It’s that time of year again: when geeks and nerds join hands to revel in the joy of cosplay, sci-fi, and comics in the Mile High City at Denver Comic Con!
And this year Nerd Nite Denver joins the fun with two hyper-nerdy sessions: Superheroes and Lady Geeks and Video Games and Octopi.
DONATE TO NERD NITE AT COMIC CON!
It takes more than booze and gumption to put on a great show. We need everything from photographers to videographers to speaker support and the general financing of shenanigans. So now we need your help! Consider donating to a good cause: the education and entertainment of nerds in Denver!
Get your passes and we’ll see you May 23-25 at the Colorado Convention Center.
PANEL 1
Saturday May 23 @ 12:10 PM in Room 603
Click each flyer for full-sized image.
What Superheroes Say about Scientific Progress
by Kyle MunKittrick
Abstract
How are our collective hopes and fears about science and technology demonstrated in the characteristics of each Avenger? Whether scientific progress excites you, freaks you out, or is, frankly, something you prefer not to think about thankyouverymuch, it’s present in every part of our lives: even superhero comics. So what do your favorite superheroes say about the way we think about science? Is it unpredictable like the Hulk or maybe our key to the universe like Thor? Come find out what your favorite superhero says about your own views on scientific progress.
Speaker Bio
NYU educated bioethicist Kyle Munkittrick works by day to revolutionize health care, by night he a can be found oversharing his opinions and over analyzing science, philosophy, and culture on twitter @popbioethics. His longer writing can be found on Discover Magazine, Slate, io9, and in Open Court’s new book Steve Jobs and Philosophy.
Who is the female geek?
by Raine Giorgio
Abstract
From the dawn of time, women have been group-oriented creatures and this trend continues into today with the creation of intricate and passionate fandoms. These women are intelligent, highly creative, empowered, and sexy. We’ll get to know who they are and what exactly is the special combination of traits that makes up the female geek.
Speaker Bio
Raine Giorgio is the founder of MyNerdNest.com, the ultimate prescription for the fandom addiction. When she’s not being the ultimate geek, you can find her studying Business at The University of Denver.
PANEL 2
Sunday May 24 @ 12:10 PM Room 603
How the Nintendo Controller Changed Gaming Forever
by Jeff Fal
Abstract
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controller changed gaming forever. In 1983, a glut of consoles and crappy games nearly killed the gaming industry. When Nintendo released the NES in America a few years later, it initiated a more mature phase for gaming. The best evidence for this is the classic NES controller, which became a standard all other console makers followed. Every great idea that was in the NES controller is still with us in every game controller of today.
Speaker Bio
Jeff Fal is an interaction designer whose current job with Denver’s Ping Identity was preceded by a year-and-a-half spent designing, developing, and launching the game Dungeonism for iOS. You can find Jeff on Twitter as @jefffal, tweeting very little about video games, some bit about politics, and mostly dumb jokes that someone else on Twitter has already thought of.
Will octopuses take over the world?
by Katherine Harmon Courage
Abstract
Spoiler: Yes. But how will they do it? That’s the real question. Will it be through their amazing camouflaging abilities? Their impressive intelligence? Their eight super-flexible—and suckery—regenerating arms? Or will it be a robot octopus uprising? Come learn how we’re most likely to meet our octopus overlords—and lots of other really cool stuff about octopus biology, behavior, and how they’re influencing cutting-edge technology. Cephalopods, unite! (They may or may not have made us write that.)
Speaker Bio
Katherine Harmon Courage is an award-winning journalist who writes for The New York Times, Wired, Popular Science, Prevention, and others. Her work was recently featured in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013 collection. Harmon Courage grew up in the decidedly landlocked state of Oklahoma knowing absolutely nothing about the octopus. She was an English major but honed her nerdiness as a reporter and editor at Scientific American magazine in New York City before moving to Longmont, Colorado. She is now a freelance journalist and a contributing editor for Scientific American. Her first book is Octopus! The Most Mysterious Creature In the Sea. Follow her on Twitter: @KHCourage
A special thank you to our graphic designer Ian Kimsey for all of the Comic Con materials! See more of his work at http://elkinesis.deviantart.com/