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March Mammal Madness – Bracket Competition – 2018-03-10
A sports tournament played with all members of the same species is so dull. Admit it… all humans, all about the same size, same gender, with matching limbs and no poison or biting allowed — such a boring contest! But not March Mammal Madness, where there are no cute kittens, puppies or baby sloths. This is “nature red in tooth and claw” where contestants battle to the end for glory and survival.
If you aren’t familiar, March Mammal Madness is a tournament of simulated combat between non-human mammals instead of college basketball. Created by Professor Katie Hinde of Arizona State University, the bracket is run by a team of evolutionary biologists who use science and probability to determine the outcomes of the matchups.Scientific literature is cited to substantiate likely outcomes as a probabilistic function of the two species’ attributes within the battle environment. Attributes considered in calculating battle outcome include temperament, weaponry, armor, body mass, running speed, fight style, physiology, and motivation. March Mammal Madness is an awesome way to learn about the animal kingdom and increase awareness for animal conservation, while throwing serious trash talk against rivals who threaten your dominance for master of the bracket.
Winning Bonus! Aside from bragging rights, ISC will give the top 2 winners (of point totals) TWO FREE PASSES each to our Chicago Science Festival on Saturday, May 12 in the Merchandise Mart. Submit your completed bracket to Mammals@IllinoisScience.org by Monday 3/12 at 5:00pm (if you want a chance at an extra point in the Wild Card round), or by Wednesday 3/14 at 5:00pm for the whole tournament. No late entries allowed after that.
Each round will be “played” on twitter at #2018MMM or @2018MMMletsgo (a curated twitter account of bout tweets, not spectator trash talk) where that round’s winner will be announced. Winners will also be shown on the official site here.
Learn all about Mammal Madness’ creators, this year’s divisions, FAQs and more at the HQ blogspot site. Follow along on Facebook too. Complete your bracket now! Pick your winners by March 12 for the Wild Card; by March 14 at the latest and submit to Mammals@IllinoisScience.org.