I am always so wiped out the day after Nerd Nite but I am also always HYPED for the next show! Thanks so much to our brilliant speakers Sara, Wyatt, and Tracy for sharing their time and expertise with us, to our wonderful venue Front Street Taproom, and to everyone who came out. Our next show will be Thursday April 17th, same time, same place. Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite if you want to reserve your seat early. In the meantime:
Get your swingy swerve on with Lindy of the North Swing Dancing. Their Blues Dance Weekend starts TODAY (March 21st) featuring dancing lessons with a guest instructor and social hours.
Also play “Where’s Wyatt” in their facebook photo album. 😂
Take your own badass astronomy trip by applying for the 2025 ACEAP Cohort. YES, anyone can apply.
Start planning your own Nerd Nite talk! 1) Pick your topic, 2) Just start writing, 3) Organize and edit, 4) Make it relatable, 5) Contact us at fargonerdnite@gmail once you’re ready to book a date! We’re currently looking for speakers for May onward.
Good evening fellow geeks! I hope your week is going well and that the incoming snowstorm hasn’t occluded your way to the pot of gold at the end of your St. Patrick’s Day rainbow. Keep your spirits up by looking forward to Nerd Nite next week! Topics and speakers below:
Fire in the Mountains: A Dragon’s Journey Through Chile
Worldwide, the night sky is estimated to get 10% brighter due to light pollution every year, making star gazing next to impossible in all but the most protected dark places of the planet. Chile’s Atacama Desert is one such place- join us for an epic climb into the heights and a stellar peek into the depths of our galaxy.
Dr. Sara Schultz is the Planetarium Director at MSUM and is a woman of many hats- developing and presenting shows, scheduling and budget management, and climbing 16,000 feet into the Andes Mountains for the best star gazing a person can do while still [barely] breathing atmosphere.
How to Write a Bomb Ass Nerd Nite Talk
I know you’re out there- I know there are dozens of you out there. You’ve always dreamt of giving your own Nerd Nite talk on the topic that is the fire of your soul, but you’re unsure where to start. Never fear, fellow nerd- I’ve got you covered. This talk goes over how to distill your idea into a cohesive story, using Powerpoint as an effective visual aid, and some general tips to be the best speaker you can be.
Tracy Kurtz is a has-been chemist living in a microbiologist’s world. When she’s bossing Fargo Nerd NIte, she’s fostering adoptable dogs, designing and expanding her backyard pollinator garden, figuring out new ways to reduce her plastic waste, and planning her eventual career in supervillainy.
What is Lindy Hop?
The Lindy Hop was the dancing sensation of the United States between the late 1920s and early 1940s. Rooted in African rhythm and dance, it influenced partnered dancing for decades to come and, since the 1980s, has come back into popularity. This presentation will explore the roots, cultural significance, and distinguishing characteristics of this art form.
Wyatt Davis is a physicist by schooling and software engineer by trade. During grad school at NDSU he attended a vintage swing dance lesson. He thought dance had the potential to be a casual artistic outlet to keep him sane during his studies. Almost nine years after that lesson he has spent an irresponsible amount of money on traveling to workshops, taught multiple forms of swing dance with Lindy of the North, and competed.
Plus our usual drinks, laughs, doorprizes, and shenanigans. Get your lucky butt to The Cellar below Front Street Taproom on Thursday March 20th, 7PM (doors at 6:30). Bring $10 to the door or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite. Same price to you either way- we eat the fees so the Leprechauns don’t get them.
Wooowww thanks so much to everyone who came out last night!! As usual, our speakers knocked it out of the park- thanks so much to Melissa, Dane, and Warren for making us all better, more interesting human beings at last night’s show. And also for not burning the building down, Warren. 🥴😂
Need something to do while you wait for more Nerd Nite? Try these:
Read an effin book! 😄 Visit Ferguson Books in Roberts Alley. REMINDER their Boozy Book Fair is TODAY (Feb 21st) from 4-8 at the Boiler Room, with half off all drinks and apps! Support local. Eat well.
Get started with your sustainable cooking with a few new pieces of equipment (featured and approved by America’s Test Kitchen):
Make some scrappy stock with your own big ass pot!
Our next show is Thursday, March 20th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at our cozy little Cellar at Front Street Taproom. Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite, and full speaker + talk details will be posted closer to the event.
