We hope you have a very happy holiday season!
See you on 1/21/2016!
Smart Devices, Presidential Sweets, and Civic Twitterbots
Nerd Nite A2 is all about approaching things from new perspectives this month. Sure our phones are smart now, but let’s consider the value of making other electronic devices intelligent enough to sense and transmit useful information – such as getting a heads up from your fridge before you’ve poured recently-spoiled milk over your cereal. We’ll review the sweeter side of presidential history with a project that re-interprets U.S. presidents as cupcakes, a lens through which even the worst policy decisions can become into melt-in-your-mouth magic. And finally, we’ll think about using social media to encourage voters to get to the polls, instead of as a method of sharing cat videos – and with the November election just behind us, we’ll even get to hear about how well it works! So come hungry for nanotechnology, Commander in Chief-flavored cupcakes, and civic-minded social media and join us for another nerdy good time.
When: Thursday, November 19, 2015, doors at 6:30pm, talks at 7pm!
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
$$$: NO COVER! Courtesy of your pal, the Ann Arbor District Library!!
Matt DeJarld – How Nano-electronics might allow you to communicate with your refrigeratorImagine having a refrigerator that can tell you when food has spoiled! The next technological revolution will be turning every appliance we use into a smart device. To create these devices, we need tiny sensors to allow the electronics to interact with the environment. Today these sensors are too large or too expensive, but luckily, engineers are working to reduce this sensor size and cost with the help of nano-electronics.
About Matt: Matt is a doctorate student at the University of Michigan. For the past few years, he has worked heavily with semiconductor nanostructures in efforts to improve the future of solar and indoor lighting technologies. In his free time he enjoys hiking with his dog, music, and movies/television.
Sherlonya Turner – 35 Offbeat Ways of Looking at the POTUSSometimes the President of the United States seems larger than life. This humorous talk will bring them down to size with anecdotes that present them as more man than myth. The Head of State Cakes project, in which a cake recipe is created in honor of each president, is what happens when you cross a lifelong interest in presidential history with a love of baking. The results are not only tasty, they’re pretty fun to talk about.
About Sherlonya: Sherlonya has an all-consuming and perhaps overwhelming love for the presidents. She’s interested in them less as politicians and more as men. Her history degree helps her put things in context. Her library degree gives her research tips and tricks. Her love of cooking has inspired her to create a tribute cupcake for each US President; see them all at headofstatecakes.com. Her son is tired of hearing her talk about Lyndon Baines Johnson, her president boyfriend.
Sam Firke – Twitterbot Says Vote!There are 90,000 registered voters in Ann Arbor. Most don’t vote. I built a Twitter bot that matched voter names to Twitter accounts, then sent reminders to vote in local elections. Learn more about the problem, the project, and how it worked!
About Sam: Sam is a data analyst at an education nonprofit and a former high school math teacher. He’s active in local politics, makes things, and raises a couple of small nerdlings. He’s involved with the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild (aabg.org) and you can find him on Twitter at @samfirke.
Back to the Future Night: Design, Robots and What BTTF Got Right (and Wrong)
This month’s event takes us Back to the Future, because when BTTF 2 came out in 1989, October 21, 2015 seemed pretty darn future. Since we’re living in the future, we’ll talk about what the future looks like, or more accurately, what designers thought it would look like. We’ll find out the science behind instructing our (eventual) personalized robot servants to make our martinis just right. And finally, we’ll get hardcore about the Back to the Future trilogy, checking out how accurate their vision of the future really was. So power up your flux capacitors and get here for a flashback to the future!
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2015, doors at 6:30pm, talks at 7pm!
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
$$$: NO COVER! Hey, thanks, Ann Arbor District Library!!
Nick Tobier – Where’s My Hoverboard?
Ready to assume vivid astro focus? We’ll follow the evolution of space-age design from the euphoria and optimism of the 1950s to the more cynical ‘70s, and see how artists’ conceptions of the future have influenced history and in turn, our society.
About Nick: Nick is an Associate Professor at the Stamps School of Art and Design and the Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. With a background in sculpture and landscape architecture, Nick has long been interested in the social lives of public places and his work has been seen at the everywhere from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood.
Zhen Zeng – Everyone Can Teach a Robot
Ever felt too busy to do the laundry or too tired to cook? What if a robot could help you with all of this someday in the future? Developments in robotics are bringing this dream closer to reality by making robots that can imitate people and learn new actions. One day, you may be teaching your own robot how to make your favorite cocktail!
