New souvenir challenge: The Science of Discovery

[+Max and 99]

https://www.geocaching.com/blog/2021/03/new-souvenir-challenge-the-science-of-discovery/

 

It’s 21 years into the 21st century and geocachers continue to be experts in the science of discovery. Recently, geocaching innovators have experimented in the Adventure Lab® to create new experiences. From interactive food tours to local trivia, cachers are formulating Adventures in new ways.

Let’s combine geocaching with Adventure Lab to create the perfect solution for discovery. April 12 through July 11, find Adventure Lab Caches and other geocache types to earn up to four scien-terrific souvenirs.

Join this challenge to learn more about Adventures and the undeniable chemistry between geocaching and science.

How to play

From April 12 at noon UTC through July 11, 2021, collect points on your leaderboard by logging Adventure Lab Caches and other geocache types. Earn up to four new souvenirs by collecting 300 points during the promotion period.

How do I find Adventure Lab Caches?

Download the Adventure Lab® app for Android or iOS and start playing!

• Open the app, go to your profile, and log in with your Geocaching account. 
• Select a nearby Adventure from the map or the directory list. Read the description to learn more.
• Tap Start and navigate to the nearest available Location.
• Follow the instructions in the description. Find and enter the Location answer.
• After submitting the correct answer, you earn an Adventure Lab Cache find for your geocaching statistics and 10 points on your leaderboard.
• Visit all Locations. Enter the solution for each Location to complete the Adventure. Be sure to rate it and share your experience!

What are the four souvenirs I can earn?

Rocket science: 50 points
Geology: 100 points
Environmental science: 200 points
Futurology: 300 points

Edited March 30, 2021 by Max and 99

[+mustakorppi]

Finding a geocache is worth 5 to 9 points, so "worst case scenario" 60 finds in three months for all souvenirs.

[+Lynx Humble]

Not hyper difficult in my case to find 30-60 caches in 3 months but at least it's a bit more challenging than the recents promotions we got.

[+Reno8]

Is it 10 points for each ALC stop or 10 points for the ALC as a whole?

 

Completing one ALC could give you 50 points!

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Reno8

[+Max and 99]

6 minutes ago, Reno8 said:

Is it 10 points for each ALC stop or 10 points for the ALC as a whole?

 

Completing one ALC could give you 50 points!

 

I believe this answers your question:

 

• Tap Start and navigate to the nearest available Location.
• Follow the instructions in the description. Find and enter the Location answer.
• After submitting the correct answer, you earn an Adventure Lab Cache find for your geocaching statistics and 10 points on your leaderboard.

[+dprovan]

13 minutes ago, Reno8 said:

Is it 10 points for each ALC stop or 10 points for the ALC as a whole?

 

Completing one ALC could give you 50 points!

Too funny. At first I thought you were making a silly claim for laughs, poking fun about the 5 for 1 AL advantage. And I was going to applaud you for the humor. But then after half a second thought, I realized you are just making what's almost certainly a factual statement. They really can't d it any other way. Not so funny after all, me thinks, but I still appreciate you pointing it out regardless of whether it was for laughs or just to make sure we noticed.

 

I wasn't worried about finding 60 caches in 3 months, and I wasn't sure I'd bother to find any ALs to do it, but now I'm thinking about starting off with 6 ALs in the first week just because that's the way it's done. (Doesn't actually have to be 6 ALs: there are a few of the 10 stage Lincoln Highway ALs in my area....)

[+Reno8]

Thanks!

 

So 50 points for one ALC and since a lot of them have bonuses caches associated with them in which most have over 10 favorite points you can potentially get 59 points! Just seems to easy!! Wonder if they are finally gonna subsume ALC's into the app?

Edited March 30, 2021 by Reno8

[+thebruce0]

The blog post [now] also clarifies, for 10 points: "Found an Adventure Lab Cache (Adventure Location)"

[+niraD]

Does logging an ALC still create anomalies in your stats?

[+Gill & Tony]

I've got a trip planned, doing at least 5 ALs, plus lots of caches.  The trip ends on April 11th! 

[+fuzziebear3]

I think the have the sciences backwards ...

 

Rocket science: 50 points
Geology: 100 points
Environmental science: 200 points
Futurology: 300 points

 

Rocket science is a lot harder than geology or environmental science.   And I don't even think futurology is a science.

 

 

 

 

[+dprovan]

3 hours ago, fuzziebear3 said:

I think the have the sciences backwards ...

 

Rocket science: 50 points
Geology: 100 points
Environmental science: 200 points
Futurology: 300 points

 

Rocket science is a lot harder than geology or environmental science.   And I don't even think futurology is a science.

I'm just glad "social engineering" isn't on the list. It'd probably be ranked above Environmental Science.

