https://stonesoup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Speechless-ROBOMIND-Episode-2.m4a Podcast #2: “Speechless” Transcript: Hello, my name is Misha Ahmed, and I am your host of this podcast series called ROBOMIND. I know for those of you who weren’t here last episode you may be wondering, what does ROBOMIND mean? ROBOMIND is a combination of two things: robotics and mind. I love robotics, and I believe that it shapes how you think, and it shapes your mind. That is why I called my podcast ROBOMIND. Now, a little about me. I’m 12 now–yes, I had a birthday since the last podcast–and I am a robotics fanatic! I am on my middle school robotics team, and I want to inspire you to give robotics a shot. The name of Episode #2 is….drumroll please…”Speechless.” As you can see, I’m continuing with the Disney theme with the name of a song–one of my favorites from Aladdin. And now I want to talk about the new VEX IQ game, Full Volume, which although I’m going to be talking about it a lot, has got me speechless! But before we get started with today’s topic, I’m going to provide you with the answer to the riddle from Podcast One: Those girl bosses that we heard about last time, who were crushing it on the battlefield, they were queens on a chess board! Now that we got that done with let’s get to the juicy stuff: the game called VEX IQ Full Volume. I first heard about this game on the last day of Worlds when I was there with my elementary school team. The announcement was epic! The new game field was brought down from the roof of the convention center, and everybody was screaming like crazy in anticipation. As soon as the new video came on, it was silent. Everyone wanted to hear the description of the new game. Today, I will give you my easy and short explanation. But, first up, an analogy. Imagine you’re packing for a trip. There are three bags, and there are multiple different clothes you need to pack. Half of them are in your closet and you know where they are; the rest are in the black hole known as laundry. What does all this have to do with the game Full Volume? The person packing = the robot my team and I built. The 3 suitcases = the 3 goal zones on the field. The clothes = the 3 types of blocks on the field. The laundry = the supply zone because in the laundry you never know where things are and in the supply zone everything’s random. All the blocks are in different places. I don’t want to bore you with ALL the nitty gritty stuff, so I will go through the main points of this game. If you want to know more you can read the VEX IQ Full Volume game manual or watch the YouTube video for Full Volume. But let me just tell you what you need to know! You need to know about how to score and how to get the different bonuses. You need to know about skills challenges So, how to score. Your end goal is to score as many points as possible by using your robot to score cubes in the goal and receive as many different bonuses as possible. First, you get one point for each block scored in any goal. You can also get 5 points from knocking down red blocks off their pegs. You have a partner team–also known as your alliance–if you guys enter the supply zone, you guys will receive 20 extra points. If all blocks scored in a single goal are the same type, that goal earns a uniform bonus of 10 points. (Bonus!) You and your team can also receive a height bonus based on the highest fill level shared by all three goals. Bonus time! There are three fill levels: low, medium, and high, worth 10, 20, and 30 points. At the end of the match, robots can try to park in the supply zone. 5 points for each partially parked robot, 10 for each fully parked robot, and don’t worry I know some of you guys are like, “Do you need I license for this?” No, you just need a nice, good brain, which I’m sure all of you guys have. And a 10 point bonus for double parking. Now, I know you want to know about those skills. Every year there’s the driving and autonomous skills. Driving is when you and your team get 1 minute to drive. Then there’s the autonomous coding, which is no drivers, no remote, just code. At the end these scores will be combined to determine a Robot Skills Challenge Champion. You need to know that even if your first competition goes terrible, don’t give up. Just improve overall, and next competition you will crush it! That’s it for today. Keep your gears turning and keep your mind in shape. It is time for the new riddle! You will need a piece of paper and a PENCIL to jot down a series of letters. EPISODE 2 RIDDLE: I observed some initial letters from a sequence I see in this book. All you must do is tell me this: which letter should come next? The sequence is FSTFFSS. So tell me what is next! I’ll give you the answer next time. Thank you to all of you amazing people who added comments last time. Thank you so much! This is your host Misha Ahmed of ROBOMIND signing off!
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Weekly Creativity #280: Draw Your Favorite Meal but with Different Colors
Draw your favorite meal but with different colors.
