UPDATE: An enormous thanks to everyone who came out for yet another evening of nerdery. And a special thanks to all you costume-clad wonders. Check out pictures from the night on Facebook!
(Images courtesy of volunteer photographer Jen Small. Want to volunteer for Nerd Nite? Let us know!)
More than just another evening ofhigh-level thinking and lowbrow drinking, this month’s Nerd Nite takes the turpitude to another level with a costume contest, dry t-shirt competition, and probably something to do with your candy-eating abilities.
On October 30th, we’ll find out if octopuses are trying to take over the world (*shivers*); how to make a statement with your coffee consumption; and a madman with degrees will talk about the endless weirdness of quantum physics.
What other pre-Halloween party will be so enlightening?
And for those of you with a competitive spirit, nerds dressed in costumes based on one of these three presentations will win all sorts of prizes, including free tickets to the Colorado Symphony’s Tribute to Comicon v2.0!
When: Thursday, October 30, 2014 – doors at 6:30pm, show at 7:00pm
Drinks, food, and mingles start at 6:30pm, show starts at 7pm — so come early to hang out with us! Don’t miss the amazing presentations (and the accompanying drinks). Tickets are limited at the door so grab yours now!Share this event on FACEBOOK or TWITTER! Social media!
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Will octopuses take over the world?
By Katherine Harmon Courage
Will octopuses take over the world? 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? Will it be because they can lay tens of thousands of little baby octopus eggs? Maybe just through seemingly innocuous—but ubiquitous—octopus prints on throw pillows and t-shirts? 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! (ßThey 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, last year—and once again very far from the ocean—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
The Science of Coffee
By Matt Simpson
In the United States, approximately 54% of adults drink coffee with an average consumption of 3.1 cups per day. As coffee undertakes its journey from seed to cup, each step significantly impacts the inherent potential of the bean and its ability to produce a wonderful gustatory experience. With proper attention and care at each step along the process, coffee can be transformed from a mundane beverage into a complex adventure that relates the stories of everyone involved in its lifetime. Particular focus will be given to aspects that Denver coffee consumers can control, from the procurement of quality beans to the technical aspects of various home brewing methods with brief forays into ethics and economics.
Speaker Bio: When Matt was 21 years old, he faced a crucial decision in his life: should he pursue a career in coffee or in medicine? He ultimately decided on medicine, which led him to his current role as chief resident with the Rose family medicine residency. However, his passion for coffee never faltered over those years, and during his internal medicine rotation in medical school, his senior resident once remarked that if he knew as much about medicine as he did coffee, he would get honors on all of his rotations. Matt drinks an average of 2.5 cups of coffee per day, prefers a manual pour over (preferably with a flannel filter) or a straight espresso with an occasional indulgence of a cappuccino paired with a croissant or donut.
Quantum Weirdness: Entanglement, Schrodinger Cats, and Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling
By Lincoln Carr
Quantum mechanics is amazing! Everybody has that feeling of interconnectedness. QM is the first theory to put that into its foundations — we call it entanglement. Schrodinger cats express possibility. Do you ever feel that anything can happen? Ever feel like you’re at the fork in the road, like your whole life can change if you go right or left? So that’s a Schrodinger cat. Except it’s not just a feeling, it’s a fundamental part of physical reality at the foundational level. I am personally in awe at the number of our intuitions that appear in the universe in physics. As far as technology, a Schrodinger cat is related to a qubit, the building block of quantum computers. You know how your computer has say 2 gigabytes of memory? Ok, a byte is a 8 bits and a bit is a switch, say zero is off and one is on. So a qubit (quantum bit) is both zero and one, just like the cat is both alive and dead. 1000 qubits breaks every code in the world and we find out who shot Kennedy. As for macroscopic quantum tunneling, the speaker will demonstrate it with his own body during the talk.
Speaker Bio:Lincoln Carr is a theoretical physicist, professor at the Colorado School of Mines, and recovering professional dishwasher.He has published over 100 research papers, collaborated with 70 scientists in 12 countries, and mentored 80 students in research from the undergraduate to graduate levels.He is an Honors Faculty Fellow, a National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, and a Distinguished International Fellow of the National Science Foundation.His research interests include quantum many body physics, condensed matter physics, atomic, molecular, and optical physics, nonlinear dynamics, and complexity theory.
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Before you go, be sure to take a minute to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates and fun facts, and be the first to know event details by signing up for our email list (in the bar to the right).
See you soon!
p.s. Want to be a Nerd Nite speaker? Or know someone who should be? Let us know!
AHHHH! Thanks to all of you, our resident nerds, September’s Nerd Nite was one of the absolute best yet. We’ll have *full* videos of the evening in the coming weeks, but for now check out the Girls of Geek 12 clips and highlights from the evening.
