G'day, folks! It's been a while since YSA's last in person social, so we're preparing to make this one as fun as possible! We're going to be holding a scavenger hunt in and around the Melbourne Museum. Bring your friends, make teams, get those points and win some prizes! For those who can make their way there we'll meet out the front of the museum at 11. For anyone who isn't quite sure of the way, we'll be meeting at Parliament station at 10:45 before heading on over! Look out for people in YSA shirts. This event is entirely free! Bring your Myki and either lunch or some money, as we will be taking a break during the scavenger hunt. However, please order a free ticket below so we can get an idea of attendance! Summary Who: Anyone who likes science! What: Scavenger Hunt and Lunch! Please bring your student ID for free entry to the museum! When: July 30th, 11 am - 4 pm Where: Melbourne Museum (or Parliament) Why: It's fun!

Applications are now open for YSA's 2022 Executive Committee! Our AGM is coming up on Sunday the 27th of March at 11:00 am, in Melbourne Central*. This is your chance to get involved with a community that you've grown to love, or just a way to see what goes on behind the scenes if you're new to YSA!! We will also be electing our new committee for the next year - this is open to old members, new members, and even returning members. Roles range from the scary, scary President position (they call the shots within YSA and are a key part of setting up our goals and future ideas) , to a much more low-key general elected member (GEM) whose role it is to provide input and help out when they can (it's a great way to dip your toes into our committee and learn how all the different areas work!). Anyone is allowed to run for a committee position as long as they have been a member for at least 7 days before the date of the AGM AND have a CURRENT membership on the day - however, if you're interested in an office position (President, VP - Science, VP - Socials, Communications, Secretary, Treasurer), you will also need to be over the age of 18 and have served on the committee for at least 9 months prior.    Use this link to become a member: https://ysa-melbourne.tidyhq.com/member/memberships Applications for committee positions CLOSE ON Sunday the 20th of March so make sure to get yours in quickly! If you would like to know more about being on the committee, just ask anyone who's currently on committee or email exec@melbourne.ysa.org.au and they'll be more than happy to answer any questions! For more information on how to nominate, how to get involved if you can't make it on the 27th, or how to get in touch with the secretary if you're at all confused, please click on the button below!! *Due to the current uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic the AGM may be moved to an online forum at a later date to adhere with medical advice and government guidelines. If you have more questions: https://ysa-melbourne.tidyhq.com/public/pages/agm-information In addition to our AGM we will be having a Bowling Social! So what's happening?  Following the AGM on the 27th we will be heading off for a game of bowling! We'd love it if you would hang around after the meeting to test your skills and have some fun! Pricing details will follow within the week. When is this happening? This is happening alongside our AGM on Sunday, the 27th of March. Here's our current schedule:  > 11am-11:30pm - Meeting at Melbourne Central, Swanson Street (opposite the State Library!)  > 11:30pm onwards - Our AGM, fun politics, new committee and delicious snacks  We're not sure exactly how long our AGM will run for, it usually takes about an hour, possibly more.  > 1pm(ish)-3pm -  Getting our bowl on! > 3pm onwards - YSA will escort everyone back to Melbourne Central Station. Where is this happening? We hope to be able to hold the AGM at Melbourne Central however due to possible changes to COVID-19 restrictions we ask that you check the TIDY-HQ or Facebook events frequently for updated information in case we have to move to an online forum.  What do I bring?  Yourself, your friends, your democratic spirit, and your bowling skills! You WILL NEED to let us know if you're coming by Sunday March 20th (this is also when our committee position applications will close).  This is so we can be sure we will meet quorum requirements for our AGM as well as number limits inline with the Victorian government COVID restrictions. If for any reason you can't make it to AGM in person but still wish to be involved by calling in please email exec@melbourne.ysa.org.au so that we can organise this. 

