Holy mackeral! Can’t believe that this is our 12th straight month of nerding out with all you ATL folks. It hardly feels like a year ago that I was biking around the alien landscape of Atlanta trying to pitch the event and rustle up speakers for our first go. But here we are! We’re setting this thing off on the eve of Dragon Con, and what better way to prep for the big event than to come nerd out with your favorite local nerds? Especially when you can bone up on your comic book and shark knowledge! This month, we’ve got some great talks, and we hope to see you all out to celebrate one year of Nerd Nite ATL.
——————————————————————————
——————————————————————————
What: Nerd Nite ATL, No. 12
When: WEDNESDAY 8/27. Show at 8:00pm, but get there EARLY if you want to get a good seat and get a jump on ordering food/drink.
Where: Manuel’s Tavern, 602 North Highland Ave NE
Cost: $5 Cover
——————————————————————————
——————————————————————————
“The neuroscience of pleasant and sensual touch” by Kevin Watkins.
The skin, our largest sense organ, has also been referred to as the largest sexual organ. Researchers are just now starting to understand how pleasant social touch is sensed and processed differently than other sensory information. So what does the field of Neuroscience have to teach you about touching your loved ones?
Bio: Bio: Kevin Watkins is a Neuroscience PhD student at Emory University, where he studies how pleasant touch interacts with physiology. Previously he has done chimpanzee social research, taught high school Biology in East Oakland, and led canoe field trips in the San Francisco Bay. When not doing science, he works on slowly turning his Kirkwood home into a small hobby farm.
“Crisis of Terrible Comics: The Worst of DC and Marvel.” by Evan Valentine
From Days of Future Past, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Captain America: Winter Soldier, we find ourselves in a renaissance of great comic book cinema and storytelling. HOWEVER, there is a dark side that few dare to venture toward. That’s right, there have been almost a century of comic books put forth from DC and Marvel respectively, so there were bound to be a few stinkers in the pile. In Crisis of Terrible Comics: The Worst of DC and Marvel, guest speaker Evan Valentine will discuss the worst of the worst in comic book story lines. From deals to the devil to hyper aging ninja children, it’s all downhill from here folks.
Bio: Evan Valentine is a standup comedian in the Atlanta Area who has performed with the likes of Chris Tucker (Rush Hour) and Ron White (Blue Collar Comedy Tour) to name a few. Mr. Valentine also writes for the website, Collider, as their comic book guru with regular features on the site. He was recently featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution for both his standup comedy and his day job as a Marketing Director.
“Sharks (with or without freakin’ lasers)! ” by Rachel Pendergrass
Sharks are cool. Duh. We all know that. They even have a whole week dedicated to them. But why are they so important to us? And why are we so important to them?
Bio: Rachel Pendergrass is a marine biology student, writer, and science communicator native to the Atlanta area. When she’s not working on her shark research or school work, she is a co-producer of WRITE CLUB Atlanta and the assistant director of the Dragon Con Science Track. She was also the official poetic journalist of TEDxPeachtree in 2013.
Big news everybody! Well, news. This month’s event is going to be back at Manuel’s Tavern in Poncey-Highlands. Between the distance and the sound issues and the number of non-nerds at our last venue, we thought it best to go back to our roots. So, that being said, we’ve got a tremendous event this month: three grrreeeaaaat talks and the return of Nerd Nite trivia, plus a raffle! Not to mention, we’ll be screening a trailer for new nerd movie coming out this month. So lot’s of great stuff. We look forward to seeing you all back at Manuel’s on Wednesday. Read below to find out all the details.
——————————————————————————
——————————————————————————
What: Nerd Nite ATL, No. 11
When: WEDNESDAY 7/23. Show at 8:00pm, but get there EARLY if you want to get a good seat and get a jump on ordering food/drink.
Where: Manuel’s Tavern, 602 North Highland Ave NE
Cost: $5 Cover
——————————————————————————
——————————————————————————
“Southern Food’s Native American Roots ” by Laura Sullivan.
Crack open a cookbook from the Chickasaw Nation and you’ll find a line-up of recipes mighty familiar to the Southern cook: grits, corn bread, sweet potato pie and chicken and dumplings. Turns out that Southern cooking, with its fascinating mishmash of European and African influences, has its roots in Native American food. What connects the ubiquitous dishes you’d find at any good Meat & Three and the southeastern Native American tribes? We’ll find out in this food nerd-y talk about crops and foodways. We’ll even learn what the heck nixtamalization is. (It’s important for your cheese grits, so do pay attention.)
