Welcome back to PRISM, the SCISOC newsletter! In this newsletter, we bring to you the announcement of the publication we've been working very hard on for the past couple of months! We also discuss the specific usage of vaccines in light of the soon-to-arrive Covid-19 vaccines. To top it off, in this week's Fun Corner, we give you the dummy's guide to playing Blackjack (this article, for all intents and purposes, does not endorse gambling, however). To find out more, read on! |
|
|
| SCISOC CORE The SCISOC CORE is perhaps one of SCISOC’s most ambitious publication in the year 2020, and we’re so glad that we’re now finally able to share it with you! This magazine was the culmination of our team’s hard work and effort, and it’s here to showcase some of the best things SCISOC has to offer. In this publication, you can read up on tips on how to expand and build your network, as well as how to absolutely crush that interview you’ve got coming up. We’ve also included spreads about the multiple internship and scholarship opportunities UNSW has to offer, as well as interviews with the SCISOC Committee in order for students to gain more insight into SCISOC and how we function as a team. All of these articles have been packaged into a beautifully designed magazine, SCISOC CORE, which you can find on our website here. |
|
|
O-Week We’re now fast approaching the end of the summer holidays, and with it, O-Week is about to begin! SCISOC has many events lined up throughout O-Week, as well as a ton of collectibles to be given away and won! So, don’t miss our stall at O-Week, and make sure you drop by and give us a hello! 8th - 11th February | All Day at UNSW |
| |
|
The Australian Government has invested over $363 million to facilitate the research and development of successful vaccines for COVID-19, and Australia will be starting its COVID-19 vaccinations program next month. But have you ever wondered why vaccines are injected into your upper arm muscle and not your veins? Let’s start with the definition: vaccines contain antigens that are introduced to the immune system to trigger an immune response against the disease. There are a few reasons why muscle injections are favoured over other routes. |
Image of a vaccine Credit: TheScientist |
Muscle has a better blood supply compared to the layer of fat under our skin, which is advantageous in helping to disseminate the vaccine through the body. Muscle also contains dendritic cells which are immune cells that present antigens on their cell surface. These dendritic cells then access the lymph nodes to encounter the T cells and B cells, which are white blood cells that function to fight specific pathogens. The dendritic cell then presents antigens to T cells and B cells until some recognise the antigen, and sends signals to multiply, which leads to the start of the manufacturing of antibodies, through B cells. Another reason why vaccines are injected into muscle is because of the rate of dispersion of the vaccine. If you inject a vaccine into the bloodstream, there is a high possibility of destruction. The bloodstream contains non-specific immune cells that can destroy the vaccine before it can access the lymph node. On the other hand, you can think of muscle as a ‘store room’ for the vaccine to be used over a longer period of time, allowing for an extended immune system training session to maximise the activation of the immune system. Overall, muscle facilitates well in dispersing the vaccine, has a better blood supply, is easier to perform, and injecting vaccines into muscle has very few side effects, which is why it is preferred over injecting into veins.