What's that? The warmth of a waning summer, the scent of BBQ? It's time for another YSA social, the first of the year! Since it's been a while and we're all frazzled from the pandemic, we're going to have a nice leisurely lunch outdoors at Flagstaff Gardens. We'll be providing food and drinks; namely, BBQ (we can provide for food requirements, although we will need a heads up when you register!) Details: Tickets: Members - FREE Non-members - $3 WHO? Anyone interested in science! WHAT? A BBQ, a park, and a whole bunch of nerdy socialising! WHERE? Flagstaff Gardens WHEN? Saturday the 26th of February, from 11 am till 3 pm

It's back! The one time a year when YSA does science! Join us for an exciting and educational set of talks from the cutting edge of science research. You'll get to hear all about their research and have an opportunity to ask plenty of questions if you're keen to know more. We will be hearing from scientists in a wide range of fields, from computer science to biology.  Keep an eye on your emails and our social media for more information about our wonderful presenters over the next few weeks.  Interested? Of course you are! Join us on our discord server on Sunday 19th September from 2PM for a fun afternoon of science! https://discord.io/ysamelbourne Details?  WHO?  You! (Plus any other friends you want to invite!) WHAT?  Riveting science research presentations! WHERE?  On the YSA Discord server!  WHEN?  Sunday the 19th September from 2PM WHY?  Because who doesn't love a bit of science?   Our Presenters Thomas Nobes My project addresses the issue of pipe-routing in chemical plants through the lens of a multi-agent pathfinding problem. Here, we treat each pipe as an individual agent and must find an optimal route for each pipe that not only avoids each other, but is further subject to a wide variety of engineering and safety constraints. While 2D pathfinding is well studied, pathfinding in 3D is relatively unexplored and poses significantly more difficulty and scale. This is a computational problem that we hope to tackle through the development of faster and more efficient 3D pathfinding algorithms that can reason better about the environment and exploit symmetries in 3D space. Shon Kolomoisky My research involves creating ways to control how light interacts with metal using nanoparticles. I use the properties of two broad classes of nanoparticles, plasmonic and excitonic, to trap light into nanoscale volumes smaller than its wavelength and then control how it travels through the system, and how it is reemitted. In general, this research attempts to be able to impose the same control over light as modern electronic circuitry does on electrons. Hopefully, one day we can have computers that run exclusively using light rather than electricity! Rylan Jardine Core Collapse Supernovae (CCSNe) are some of the most energetic events in the universe, violent stellar explosions that take place at the end of a massive stars’ life. The largest of them are believed to be shaped by strong rotation and magnetic fields producing heavy elements such as gold, silver and lead. The recent gravitational wave (GW) detections of merging binary black holes, has opened up the prospect of observing the GW signal of CCSNe for the first time. Simulating these events and their predicted GW signals is vital for increasing our likelihood of detections and our understanding of the universe. Kristian Barry To protect our bodies from invaders and damage our immune system employs a range of pattern recognition receptors to detect insult and invasion. One of these receptors; NLRP3, forms a large protein structure in the cell called the inflammasome once it has been activated and is responsible for activating inflammatory signals. The role of this inflammasome however is a double-edged sword, with early activation required to effectively kill off invaders, while prolonged inflammasome signaling is detrimental to the host. My project aims to determine which cell types are responsible for both the “good” and “bad” sides of inflammasome signaling, with the aim of informing more targeted therapeutics for a range of inflammasome related diseases. Emily Jones Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and Estrogen receptor (ER) positive/luminal breast cancer is the most common subtype, accounting for around 70% of the total cases. Currently anti-estrogen therapies are used as an effective treatment method for this subtype, however around 30-50% of patients eventually relapse and develop resistance to these treatments. Therefore, in order to improve patient outcome new therapeutic pathways need to be identified. My project is investigating the signaling pathways of P-Rex1, a protein which is overexpressed in ER positive breast cancer to hopefully identify new therapeutic targets for patients with ER positive breast cancer.

Do you like cookies? Do you like science? Do you like laughing at the YSA committee trying to decorate said cookies to look like science? Well we have the answer! We're bringing another baking social right to your home!! Come join us on the 28th August from 2pm onward to cook up a storm and create some delicious science themed cookies! Follow along with out questionable decoration tips or create your own funky designs!! As always our online social will be held on our YSA discord server so if you haven't already please be sure to join so you don't miss any of the fun! Join the server: https://discord.io/ysamelbourne Details?  WHO?  You! (Plus any other friends you want to invite!) WHAT?  A lovely baking session with all your YSA pals! WHERE?  On the YSA Discord server!  WHEN?  Saturday the 28th August from 2pm WHY?  Because we all deserve a treat right now! You Will Need - Granulated sugar - Salt - Unsalted butter - An egg - Vanilla extract - Flour - Baking powder - Icing sugar - Milk - Food colouring - Any other yummy bits you want to add!