Bio: Laura Sullivan is an Atlanta native and long-time food and travel writer. On a trip to her family homeland in Oklahoma, she became a little obsessed with the Southern-Native food connection, learning much from experts on the subject, including Emmy award-winning Native chef Loretta Oden, and later penning a piece for Modern Farmer.
“An Albanian Woman’s Choice: Sex or Civil Rights?” by Valerie Walters.
Gender inequality is an uncomfortable, unpleasant, and omnipresent issue around the world. A rural, patriarchal society in northern Albania has an oppressive and rigidly gendered system of governance that’s existed since the 15th century, but also a unique solution for those women denied civil rights – they can become men. But this choice comes with trade offs, and leads to a plethora of implications about gender, sex, rights, and each societies perspectives on all of these topics.
Bio: Valerie currently does management consulting at KPMG. Before she started the most ambiguous job of all time, she attended the University of Alabama and competed on the nationally ranked speech and debate team, where she learned a lot about a lot of stuff.
“Hack Your Genome” by Kris Hite, Ph.D.
Want to know who you really are? What cave your ancestors crawled out of? When you’re gonna die? Well step right up and spit into this cup. Sounds great right? In this talk, an open access advocate gets personal about personal genomics. Is it some voodoo oracle to predict your destiny, or the latest fad in tech-narcissism? Come explore the As, Ts, Gs, and Cs with me and judge for yourself the value of knowing your own DNA.
Bio: Kris is a postdoctoral fellow in the Biology Department at Emory. He is currently working with the model plant organism Arabidopsis thaliana studying how certain genes affect plant development. When not at the bench Kris writes a blog called Tom Paine’s Ghost which tries to unpack topics in sustainably, politics, and new developments in life science. His writing has been featured at Scientific American, the World Science Festival, and the Open Laboratory and annual anthology of the best science writing on blogs.
It’s hot. Then it’s wet. Then it’s hot again. It seems you can’t rely on anything these days, except maybe Nerd Nite. We’re just around the corner from the Fourth of July, and it time start training to pack away all that bar-b-que. And what better way to do it than to hear some nerdy talks at Smoke Ring? We’ve got a diverse array of presentations line-up, and perhaps the most peculiar and confounding talk title/description/bio we’ve ever had (and that’s saying something). If any of you can figure out what Obie’s gonna talk about, you’re a better nerd than me. I can’t wait to find out.
——————————————————————————
——————————————————————————
What: Nerd Nite ATL No. 10
When: Thursday 6/19. Show at 8:00pm, but get there EARLY if you want to get a seat and if you want to eat in peace.
Where: Smoke Ring BBQ, 309 Nelson St. SW
Parking: is abundant. There’s a free garage steps from Smoke Ring, there’s street parking, and there’s a $1.00 parking lot across the street.
Cost: $5 Cover
——————————————————————————
——————————————————————————
“Please Don’t Pay Me in Shawarma!: The secret life of a belly dancer” by Margaret Kuberra.
It’s all over pop culture nowadays: Shakira, Akon, America’s Got Talent, but it’s not as easy as it looks. Even so, you’d be surprised to find out that your neighbor, teacher, or grandma might actually be a belly dancer. Come hear about the highs and lows of how this age-old tradition persists in modern American culture — often in the most unexpected places — and maybe pick up some moves and learn how shake your butt…on (belly button that is).
Bio: Margaret has been a professional belly dancer for over a decade in Minnesota and Georgia. She is currently finishing school at Life University in June with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree.
“Accelerando: SpaceTime Data Modeling, Web-Based Munchkin Cthulhu, and Cyborg Expert Systems Harvesting the Brains of the Baby Boomers” by Obie Reynolds.
