Announcement
2019 Arran Engineering Competition – to be held in the Church Hall,
Lamlash, on Saturday 20th July 2019.
Entries are invited from individuals or teams of people living on the Isle of Arran.
We all take engineering for granted, however few people actually realise how much the engineer supports our daily lives. It would be fair to say that just about nobody in this day and age could get up, have breakfast and go to work or school were it not for the support of the engineer. We get up out of a bed – made with tools made by an engineer, the bed is probably engineered, we wash – who made the pump that supplies the water?, we dress – who made it possible to sew the clothes, weave the cloth, spin the yarn, and so forth. We have breakfast – how did the food get to the house, how did it get cooked, where did the electricity come from – and so it goes on. The engineering function is largely taken for granted but in reality is just about the most important support act enabling the human race to live comfortably – or at all!
Scotland has produced a large number of very worthy engineers – in fact Scotland has punched well above its weight in engineering terms for a very long time indeed, and we should be proud of it. That is why for several years now we have run an engineering competition on Arran aimed mainly at school children. However, in the past we have had many enquiries from adults wishing to take part and this year we have decided to open the competition to anyone and everyone. The rules are published on Moray House website and you can download an entry form from there too. Please get your entry in by 13th July – we need to be able to plan the day.
The task is to design and build a marble track within an envelope of one metre square and 500mm high. Your marble should travel at least 3 metres on the course and preferably much further. You may use levers, springs or other devices to lift the marble. Your marble may be used to ‘trigger’ another marble which may then take over from the first.
So, what’s there to hold you back? The further your marble goes and the longer it takes will
earn you the highest marks. Why not have a go?