Happy VD, my nerds! Whatever your stance on Valentine’s day, isn’t it nice to know you always have the love of Nerd Nite? 🩷 :D. Our next show is coming up fast- check out these topics + speakers:
Neurodiversity: Challenging the Myth of Normal
We will dive into autism diagnostic criteria through a disability justice lens and challenge the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM)’s role in pathologizing deficits and differences. Centering autistic voices and experiences, we will explore concepts including the “double-empathy problem,” masking/camouflaging, and the Medical vs. the Social models of disability.
Melissa Niemi is a mother, artist, writer, educator, speech-language pathologist, and PhD student at NDSU. She is passionate about teaching and learning, especially through the lens of neurodiversity. She has developed and lead trainings for parents and teachers with a focus on recognizing and celebrating diverse ways of learning and thinking, while challenging harmful assumptions and biases.
Physical in the Digital: Starting a Bookstore Amidst the Rise of the eBook
In an age where eBooks dominate, why would anyone start a physical bookstore—let alone six? Join Dane Ferguson as he shares his unconventional journey of building thriving indie bookstores against the odds. From navigating industry shifts to redefining the modern bookshop experience, “Physical in the Digital” explores the resilience, strategy, and passion behind making print books matter in a digital world.
Dane Ferguson is a serial bookstore entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience creating and growing independent bookstores across North Dakota. As the founder of Ferguson Books & More, he has successfully built a business that defies the digital trend, proving that physical books—and bookstores—still have a place in our evolving world. Beyond books, he’s a strategist, business leader, and advocate for community-driven retail.
Cooking the Funky Bits: Using Scraps and “Lesser cuts” is Ethical and Delicious
A follow-up from his October Nerd Nite talk about eating adventurously, we dive deep into lesser-practiced cooking methods that afford access to the delicious meals of meats that pose a bit of a challenge compared to more readily available/acceptable fare. A continued story of cooking and eating the whole animal as well as the funky bits (scraps, bones, etc.) that are often discarded.
Warren Christensen is dad, Physics Professor, home cook, musician and certified nerd. He loves Dungeons and Dragons, singing musicals, making food for people he loves and sitting on his porch. He embraces the funkier foods available in the world and he now cooks, travels and eats with adventure on the mind.
Plus door prizes, drinks, laughs, and all the discount Valentine’s chocolate you can stuff in your face. See you Thursday, February 20th at 7PM (doors at 6:30) at The Cellar below Front Street Taproom. Tickets available at Eventbrite, or you can bring $10 to the door (same price to you either way- we eat the fees to wash down the chocolate). See your gorgeous faces there.
Well, we called it our “Best Of” show and we were ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. 🤩 Speakers Esther, Kellam, and Zack absolutely crushed their talks- my belly hurt from laughing and I learned so much. This is exactly the essence of Nerd Nite and it makes me STOKED for our 2025 season.
If you’re looking for further reading, here are a few of the resources mentioned during the show:
Want to start a bit of bee lawn? You can buy Dutch White Clover seeds at American Meadows– boss Tracy (that is me Hi) has done this. It’s easy. I will help you. I serve the bees.
Nerd Nite will return on Thursday February 20th (7PM at The Cellar/ Front Street as usual)- tickets will be posted to Eventbrite soon. See your glorious faces there.
Wowww what a year- 2024 brought a lot of growth for us. It was our first year in our amazing new venue, Front Street Taproom, which helped us make a lot of strides boosting our show quality (lighting, sound, screens that you can actually see 😅). We brought on Boss Angel to help with social media, aided by her partner Alex. We brought on our first [unofficial] sound guy, Phil, who has the amazing skill of being able read a microphone manual. We started doing rehearsal nites to give our speakers a chance to practice with the stage setup and get feedback about their talks. We participated in our first Fargo CoreCon and are so pumped to go back in 2025 (y’all think you know what nerds are…THOSE are nerds 😂).
Nerd Nite is a ton of work, but it’s worth it to enhance our community and give folks a shot to spread awareness and knowledge about the topics they love to love. Thanks so much to everyone who boosted up this community this year. Everyone be safe out there tonight, have a wonderful time, and we’ll see you in 2025.
🤓💙T
PS- Don’t forget that tickets for our Jan 16 show are already on sale! Head to Eventbrite and snatch yours up. 🙂
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are gearing up for a fantastical holiday. We’ve emerged from the November scramble and have rescheduled our Best Of show to be the opening show for the 2025 season!