Whether you’re designing a chemical plant or defending the universe from interdimensional tentacle monsters, life is full of decision-making. Obie has spent far too much time trying to overcome the inadequacies of decision-making processes both in humans and in computers, and is now convinced that semantic data modeling is the key to implementing expert systems with a seamless interface between human and machine. It might not be perfect, but it’s better than that time he dropped acid watching Pacific Rim and attempted to build a mind-meld mech suit. He will evangelize for 18-20 minutes on the merits of ontological decision-making using a bizarre context of engineering design juxtaposed with online fantasy gaming, coming to the inevitable conclusion that we must speed up what can be accomplished in a human lifetime in order to save ourselves from ourselves. As we all know, ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.
Bio: Obie mysteriously disappeared from the Georgia Tech Chemical Engineering Ph.D program in 2010 while studying under Dr. Laban Shrewsbury, who has since also gone missing. In 2012, during a police inquiry into kidnappings and fishing cults in rural South Carolina, Obie was spotted in an abandoned hotel outside of Spartanburg, his room covered in carved stones and painted archaic symbols and filled with strange books and an array of computers. His notes provided police with vital information used to take down the kidnapping ring, though he is still considered a person of interest. He is currently employed by CH2M Hill in Atlanta as an integrator of design tools and architect of engineering data warehouses, but will shortly be travelling to Iceland to continue his researches into ancient seafaring mythology.
“The Evolution of Two-Dimensional Animation” by Ted Murphy.
2-D animation dates back as much as 30,000 years to Chauvet Cave in southern France where light from flames of campfires danced across the contours of the cave walls, bringing simple drawings to life. We’ve come a long way from those caves: to pineapples under the sea, to the New New York in the year 3000, to the tiny town of Quahog. This talk will follow the long lineage of how people have brought their dreams, humor, and imagination to life with drawings that move.
Bio: Ted Murphy is an artist, video editor and animator. He is an unstoppable cartoon-drawing force.
Whatupwhatupwhatuuuuuup nerds and nerdettes? It’s time for another Nerd Nite, and we’re bringing the fun this month with some super nerdy talks about dogs and wrestling to go along with the straight poop on all this Google Glass stuff. There’ll be lots of learning, lots of laughing, and perhaps an ambulance…in the event that one of your Nerd Nite hosts has a bit too much to drink and attempts a diving knee drop from up on stage. Read below. You’ll get it. RSVP at HERE so we know how many to expect. As always, $4 420’s and $1 jumb-O smoked wings.
————————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————
What: Nerd Nite ATL No.9
When: Thursday 5/15. Show at 8:00pm, but get there EARLY if you want to get a seat and if you want to eat in peace.
Where: Smoke Ring BBQ, 309 Nelson St. SW
Parking: is abundant. There’s a free garage steps from Smoke Ring, there’s street parking, and there’s a $1.00 parking lot across the street.
Cost: $5 Cover
————————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————
“How I Met My Favorite Internet Dog” by Taylor Proctor
Come hear the moving story of how a puppy with a cleft palate, a pooch running for Dog Mayor of San Mateo County, and a wrinkly-necked Chiweenie with an overbite helped Taylor Proctor become one of Atlanta’s leading experts on internet dogs. Learn about the importance of internet dogs to our communities and society at large. Ms. Proctor will even share some of her own tips for growing your own internet dog.
Bio: By day Taylor Proctor is a geologist. By day and by night she looks at pictures of other people’s dogs on the internet.
“Terminator Vision: Augmented Reality Coming Soon to Glasses Near You.” by Scott Driscoll
A new wave of wearable computers like Google Glass is going to change how we see and interact with our world, and very soon. See demos of Augmented Reality and learn about the technology enabling it. Also, what will social interactions be like if everyone has wearable tech? Will we still ask “Where are you from?” when our headset automatically Google’s every new person we meet?
Bio: Scott Driscoll is an engineer from Georgia Tech, where he studied engineering and music technology. He now writes Augmented Reality software for industrial applications at Sentrinsic, Inc., and explains techie things on his YouTube channel: CuriousInventor.
“Who Watches This Garbage?” by Chuck Porterfield
Professional wrestling is viewed by millions of people each week on television, in arenas, and noisy auditoriums. How did the oldest sport in recorded history become the unusual spectacle that it is today? And what is the real answer to the question “is wrestling fake?”
Bio: Chuck Porterfield is a writer and an independent filmmaker but is best known to wrestling fans as “The Voice of Reason.” His life of geekdom began when he saw a clip on “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood” in which make up artists turned Lou Ferrigno into “The Incredible Hulk.”
