Science Showdown Highlight Reel: Chemistry Was Game On

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And then there was a slew of action in the Mortar and Pestle Region. Janet Stemwedel, ethicist to the stars, was there to give the pre-game rundown. Her sense of the science's strengths and weakness proved prescient.

It began like this...

Here are the first round match ups:

Acid vs. Base: It's not a surprise to find these teams here, as they're standbys in the Chemistry Conference. While tournament games are all played inside, we hear that Acid has been practicing out in the rain to get ready for these games. It's worth noting that Base has put in a surprisingly strong showing all season.

Caffeine vs. Ethanol: Another classic battle in collegiate chemistry. Both teams have their rabid fans, but we should note that Ethanol has been getting in more trouble with college officials this season. A win here might help put that unpleasantness behind them.

f-orbitals vs. d-orbitals: Everyone expected to see d-orbitals here again this year, but the appearance of f-orbitals in the tournament is a bit of a surprise. There are probably fans in the stands who may not even recognize the f-orbitals as they file in. Fans of the p-orbitals, who didn't make the cut this year, will have to find the node in their bitterness about their fortunes.

And continued here.

The final scores from that sound were discussed here.

In retrospect, this was one of the more competitive rounds, with only Entropy v Enthalpy giving lopsided results.

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