (FH4), Eden Cheung (FH4), Oliver Jamison (JH4) and Michael Nyamali (SH4). Team ‘suvat Slopes’ was made up of Toby Stevens (FH4), Toby Dunnet (HS4), Alex Lander (PS4) and Daniel Tollit (HS4). 

Adam Cooke, Teacher of Physics and Design Technology, said: “The competition was the climax of many months of hard work, mostly in the boys’ own time, and both teams performed well on the day. Their prize is an amazing, all-expenses-paid trip to the world competition at Weizmann Institute in Israel in late March. 

“It was an exceptional achievement to win the competition and the team can look forward to an exciting and well-earned prize.”

Winning team member Justin added: “We were fascinated by some of the designs of the other teams. In the end, we cracked most of the safes with our calm but fast thinking. In the judging round, we explained the Physics principles used in our safe and the applications of those principles. We were asked some challenging questions by the judges, but we answered them all. 

“We all really enjoyed this competition, especially when our ideas finally came together, and we’re looking forward to the upcoming international competition in Israel.”