Ooh! Oooh! This is the one where the Saved by the Bell crew, after a terrible bus accident during a reunion tour, are turned into cyborgs to fight cancer! Or something like that. It’s that time once again nerds: to come out and hear some cool talks from some cool nerds and drink some cool drinks with cool friends. All the better, this month features a little bit of everything for you tech nerds, TV nerds, and nerds who want to know what the the truth is behind everything we hear about cancer. Not to mention Smoke Ring rules it with great food and drink. We’re ready to have a good time. Feel free to RSVP on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/1456531341249824/) so we know how many to expect. See you there!
——————————————————————————-
——————————————————————————-
What: Nerd Nite ATL No.8
When: Thursday 4/17. Show at 8:00pm, but get there EARLY if you want to get a seat and if you want to eat in peace.
Where: Smoke Ring BBQ, 309 Nelson St. SW
Parking: is abundant. There’s a free garage steps from Smoke Ring, there’s street parking, and there’s a $1.00 parking lot across the street.
Cost: $5 Cover
——————————————————————————-
——————————————————————————-
“Is Grandpa a Cyborg? Brain Machine Interfaces as Health Solutions.” by Melodie Tian.
Have you taken a close look at grandpa lately? Noticed any enhanced senses, robotic reflexes, or mechanical parts? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your grandpa might be part cyborg! Join us to learn about how organizations such as DARPA, the Center for Bionic Medicine, and the BrainGate research team are pioneering the development of cybernetics and neurotechnologies that will help transform the lives of many.
Bio: Melodie Tian is a doctoral student in neuroscience at Emory University. She is also a training fellow in the Emory/GAtech computational neuroscience program and her research interests lie in motor control and sensory-motor integration. Melodie likes cooking and jogging when she is not lazy, and she is trying to build a robot in her spare time.
“How Saved by the Bell RUINED MY LIFE” by Rob Haze.
Everybody remember Saved By The Bell with such ironically wistful nostalgia. The hair. The neon. Pants so poofy, but still not big enough to hold all the witty banter. But you probably don’t remember what a selfish and immoral person all those hijinks made you as an adult. Is your life so over? Cheer up and get so excited! Get SO excited! Because this speech will not be be-be-be ba-ba-ba-beat.
Bio: Rob Haze is a comedian out of Atlanta, Georgia. Rob is a lover of all things pop culture and his lifetime goal is to be a talking head on Video Hits One. He is a favorite at the Laughing Skull Lounge and Atlanta Improv. In December Rob had the opportunity to open for Dave Chappelle throughout the southeast. Rob is a frequent guest on the Ryan Cameron morning show on V-103 and has a weekly stand up show at Smith’s Olde Bar every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. EST.
“Disease Overload: Resetting What You Think You Know About Cancer.” by Alex Liber.
Cancer sucks. Cancer might suck less if it was less mysterious. News articles constantly claim that this food, and that drug, or this activity cause and cure cancer. We are asked to participate in umpteen cancer awareness events that provide information without context. An overload of scary, contradictory, and unhelpful information about cancer make even the most diligent nerd lose perspective on how cancer affects them and the world around them. This talk asks you to hit the “reset” button on what you think causes and cures cancer and provides tools to help you become more intelligently aware of cancer and what the disease means in your life.
Bio: Alex received his Masters of Public Health degree from Emory University in Health Policy and Health Services Research in 2012 and works as a data analyst for the American Cancer Society. Alex makes a living fighting the global tobacco industry with numbers and he was recently one of “250 leading scientists” (a way too flattering term) to co-author the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s 2014 World Cancer Report. When not at work, Alex coaches the Public Forum debate team at Henry W. Grady High School and frequents bar trivia nights with his friends.
RSVP for Nerd Nite on Facebook…..HERE!
Heyheyhey nerd dudes and nerd gals! After long last, through ice storms and traffic jams, Nerd Nite is back, and at a new location in hip Castleberry Hill. Yes, the sun is out, the birds are chirping, and it feels good to be alive. This month’s line-up features a couple of talks that are a few weeks late in talking about love, and a visit from The Economist to tell us a little bit about why it’s easier to be rich than poor (imagine that!). See below for more details about these three fantastic talks. We’realso going to have some jugglers to delight you! PLEASE NOTE THE NEW LOCATION AT SMOKE RING BBQ, who will be offering Nerd Nite attendees $4 pints of SWEETWATER 420 and $1 SMOKED JUMBO CHICKEN WINGS. Dig it!