About Zhen: Zhen is a PHD student at the University of Michigan in Electrical Engineering, with a focus on robot object manipulation. When she’s not teaching Baxter the Robot to see, move, and think, she enjoys volleyball and card games.
Eli Neiburger – Back to the Future of Back to the Future
It’s the Future today! October 21, 2015 is the day Marty McFly visits in Back to the Future 2. Let’s take a detailed look at what they thought today would be like 30 years ago, and see what they missed, and what they nailed. READ MY FAX!
About Eli: Eli is Deputy Director at the Ann Arbor District Library and has given lots of talks across the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, but this is his very first talk that’s not about libraries! You may have seen him leading the Nintendoland Family Band at the Water Hill Music Festival. You can follow him on Twitter at @ulotrichous.
Sound, Symbiosis, & Active Art
This month our topics go from down in the dirt (plant and fungi symbiosis!) to long-distance sounds to local examples of art in action. What our three featured nerds have in common, however, is that they each have a passion for their topic and want you to understand it too! So, whether you consider yourself an art aficionado, a sound geek, a plant-lover or beyond, we’ve got plenty of new stuff for you to pick up while you’re tipping back a beer. Grab a drink, grab a friend, and we’ll see you at LIVE on September 17th!
When: September 17, 2015, doors at 6:30 pm, talks at 7 pm!
Where: LIVE, 102 S. First St. in Ann Arbor
$$$: No cover! Big thanks to the Ann Arbor District Library!
Brian Worthmann — The Sound Heard ‘Round the World’
In our daily lives, we’re used to sound traveling as short as a fraction of an inch (like music from headphones) to as far as several hundred yards (like a football game heard several blocks away). But, over even larger distances, like tens, hundreds, or even thousands of miles, sound can do some very weird and unexpected things. We’ll talk about what sound does, why it does it, and how those surprising behaviors may have influenced the course of history.
About Brian: Worthmann is a PhD student at U of M in Applied Physics studying underwater acoustics and signal processing and was a participant in the RELATE 2015 workshop. When not doing underwater acoustics research, he can be found learning, teaching, or binge-watching Netflix.
Alex Taylor — Underground Alliances
Nearly all plants form intimate symbiotic partnerships with fungi called Mychorrhizae. These fungi grow in elaborate webs through the soil, and then into the plan roots, growing even inside the plant cells, where the plant and fungus have struck a fabulously successful deal. The terms of this deal are straightforward: a trade of sugar for mineral nutrients that plays to the strengths and weaknesses of each partner. Mycorrhizae helped early plants get a toehold on land, and to this day, the vast majority of plants across the globe thrive thanks to their fungal partners. The world would be a barren place without this ancient and strange symbiosis.
About Alex: Alex is a Ph.D student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, studying how plants evolved the ability to recognize and partner with bacteria and fungi in the soil. Most days, this involves sitting at a computer and running algorithms on the genome sequences of different plants. He also loves talking and writing about the spine-tingling majesty of science, and co-founded the blog “Thought and Awe” to do just that. In his spare time, Alex is into camping, gardening, and talking about the big stuff over a beer. Find him on Twitter at @ATayters.
Brenda Oelbaum – Stitch and Bitch: Hopefully a Comedy
Oelbaum, current President of the National Women’s Caucus for Art, will share some of the ins and outs of her work in organizing a national arts non-profit and what that has to do with embroidering little black velveteen bags with gold numbers while she juggles those challenges and troubles. She invites members of the audience to fill the bags she provides with a problem to add to the mound of problems in her upcoming social practice performance and installation at POP-X Ann Arbor.
Pens and paper will be provided for attendees to write down their most troubling problem to contribute to her already heavy load. Contributors can then come by the installation running October 15-25, read some problems of others, and decide if they want to take their own bag back, or buy someone else’s problem as a souvenir.
Fe and LSD
What’s all the “Fe”ss about? We’re not the only organisms that need Iron, which can mean we have some competition in getting the nutrients we need. Ada Hagan breaks down the ins and outs of Iron and bacteria. Even the most well-nourished body and brain can still learn a LOT about consciousness and psychoactive substances. Research on psychedelics is only just now recovering fromits implosion in the 70s, following the heydey of LSD research in the 60s. What does our current understanding of the brain tell us about the psychadelic experience? Dr. George A. Mashour walks us through a little research history and leads us through his present exploration of ketamine.
Mark your calendar, grab a friend, and say hey to a fellow nerd! We’ll see you at LIVE with a frosty beverage in hand for August’s edition of Nerd Nite!