[+jaysonC]

I was not a cacher when ALs were introduced, and I haven't done any yet, but I think it's interesting to see a promotion specifically trying to incentivise the ALs. I know they can be a controversial feature, so I think the choice to push them via a promotional event is intriguing. Are they hoping some people will try them if they haven't before and get on board? That the anti-ALs will give them a second chance? I would have thought that providing the improvements that people want from the ALs would be the best way to promote them, but I could see this working too. I'm certainly going to try some ALs since I haven't done any yet - it's just a matter of figuring out which ones around me I can do with our current local restrictions.

[+JL_HSTRE]

23 hours ago, jaysonC said:

Are they hoping some people will try them if they haven't before and get on board?

 

I suspect this is the reason. Get more people to try them: more interest, more feedback, stress test the app.

[+MNTA]

I wish they would make it one app. 

[Keystone]

In response to complaints from community members who want to talk about the souvenir challenge, I've hidden a number of off-topic posts from view.

[LeataCharity]

On 3/30/2021 at 12:05 PM, mustakorppi said:

Finding a geocache is worth 5 to 9 points, so "worst case scenario" 60 finds in three months for all souvenirs.

Ahhh, "60 finds in three months" ! I only find a few a month, last year I only found 6 caches and only 4 days caching! I also have never found an AL cache.

I plan too do a lot more this year, so far I have only found 21 caches this year! 

 

I am also fairly new to the game. 

 

I'm happy. 

[+Chrysalides]

I was going to comment on how difficult it is to find Challenge progress in the profile, when I decided maybe I should take a look at the "new" profile page (that has been around for a while) and lo and behold, there they are I guess it is finally time for me to move away from the original profile page.

[+barefootjeff]

I delete AL finds from my caching statistics because of their disproportionate weighting compared to other cache types, so I'm curious to see whether they'll also disappear from the scoring in this promotion when I do that.

[+Chrysalides]

8 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

I delete AL finds from my caching statistics because of their disproportionate weighting compared to other cache types, so I'm curious to see whether they'll also disappear from the scoring in this promotion when I do that.

 

Please science (heh) this and let us know

[+OZ2CPU]

where is the live score board ?
web page link ?
not an app ?

Edited April 10, 2021 by OZ2CPU

[+Max and 99]

6 hours ago, OZ2CPU said:

where is the live score board ?
web page link ?
not an app ?

You can see your progress in the app I believe (maybe not?), but on the website under your friend's, leaderboard, you can see the scoreboard. It's a hidden feature I only access during promotions. 

[+barefootjeff]

Just to put the scoring for this promotion into a bit of perspective. I plan to kick it off on Tuesday with a new AL on Sydney Harbour. From a comfortable seat on one of the harbour ferries, the AL requires answering five questions as it makes its way from Circular Quay to Pyrmont over the course of about 30 minutes. There's then a 1.5/1.5 quick-grab bonus cache near the final location, giving a total of 57 points. By contrast, I spent all of yesterday doing a 1.5/4 traditional in the Watagan Mountains, a 4km hike each way with an elevation gain of almost 400 metres. Since it only has 7 FPs from its 28 finds over ten years, it would have gotten me 5 points.

 

Yes, I know this promotion is all about promoting ALs, but I know which caching day will be the most memorable and it won't be the ferry ride.

Edited April 11, 2021 by barefootjeff

[+Max and 99]

On 3/30/2021 at 3:42 PM, Reno8 said:

Is it 10 points for each ALC stop or 10 points for the ALC as a whole?

 

Completing one ALC could give you 50 points!

 

It could also give you 100 points. 

[+terratin]

I want the geology one, which fortunately is second tier. I don’t think I need to do anything special to get it. And then... who knows. I’ll hide all other souvenirs anyway. Simples 

[+MartyBartfast]

Hmm, think I'll do it without any ALs, not gonna be difficult!

[+Max and 99]

On 4/10/2021 at 9:58 AM, OZ2CPU said:

where is the live score board ?
web page link ?
not an app ?

I'm sorry to report that with this promotion, Groundspeak has chosen to incorporate the leaderboard on the app. First time I've ever seen this and I don't like it one bit. 

[+HHL]

1 hour ago, Max and 99 said:

First time I've ever seen this and I don't like it one bit.

No one forces you to have a look at it, right? No need for a rant at all.

[+barefootjeff]

On 4/8/2021 at 8:00 AM, Chrysalides said:

On 4/8/2021 at 7:52 AM, barefootjeff said:

I delete AL finds from my caching statistics because of their disproportionate weighting compared to other cache types, so I'm curious to see whether they'll also disappear from the scoring in this promotion when I do that.

 

Please science (heh) this and let us know

 

Okay, having done an AL today along with its bonus and another traditional with 10+ FPs, I ended up with 66 points on my leaderboard. I then deleted one of the AL's locations from my profile and the points dropped back to 56. So sadly yes, excluding ALs from bloating one's statistics also excludes them from this promotion.

