Unlike my system which takes two hours to collect data, the systems in competition could not access outside data, and one system ... http://championship.mql4.com/2007/en
there is scaling in taking place there in some of trades, esp after the curve takes off. the size grew exponentially as the equity curve progressed, thus sizing was based on a model that reinvest profits with leverage. i think it is a good system, given that it is goal is winning the championship, but not suitable to real life trading.
Similarity between earthquake prediction and market timing Amazing scientist had predicted Sichuan Earthquake within days: http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-5-14/70663.html He also predicted the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake within days before more than 200,000 people got killed. One of key component of his model uses climate information: if a major regional drought lasts most than three years, major earthquake is likely to follow. He reaches the conclusion by analyzing thousands of years of historical data (This can't be done in US because poor documentation beyond a few hundred years). I have not seen much of his reasoning behind the model, but you can just think the tectonic plates are metal stripes, try to bend it many times, it will break where it experiencing the most heat. Factoring in other variables, he predicted both earthquake within days, but his prediction were rejected by the China Earthquake Administration as too simple. The elite China Earthquake Administration are run by Ph.Ds and Quants who use supercomputer to do modern complex statistical derivative delta neutral modeling to accurately predict micro tectonic movement. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/science/features/printer_1405867.php