When: August 20: 6:30 doors, 7pm nerd space and time
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
$$$: NO COVER because Ann Arbor District Library!
$$$: NO COVER because Ann Arbor District Library!
The Battle for Iron: What’s all the “Fe”ss about? – Ada Hagan
989.535.5
Iron is an important nutrient that we all make sure to get enough of in our diets. Did you know bacteria need it too though? Come learn about the battle invading bacteria wage against your body over iron atoms. Those bacteria have some pretty cool tricks up their sleeves, but so do we! That is, if we learn enough about it…
About Ada: Ada is a PhD student in Microbiology and Immunology and spends her days doing recon on the strategies bacteria use to invade our bodies. She is passionate about communicating science because she feels the more we all know about science and how things work, the better choices we can make about our lives. In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors with her dogs, and fishing with her husband. Ada is also involved with MiSciWriters, a student-run science writing blog.
The Psychedelic Brain – Dr. George A. Mashour
Psychoactive substances have been known since antiquity and modern psychedelic subculture
underwent an explosion in the 1960s followed by an implosion in the 1970s. More recently, the neuroscience of psychedelic drugs has emerged from the shadows of a dark past. What are the neural correlates of the psychedelic experience? What does this phenomenology and neurobiology tell us about the functioning of the brain? I will discuss these questions as well as my own research on ketamine.
underwent an explosion in the 1960s followed by an implosion in the 1970s. More recently, the neuroscience of psychedelic drugs has emerged from the shadows of a dark past. What are the neural correlates of the psychedelic experience? What does this phenomenology and neurobiology tell us about the functioning of the brain? I will discuss these questions as well as my own research on ketamine.
About George: Dr. Mashour is a neuroscientist, anesthesiologist and the founding director of the Center for Consciousness Science at the University of Michigan.
Lasers, Supercomputers, and Urban Planning in Detroit
We have an awesome trio of talks on tap this month! Laser artist Mike Gould gives us the skinny on building amazing light displays (with demos!), tech wizard Dave Strenski takes us on a historical tour of uber-powered computers, and urban planner Margi Dewar talks about the future of Detroit. You don’t want to miss it! So grab a friend, grab a beer, and cool your heels at Nerd Nite Ann Arbor!
When: July 23: 6:30 doors, 7pm nerd stuff
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
$$$: NO COVER because Ann Arbor District Library!
Runs with Lasers – Mike Gould
Local laser artist Mike Gould discusses his recent experiences with the Illuminatus Lasers Troupe, including:
– The Quest for Mystic Fire – Lasers at Saline Celtic Festival (because, of course).
– Talks with Lasers lecture/demo to educate kids and families to the wonders of coherency.
– Tetraptych: 4 Panels, 12 Lasers, One Wall art piece for DLECTRICITY 2014
– L is for Laser, his science museum piece.
Mike has also done lasers for the UM Stadium half-time show during a night game. (Notre Dame, we won). He’s go an upcoming entry into the Ann Arbor Art Center’s tech+art exhibit, and has made appearances at various Maker Faires, Art Prize, Ignite, FoolMoon, etc.
For more about Mike, wander over yonder:
Calculating 10^18 Results per Second – Dave Strenski
The world of high performance computing is changing. This presentation will run through a short history of computing highlighting the different types of computations used in computing’s past, including vectorization, parallelization, accelerators, and reconfigurable computing. From this historical perspective, the discussion will lead to what’s needed for the future to reach exa-scale (10^18 floating point operation per second) computing. It will also cover the types of applications that need exa-scale computing and the merging of high performance computing and data analytics. More deets: www.Cray.com and www.SolarYpsi.org.
Detroit: Planning a City After Abandonment – Margi Dewar
Urban planning as a field focuses on managing development to shape the effects of growth on cities. But what can planners do in cities like Detroit where developing, redeveloping, rebuilding, and revitalizing are not possibilities? I will lay out directions with a few examples for a different kind of urban planning.Derby Dames & Dimes, Evolution of Science, and Ypsi History
Summertime and the livin’ is nerdy… June brings us an awesome trio of talks about the badass history of roller derby, the development of the science story from bright idea to blog article, and a primer on the last 75 years of history in Ypsilanti. Gonna be a great edition of NNA2, so grab a friend, grab a drink, and join us for an awesome Thursday night!
When: June 18: 6:30 doors, 7pm nerdins
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
$$$: NO COVER! Ann Arbor District Library rulez!
