Controversy erupts over answers in the 2023 Road to Olympia final.

Specifically, in the final round of the 2023 Road to Olympia competition, there was a question: "Liquid glass is used to make adhesives for glass, ceramics, and many other applications. Please state which two compounds make up a concentrated solution of liquid glass (provide their molecular formulas)?" This question was given to Nguyen Trong Thanh (Tran Phu High School for the Gifted, Hai Phong City).

This candidate answered: "Na₂SiO₃and K₂SiO₃" but then corrected to "Sodium Silicate and Potassium Silicate".

The MC noted the following answer (Sodium Silicate and Potassium Silicate - PV) and stated that Trong Thanh's answer was incorrect, so the right to answer belonged to the remaining contestants. Immediately, Nguyen Viet Thanh (Soc Son High School, Hanoi) pressed the buzzer and answered: "Na₂SiO₃and K₂SiO₃".

According to the MC: "Trong Thanh didn't read the question carefully. The question clearly asked for the molecular formula, so the final answer we received was not the molecular formula."

At this point, Trong Thanh raised his hand to argue: "The molecular formula is in parentheses, so you can state the molecular formula or not. Because the question only asks to identify the two compounds, I can name the substances." After hearing this, the representative of the advisory board agreed with Trong Thanh's explanation.

Disagreeing with the advisory board's decision, Viet Thanh also raised his hand to counter: "If both the name and the formula are stated, then there's no need for parentheses. And if there are parentheses, then the correct molecular formula must be stated."

A representative from the advisory board responded: "Regarding the meaning of substances, you can read their names or their formulas. When talking about a substance, people usually use its name. Parentheses are just for added detail. I think just reading the name is sufficient."

In the end, Trong Thanh's score increased by 20 points.

After the 2023 Road to Olympia final, the two answers "Na"₂SiO₃and K₂SiO₃The questions " and "Sodium Silicate and Potassium Silicate" sparked debate online. Many supported Viet Thanh, but there were also opinions supporting Trong Thanh. Another opinion stated: "The answer must be either right or wrong. It can't be 'I think so' as the representative of the advisory board said."

Another answer that sparked controversy among both candidates and netizens was the question: "In the poem..."Respectfully addressed to Mr. Nguyen DuThe poet Tố Hữu wrote: "Who among future generations will weep with Tố Như?/ In the future, no matter when…/ The verses of yesteryear, who would have thought they would resonate today!" Which two lines of poetry by Nguyễn Du are the author referring to as "the verses of yesteryear," and in which poem? (For Nguyễn Minh Triết, Quốc Học High School for the Gifted, Thừa Thiên - Huế province)

This candidate was unable to answer. The right to answer belonged to Le Xuan Manh (Ham Rong High School, Thanh Hoa province), and the candidate stated: "Who knows if three hundred years from now, will anyone weep for To Nhu?" is a quote from the poem "Reading the Tale of Tieu Thanh".

The show's MC agreed with Xuan Manh's answer, so the young man from Thanh Hoa province was awarded an additional 30 points.

However, Trong Thanh quickly raised his hand to object. According to Trong Thanh: "If the exam asks about a line of poetry by Nguyen Du, then you must read the original line ("I do not know, three hundred years later / Who in the world will weep for To Nhu?" - PV) and not the translated version because there are many different translations."

According to the advisory board representative, the poem "Reading the Tale of Xiao Qing" is very famous and included in the high school curriculum. The approved answer provided by the program could be given in one of two ways: reading the original Chinese version or a translation. It could be "I wonder if, three hundred years from now, anyone will weep for To Nhu?" or "I wonder if, three hundred years from now, anyone in the world will weep for To Nhu?"

And the two "correct" answers to this question, as shared by the advisory panel, have continued to provoke reactions from netizens. Some agree with the advisory panel and Xuan Manh's answer. However, many others argue that the advisory panel's explanation is unconvincing, while Trong Thanh's argument is more valid.

The 2023 Road to Olympia final is considered the first time contestants have directly challenged the MC and the program's advisory board. This shows that today's youth, represented by the 2023 Road to Olympia finalists, have equipped themselves with critical thinking skills. They know how to use their knowledge and reasoning to challenge what they believe is incorrect.

The counter-arguments from the contestants in the 2023 Road to Olympia final hopefully inspire young people to reflect, pay attention to, practice, and improve this skill. This will ensure that critical thinking is no longer seen as a weakness among young people, as many have previously believed.

Furthermore, the criticisms from Trong Thanh and Viet Thanh may prompt the organizers of the "Road to Olympia" program to reconsider and refine their question design, preventing the appearance of controversial questions and answers like those that have occurred.

The final of the 23rd season of the "Road to Olympia" competition has concluded with Lê ​​Xuân Mạnh from Hàm Rồng High School, Thanh Hóa province, emerging victorious.

With Le Xuan Manh's victory in the 2023 Road to Olympia competition, this marks the first time Thanh Hoa province has had a contestant win the final round of this competition.

The Organizing Committee awarded the laurel wreath and a prize of $50,000 to the champion of the 23rd season of "Road to Olympia," Le Xuan Manh. This is the highest prize ever awarded. Additionally, the prizes for the second and third place winners have doubled compared to last year.