Flash Contest #61, November 2023: Ask ChatGPT to write a short story; then write the sequel–our winners and their work
Our November 2023 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #278 (provided by Stone Soup contributor Molly Torinus), which asked that participants use ChatGPT to generate a story and then write their own sequel. Submissions this month were set in fascinating worlds. Some were desirable with mountains of candy and lush gardens and others were terrifying with swarms of rats and evil villains. Explorers traveled back in time, a girl breathed life into a snowman, and two friends became K-pop stars. As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “Detective Henri Leclerc” by Rayansh Bhargava, 10 “The Dark in the Light” by Courtney Fong, 12 “The Sequel to The Elf with Royal Blood” by Chaesung Kwon, 10 “The Rise of Rob” by Taj Malinis-Jackson, 10 “Crime of the Future” by Emma Zhou, 10 Honorable Mentions “A Strange Encounter” by Angelina Chen, 13 “The Avalanche” by Vihaan D, 6 “The Resurrection Stone” by Mia Goldschmidt, 10 “Time Travelers” by Dara Jin, 10 “Reverse Evolution” by Luke Tang, 13 Detective Henry Leclerc RAYANSH BHARGAVA, 10 The Incredible Detective Amidst the turmoil of World War II, in the heart of occupied Paris, there was a detective whose intelligence shone like a beacon of hope. Detective Henri Leclerc was renowned for his sharp mind and keen observation skills. Despite the dangers that lurked around every corner, Henri was determined to outwit the enemy and protect his city from the shadows of war. One crisp autumn evening, as air raid sirens echoed through the narrow streets, Henri received a tip about a secret meeting between enemy agents in a dimly lit café. He adjusted his fedora and tightened his coat, his eyes gleaming with determination as he headed toward the rendezvous point. Inside the café, Henri discreetly observed the suspicious gathering. He overheard hushed conversations in German, piecing together fragments of information. With his photographic memory, he memorized faces and snippets of dialogue, his mind working like a well-oiled machine. Outside, the rain began to fall, creating a rhythmic tap-tap-tap on the cobblestone streets. Henri trailed the agents through the twisting alleys of Paris, his footsteps silent, his presence unnoticed. The enemy spies led him to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, where they vanished inside. Peering through a cracked window, Henri saw the agents gathered around a table covered in maps and documents. Their sinister laughter filled the air as they plotted their next move. Unfazed, Henri pulled out a miniature camera and captured each detail, ensuring he had evidence to expose their plans. Just as he was about to retreat, he accidentally knocked over a stack of crates. The noise alerted the agents, and they stormed outside, guns drawn. Henri’s heart raced, but his wit remained sharp. “I wouldn’t make any sudden moves if I were you,” Henri said calmly, stepping into the dim light. The leader of the spies, a menacing figure with a scarred face, sneered. “Who are you?” Henri flashed his badge with a defiant grin. “Detective Henri Leclerc, at your service. I believe you dropped something back there.” He tossed a roll of film onto the table, showcasing the incriminating photographs. The spies exchanged uneasy glances, realizing they were outsmarted. “You won’t stop us, detective,” the scarred leader spat. Henri’s eyes gleamed with confidence. “Try me.” With the timely arrival of French resistance fighters, the spies were apprehended, their sinister plans thwarted. As the sun rose over the city, Henri stood tall, a true hero in a time of darkness. His intelligence and bravery had not only saved lives but also sent a powerful message – that even in the face of adversity, the human spirit, coupled with a brilliant mind, could triumph over tyranny. And so, Detective Henri Leclerc continued his fight against the enemy, his intellect serving as a guiding light, inspiring others to join the resistance and stand up against injustice. His legacy echoed through the streets of Paris, a testament to the power of intelligence and determination in the darkest days of history. Return of the Enemy Henri Leclerc didn’t suppose that the spies, also known as, in the French Resistance, the Enemy, would ever return after their embarrassing defeat they had in the warehouse. So when a case file landed on his desk with an intercepted message from the Enemy, he was surprised. “What is this?” Henri asked his assistant Jacques. Jacques didn’t answer. It was a rhetorical question. Obviously Henri knew. “Sir, we don’t know how to decode it. All we know is that it is titled ‘Operation Green Light.’” Henri observed the paper with great interest. After a thin silence, Henri laughed loud. “Oh, Jacques! This is the simplest code available — ever! The Enemy must think we are stupid!” He showed Jaques a slip of paper that had the simple code written down on it. Jacques shared in Henri’s laughter, and together they read the message, this time with ease. Hello, Agent 102. This is Agent 206 reporting from the Reichstag building in Berlin. We would like you and your team to steal the Mona Lisa and bring it to the National Treasury here in Berlin. Please do so covertly. It is only a matter of time before France and Paris are liberated, and we want to take all the treasure we can before that. Act immediately,
