Greetings, Underlings,

Welcome back, one and all, for the new year and the new term! It was great to see so many of you at last Saturday's very well-attended pizza night. We have a bountiful range of events in store this term (see the termcard below), kicking off with five this week!

We start the term with a bang this Monday with our first competitive programming advanced bootcamp! We'll be down in the Undergraduate Social Area from 7:30-9:30pm for some all-new lessons.

On Thursday, we have a double whammy of events! At 5pm, we'll be joined by Rob Wills for a fascinating talk delving into the Apollo Guidance Computer. Afterwards, we'll kick back from 8-10pm at our welcome social, with free drinks for all!

To round off the week, we're back in the UGSA for yet another double billing on Saturday! We'll start off the evening with a touch of capture-the-flag at 5-7pm, followed by our classic start-of-term board game night, complete with pizza and snacks as always.

Finally, some other assorted thingamabobs — we're looking for a new Committee this term! Elections will be held at our Annual General Meeting in Week 7, and we'll have a guide on the roles available shortly.

We've also experienced a buffer overflow in our attempt to continue the CompSoc continuation, meaning last night's letter was '[', with the ever-wise CompSoc electorate choosing '[REDACTED]' to follow Zoe. Join us this Saturday for more non-alphanumeric shenanigans!

— Declan, CompSoc Secretary

Fun Computing Fact: Despite the lack of variation in the modern day, the field of Unix and Unix-like operating systems used to be filled with boundless unique offerings. One such was the open source TRIX, developed to run on MIT's NuMachine in the late 70s. Otherwise mimicking Version 7 Unix, TRIX uniquely featured support for remote procedure calls in the kernel for networking. Due to its licensing, it was briefly considered by the GNU Project for adoption as its official kernel, but was discounted in favour of GNU Hurd, which... hasn't exactly gone brilliantly. Maybe they should've gone with TRIX all along.

Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up!

or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/

Say hello to our termcard for Hilary Term 2026! We have endless events in store for you this term, including talks, brand new competitive programming and CTF events, and the Saturday Socials we all know and love! We get started this Monday with our first advanced bootcamp for competitive programming, and wrap up on Wednesday of Week 8 with a bubble tea event.

As we enter into the new term, we kick off with something new altogether! This week, we'll start the term's competitive programming sessions with an advanced bootcamp! This Monday in the Undergraduate Social Area, we'll be building upon last year's knowledge and covering some more advanced topics in the realm of competitive programming. If you're looking to improve your skills in contests, make sure to join us from 7:30-9:30pm!

When: 7:30-9:30pm, Monday 19^th January

Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG

Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/9vn4hPKQh

This Thursday, we begin our dynamic duo of events with a very exciting talk! We'll be joined this week at 5pm by Rob Wills to hear all about Apollo 11 and the Apollo Guidance Computer.

Come join Rob Wills as he tells us about the amazing computer that was used onboard the Apollo missions. He'll show you how the landing software worked, how the system was designed to be robust against failures, and how the computer saved the Apollo 11 landing.

Abstract 

July 20, 1969: Neil Armstrong was in the final stages of the Lunar descent, just a few thousand feet above the surface, when suddenly his computer indicated a critical alarm. For three nail-biting seconds it looked as if the mission would have to be aborted. However, Armstrong was given a "go" to continue, and after several more alarms the Eagle touched down safely.

Rob will introduce the amazing hardware and software that made up the Apollo Guidance Computer, walk you through the landing procedure step-by-step, and talk about the pioneering design decisions that were used to make the landing software robust against any failure. Finally, I'll tell you what happened during Apollo 11, and show you how this amazing machine saved the mission.

About the Author

Rob is a senior technical leader at Cisco, working on their most advanced networking operating system, IOS XR. In his free time he is enthusiastic about studying the history of computers, and has given talks at NASA, Airbus, the IET and various universities. Rob is a fast-paced and energetic speaker who loves to bring these dusty old machines to life in a fun and easy-going way.

When: 5pm, Thursday 22^nd January

Where: Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG

Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/44d6HvJNA

What better way to welcome the new term in than an aptly-named welcome social? For our second event this Thursday, we'll be headed down to Oxo Bar for an evening of convivial conversation with, of course, free drinks courtesy of CompSoc. Join us from 8-10pm to get your fill!

When: 8-10pm, Thursday 22^nd January

Where: Oxo Bar 48 George St, Oxford OX1 2AQ

Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/45bD2eW19

Away from Thursday's double bill and on to Saturday's! This Saturday, we'll be starting the evening in the Undergraduate Social Area with a new fixture this term — a capture-the-flag contest session! Come along from 5-7pm to take part in a capture-the-flag contest on behalf of CompSoc with friends.

When: 5-7pm, Saturday 24^th January

Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG

Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/9qAYtcZNv

This Saturday, we'll be rounding off the first week of term with the finest of CompSoc traditions. That's right — it's time for a board game night! Join us from 7pm in the Undergraduate Social Area, where we'll be kicking back and relaxing with a range of games, along with generous helpings of pizza and snacks!

When: 7pm, Saturday 24^th January

Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG

Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/8L36g3Rbc

Software Engineering (link here)

At Citadel, our engineers work in small teams to turn the best ideas into high-performing and resilient technology. With short development cycles, work rapidly goes into production. As an engineer, you can create systems architectures, develop platforms, and build web frameworks. You’ll have access to state-of-the-art tools and apply innovative techniques including distributed computing, natural language processing, machine learning, and more.

As an intern, you’ll get to challenge the impossible in technology through an 11-week program that will allow you to collaborate and connect with senior team members. In addition, you’ll get the opportunity to network and socialize with peers throughout the internship.

Discover Program (Spring Week) (link here)

Location: London, United Kingdom
Date: March 24 – 27, 2026
Application Deadline: February 13, 2026

*Selected attendees will be notified by February 20, 2026
Eligibility: Undergraduate students in good standing, eighteen years of age or older residing in Europe, with an expected graduation date between December 2027 and June 2029.

Program benefits include roundtrip economy-class airfare from an airport near participant’s home in Europe, ground transportation to and from the arrival airport, single occupancy hotel accommodations for three (3) nights and meals during the Program competition day. Approximate value of program benefits is $750 USD, excluding any prizes won. Participants are responsible for any taxes due for the value of program benefits.

A message from our sponsors at Perplexity:

Students get free Perplexity Pro and exclusive student features like flashcards and quizzes when you verify your student status. Sign up at perplexity.ai/students

Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS.

or, contact us at committee@ox.compsoc.net

Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here.

Send an email to committee@ox.compsoc.net to manually unsubscribe.