When: THURSDAY Feb 27th, Doors at 7:30, show at 8:00. Get there early for a good seat.
Where: Smoke Ring BBQ, Castleberry Hill, 309 Nelson Street SW
Parking: Abundant. There’s a free garage steps from Smoke Ring, there’s street parking, and there’s a $1.00 parking lot across the street.
Cost: $5 cover.
Food and drink special = $4.00 420’s and $1.00 smoked jumbo chicken wings.
WHO YOU’LL SEE, AND WHAT YOU’LL HEAR:
FEATURING: THE ECONOMIST
“Why it’s expensive to be poor”, by Jon Fasman, The Economist
Most people think that being poor just means having too little money. But it also means paying more, often a lot more, for goods and services than the middle-class and wealthy do. And it means living on the thinnest of financial margins, so that what would be a minor inconvenience for a middle-class person can precipitate a financial catastrophe for a poor person. This presentation explores why and how that is, and what can be done about it.
Bio: Jon Fasman is the Atlanta correspondent for The Economist, covering politics, policy, business and finance in the American South, with occasional forays into covering gambling, professional football, all things food-and-drink related and reviewing contemporary fiction. He is also the author of two novels: The Geographer’s Library, a New York Times bestseller; and The Unpossessed City, a finalist for the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award. He lives in East Lake with his wife and sons.
“All the World’s a Stage, And All the Plants Merely Players” by Elizabeth Philbrick
There will be deceit and there will be dancing; a conspiracy and collaboration; a strangulation will occur and an amazing getaway plan will be revealed; all of which are components in one of the greatest shows on earth. Join us in meeting some of the most dramatic characters in the second largest kingdom on earth, Plantae. The tale will follow a host of players, none of which are without acceptable motivation. But the tactics these plants use to achieve their sexual ends may have you blushing through your laughter. If you have never peered into your yard and wondered what is really going on out there then you may be missing out on some truly riveting entertainment.
Bio: Years ago Elizabeth took a radical detour off her trajectory in politics to surround herself with plants and the people who love them. By day she works for a gargantuan garden center and by night she can be found designing ecologically friendly spaces for home and community. She aspires to bring her enthusiasm for all things green and growing to everyone she encounters.
“Agony and Ecstasy: The Story of a Love Drug” by Daniel Curry
From its humble beginning in a Merck laboratory, MDMA has become one of the world’s most widely used illicit drugs. Its fascinating ability to engender feelings of love and closeness towards others has inspired new subcultures and generated significant interest in the drug’s therapeutic potential. Yet, as overdose deaths accumulate, its dangers have never been clearer. Is MDMA a dangerous drug of abuse or a medicine of the future? We’ll discuss its history, pharmacology, and what “love” in a pill can teach us about our own biology.
Bio: Dan is a doctoral student in Neuroscience at Emory University. His research focuses on the pharmacology of “club drugs” such as MDMA and understanding how they affect the neurobiology of social behavior. When not in lab, Dan is involved with the Atlanta Brain Bee and is an instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Emory. He is interested in the history of drug use and the dynamic relationship between cultures and mind-altering substances.
FEATURING ENTERTAINMENT BY THIMBLERIG CIRCUS (JUGGLERS)!
Be there and be square!
Tell your friends!
Be there and be square!
RSVP for Nerd Nite on Facebook…..HERE!
It’s a whole new year, and that means 12 more months of your favorite event: Nerd Nite. Right? Right. We’ve got a great line-up of speakers talking about Lemurs, Lamborghinis, and the little things that live inside you (gross!), and a dope local musician, so buckle up and read on. Also, a local news outlet will be doing a story on this month’s event, so be sure to come out and make a good impression. Remember that doors are at 7:30, but we encourage you to show up early to get a seat and order food/drink. Cover = $5. Here’s what you’ll see and hear:
When: TUESDAY, January 21st. Doors @ 7:30pm, Show @ 8:00pm sharp (arrive early!)
Where: Manuel’s Tavern, Poncey-Highlands, 602 N Highland Ave NE.
Cost: $5 cover.
