We’ve seen plenty of baking competitions, and we’ve seen competitions that involve math, engineering and science. But have we ever seen one that utilises both at the same time? Probably not. Baking Impossible is a competition where teams of bakers and engineers – put together by judge and preeminent “bakineer” Andrew Smyth – mostly-edible creations that can withstand a particular week’s stress test. The winning team of each “mission” gets a leg up on the next one, and the losing team goes home. The overall winning team gets $100,000. In the first “mission”, the teams, who are just being introduced to each other, have nine hours to build a boat. There are a few requirements, including a “dessert” element that will be judged on the usual food show taste/texture standards. There will also be sails and a remote-controlled rudder. But here’s where things are different: The boat will be stress tested in a 20-foot tank, with fans blowing wind into the sails. The boats must traverse the tank, which is also laden with a jagged shoreline and other hazards, without toppling over or sinking, in 45 seconds or less. Judging along with Smyth are Astrophysicist Dr Hakeem Oluseyi and Chef Joanne Chang. There’s real potential for Baking Impossible to be an interesting competition, but we don’t think that will start to happen until the teams are winnowed down a bit.