Thursday, September 24, Nerd Nite Denver is back from vacation and gearing up for autumn with talks about archeology, beer, and Christmas lights.
You may remember a few months back we asked you to help fund Mary Shirley’s archeological expedition in South Africa. Well Mary is back and can’t wait to tell you how it went. Then Nerd Nite alumnus Chris Crocco talks about our favorite snack and yours: beer! And finally, it may be September but Davin Young insists it’s never too early to prep your Christmas lights.
And an exciting update on last month’s partnership with Collectors Care, a non-profit that brings toys to children in need. Thanks to you generous nerds, we were able to donate $500 to their local programs! Thank you so much!
Grab your tickets ASAP!
- When: Thursday, Sept 24 – doors at 6:30pm, show at 7:00pm
- Where: The Oriental Theater
- Tickets: $5 online, $8 at the door – 18+
Old Dead Shit: A South African Adventure
by Mary Shirley
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Wow, I’d really love to spend some time on an archeological dig somewhere in the world. But who am I kidding? I don’t know anything about that stuff.” Well, Mary had the same thought, but she didn’t let it stop her. This summer she volunteered two months in South Africa at Pinnacle Point, one of the longest running, most well known, and best funded archeological sites in the world. When she left, she didn’t know anything. Now that she’s back, she wants to share what she learned with you.
Those two months were partially funded through a GoFundMe campaign promoted by Nerd Nite Denver. Thanks for the adventure!
Speaker creds: Mary graduated from the University of Hawaii with her BA in Theatre in 2007. One day in 2014 she appeared in the office of Dr. Jamie Hodgkins, zooarchaeologist at Colorado University Denver where she somehow convinced the kind professor that she was worth mentoring. Dr. Hodgkins allowed her to sit in on her graduate classes for a year, and then recommended her to participate on this dig. Mary continues to sit in on these classes while applying for Graduate school starting in the fall of 2016. She works as a bartender around Denver, and is lucky enough to have both a hot boyfriend and adorable cat, alongside amazing friends and family. She turns 30 on October 2nd and is happier in her life now than she has ever been.
Beer 101
by Chris Crocco
In recent years craft beer and brewing have seen an explosion in popularity. As we all know from living in Colorado, we make the best beer money can buy. But what is it that makes beer so awesome? In this talk, we will explore this question and find out everything from just what yeast is doing in our brew to why hops are so…hoppy. So grab a pint and get ready to learn about the science behind our favorite beverage.
Speaker creds: When he’s not nerding out making the interwebs, Chris Crocco writes the local beer blog liquid-bread.com. He has been a member of the American Homebrewers Association for the past six years and is enrolled in the Cicerone Beer Certification program.
The Underworld of Holiday Lights
by Davin Young
The trend is growing, every year more and more people are using computers to run their Christmas light show. Even synchronizing them with songs and automation as seen on ABC The Great Light Fight. When starting out this process can be very confusing but Davin is here to make the whole thing much simpler. Most off-the-shelf systems cost hundreds of dollars and require 40 or more hours of programming to synchronize one song. That’s nuts. Davin will show you the easiest, cheapest, and quickest way to get one of these systems up and running with minimal headaches — because who needs more of those during the holiday season?!
Speaker creds: Davin Young is a Security Specialist for the Department of Homeland Security who moved to Colorado in 1991. He’s both an avid lacrosse player and high school Lacrosse coach. Any hobby he’s ever had (such as programming Christmas lights) quickly becomes an addiction. Other current addictions include Arcade Cabinet restoration and Saltwater Coral Propagation.
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