WHO YOU’LL SEE, AND WHAT YOU’LL HEAR:
“First-Person Plural: 100 Trillion Reasons to Care About Your Microbiome” by Keren Landman.
Maybe you’ve already heard that the bacteria in your gut may determine whether you’re fat, allergic, cancerous, or just generally f*cked. Before you pre-register for that fecal transplant, learn what your microbiome is (spoiler alert: more than just poop), why it matters, and how much we really know about its role in human wellness and disease.
Bio: Keren Landman is a physician trained in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. She currently works as a public health epidemiologist and researcher.
“Cannonballing” by Ed Bolian.
Ed Bolian discusses student entreprenuerism, the intricacies of the exotic car industry and his recent feat of breaking the Cannonball record – driving from New York to Los Angeles in 28 hours and 50 minutes.
Bio: Ed is an Atlanta native and both a serial entrepreneur and car enthusiast. He has owned many interesting cars and started an Exotic Car Rental company while a student at Georgia Tech. He is not the Sales Director at Lamborghini Atlanta/Motorcars of Georgia.
“Aye-Aye Captain: A Primatologist’s Tales of Lemurs in Madagascar” by Sarah Zohdy, Ph.D.
The island of Madagascar is home to some of the strangest animals on the planet, including the lemurs, small primates that live there and nowhere else in the world. In this talk we will venture to this magical land and hear stories about these scientifically fascinating, and painfully adorable primates. You will hear tales about the smallest primate in the world (the mouse lemur), the most endangered primate in the world (the greater bamboo lemur), and what is possibly the oddest looking creature on the planet (the aye-aye).
Bio: Dr. Sarah Zohdy has spent nearly a decade working in the jungles of Madagascar to try and understand its most popular residents, the lemurs. She is currently working at Emory University to examine diseases in lemurs and humans in Madagascar in the hopes of using this information to improve conservation and human health initiatives.
Music by Atlanta’s own guitalele pro, Jed Drummond.
Be there and be square!
Tell your friends!
Be there and be square!
RSVP for Nerd Nite on Facebook…..HERE!
Hey all you nerd dudes and nerd gals, if you want to stay off the naughty list this year, you better haul you’re heinies on out to the fourth installment of Nerd Nite ATL! There’ll be plenty of holiday cheer to go around and three more totally great talks to fill up your brains before the new year. And this month, instead of a talent act in between talks, we’ll be holding a couple rounds of Nerd Nite Trivia where your nerdy know-how could net you and your team one of three fabulous prizes! Peep details below, and bring your friends. Remember, doors are at 7:30, and show up early for a seat and food/beer. a step out of the cold and into a warm Nerd Nite ATL, Atlanta! This month we’re getting down on a Tuesday, with three great talks and one great music act to keep your spirits high as we shiver into the holiday season:
When: Wednesday, December 18th. Doors @ 7:30pm, Show @ 8:00pm sharp (arrive early!)
Where: Manuel’s Tavern, Poncey-Highlands, 602 N Highland Ave NE.
Cost: $5 cover.
WHO YOU’LL SEE, AND WHAT YOU’LL HEAR:
“We are 98% chimp and 50% bananas: What apes can teach us about our own shortcomings” by Darby Proctor, Ph.D. and Julia Watzek.
Humans behave in ways that don’t make sense. We study nonhuman primates to attempt to gain an evolutionary understanding of these human quirks. We will touch on everything from monkey economics to chimpanzee innovations and relate stories of how these amazing primates continually surprise us.
Bio: Dr. Darby Proctor and Julia Watzek both have years of experience working with nonhuman primates. They currently work at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center with Frans de Waal doing behavioral research with chimpanzees, one of human’s closest living relatives. Both have survived the wilds of Africa while working with wild primates as well as becoming adept at dodging whatever the chimps fling at them.
“Sound and Synthesizers” by Billy Gewin.
This talk will cover some basic physics of sound and synthesizers, highlighting a few well-known recordings with a discussion of how their signature synth sounds were created. We’ll explore some important inventors who contributed to western music’s arsenal of electronic instruments like Luarens Hammond, Leon Theremin and Bob Moog, and will attempt to underscore how magic can happen when two simple elements are combined to make something special.