Susan B. Slamthony and Queen McLightning — A Short History of Nearly Everything Roller Derby Related
Learn the history of roller derby from the 1920s to today, how the game is played and what’s been happening for the sport locally.
Find ’em elsewhere, too: @a2derbydimes or Facebook:
AnnArborBrawlStars, A2D2YV, A2D2ABC
Plot twists and Revelations: The Story of Science — Veronica Taylor
When you think of science, what comes to mind? For many people, science springs to mind a collection of facts they tried to memorize for various exams. I want to show another side of science: the story of science. In my talk, we’ll take a short journey through the drama of the scientific process and learn about how scientific ideas evolve and are communicated. I hope you will leave with a new appreciation of science and what we really learn from research.
Ypsilanti History — James Mann
Local historian James Mann returns for his fourth Nerd Night talk, and will be speaking on his new book, Ypsilanti, part of the Images of Modern America series from Arcadia Publishing. This is a picture history of the city of Ypsilanti from the 1960’s to the present. James will speak on how Ypsilanti got the most easily misspelled name in the state, the Michigan Murders, and tell the true story of Rosie the Riveter. There is more to Ypsilanti than the Water Tower! Copies of Ypsilanti will be available for purchase.
Consciousness & Voices
This month our Nerd Nite speakers will be talking about things that most of us have (at least most of the time). We’ll let a philosophy scholar-turned neuroscientist walk us through his work on consciousness, and a seasoned radio vet remind us why our own voice might just be more important than we’ve ever considered.
So get a bit mindful, join us on Thursday, April 23 at LIVE for Nerd Nite A2 #24, and use that voice of yours to say hello to a bunch of other great, curious nerds!
When: April 23rd, 2015, doors at 6:30pm, talks at 7pm!
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
$$$: NO COVER! Thanks a million, Ann Arbor District Library!!
Brian H. Silverstein – The Science of Consciousness
Ever wonder what it means to be conscious? Consciousness defines our very existence – we experience it every waking (and dreaming) minute of every day, yet it is one of the most challenging phenomena to define. For thousands of years, humans have posited theories of awareness. Over the last half century, we have finally developed the tools to empirically investigate consciousness.
In this talk, we’ll learn about how theories of consciousness have developed over time and see an overview of the cutting edge methods scientists use to create empirically informed models of consciousness. Brian is affiliated with the Center for Consciousness Science at the University of Michigan.
Brian H. Silverstein:
Brian has been studying consciousness for the better part of a decade. Starting from philosophy, he eventually decided to empirically test theories instead of just talking about them. Now he uses computational neuroscience to study the neurobiology of consciousness with the Center for Consciousness Science at the University of Michigan. Originally from New York, he now lives in Michigan. When he’s not sciencing, he’s usually drawing, cooking, or playing the piano poorly.
Kyle Norris – Why you should fall in love with your own voice
The relationship we have with our voices is incredibly intimate. And also very powerful. Our voices are an underutilized tool that can help us do a lot of things and can help us make connections with other people. I’ll help everyone think about their voice in a new way, and show them some good tips for maximizing this personal and powerful tool.
Eyeballs, Turntables, & 80s Cartoons
March may have roared in like a lion, but the awesome nerds of Ann Arbor are howling back! Up this month: the history of cataract surgery, how to be a great DJ in 5 simple steps, and how 80s cartoons can teach you to be a better writer.
Friends, beers, and nerdery–can you find a better Thursday night? See you this month at Nerd Nite Ann Arbor!
When: March 19, 2015, doors at 6:30pm, talks at 7pm!
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
$$$: NO COVER! Thanks a million, Ann Arbor District Library!!
Zvi Kresch – Sweet is the Light: Curing Blindness Through the Ages
Cataracts are the most common cause of blindness on the planet. Long before anesthesia or antiseptics, cataract surgeries were being performed. This talk will touch on the evolution of the procedure from ancient to modern times.
A few of the questions we’ll answer along the way: Why is the sky blue? Is staring at an eclipse really bad for your eyes? Where do orange carrots come from?
About Zvi Kresch:
Zvi Kresch is a faculty member at the UM Kellogg Eye Center. Prior to coming to UM, he spent a year traveling with his wife and practicing ophthalmology abroad with the The Himalayan Cataract Project. He was exposed to different types of cataract surgery and became very interested in the procedure’s origins. When not studying eyeballs, Zvi enjoys chess, making kombucha and playing the harmonica.