Do you have a love for trivia? Want to socialise without needing to get out of your pyjamas? Want to procrastinate your studying by learning other things instead? Join us on our Discord server for an afternoon of trivia fun on Sunday May 30th from 4pm!! https://discord.io/ysamelbourne Details? WHO? You! (Plus any other friends you want to invite!) WHAT? A team trivia challenge!! (make a team yourself or find yourself a team on the dedicated channel on our discord) WHERE? On the YSA Discord server! WHEN? Sunday May 30th, from 4pm WHY? Because who doesn't love a bit of trivia?? COSTS? NOTHING! Sounds awesome! But how do I RSVP? If you're interested please let us know by using the link in the event! Please make sure you join our discord server early so you can find yourself a team of lovely YSA people to join! 

Our AGM is coming up on Sunday the 21st of March at 11:00 am, in Carlton Gardens*. This is your chance to get involved with a community that you've grown to love, or just a way to see what goes on behind the scenes if you're new to YSA!! We will also be electing our new committee for the next year - this is open to old members, new members, and even returning members. Roles range from the scary, scary President position (they call the shots within YSA and are a key part of setting up our goals and future ideas) , to a much more low-key general elected member (GEM) whose role it is to provide input and help out when they can (it's a great way to dip your toes into our committee and learn how all the different areas work!). Anyone is allowed to run for a committee position as long as they have been a member for at least 7 days before the date of the AGM AND have a CURRENT membership on the day - however, if you're interested in an office position (President, VP - Science, VP - Socials, Communications, Secretary, Treasurer), you will also need to be over the age of 18 and have served on the committee for at least 9 months prior. To check your YSA membership please follow the link beloew! https://ysa-melbourne.tidyhq.com/member/memberships Applications for committee positions CLOSE ON Sunday the 14th of March so make sure to get yours in quickly! If you would like to know more about being on the committee, just ask anyone who's currently on committee or email exec@melbourne.ysa.org.au and they'll be more than happy to answer any questions! For more information on how to nominate, how to get involved if you can't make it on the 21st, or how to get in touch with the secretary if you're at all confused, please follow the link below! https://ysa-melbourne.tidyhq.com/public/pages/agm-information *Due to the current uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic the AGM may be moved to an online forum at a later date to adhere with medical advice and government guidelines. In addition to our AGM we will be having a Trivia Social! So what's happening?  Following the AGM on the 21st we will be running a team trivia challenge full of science, general knowledge, and pop culture questions! We'd love it if you would hang around after the meeting to test your knowledge and have some fun!! When is this happening? This is happening alongside our AGM on Sunday, the 21stof March. Here's our current schedule:  > 11am-11:45pm - Meeting at Melbourne Central, Swanson Street (opposite the State Library!)  > 11:45pm-12pm - YSA will escort all of their wonderful members to Carlton gardens and we'll find somewhere comfy and shaded to set up and relax in the grass! > 12pm onwards - Our AGM, fun politics, new committee and delicious snacks  We're not sure exactly how long our AGM will run for, it usually takes about an hour, possibly more.  > 1pm(ish)-4pm -  It's trivia time lads!!! > 4pm onwards - YSA will escort everyone back to Melbourne Central Station. Where is this happening? We hope to be able to hold the AGM at Carlton Gardens however due to possible changes to COVID-19 restrictions we ask that you check the TIDY-HQ (follow the RSVP link) or Facebook events frequently for updated information in case we have to move to an online forum.  What do I bring?  Yourself, your friends, your democratic spirit, and your trivia brain! Where do I sign up!  You WILL NEED to let us know if you're coming by Sunday March 14th (this is also when our committee position applications will close).  This is so we can be sure we will meet quorum requirements for our AGM as well as number limits inline with the Victorian government COVID restrictions. If for any reason you can't make it to AGM in person but still wish to be involved by calling in please email exec@melbourne.ysa.org.au so that we can organise this. 

