I was in the beacon again yesterday setting some more problems for the aggregate. There were only three of us and then the cafe worker phones in sick so it was essentially down to 2.5. I was still in pain from my ribs/intercostal muscle injury so make that 2. The injury has really effected my scoring in the aggregate, as I think I will be down from my 4th last month, as the few extra problems I could have done were injuring me more, although I was extremely close to about four of the remaining problems.
Fortunately the powers that be decided that they would have us set 25 problems rather than 40. This meant we had much more time to check the problems. Hopefully people will like them, complaints can to the same email as questions about grades in NWC.
In the end Alex had to check the harder problems as by the end of the day I could hardly lift my right arm above my head for fear of searing pain. To be honest Alex was also goosed and had to drive to Northampton to set tomorrow and is back at the indy later in the week.
Anyway I think the Centre is going to set more problems next week, as I get the impression that people were turning up in the first week and only coming back once or twice in the month as there was only one set a month, rather than last years once a week and on going aggregate. I know I came on less than usual although injury might be to blame. Hopefully this will get people to come in more often.
I guess it is unexpected consequence, as having essentially one aggregate every month you’d think people would be in more often competing for monthly prises. It reminds me of the classic experiment where they took parents at a kindergarden and looked at late pick ups. They thought that by charging for late picks it would reduce the number of people being late. However the payment acted as a way to offset the guilt the parent had for being late and instead late picks up sky rocketed. Psychology of human behaviour is nothing if not complex!