Rolando Calip, Jr. AKA DEFTMIX – Elements of Style – How to be a Great DJ in 5 Simple Steps
In this talk, DEFTMIX uses concepts from Strunk and White’s classic college textbook, “Elements of Style” to distill 5 Simple Steps to becoming a “Great DJ”.
About Rolando Calip, Jr. AKA DEFTMIX:
Rolando Calip, Jr. is a 20 year DJ veteran residing in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He has spent the last 2 years as the Nightlife Director/Saturday DJ Resident for Live Nightclub. Before moving to Ann Arbor in 2011, he lived in NYC for 10 years; DJing, curating music for hospitality groups, and managing DJs. Music has taken him all over the world; most recently Manila, Philippines; where he performed at Black Market Nightclub on NYE 2015. Follow him on Instagram: @deftmix
Jerzy Drozd – Knowing is Half the Battle: What 80s Cartoons REALLY Teach Us
80s cartoons were nothing more than half-hour toy commercials with a sprinkle of moralistic preaching to sweeten the pill for parents, right? Cartoonist Jerzy Drozd explores 5 writing tips one can glean from a closer examination of the cartoons of our youth.
About Jerzy Drozd:
Jerzy Drozd is one of the artists of The Warren Commission Report. He leads cartooning workshops for children and teens in libraries and schools; podcasts prolifically about comics and how to make them at ComicsAreGreat.com, KidsComicsRevolution.com, and LeanIntoArt.com. He wrote and drew the graphic novel The Front, has worked on Antarctic Press’s Ninja High School and PPV: Pay- Per-View (which he cocreated with Tom Root, writer of Cartoon Network’s Robot Chicken), and has drawn special projects for Marvel Comics, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, VIZ Media, and others. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and two cats.
A2 Geography, eSports, and (Not) Curing Cancer
Check your assumptions about where UM students live (and vote), consider the role games and related storytelling play in our lives, and wrestle with the question of why the hell we haven’t cured cancer yet.
Sure, this sounds like a LOT to consider, but we’ll have some adept, smart, and irreverent guides to the topics, all in February’s super-packed edition of Nerd Nite!
Grab a friend, grab a drink, and join us for another great edition of Nerd Nite!
When: February 19, 2015, doors at 6:30pm, talks at 7pm!
Where: LIVE, 102 S First St, Ann Arbor
Moola: NO COVER! Thanks, Ann Arbor District Library!
Beyond South U: Where Students Live and Vote in Ann ArborAusten Hufford, Pat Sier
While we all think we know where U of M students live, it’s harder to find out than you’d think. Austen and Pat will go through their method of coming up with a solid picture, and discuss what this means for students and residents alike every election cycle in Ann Arbor.
About Austen and Pat:
Austen and Pat are U of M seniors studying economics and public policy respectively. Austen will be working in journalism this summer at the Wall Street Journal and Pat will be working in Chicago at a marketing technology company. Find Austen on twitter: @austenhufford
Why We Watch: How Everything From Football to Mario entrances usRyan “Gorgon” Jurado
Games are a form of storytelling as old, if not older, than language itself, but we rarely stop to think why some games succeed and some fail. What do college athletics–which, despite being non-professional games earn nearly $1 billion per year–have in common with a fifteen-year-old Pakistani boy playing video games in China for the first time… to the tune of 770 thousand live viewers and $3 million in prizes?
About Ryan “Gorgon” Jurado:
With professional experience in publishing, music performance, gaming, podcasting, and three majors split across two undergraduate degrees, Ryan “Gorgon” Jurado is what you might call a renaissance nerd. These days, he spends his time studying the burgeoning realm of online spectator games, often called eSports, in which he is a data analyst and live commentator for audiences of tens of thousands. You can find him on twitter: @gotcowdota
Why the hell haven’t we cured cancer yet?
Yijung Yang
As one of the leading causes of death in the US, cancer has long been the focal point of intense study and public interest. However, after millions of dollars and countless hours spent on cancer research, the silver bullet cure remains elusive. Have you ever wondered why? Join us as we delve into the intricate nature of the disease and the difficulties physicians and scientists face when treating a patient with cancer. Along the way, we will discuss the biological origins of cancer as well as its pathology, epidemiology, and potential therapeutic options currently under scrutiny.
About Yijung Yang:
Yang graduated from University of Maryland with a degree in Physiology and Neurobiology. Then, after a two-year research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, moved to Ann Arbor to join the MD/PhD program at the University of Michigan, and is currently in the research phase of graduate training under the guidance of Dr. Diane Simeone, director of the Translational Oncology Program at UM.