Thank you everyone!!!
p.s. Did you take pictures of the night? Want to share your favorite part of the evening? Share with us on Facebook!
We are SO damn excited about this month’s Nerd Nite that we can practically guarantee this post is fraught with typos….excitement typos.
September 25, your favorite cartoons will come to life with voice-actor Rob Paulsen (just read his IMDB, you will die); we’ll hear all about the many things to be learned from cannabis and platypus (it’s science, we promise); and we will finally have an answer to that pesky question asked around the world: why the hell don’t we use the metric system in the United States?
So prepare to have those minds blown and get your tickets now!
When: Thursday, September 25, 2014 – doors at 6:30pm, show at 7:00pm
Synopsis: Legendary voice actor Rob Paulsen will talk about the process, the joys, and the changing landscape of voice acting. Prepare to meet your childhood on Thursday and then see Rob perform the following evening at Animaniacs LIVE! presented by the Colorado Symphony and Arrow Electronics as a part of the season’s Geek Concert Series.
Bio: Rob Paulsen (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jimmy Neutron, the list goes on) is one of the most experienced and talented voice actors in the business. Check out his Talkin’ Toons podcast or follow him on Twitter at @yakkopinky.
Platelets, the Platypus, and Pot: How engineered blood vessels are changing the way we think about blood clotting
By Keith Neeves
Synopsis: Technology has been developed that mimics human blood vessels on a microchip. The microchips help diagnose rare bleeding disorders and test new drugs at the Children’s Hospital Colorado. We will learn how this technology can be used to minimize animal testing and predict a person’s response to cardiovascular drugs. We’ll hear specifically about a few interesting discoveries on the effect of cannabis on blood clotting and the evolution of our favorite blood cell the platelet from our Australian friend the platypus.
Bio: Keith Neeves is an Associate Professor in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at the Colorado School of Mines. He is a Colorado native who received a BS from CU-Boulder and PhD from Cornell University and did postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include cardiovascular engineering, drug delivery, and biomedical microdevices.
The History and Downfall of the Metric System in the United States
By Randy Bancroft
Synopsis: From the invention of the metric system and the many ways it simplified life to its battle for dominance in the United States, we’ll learn all about the metric system and why we don’t, but should, use it.
Bio: Randy Bancroft, writer of The Metric Maven, is a practicing Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado, published author (check out his book Schrodinger’s Cat & The Golden Bough) and nerd extraordinaire. He did graduate work at California State University at Northridge, and received his Master’s at The University of Colorado at Boulder.
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Before you go, be sure to take a minute to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates and fun facts, and be the first to know event details by signing up for our email list (in the bar to the right).
See you soon!
p.s. Want to be a Nerd Nite speaker? Or know someone who should be? Let us know!
DESCRIPTION: As more nerdy conventions start popping up around the United States, the demand for Cosplay is in. In a way, the Cosplay community has become a society with rules and behaviors. We are here to show why Cosplay is such a big thing in the nerd/geek world, the easy and hard ways to make your Cosplay and Cosplay etiquette.
SPEAKER BIOS (in their own words!):
“I am Mattie and I have been a nerd/geek for a majority of the 26 years that I have lived. I love conventions, video games, comic books and so much more. Even though I am a functioning member of society working 40 hours a week, I enjoy my geeky life and try to live it to the fullest. I have been with Girls of Geek 12 since October 2012 and have enjoyed every minute of it especially since I pulled my best friend into it. My passions are reading, writing and sewing/creating costumes. ”
“Hi! I’m Shae, and I’m a geek/nerd! I started out in the wonderful world of anime and moved onto sci-fi and all the gloriousness that comes along with being a geek. I love comics, video games, naps, and anything nerdy related. I’ve been cosplaying on and off since I was 15, and am not an expert at all. I’m just someone who loves to be a geek and proud of it. Mattie got me interested in Girls of Geek, and as of July 2013, I have been an official Girl of Geek. There’s nothing better than spreading the awesomeness of the nerd-verse and bringing geeks together.”
How the Nintendo Controller Changed Gaming Forever
by Jeff Fal
DESCRIPTION: The 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. Companies like Atari, Coleco, and Magnavox had bounced around different controller concepts for years, but Nintendo finally cracked the code. Every great idea that was in the NES controller is still with us in every game controller of today.
SPEAKER BIOS: 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.
DESCRIPTION: Space technology is cool. Helping people is cool. But can you help people using space technology? The ImageGryphon mission proves that you can and should by donating space imagery to international nonprofits. Very cool.
SPEAKER BIOS: SpaceUnited Development Engineer Adam Brinckerhoff was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois, not exactly the hub of the international space industry. He followed his passion for space to Michigan, Virginia, Alabama, California, Georgia, and Washington, DC. He now lives in Broomfield with his wife, dog, cat, fish, snail, and very first acoustic piano.