[+terratin]

Am I the only one thinking that Rocket Science is somewhat of an odd wording? Aerospace Engineering yes, Rocket Science? Hmm.. Futurology is also a bit.. vague in that it's not really sure whether it's an art or science study, and doesn't really seem to fit the theme of this challenge.

Anyway: anyone else on Team Geology?

[+HHL]

20 minutes ago, terratin said:

Futurology is also a bit.. vague

No, it isn't. (click here) Actually we could be happy that they didn't use the word Scientology.

[+mustakorppi]

3 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

So sadly yes, excluding ALs from bloating one's statistics also excludes them from this promotion.

Wait until you hit 300 points and get the souvenirs before deleting them?

[+barefootjeff]

20 minutes ago, mustakorppi said:

Wait until you hit 300 points and get the souvenirs before deleting them?

 

Yes, that should work I guess.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

20 hours ago, HHL said:

No one forces you to have a look at it, right? No need for a rant at all.

 

Even if a bunch of geocachers never look at it, the fact that it exists might create an a competitive incentive that some might not want to have impacting the game.   Sorry, "just ignore it" doesn't make it go away and prevent any negative impact it might have.  

[+dprovan]

On 3/31/2021 at 9:36 AM, dprovan said:

I'm just glad "social engineering" isn't on the list. It'd probably be ranked above Environmental Science.

 

6 hours ago, HHL said:

No, it isn't. (click here) Actually we could be happy that they didn't use the word Scientology.

I stand corrected: they *did* include "social engineering" in the list, but they called it "Futurology". And it *is* ranked above Environmental Science!

[+Tungstène]

Hi everyone,

 

I made a mistake yesterday by logging a "Found It" where I wanted to log a "Write Note". I noticed it immediately and converted my log into its intended type.

 

But in my leaderboard, my wrong "Found It" is still counted as such (and it gave me 9 points I don't deserve). Is there something I can do to correct my leaderboard score (i.e. remove 9 points I gained by error)?

 

Thanks!

[+david&diana]

You could find another cache worth 9 points, log it as a note, and edit it to a find. That way your leaderboard score would be correct.

 

[+Tungstène]

Good idea! Thank you!

 

I didn't want to earn anything else than batches of ten points (it's some kind of "challenge into the challenge" I chose to perform), so I'd rather find a way to remove those 9 points... But if it would prove being impossible, I will use your trick.

 

Thanks again.

[+r.e.s.t.seekers]

Is it meant to be set up to have zero points for attending an event?  It isn't a "found it" log, but an "attended."  Are webcam "photo taken" logs also excluded?  Or should I fuss about no points from a cito? 

 

[+Max and 99]

14 hours ago, r.e.s.t.seekers said:

Is it meant to be set up to have zero points for attending an event?  It isn't a "found it" log, but an "attended."  Are webcam "photo taken" logs also excluded?  Or should I fuss about no points from a cito? 

 

I'm guessing based on the information I see on the souvenir promotion that events do not count. Just my assumption.

 

[+terratin]

Doing the unchallenge again: I'm at 235 points now without trying. Pretty much all caches I found over the past two days awarded 9 points. Ho hum. Time to hide a few souvenirs again (the goelogy one may stay)

[+Max and 99]

The Leaderboard is useless. 

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Max and 99

[+Mountains2017]

The Challenge is ending in a few hours and I already got all the points to complete it. But I still just have won 3 souvenirs, nothing more. Is there a bug somewhere? 

[+Max and 99]

16 hours ago, Mountains2017 said:

The Challenge is ending in a few hours and I already got all the points to complete it. But I still just have won 3 souvenirs, nothing more. Is there a bug somewhere? 

Since your souvenirs have still not arrived I would contact HQ. 

[+ShanneW]

I'm another  geocacher who wasn't awarded all the souvenirs even though I scored over 300.   

 

We've been shielding for ever (daughter, not me) and the weather has not been the best for getting out on to the fields, but when it was announced we were having the big reopening on 19 July we reckoned that it was probably safer to go caching earlier rather than after the 19 July so we went out for a couple of days caching.  Up until that point we'd been finding anything new locally or when we were out for hospital appointments.   

 

We had collected the first souvenir in early June and by the end of 9 July, the first of the geocaching days out, we had collected the second souvenir and had found nearly enough geocaches for the third.  It tipped down on 10 July so we didn't get out again on 11 July when we followed a section of a local geo-art trail that I'd solved a while back.  On that trail we found 20 odd caches bringing our total on the Science of Discovery to more than 300 points, but as we were caching the page changed and the souvenirs disappeared entirely, so we weren't awarded either of the last two souvenirs.   I'm in the UK, we were caching early morning US time.