Welcome back to PRISM, the SCISOC newsletter! In this week's newsletter, we take our audience through a deepdive into the life and achievements of the Mother of Computer Programming herself, Ada Lovelace. In our Fun Corner, we recommend a couple of new and trending games (both single and multiplayer!) that might strike an interest, especially coming off of the heels of exams. SCISOC wishes everybody a happy holiday, and happy reading!

We hope everyone is staying safe during these testing times, we sure miss seeing all of your lovely faces around campus! To wrap up the term, we’d like to take a moment to look back at some of its highlights :))

SCISOC X 180 Degrees Consulting Case Competition Crash Course

Something we wish we’d have done prior to jumping into a case competition was a crash course detailing its ins and outs. As the predecessor to SCISOC’s case competition in partnership with Cochlear, this crash course left both newcomers and experienced participants with some newfound understanding of what goes into breaking down a problem and also presenting their solution. As the event concluded, participants were given a mock problem to practice the problem solving and presenting techniques they had been taught previously.

UNSW Science Society Presents: Movie Night

Who would have known our first fortnightly movie night was our last in-person event :( but we sure did end it off with a blast! Whether you are looking for a place to chill on a Friday night with your Netflix & Chill wannabes or a fun night out with your friends, SCISOC movie night had it all in hand. It was a great opportunity to de-stress at the start of the term and we hope to continue our fortnightly movie night whether online or in-person as we head back on campus. Stay tuned!

Remember to follow us on our SCISOC Facebook page to keep up to date with our upcoming events!

'First computer programmer'.

Imagine that as your LinkedIn headline. If Ada Lovelace was born in the 21st century, she wouldn’t have to.

Augusta Ada King was born in London in 1815, to poet Lord Byron and English mathematician Annabella Byron, and took on her mother’s interest in arithmetic, alongside other subjects such as music and French. Her parents separated when she was born and by the time her father left Britain permanently, she had never met him, and instead, was taken care of by her mother. Lady Byron emphasised her education, with tutors teaching her the likes of science and mathematics, which was very unlike the common upbringing of young girls in the 19th century. She had shown great affinity for arithmetic and languages, but it was the former that would shape her legacy and discoveries later on in life.

Ada was introduced to Charles Babbage, an English mathematician, by a mutual friend, author Mary Somerville, when she was 17, and it was here that her talents and knowledge truly shone. She was fascinated by Babbage’s work, as he was coined the 'father of the computer', and it was through Babbage, who served as a mentor for her, that she managed to study at the University of London with Augustus De Morgan, the first professor of mathematics at the university. It was in 1843 in which Ada was asked to translate an article, written by Italian engineer Luigi Federico Menabrea in regards to Charles Babbage’s analytical engine, into French for a Swiss journal.

However, it was at this point, in which not only did she translate the article into French but also added her own annotations, which surpassed the actual article itself at 20 000 words while the article had been completed in 8 000, that cemented her place within the history of science. She wrote her annotations in great detail, theorising that the machine could be programmed to compute Bernoulli numbers (a sequence of rational numbers), likening it to the Jacquard-loom which was able to create images and patterns using punched-in pieces of card for textiles. It was with the clarity at which she understood the mechanisms of the machine that led to this exact proposition being considered the first computer program.

Ada Lovelace’s work carried into the modern era, as Alan Turing, who is now considered the 'father of modern computing', used her work as inspiration to develop something we now use on a daily basis: ‘computers’. Furthermore, considering the time period she lived in, a woman’s work being published in an academic article was a huge achievement. Her development in the field of STEM is an inspiration to all young women and showed that despite adversities, you can still revolutionise the world with enough determination and effort.

Even 200 years later, Lovelace’s legacy with her invention of the computing system establishes a firm groundwork to enrich our lives. To honour her and her great achievements, a computing language, ‘Ada’, was named after her. However, her true, meaningful legacy is all the opportunities and capabilities that she had opened up to all of us; not just as a scientist or a programmer, but as an adventurer who tried to explore where no one has gone before.

Are exams stressing you out? Have no fear as SCISOC is here to bring you some games to wind down after (or between) your exams. We present our variety of hand-picked selections which are guaranteed to leave a smile, or a tear, on your face:

Pico Park

This action-puzzle game is multiplayer based, fitting 2-8 players per lobby, and has a simple rule for every level: “Get all the keys and get to the goal and clear”. Each level has unique gimmicks designed for the lobby to form a strategy around completing the goal, with unintentional and intentional griefing being oddly the most challenging aspect of each run. From jumping over fastballs to get a key to walking across a platform while your buddy is swinging from a rope attached to you underneath, Pico Park is a fun and affordable way to play with your friends for a wholesome (and slightly rage-inducing) gaming experience.

Price: $7.50

Platforms: PC, Mac

Super Animal Royale

If you’ve ever wanted to play a battle royale genre game, but couldn’t be bothered learning about all the technicalities and controls of the game, then Super Animal Royale is definitely a game you should be looking into. Although still an early access game, it’s received over 16 000 positive reviews over the fact that it’s a simple, light-hearted battle royale game that anyone can quickly learn the ropes to. The game in itself is straightforward and has a simple goal, “fight for furvival” alongside friends as you battle with claws, machine guns, and many other weapons across an abandoned safari park in an attempt to be victorious by being the last person/squad standing!

Price: Free

Platforms: PC, Mac, Xbox

Devour

Devour is a horror co-op game on Steam (up to 4 players) in which you aim to work together to stop a possessed cult leader from dragging you to the depths of hell along with her. This is not for the faint of heart, with twists and turns at every corner and increasing difficulty the more you progress. The game offers multiple maps (for more horrifying visuals) and many memorable experiences (for better or worse) with your friends for a decent price.

Price: $7.50

Platforms: PC, Mac

Frostpunk

If you are into dystopian settings and psychologically taxing premises, look no further than Frostpunk! It is an individual, strategic civilisation game within a post-apocalyptic society in which you must save humanity from an unforgiving fate by decisions which question your morals. It is easy to sink countless hours into this game, with each decision challenging your beliefs and values. Be sure to check this game out as it is currently on sale for only $13 from its original $42; or if you are really interested, Frostpunk 2, with its release happening very soon.

Price: $42 → $13

Platforms: PC, Mac, Xbox, PS4

Hopefully we’ve provided some games that you can all try after your exam periods. If these don’t necessarily interest you, there’s plenty of ways to search for new and fun games! A great start would be browsing the Steam Store for new, popular, or even upcoming games that you might like, and if not, there’s always the mainstream go-to’s like League of Legends, Valorant, etc…

Nevertheless, enough dreading over finals and it’s time for everyone to relax a little and take a break... or play games!

UNSW Science Society is proud to announce our continued partnership with GradReady through 2021. 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!