Well, well, well…if it isn’t a bunch of nerds. Thankfully, you’re in good company!

Spring is in the air and we hope that you’ll join us for three refreshing and vibrant presentations that’ll make Winter feel like a distant dream.

It all goes down on Thursday, April 10 at LIVE (102 S. First)! Doors open at 6:30 and we’ll get the show going at 7. No cover charge. And as always, libation and eats will be available at the bar!

Our enchanted evening will begin with Leif Laufeyjarsen and Tarot Unveiled: A Journey Through History and Meaning. Nearly everyone has an opinion on tarot—whether they believe in it or not, those opinions tend to be strong. But how many people stop to ask how it supposedly works? Is there a definitive guide or “bible” of tarot? If so, who wrote it? While tracing the origins and evolution of tarot may not change your mind, it will give you a deeper, more informed perspective.

Leif first began reading tarot in the 1990s. After stepping away for some time, he has returned to it and now reads professionally. With a BA in History from Eastern Michigan University, he has an insatiable curiosity about the origins of everything he studies. So when he picked up tarot again, he delved into its beginnings—seeking not just to practice it, but to truly understand how it works.

Next, Melissa F. Kaelin welcomes you into The Strangely Addictive Subculture of Chasing the Northern Lights, where Aurora is more than meets the eye. So you may already know it’s brighter on camera. But did you know about SARs or the Picket Fence, or a man named S.T.E.V.E.? You know, sub-auroral arcs? And what is the deal with Aurora’s pronouns, anyway? Find out why we call these nocturnal people Aurora Chasers, where it all began, and how satellites like the Ace Composition Explorer can help you get lucky tonight!

Melissa is a 13-year seasoned Aurora Chaser who once ditched her husband to hang out with the Milky Way. She accidentally created an AuroraCon and intentionally founded a community for Northern Lights, which now numbers over 127,000 people. As a child, she could barely hold onto a chemistry beaker, but last year, she was published in her first academic paper as a citizen scientist on “The Gannon Storm” of May 10, 2024. By night, she writes books like “Beyond the 45th Parallel: The Beginner’s Guide to Chasing Aurora,” and by day, she is a science communicator, taking calls with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

And to round out the evening: Paul Buzzard with Grumpy cats, urine-soaked socks and the Kardashians: Conservation of Pallas’s cats and other wildlife in Armenia. Pallas’s cats aka manul aka grumpy cats are a popular species in many zoos, but they are critically endangered in Armenia. This talk will look at work in collaboration with zoos to update their conservation status in Armenia and establish protected areas for them and other wildlife.

Paul is a Conservation Biologist, National Geographic Explorer, and Regenerative Farmer. His work in Armenia began as Director of Conservation with the Detroit Zoo, and continues as a regenerative farmer at Detroit Flight Path Farm and as a Conservation Technician with the Michigan Climate Smart Farms Project at the Washtenaw Co. Conservation District.