Welcome to the third instalment of our fortnightly newsletter! We hope you give lots of love to this week's newsletter written entirely by the new subcommittee members! Not only would we love to get you all up to speed with what events we have going on soon, but we have some extremely interesting reads on the ongoing Covid-19 debate and ways our subcommittee members have been procrastinating during this exam period! We hope you all enjoy the read and we wish you luck with exams!

UNSW SCISOC x MathSoc Presents: Industry Mentoring Program 2023

Interested in finding out more about career pathways? Looking for advice from experienced industry experts and leaders? Want to bond with like-minded students, whilst forging your own career?

LOOK NO FURTHER!! Apply here to our Industry Mentoring Program!! Applications close 21st May!

Within our program, you’ll be paired with a mentor of your degree/major to guide you through a 9 week program. With fortnightly mentor check-ins, both developmental and social opportunities, you’ll be able to talk with industry experts, whilst also be able to meet countless like-minded individuals you can connect with throughout your time at university!

Have questions? Contact us at mathsci.imp@gmail.com or over on Messenger!

SCISOC Wings for Life

SCISOC has officially made a team for Red Bull’s wings for life!!! Participate in this global event for not only a study and serotonin break, but to aid in raising funds for spinal cord research! What’s the goal? To not be caught by the chaser car 🚗. Don’t worry, we all get a 30 minute head start😝.

Running, jogging and walking are all accepted! Furthermore, everyone participating in the race gets 4 x free red bulls and a red bull WFL shirt! Come along for a fun and exciting event☺️.

DETAILS:

WHEN: 7th May Sunday 9:00pm

WHERE: Sydney Centennial Parklands

PRICE: $15 Registration fee (as a donation!)

Check out the SciSoc Facebook for more details on how to sign up!

https://facebook.com/events/s/scisoc-grows-wings-for-life/732382118674319/

Wuhan Bat framed? Scientists look into the real culprit behind COVID-19

The origins of the Covid-19 pandemic have been a topic of intense debate since the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Recently, a team of Chinese researchers published a peer-reviewed study in the journal Nature, analysing biological evidence gathered from the Huanan seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan, which is believed to be the initial epicentre of the outbreak. The study is the first of its kind to analyse biological evidence collected from the market back in 2020, and it has provided new lines of inquiry into the origins of the pandemic. The research found that swabs tested positive for the virus also contained genetic material from wild animals, supporting the theory that the virus was initially transmitted from an infected animal to a human.

Indeed, the researchers found that animals susceptible to the virus, particularly raccoon dogs, were being sold alive in areas where wildlife was being sold. While the study provides important evidence that the virus was likely transmitted from an infected animal to a human, some scientists remain sceptical of the validity of these results, as it remains unclear as to why it took three years for the genetic content of the samples to be revealed to the public. The study's publication comes amid growing support for the lab leak theory among authorities in the US, though the Chinese government has strenuously denied suggestions that the virus originated in a scientific facility.

The lab leak theory has become increasingly prevalent among some authorities in the US, with the FBI reportedly believing it to be the most likely scenario. However, no definitive proof has been found to support this theory and with Chinese authorities firmly denying the plausibility of the virus's origins in a laboratory setting. The publication of the study's findings has rekindled the debate over the origins of the pandemic, with some scientists arguing that the evidence provided is not definitive. Despite this, the study's results could open up new avenues of investigation, shedding light on the initial transmission of the virus and contributing to the ongoing effort to control its spread.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the world, and the search for its origins is a matter of great importance. The publication of this study is an important step in understanding how the outbreak began, and it is hoped that further research will help shed light on this debate.

Procrastination: friend or foe?

With the term wrapping up and exam season rapidly approaching, it’s time for one of my favourite and most personally spirit crushing activities: procrastination. For myself, this tends to be a double edged sword. While I never make progress on the work I need to complete and I hate myself for it, it is the one time I’m most productive doing everything I don’t need to. Whether it’s the exploration of new hobbies, completing chores around the house or laying in a dark room listening to Mitski, these activities always offer a fun and borderline soul wrenching respite from the study I desperately need to do to pass Chem 1B.

So, as we actively procrastinate studying by working on this article, we thought that we would write about some of our favourite ways to procrastinate.

