Have an undying thirst to know more about materials, but papers and posters not your thing? Fear not; for you, we have one of our most popular events. A fun quiz, Mindbend tests the participants’ knowledge of obscure facts about materials in an interactive format. It will be a true amalgamation of visual rounds and written tests, full of interesting and intriguing questions.

If you are the kind who knows that Damascus swords contained carbon nanotube structures, then it is you we’re looking for. If you know that the humble iron can make military aircraft invulnerable to radar;  Mindbend is the biggest platform for your spontaneity and acumen.

This is not just a quiz. It is a challenge to your general awareness of the interdisciplinary field of materials. Come, test the ability to apply your knowledge in day to day situations.

The subject areas covered by Mindbend span all of materials. An indicative syllabus has been provided for the quiz.

• History and evolution of materials: Historical Significance, Smart Materials, Materials in news.
• Properties Of Metals: Electronic, Optical, thermal and magnetic properties, Characterization of materials, X-ray, electron microscopy, etc.
• Mechanical properties: Processing of metals, casting, powder metallurgy.
• Corrosion: Oxidation of metals, corrosion protection methods.

• The quiz will consist of three rounds, starting with prelims, which will be in written format. The top six teams go through to the second round, which will be held in standard quiz format.  One team is eliminated on the basis of points garnered at the end of each sub-round.
• At the end of three sub-rounds, a wildcard round will be conducted, where a team from the audience gets direct entry into the last round. Eliminated teams can also participate in this round. The final round will feature four teams.
• In addition, questions for audience will fetch attractive prizes. The team with the highest score after the second round will be rewarded.  Organisers’ decision will be final and binding.The quiz will consist of three stages, starting with prelims, which will be in written format.

Rules and Regulations

• Participants are required to pre-register on the Engineer website in teams of two.
• No restrictions are placed on the number of teams from each college/university.
• There is no registration fee for this event.

Q) How metallurgy-specific will Mindbend be? Can people from other disciplines compete?
While Mindbend is centred on materials around us, it aims to throw light upon little known properties of general interest. Hence, the event doesn’t necessitate knowledge or a course in core metallurgy. A general knowledge and inquisitiveness about metals will, however, be an advantage to teams.

Q) What is the total duration of Mindbend?
All rounds of Mindbend will be conducted on the same day with short breaks between rounds. The event is scheduled to be completed within 4 hours.