The Physics Olympiad brought excitement, ingenuity, and surprise to Ciências ULisboa

It's possible that one day a new scientific model will emerge that helps explain how someone shatters their cell phone after winning a gold medal, but for now, Lourenço Mestre Homem can only rely on a famous theory to explain what happened on Saturday at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Ciências ULisboa), when he learned that he had won one of the qualifying rounds of the Regional Phase of the Physics Olympiad for high school students: "Nothing is lost, nothing is gained, everything is transformed," says the young man from the Colégio Marista de Carcavelos. Meanwhile, Diogo Fonseca and Mariana Rodrigues, from the Coruche School Group, had no setbacks in securing the top spot in the Basic Education competition. More than 230 students from Lisbon, Ribatejo and Alentejo visited Ciências ULisboa to participate in the qualifying rounds of the Olympiads organized by the Portuguese Physical Society (SPF). In addition to the winners, students awarded silver and bronze medals or honorable mentions also secured places in the National Phase scheduled for May 16 in Coimbra.

"I was convinced that the theory test had gone quite well." In the practical test, there were things that seemed strange at first, but I managed to do them. When they started calling out the names (of the top-ranked students) and they called out the second place, I really thought I no longer had a chance of being among the best…” describes Lourenço Mestre Homem about the announcement of the winner of the Physics Olympiad competition for high school students.

It was precisely during the announcement of the winner that Lourenço Mestre Homem let his cell phone slip on the hinges of the seat he was occupying in the Great Auditorium, creating the conditions for the fateful end of its screen, but the mishap did not dim the sparkle in the eyes of those who teach him every day. “We had to hold a school test to select, from among 28 students, who would come here for this Regional Phase of the Physics Olympiad. “We created this test precisely because many students wanted to participate!”, describes Fernanda Barbosa, Physics and Chemistry teacher at Colégio Marista de Carcavelos.

In the competition dedicated to Basic Education, which involved schools represented by teams with a maximum of three students, there were already those who knew the special taste of winning a competition – and that is exactly what Mariana Rodrigues made sure to remind everyone: “This medal would not have been possible without Diogo Fonseca. "He was the one who played the biggest role in the test. And it was thanks to him – and also to the work of our teacher – that we got here.”

Diogo Fonseca, who also has a first-place finish in a national Astronomy Olympiad final on his resume, doesn't get carried away with overconfidence and admits that Saturday's tests were “a little difficult.” Regarding the future, he only assures that he wants to "pursue science" and will leave the choice of discipline for later.

In the Basic Education category, the Regional Phase of the Olympics awarded the silver medal to the team made up of Inês Peixoto, Lourenço Mestre and Manuel Neves from the Delfim Santos School, in Lisbon, and the bronze medal to the team made up of Guilherme Leandro, Alexandre Vinagre and Guilherme Magalhães from the Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro School Group, in Caldas da Rainha.

In the competition among high school students, the silver medal was awarded to Gustavo Pereira Passos from Salesianos do Estoril, while the bronze medal was awarded to Francisco Martins Peixe from Salesianos de Évora. In addition to the medalists, the high school competition granted honorable mentions to Fausto Fonte, from Escola Maria Amália Vaz de Carvalho, in Lisbon; Duarte Figueira, from Escola Secundária Jorge Peixinho, in Montijo; Eduardo Cadete, from Colégio Moderno, in Lisbon; Tomás Lopes, from Escola Emídio Navarro, in Almada; Guilherme Martins, from Escola D. Filipa de Lencastre, in Lisbon; Daniel Marques, from Colégio Valsassina, in Lisbon; and Ana Grilo, from Escola Secundária de Alcochete.

All the distinguished teams earned the right to compete on equal footing in the National Phase with teams qualified from other regions of the country. The national champion will secure spots in the 2027 International Olympiad and the 2027 Ibero-American Olympiad.

At an event attended by over 80 teachers from various basic and high schools, as well as many others with university-based careers, there was no shortage of experience in identifying vocations. "The Ciências ULisboa is very pleased to have you (students and teachers) here and that this phase of the Olympics is being held here in collaboration with the SPF." It's a great project that benefits everyone and allows us to get an idea of ​​the CIÊNCIAS Campus and the research that is done here in the field of Physics. "If you want to come and study Physics at Ciências ULisboa, you will be very welcome!", emphasized Conceição Freitas, faculty dean of Ciências ULisboa, before the awarding of medals and honorable mentions to the students with the best scores in the two categories that were part of this competition.

The tests this Saturday took place in the morning, in parallel with lectures aimed at the teachers who accompanied the students in the competition. During the two-hour test, the students had to answer a theoretical component and a practical component. The chosen topics were part of the school curriculum, but they took on variations that added a surprise factor. The high school exams involved elasticity measurements in the practical test, while the basic school exams referred to determining the viscosity of a dishwashing detergent.

In the afternoon, there was a screening of videos dedicated to advertising Physics and the ceremony announcing the winners. Every moment of the event benefited from the commitment of the Ciências ULisboa community.

“The experimental kits that we sent to various parts of the country were made here at the Faculty. We are talking about more than 300 experimental kits that could not have been made without the effort of professors and technicians from Ciências ULisboa,” replies Jorge Sampaio, professor in the Department of Physics at Ciências ULisboa and President of the Southern and Islands Delegation of the Portuguese Physical Society, who coordinated the regional qualifying rounds of the Physics Olympiad at Ciências ULisboa.

In addition to the facilities, the contribution of Ciências ULisboa included students and teachers assisting with grading and supervising exams. "Although they didn't have the opportunity to see the entire Faculty, these students had the chance to use the same laboratories that we use to teach at Ciências ULisboa." "We are trying to spark interest in science," adds the professor at Ciências ULisboa.

As in all competitions, the best end up standing out – and this aspect also brought added value to the organization of the Regional Phase of the Ciências ULisboa Olympiad. “This event allows us to connect with some of the best physics students from almost the entire Southern Region,” adds Nuno Matela, professor in the Department of Physics at Ciências ULisboa and a member of the organizing committee for the Regional Final of the Physics Olympiad.

Today he is one of the well-known faces in the Department of Physics, but Nuno Matela didn't always envision a career in this scientific field. "Back in my day, I had no idea what I liked, and perhaps now I would be a mechanical engineer or a civil engineer if I hadn't gone to the Physics Olympiad one day," he emphasizes. Like any object that obeys the laws of physics, even vocations respond to a slight push.