Bio: Billy Gewin is a musician, singer/songwriter and studio owner. He’s recorded with many local singer-songwriters and bands, co-written songs with many local artists including Sugarland, and plays live at bars, coffeehouses and festivals around Atlanta.
“Agony and Ecstasy: The Story of a Love Drug” by Daniel Curry.
From its humble beginning in a Merck laboratory, MDMA has become one of the world’s most widely used illicit drugs. Its fascinating ability to engender feelings of love and closeness towards others has inspired new subcultures and generated significant interest in the drug’s therapeutic potential. Yet, as overdose deaths accumulate, its dangers have never been clearer. Is MDMA a dangerous drug of abuse or a medicine of the future? We’ll discuss its history, pharmacology, and what “love” in a pill can teach us about our own biology.
Bio: Dan is a doctoral student in Neuroscience at Emory University. His research focuses on the pharmacology of “club drugs” such as MDMA and understanding how they affect the neurobiology of social behavior. When not in lab, Dan is involved with the Atlanta Brain Bee and is an instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Emory. He is interested in the history of drug use and the dynamic relationship between cultures and mind-altering substances.
Don’t forget to bone up on all your nerdy know-how for two rounds of nerd trivia!
Tell your friends!
Be there and be square!
RSVP for Nerd Nite on Facebook…..HERE!
So picture this: it’s Thanksgiving, and you’re hanging with fam, maybe with some friends in town…your scraping up the last bits of your third helping helping of Tofurkey and kreplach stew…Uncle Teddy is telling same stupid story about the time his late Poostiff (it’s a poodle-mastiff mix) Pepper ruined Thanksgiving by hopping up on the counter and getting his face in all the food…but you can’t stop him from prattling on because you’ve had maybe one too many pumpkin old fashioneds and can’t think of anything better to interject with. WELL FEAR NOT! Nerd Nite ATL is here to help, with three mind-blowingly fascinating talks, chalk full of neat-o info that’ll make you the hit of your Thanksgiving party (and clam up Uncle Teddy, to boot).
It’s getting chilly outside, so take a step out of the cold and into a warm Nerd Nite ATL, Atlanta! This month we’re getting down on a Tuesday, with three great talks and one great music act to keep your spirits high as we shiver into the holiday season:
When: Tuesday, November 19th. Doors @ 7:30pm, Show @ 8:00pm sharp (arrive early!)
Where: Manuel’s Tavern, Poncey-Highlands, 602 N Highland Ave NE.
Cost: $5 cover.
WHO YOU’LL SEE, AND WHAT YOU’LL HEAR:
“Abstract Graffiti and Crisis in Modernism” by David Stedman, Living Walls Atlanta.
Graffiti comes from the underground, and often has low-brow connotations, but in the development of individual styles there is often a tendency towards increasing abstraction. In this talk, we will take a glance at these subcultural trends and compare them to the shift towards abstraction within modernist art. In combining both “high” and “low” culture, we’ll hopefully gain a new appreciation for both forms of expression and what they might tell us about society.
Bio: David is the Director of Education for LIVING WALLS, an Atlanta-based non-profit that seeks to promote, educate and change perspectives about the public space in our communities via street art. He is responsible for organizing lectures, leading tours, coordinating events with local schools, writing articles, and serving as a community liaison and public speaker. He is interested in street art because of its ability to change perceptions of space and time, as well as its potential as a critical practice.
“The Life and Death of Homemade America” by Kimberly Coburn, Homestead Atlanta
Take a quick tour through human history, tracing the trajectory from hunter-gatherer societies to cubicle-dwelling cityfolk. We’ll explore the evolution of relevant skillsets and their implications on class, culture and sustainability. How have we created a society full of people who can share pictures of their lunch instantly across the world, but couldn’t grow the food to produce it? How reliable are the systems in place that make our lives so magically convenient, and are we happier for all those conveniences? And what’s the deal with preppers, the zombie apocalypse and backyard chicken keeping? Jump down the rabbit hole of “authentic living” with us – we promise it’ll be a fun ride.
Bio: Kimberly is an Atlanta native who has taken immense pleasure in watching the city morph from the culture-deprived convention town of her youth to a thriving hub of all things good, green and delicious. She recently launched The Homestead Atlanta, an urban folk school marrying heritage skills with the sustainability approaches of tomorrow. Whether it’s through blacksmithing, fermentation, or permaculture, Kimberly considers creating with one’s hands the surest way to connect with the land, your community, and a personal sense of abundance and fulfillment in arguably uncertain times.