Join us for our 2021 beach social Have you been missing your YSA friends? Want to spend time together relaxing in the sun? Then save the date for our first COVID safe in person social! YSA will be heading to the beach on the 22nd January 2021 for a fun summer catch up and we're looking forward to finally seeing everyone in person again!   Details?  WHO?  You! (Plus any other friends you want to invite!) WHAT?  A fun afternoon of beach games and relaxation! WHEN?  Friday the 22nd January. We will be meeting at Mordialloc Railway Station at 2pm, walking down to the beach together, and having some fun in the sun until around 5:30pm, when some YSA guides will help people get back to Mordialloc Station and Flinders St Station if required.  WHAT DO I BRING? Be sure to bring everything you'll need for a sun-safe day at the beach: including swimwear and a towel if you want to swim, sunglasses, sunscreen, a water bottle, and a hat! You'll need your Myki and a face mask if you're getting public transport to and from Mordialloc, and we reccommend bringing some snacks for the afternoon. Additionally, if you have any equipment for fun beach games that you don't mind bringing along to share, we'd love it! HOW MUCH?  Our January Social will be free for all attendees! But, for socials later in the year, don't forget to sign up or renew your YSA membership in order to get discounted or free entry to events! Even though this social is free, please RSVP below for contact tracing purposes! If you attend the social without RSVP-ing, that's okay, but we may need to take down your first name and phone number when you arrive!

It's spooky season! Are you looking for an excuse to dress up? Do you like mystery, intrigue, and... werewolves???? Well have we got the social for you! Come along to the YSA Discord server on October 30th some fun games of Werewolf to get us in the spooky mood! Whilst not mandatory, Halloween costumes are welcomed and encouraged! Join the YSA Discord server: https://discord.io/ysamelbourne Details?  WHO?  You! (Plus any other friends you want to invite!) WHAT?  A few fun games of the ever popular murder mystery game Werewolf (also known as Mafia for those who may be confused) WHERE?  On the YSA Discord server!  WHEN?  Friday October 30th, from 7pm  WHY?  Because who doesn't love Halloween???

Feeling down because you've been stuck in your house for months? Need some yummy treats to get you through to the end of stage 4?  Well we have the answer! We're bringing another social right to your home, and this time there's chocolate! Come join us on the 19th of September from 2pm onward to cook up a storm and create some delicious chocolate chip cookies! (Who doesn't love cookies right?) As always our online social will be held on our YSA discord server so if you haven't already please be sure to join so you don't miss any of the fun! https://discord.io/ysamelbourne Details?  WHO?  You! (Plus any other friends you want to invite!) WHAT?  A lovely baking session with all your YSA pals! WHERE?  On the YSA Discord server!  WHEN?  Saturday the 19th September from 2pm WHY?  Because we all deserve a treat right now! You Will Need - Granulated sugar - Brown sugar - Salt - Unsalted butter - An egg - Vanilla extract - Flour - Baking soda - Choc chips - Any other yummy bits you want to add!

Are you confused about your homework? Do you want some help understanding what the hell your teacher is talking about?? Do you know way too much about maths and want to share this information with others? Then come join us for a YSA study session on August 29th or 30th on the YSA Discord server either as a student, a helper, or both!!  We have created a timetable to show when some of the older YSA members will be available to help others, but if you're studying other things, or just want to hang out feel free to some along any time! CLICK HERE TO VIEW TIMETABLE When you RSVP please select your ticket based on whether you need help or would be happy to help others, and let us know what subjects you'll be interested in discussing! Join the discord! https://discord.io/ysamelbourne Details?  WHO?  You! (Plus any other friends you want to invite!) WHAT?  A fun and educational study session for all ages and areas of interest! (Yes even humanities will be on offer!) WHERE?  On the new YSA Discord server!  WHEN?  Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of August Times TBC  WHY?  Because if you have to do homework anyway you might as well do it with friends! COSTS? NOTHING! 

Do you have a love for trivia? Do you want to show off all the random facts that you know? Do you have literally nothing better to do and think it might be fun to make up answers for questions you have no idea about? Join us on our Discord server for a night of trivia fun on June 13th from 4pm!! Join the Discord: https://discord.io/ysamelbourne Details?  WHO?  You! (Plus any other friends you want to invite!) WHAT?  A team trivia challenge!! (make a team yourself or find yourself a team on the dedicated channel on our discord) WHERE?  On the YSA Discord server! No physical contact needed! YSA fun from the safety of your own home!!! WHEN?  Saturday July 18th, from 4pm  WHY?  Because who doesn't love a bit of trivia?? COSTS? NOTHING!   Sounds awesome! But how do I RSVP? If you're interested please let us know by grabbing a ticket below! Please make sure you join our discord server early so you can find yourself a team of lovely YSA people to join!