In the competition known as the Science Olympiad, there is an event called "Boomilevers". This event involves building a structure that will be attached to a wall on one side and will support the maximum possible weight on the other side, while the structure itself weighs as little as possible. The Boomilever is a long-running Olympic event and requires careful attention to detail and critical thinking in architecture in order to achieve the maximum efficiency score possible. There are numerous limitations and guidelines set out in the Olympiad rules, defining the height and length of the boomilever and how the boomilever should be attached to the wall. This leads to a construct similar to a real-world situation, where resources must be used efficiently. Before we continue much further, a few terms need to be defined. Above all, these are the two main forces that act on the lever: tension and compression. Tension is the force acting on the side of the boomilever that is “away” from the wall, or the top side. On the other end of the spectrum is compression, which is the force acting on the side of the boomilever being pushed toward the wall or bottom of the device. Generally, compression is the main concern in construction. Boomilevers are most often constructed in the form of right triangles, in order to resist the greatest number of forces. Naturally, this creates a hypotenuse and also helps define the device. If the tension element is the hypotenuse, then the device is known as a "tension boomilever". On the other hand, if the compression element is the hypotenuse, we then speak of a “compression boomilever”. When boomilever testing begins, a weight is placed on the side farthest from the base, or distal end. This... middle of paper ...... can be seen in this graphic: Overall, this Science Olympiad event is much more than sticking sticks together. There are many factors to consider, and it's not very realistic to just throw together a boomilever on a whim and hope that it's effective. There are many technical details and terms associated with a successful device. Some of the main factors come from the materials used and where they were used on the structure. Some are best used in one place or another. All of this must be taken into consideration when deciding how best to use the physics and forces applied to the boomilever. As it is a simple machine, it dominates in simplicity for a somewhat arduous task. Laws such as the Lever Law and Euler's Buckling Theorem come into play when testing and competition begins. A structure of wood and glue surely has much more to offer than it seems.