“It’s Alive! The Return of the Spookshow!” by Prof.Morte’.
Come along with Prof. Morte’ (Shane Morton), Atlanta’s Ghost Host With The Most as he takes you on a fun filled journey through the history of The Spookshow,the worlds oldest (?) and greatest form of entertainment! In over a decade of performing on stages and in old movie theaters across the nation,Prof. Morte’ has gathered up tall tales,short stories and creepy quotations that are sure to scare the YELL out of you! Hear how one man’s obsession became the country’s nightmare! Mwahahahaaaaa!!!
Bio: At the age of 3 Shane Morton saw King Kong (’33) and he has been a monster maker ever since. In over 2 decades as a professional in the horror business he has worked with such greats as Stan Winston studios and Rob Zombie. He has designed and built horror attractions and haunted houses all over the country, the Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse, being his biggest and best. You can see his recent film work in the indie, grindhouse hit, Dear God No! and on television with Adult Swim’s smash hit, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell, where he was the Art Director of Hell and supplied special effects and make-ups.
And featuring live music by Atlanta’s own baby-faced dulcet-toned, Cleburne Workmaster
Tell your friends!
Be there and be square!
RSVP for Nerd Nite on Facebook…..HERE!
Weeeeee’re back, with the second installment of Nerd Nite ATL! For October, we’re bringing you a frightful evening of nerdy talks on the bizarre and beautiful, the intriguing and inexplicable, and a little bit of biochemistry that may change the way you look at the troops of trick-or-treaters who come to your door! Plus, live tunes from Atlanta’s own singer/songwriter Billy Gewin! Peep the details below and be there, and be square.
When: Wednesday, October 16th. Doors @ 7:30pm, Show @ 8:00pm sharp (arrive early!)
Where: Manuel’s Tavern, Poncey-Highlands, 602 N Highland Ave NE.
Cost: $5 cover.
WHO YOU’LL SEE, AND WHAT YOU’LL HEAR:
“Title TBA” by Michael Mooney, MASS Collective.
It is often the case that a group of something simple and rather boring will congregate and produce behavior that is unexpectedly different than its individual parts. This emergent behavior occurs in many facets of nature, and typically follows some rather simple guidelines. In this talk we will examine fish, locusts, and humans to find the common rule set that governs schooling, swarming, and traffic jams.
“How Hunting Ghosts is Really About Connecting With The Living” by Heather Dobson, Paranormal Georgia Investigations
Sure, everyone thinks being a ghost hunter is about chasing down those elusive spirits and making them appear, on demand, on camera, for fame and fortune on a reality series. But it’s not really all about that. Mostly, it’s about helping people who are too scared to sleep in their own beds, calming fears and anxieties about our ultimate ends, and possibly even affecting the haunted locations with hauntings of our own. I mean, we know it can’t be about the money or the babes because there is NONE of that. There is a lot of crazy here…More so among the living than the dead!
Bio: Heather is the director of Paranormal Georgia Investigations. She grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, with a father who had a great interest in the paranormal. He told her stories of ghosts, UFOs, the Braxton County monster, and especially of the Mothman, the harbinger of the Silver Bridge collapse in Point Pleasant, WV, 1967. Following this upbringing it was only natural she would develop a keen interest in the paranormal. Heather received her degree in physics from North Georgia College and worked as a circuit board designer, scuba diving instructor, and social media blogger. When not investigating purported hauntings, she scuba dives and plays the hammered dulcimer.
“Molecular Monsters: tracing the biochemical beginnings of Halloween’s brightest stars” by Kristopher Hite, Ph.D.
Teeth lengthened by receding gums glow in the shaded valleys of the Carpathian basin. The genetic milieu of the Visigoths, Huns, Carpians, and Slavic peoples have swirled over centuries as granite crags pushed populations into shallow gene pools. A ghoulish thing of legend emerged from Transylvania and has since soaked literature and pop-culture with a reddish froth. Science and medicine have given us reason not to fear for our necks in a story that is truly stranger than fiction.
Bio: TBA
And featuring live music by Atlanta’s own, Billy Gewin
Tell your friends!
Be there and be square!