|
|
|
Gambling, perhaps one of the most polarizing forms of entertainment, is often thought to simply be a game of chance. But is this really true? Well, let us investigate and see if there is truth to this. Note, this article is purely for academic and entertainment purposes and in no way endorses gambling. Gambling can be a serious addiction and if you need help, please contact the Gambling Help hotline (1800 858 858) to seek help. With that being said, let’s talk Blackjack. |
|
|
What is Blackjack? So, lets start by understanding the rules of Blackjack. The round starts with players putting the money they want to bet into the betting box. Each player then receives two face up cards. The value of cards from two to ten is their face value (2 to 10). The face cards (Jack, Queen and King) are worth 10 each, and aces are worth either 11 or 1. The goal of the game is to reach as close to the total of 21 without exceeding it. If a player’s total exceeds 21, they bust and lose all their bets for that round. Each player who does not bust ends up versing the dealer and must achieve a total closer to 21 than the dealer’s total to win. The dealer must continuously take cards until their total reaches 17 or above. If the dealer busts, all the players who did not bust, win the round and receive their bet money amount back in winnings. So, that is the basic premise of a Blackjack game. The player has 4 decisions to choose from each round: |
|
|
Hand signals used in Blackjack as shown at https://bojoko.com/casino/games/blackjack/ |
| Hit – Take another card from the dealer. The player does this by tapping the table with their fingers. Stand – Take no more cards. The player does this by waving their hand horizontally in the air above the cards. Double Down – The player doubles their initial bet and receives only 1 more card. Note, double downs are sometimes restricted to certain hands and so cannot always be used in every version of Blackjack. The player does this by placing their additional chips besides their original bet and then point with 1 finger. Split – A player can only do this if they receive a pair, two of the same card (e.g. two aces). They can split those two cards up into separate hands and play each hand separately. However, to do this, a second bet must be placed, equal to the initial bet. The player can do this by placing the additional chips next to the original bet and point with two fingers in a v formation. |
|
|
Strategy Okay, so now that we know what Blackjack is, we can start discussing the optimum strategy for playing Blackjack. Most of the discussion will revolve around the rules used at Star Casino. So, the first question you are probably asking is “Is blackjack a pure gamble or is there a way to overcome the odds?”. The mathematical answer to that is “Basic Strategy”. This strategy was developed by teaching a computer to play Blackjack and making it play thousands of games. These games were then analyzed and the best decision for each hand was determined. A typical Blackjack player without any strategy has about a 4% disadvantage, meaning they will lose about $4 from every $100 worth of bets. A player using Basic Strategy has about a 0.62% disadvantage meaning they will lose about $0.62 from every $100 worth of bets. So, even with this strategy the expected value is negative, meaning that in the long run you will make a net loss. But the thing to note is that expected value is only reached in the long term. This means in the short term it is possible to win money due to the high variance of the game, and so, as long as you quit while you’re ahead, you can make a profit. Now, this might be a bit confusing. If you think about it, if there is a negative expected value, then in terms of probability you should be losing more hands than winning. So, it doesn’t make sense to be able to make a profit. However, it is here where the decisions of “double down” and “split” come in handy. When using a double down or a split, you are given a chance to win double of what your original bet was, which allows you to make a profit in the short term. So, with all this in mind, let’s actually see what Basic Strategy is. |
|
|
So, learning Basic Strategy basically entails learning these tables off by heart and following those choices. This might seem super tedious, but if you investigate each decision, you will find that the choices are actually quite logical. For example, let’s consider the situation where the player’s original cards total 12 and the dealer is showing 6. According to Basic Strategy we should stand here. Now, a lot of players who do not know Basic Strategy might hit in this case, since the player’s total is still quite far away from 21. However, there is risk of hitting at 12 and receiving a face card in which case you would bust. The reason why standing at 12 makes more sense, is because a dealer showing 6 is quite likely to bust, and so there is no need to risk hitting and getting another card. Side bets There are also games called side bets within Blackjack at casinos such as “any pairs” and “insurance”. All these side bets are purely luck and have a negative expected value, and so are effectively a pure gamble. So, it is best to avoid playing these side bets if you are trying to win money. |
| |
|
Card Counting One thing, that has not been discussed in this article is card counting. Card counting is a method which allows a player to get an advantage over the casino and gain a positive expected value. It is often seen in movies like The Hangover, where the character uses mathematics to play Blackjack and win big against the casino. The reason it wasn’t discussed in this article is due to the use of continuous card shufflers in the majority of Australian casinos. A continuous card shuffler allows for the cards to be reshuffled every few hands, preventing a player from card counting. |
|
|
So, to summarize, Blackjack has a negative expected value, but profits can be made in the short run by using Basic Strategy. However, ultimately the hardest part of making a profit is being able to walk away while you are ahead. This is precisely what differentiates between a good and bad gambler. To quote an unlikely source, Mr. Henry Spencer, “A bad gambler is someone who doesn’t know when to quit”, and that is perhaps the most important thing to remember when gambling. |
|
|
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! |
|
|
| |