Before you go, be sure to take a minute to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates and fun facts, and be the first to know event details by signing up for our email list (in the bar to the right).
See you soon!
p.s. Want to be a Nerd Nite speaker? Or know someone who should be? Let us know!
Huge thanks to everyone who joined us at July’s Nerd Nite! For a recap of the evening, the amazing Girls of Geek 12 have written up a review. Check it out!
And for those who want to watch the first talk in its entirety, a video of Sexy Science can be found by clicking on the image below.
Watch now! Sexy Science: The Evolution of Sexual Norms
Humans. We’re fragile, flawed, and wonderful.
Nerd Nite – July 24, 2014
And we’re biologically designed to survive — whether through reproduction, stealing resources, or just not dying from disease. This month, we talk about all the wonderful (and sometimes controversial) ways that we humans interact with the world around us. Ooooh it’s going to be a saucy one!
When: Thursday, July 24, 2014 – doors at 6:30pm, show at 7:00pm (come early to mingle and drink with us)
* Sexy Science: The Evolution of Sexual Norms…and How You Can Ditch Them
by Kayla Knopp, Rachel Miller, and Lane Nesbitt
DESCRIPTION: Have you ever wondered why our culture’s sexual attitudes and practices are the way they are? In this Sexy Science presentation, we will present research on the biological and social influences on the evolution of sex throughout human history, focusing on how we ended up with modern American sexual norms. We will open your eyes to the broad range of desires that encompass human sexuality, and highlight how narrow the range of sexuality that is considered “normal” actually is. In this talk on sex outside the bounds of cultural norms, you will get a taste of the sexual possibilities that await you, with a promise of more to come. Prepare to open your mind, your heart, and possibly your bedroom, to sex as you’ve never thought of it before.
SPEAKER BIOS: Kayla, Rachel, and Lane are clinical psychology Ph.D. students at the University of Denver. They conduct research on romantic and sexual relationships. They are interested in working with populations that are not traditionally studied, and seek to explore uncommon perspectives on topics for which a single perspective presently dominates the field. They also engage in clinical work with couples and individuals, and particularly enjoy working with clients on issues related to romantic and sexual involvement.
* Red Team Testing: Lying, picking, and stealing
by Ryan Jones
DESCRIPTION: “Red Team” is a term originated within the military to describe a team whose purpose is to penetrate the security of “friendly” installations, and thus test the effectiveness of their security measures. Over the last several years, this practice has become increasingly common in the private sector. This talk will show the reasons companies use these tests, the techniques and tools used by the teams to conduct the tests, and hopefully get you thinking in a way that makes you slightly more aware of your surroundings when it comes to the everyday security of the world around you.
SPEAKER BIO: Ryan has been working in the information security arena for 20 years, with a focus on penetration testing and red team testing. He is currently a Senior Consultant at Lares, an information security company out of Denver. In his free time, Ryan enjoys piña coladas, and getting caught in the rain. His rarely posted to twitter is @lizborden and you can yell at him after the presentation via email at
* Natural Selection and Your Health: Can I have a different evolutionary history, please?
by Dr. James DeGregori
DESCRIPTION: Most medical schools do not significantly cover evolutionary biology, and yet we cannot understand human health and illnesses without appreciating how evolution has shaped disease susceptibility and the potential nastiness of pathogens. We will discuss really depressing subjects like why we get old and sick, and why modern living (despite niceties like a longer healthier life) has come with a few side effects. Finally, we will learn about our crazy new theory on why we get cancer (and more importantly, why we don’t).
SPEAKER BIO: James DeGregori received a B.A. in Microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987, where he learned to piss people off, and a Ph.D. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge in 1993, where he learned enough to piss people off intelligently. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Duke from 1993-97, where he learned that pissing people off can get you in trouble. In 1997 he managed to get a real job in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where he is currently (and hopefully futuristically) a Professor. He is also currently the Associate Director for Basic Science at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
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Don’t miss these amazing presentations (and the accompanying drinks). Tickets are $5 online and $7 at the door. So grab your tix now!
Before you go, be sure to take a minute to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates and fun facts, and be the first to know event details by signing up for our email list (in the bar to the right).
high-level thinking and lowbrow drinking, this month’s Nerd Nite takes the turpitude to another level with a costume contest, dry t-shirt competition, and probably something to do with your candy-eating abilities.
That’s the real question. Will it be through their amazing camouflaging abilities? Their impressive intelligence? Their eight super-flexible—and suckery—regenerating arms? Will it be because they can lay tens of thousands of little baby octopus eggs? Maybe just through seemingly innocuous—but ubiquitous—octopus prints on throw pillows and t-shirts? 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! (ßThey may or may not have made us write that.)
in-depth look at cosplay, the evolution of video game controllers, and how satellite imagery can save lives.
