Fundamental
Our daydreams and crappy, bored and drunken talks have made no sense, until now. This is your chance to bring it to life. Inspired by BAHFest, held at MIT Cambridge, we at Pragyan present, fundaM.E.N.T.A.L- the fundas of Mindblowingly Entertaining Nonsensical Theories About Life.. The objective of the event is to develop a ridiculous yet simple theory and support it using genuine scientific laws and principles, statistic data, diagrams etc. No boundaries on your theory, it can be anything. The opportunities are limitless. The mind is your playing field. Look beyond what you see.
Schedule:
28th Feb: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Venue: EEE auditorium
Cash Prizes worth INR 35000 to be won!!
There will be two rounds:
1. Abstract Round
- Teams will need to submit an abstract of their theory in minimum 500 words. Graphs and
diagrams along with the abstract will be appreciated.
- Ten teams will be shortlisted based on the judging criteria.
- Abstracts must be sent to fundamental@pragyan.org before 10.2.2016
2. Final Round
• Every team has to exhibit its theory in the form of a presentation.
• Each team will have 6 minutes on stage for their presentation.
• Audio and video facilities will be provided.
• Teams will also have to defend their theory to the judges when asked questions.
• Evaluation will be done based on the judging criteria.
Initial selection of teams and our judges will be grading theories on four criteria:
• Force of Science - How much “scientific” information was brought forward (graphs, real
citations, “research” etc.)
• Artistry - How unexpected and clever the idea and presentation are, and how well the
presentation is delivered.
• Parsimony - The simplest theory that explains the most data
• Strength of Defence - How well the theory is defended in front of the judges.
· Team of maximum 3 members
· No reproduction of previous theories.
· No vulgarity, foul language.
· Discourage anything overly grotesque or horrifying.
· No major changes from abstract will be tolerated.
· Judges’ decision will be final.
The theories that cannot be brough forward again include the ones that were presented at BAHfest, as well as those that were
presented in the previous editions of fundaM.E.N.T.A.L. Refer to the resources section for theories that were brought in last year.
Do I need three people in my team to participate?
A maximum of three participants, thus, less than that is permitted. If there exists a team with no
participants, we shall consider it null and void.
Is there a restriction to the randomness of my theory?
If you can phrase it, you can use it. There is no limit to your imagination.
What will I be needing for the event?
A theory. And the necessary PowerPoint Presentation you have made, to support the same.
Necessary materials you intend on using while presenting.
Yourself. Plus the friends or foes that may speak with you.
An imagination. With a dash of scientific mumbo jumbo.
How long can my PowerPoint Presentation be?
As long as you need. Just ensure that you present it within the allotted time and make it as
interactive as possible.
Can I use media files in my presentation?
Yes. You are free to do so. All forms are allowed, ensuring you stick to the stage time allotted.
Please ensure that all media files are compatible and in working conditions well before
presenting on stage.
How long do I get to speak on stage?
6 minutes is the maximum time allotted for each team to present their theory. Followed by a
Q&A session by the judges.
Can I use humor in what I present?
Yes please.
Must my team members be from my college alone?
No such restriction exists. All you need are registered email IDs.
Can UG and PG Collaborate?
Yes they can. A team may consist of anyone pursuing their U.G., P.G. or even Ph.D.
What does this event test?
The event tests the following:
• Creativity of the participants-how unexpected or simple the idea is
• Scientific Accuracy of the main theory and its support theories
• Power of rationalization and substantiation
• Presentation skills (to an extent)
When will I be informed if I am selected to the next round?
If you are selected for the next round you will receive a mail a month before Pragyan with details
of your participation. May the odds be ever in your favour.
For full event details click here.
Provided below are links to certain BAHfest videos so that you may understand how the event works.
Once you've watched these, feel free to watch a lot more videos.
They're worth it.
Here are some theories from last year's participants:
1) The Extra-Terrestrial Elucidation - Aliens transfer vital knowledge to human babies.
2) The Footwrap Disappearace Anomaly Discerned in Decontaminating Centrifugal Gyration Cavities - Why do Socks
disappear in the Washing Machine?
3) The Phenomenon of Dormancy of Novice's Encephalon during period of Intellectual Enhancement - Why do students
fall asleep in class?
4) Snowflakes containing Encrypted information.
5) The Hole in the Vada theory.
For Event queries:
George Jacob +91 82 20 275752
Suriya A +91 90031 23511
Sreevatsan +91 95661 02288
Email us at : fundamental@pragyan.org
For further queries:
Arjun Perezhi +91 8220284003
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. M.C. Santhosh Kumar,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Physics.
- Prizes worth ₹1.4 million up for grabs
- Click here to start playing Beer Factory
- Pragyan CTF has started
- Dalal Street has started
- Click here to start playing PPL
- Labyrinth has started