The throne

Though indulging in a relaxing digestive release from time to time is quite average, I've found that these regularly scheduled visits conveniently double around the times that BABS1201 assignments are due. Half the time, these visits are in vain as no one on earth has that many logs to eject in one sitting but I’m sure we can all agree that the trot to the bathroom to escape whatever exam is equally as satisfying as passing said exam. Strangely enough, this method of procrastination is the least likely to bring a bout of existential crisis when you realise your times new roman cursor is sitting on 7.5 words after a few hours as it’s so easily justifiable as it is an unavoidable biological process. Thus, this method of procrastination gets a solid 7 turds out of 10.

Tiktok

Unless you’re a feral degenerate who goes mushroom foraging in your spare time, or in denial about being a member of gen z, chances are you’ve probably heard of the social phenomenon that is tiktok. Regardless of whatever side of tiktok you’re on from Charli D’Amelio to reddit storytimes with subway surfers in the background, I’m sure we can all collectively admit that tiktok has stolen a hefty chunk of our study time that we’ll never get back. However, while this media app is as much entertaining as it is time consuming, nothing really compares to the pain of seeing a daily average screen time of eleven and a half hours and when you look up from your screen for the first time in the day, sunrise has turned into sunset. So for that reason, tiktok procrastination gets 2/10 on the copium scale.

Curating a spotify playlist for studying

Though spotify may yield the power to single handedly get us through the dark and arduous journey of midterms with a perfect playlist to reflect our current situation, the creation of said playlist can eat away at our time more so than we’d think. From picking a suitable cover photo to choosing a cryptic title to gathering the most gut wrenching songs of the decade, playlist creation is arguably a full-time job. After all, our playlists are a representation of ourselves so it’s understandable to dedicate some time to ensuring that only Taylor Swift's finest tracks make it onto the grind playlist. That being said, playlist creation is an art form that yields an end result and even if there is no advancement on your literature review after a few hours, spotify (premium) is there to soothe your soul. 6/10!

Obscure Hobbies

If you’re like my co-author, and haven’t touched grass in 3 months, then this might be too niche. Call me feral but I love foraging, there is something so satisfying about walking into the bush and just picking berries and mushrooms with friends. I am a simple man. Whilst this is my own, personal, somewhat niche hobby, I am certain that all of us have something that everyone else would just be confused by. For example my co-author, who has a weirdly immense passion for the bathroom , my best friend who creates meals that are borderline crimes against humanity, or my brother who loves F1. We all have our weird, unusual, and oftentimes niche hobbies that bring us peace, and there is no better time to get back into them than when you have a 2000 word data analysis report due in 17 hours. 8/10, go do something that makes you happy.

Fighting Your Demons

Truly the universe gives its hardest battles (chemistry) to its strongest soldiers (stem students). I don’t know about you, but my coping mechanisms when times get grim can be a bit dubious at best. As exam season rolls around, or the assignments pile up it can become too much. So what’s the best way to deal with this?

Procrastinate more. In a useful way, doing something that you enjoy? Nope. If I did something I enjoyed instead of studying I’d feel way too guilty, so instead I’m just going to lay on my bed, in the dark, listen to Mitski, and romanticise my melancholy solitude. Productive? No. Healthy? Not really. But what is exam season if it’s not just the tri-annual period of being sent into the trenches and fighting your demons until you make it out the other side. While everyone deals with stress and pressure in different ways (UNSW has a lot of support services, please reach out to them if it becomes too much), I know many people can struggle around this time of year. At least adversity builds character. 1/10, mildly aesthetic but deeply unpleasant, I do not recommend.

Driving

We here in the fun corner have our drivers licences, and while this isn’t the most impressive of achievements it puts us ahead of half of the people who worked on this newsletter. Driving is my absolute favourite way to procrastinate.

It’s the perfect balance of feeling productive, whilst being easy, and completely eliminating the ability to work on what you need to. I will find any excuse to drive that I can: picking people up, dropping friends off, giving lifts that are 40 minutes out of the direction I’m heading. If I can find a reason to get in a car, I will. Driving is one of the only times where you literally cannot do any chemistry or data analysis, and for that it is my safe space. Bonus points if it’s at night, the view is good, and you’re listening to music you like. The aesthetic is unbeatable. 10/10 I recommend this to everyone (who can drive).

All in all, I’m sure we can all agree that though procrastination provides a temporary intermission between the present and our commitments, the comedown will always be a kick in the ass when all these seemingly harmless rest breaks cumulate into a mental breakdown at 2:58am over 17 unwatched lectures. So as we venture closer into the first exam season of the year, I implore you to take deep breaths, poop out all your turds in advance and pull up your best study playlist to grind it out. Your future self will thank you.

UNSW Science Society is proud to announce our continued partnership with GradReady through 2023. 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!