Welcome back to another edition of SCISOC's fortnightly newsletter PRISM! In today's newsletter, join us as we discuss the awe-inspiring achievements of Gitanjali Rao, a 15 year old scientist, engineer and author, as well as the announcement of our upcoming event; SCISOC Pubcrawl, dates TBA! Finally, in our Fun Corner, we give you tips on the best ways to cook your eggs (and who knew there were these many methods!). And with that, SCISOC wishes you the best of luck for your exams! |
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SCISOC Pubcrawl As we approach the chillier seasons and deadlines begin to loom over us, what better place is there to warm up than at the pub! Kick off the new semester by loosening up and enjoying the wide range of beverages Sydney's pubs have on offer at our pubcrawl! Escape from the worries of university life and relax with great company. PS. stay till the end for a chance at goodies!? Location: TBA When: Term 2 Follow the SCISOC facebook page for updates! |
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“You can only ever do so much as a kid,”—said no one ever.
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This is especially false for the Indian-American inventor, author, scientist, and engineer Gitanjali Rao who has set groundbreaking milestones in scientific history and is featured in TIME’s first ever Kid of the Year at just the age of 15. |
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| The catalyst for the aforementioned successes was a biology science kit gifted to her at the age of 4, which she was very fascinated with, finishing it in a day. Throughout her just-budding career, her most notable achievements are the invention of Tethys, a device used to measure lead levels in water to determine its drinkability, and Kindly, a Chrome extension and app designed for preventing cyberbullying in its early stages. |
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Tethys, named after the Greek titan goddess of clean water, first sprung into Rao’s mind at merely 10 years old after watching the news about the Flint water crisis in the US, in which a whole city’s drinking water became contaminated with lead. She got her inspiration for the device after reading about similar technology which can detect hazardous chemicals in the air. |
| It utilises carbon nanotubes which are very sensitive to chemical changes in the water and transmits the lead levels registered to a phone app via Bluetooth. In theory, the carbon forms beehive links which respond to changes in electron flow. In the presence of lead, the lead binds to the carbon creating resistance which can then be measured. Rao hopes to achieve a marketable prototype in the next few years. |
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In early May 2020, Rao virtually launched her latest invention, Kindly, an anti-cyberbullying detection system which uses artificial intelligence to detect certain words or phrases. Kindly reads your message inputs and gives you the option to edit your messages before sending it if specific “bullying words” are detected, or to send it just the way it is. It does not work on harsh reinforcement but just offers a second chance for users to think about what they are sending to hopefully prevent regrettable actions. |
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Even with such a busy working life and a million inventions waiting to be made under her fingertips, Rao is still able to enjoy the things kids her age should enjoy. She is still able to ride her bike, play the piano, and her favourite hobbies include baking and calligraphy. It may reflect poorly on us 20-somethings as a 15-year-old destroys us in her slew of achievements but it’s just as inspiring as it is a realisation that with time, motivation, and most importantly passion, we have the recipe for changing the world one lead-detection device at a time. |
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Whether you like your eggs poached, scrambled, fried or even microwaved, you can’t deny that eggs are one of the best foods around. It's time to hop on the scisoc foodie bus as we take you on an egg-ceptional ride to explore some different ways to cook your egg. |
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| Poached Poached eggs are one of those must-have items that you always find at a local restaurant. If you haven’t seen one, then we recommend taking a trip to your local brunch restaurant or keep an eye out for it on your friend’s Instagram story, as it surely is a frequent pop-up. While poaching an egg may need some refining in your cooking skills (hopefully you haven’t been sticking with scrambling eggs for too long), it’s one of the best cooking methods for creating ‘healthy eggs’. Poaching an egg avoids additional fats and calories; a top pick method for those mindful about their daily intakes. |
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Sunnyside Up Nothing beats the sizzling sound when you crack your eggs in a pan. A sunny-side-up egg is also known as an “unflipped fried egg”, great for those that prefer their yolk still runny and with crispy, almost-fully cooked whites. Don't leave it on the pan for too long, or your yolk will start to look glazed over and your whites will become rubbery (unless you’re really into chewing rubber tires). The best thing about a sunny-side-up egg is that, if you do happen to change your mind, you can always flip it around and make it an over-easy/medium egg! or a scrambled egg if you get frustrated! |
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| Scrambled Scrambled eggs - universally the most common (and best) way to cook eggs. The first thing that comes to mind for many people is the hard, dry scrambled eggs they are accustomed to having. It's such a shame because the best way of cooking scrambled eggs is actually making them creamy. You can disagree all you want, but don’t tell us that, tell Gordon Ramsay. Don't want to be an idiot sandwich? Go creamy, join the team-y. We guarantee you’ll rethink your life choices and question why you have been making hard scrambled eggs your whole life. Creamy scrambled eggs are a must-try! |
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Microwaved It might sound crazy and some of you may not know this, but yes, microwaved eggs are a thing. Sounds grotesque for some people, but it’s also a go-to for others. These 'others' don't exist. Nevertheless, microwaved eggs are a really quick and easy way to add some extra flavour and protein to your meal. You really can’t mess this one up. The Wish.com poached egg - try it if you must. |
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UNSW Science Society is proud to announce our continued partnership with GradReady through 2020. GradReady provides GAMSAT Preparation courses for anyone looking to pursue Medicine after they graduate. This process starts earlier than you think, so if you’re studying medical science or just have that passion, check out what they have to offer! |
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| This student Club publication is proudly supported by Arc. For more information about Arc Clubs, visit www.arc.unsw.edu.au. |
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