Speaker + talk details are listed out below…again.
Bee Lawns: Developing a Sustainable Lawn
We need to rethink the traditional American lawn. Modern lawns consist of a weed-free monoculture that requires high inputs of water and fertilizer. In addition, they are inhospitable landscapes for pollinators and beneficial insects. By integrating compact flowering plants into the lawn, we can provide a source of pollen and nectar for pollinators. Learn how to install and maintain a bee lawn that is attractive and meets community aesthetic standards.
Esther McGinnis is an Associate Professor in the North Dakota State University Department of Plant Sciences. She is also an Extension Horticulturist and Director of the NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Her graduate students conduct research in the areas of native plant evaluation, pollinator conservation, and plants for rain garden environments. As the administrator of the Extension Master Gardener Program, impactful initiatives include planting pollinator habitat, fighting food insecurity, community beautification, and plant diagnosis.
Who gives a f*ck about an Oxford comma?
When you think of the word “dialect,” you probably think of spoken language. This talk is a discussion of written dialects, with a focus on the comma. We will look at developments in comma usage over time with a focus on attitudes about comma use variation.
Kellam Barta has an MA in Sociolinguistics from NC State University and teaches writing and linguistics at NDSU. He also enjoys talking to groups of folks in 20-minute chunks with 3-5 minutes for questions. Seriously.
The Perpetual Crisis of Conservation Biology – A Story of Two Chickens
The grassland prairie is the most endangered ecosystem in North America. Most prairies have been cut in half, forcing many native species into small, isolated pockets. A charismatic resident, the prairie-chicken, still exists in this fragmented landscape, but populations are starting to vanish. Zack’s talk describes the trials and tribulations of saving prairie-chickens, and a past project hoping to rescue an endangered population in Wisconsin.
Zack Bateson spent his childhood lost in the woods of Minnesota. During that time, he fell in love with nature. His love interest turned into a career as a geneticist. Zack has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Genetics and has studied lizards, birds, bees, crops, and weeds. When not in the lab or begging for research money, Zack hikes the prairie to identify wildlife with his wife and kids. He also breeds snakes and has a small zoo in his house.
…plus our usuals: beer, door prizes, laughs, and terrible 90s music during the breaks. See you Thursday January 16th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at The Cellar below Front Street Taproom. Bring $10 to the door or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite. Same price to you either way- we eat the fees bc they go nice with Christmas cookies.
Hey y’all~ it is with infinite sadness that we have to cancel our November Best Of show. 😭 Coronavirus has once again reared its ugly head to strike down one of our speakers, as well as expose the rest of us during our practice run last night. Since the last thing we want to do is get all of you sick the week before Thanksgiving, out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to cancel the November show.
Although we were unable to reschedule for this year, don’t worry! We’ll make sure that Esther, Kellam, and Zack have an opportunity to once again dazzle you with their nerdery in 2025. Nerd Nite will return with fresh new antibodies on Thursday, January 16th of next year.
Until then, stay nerdy, stay with us for updates, and have a fabulous holiday season.
BITTER: we have arrived at the very last Fargo Nerd Nite of 2024. 😢
SWEET: it’s our second annual BEST OF show!! 🤩🤩🤩
That means we’ve invited three of our favorite speakers from the last year to come back for encore presentations- just THINK of all the amazing facts you’ll have to bring up at Thanksgiving dinner! Full deets:
Bee Lawns: Developing a Sustainable Lawn
We need to rethink the traditional American lawn. Modern lawns consist of a weed-free monoculture that requires high inputs of water and fertilizer. In addition, they are inhospitable landscapes for pollinators and beneficial insects. By integrating compact flowering plants into the lawn, we can provide a source of pollen and nectar for pollinators. Learn how to install and maintain a bee lawn that is attractive and meets community aesthetic standards.
Esther McGinnis is an Associate Professor in the North Dakota State University Department of Plant Sciences. She is also an Extension Horticulturist and Director of the NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Her graduate students conduct research in the areas of native plant evaluation, pollinator conservation, and plants for rain garden environments. As the administrator of the Extension Master Gardener Program, impactful initiatives include planting pollinator habitat, fighting food insecurity, community beautification, and plant diagnosis.
we just decided to
This talk is a discussion of how gatekeepers make decisions about what is and is not considered acceptable English.
Kellam Barta has an MA in Sociolinguistics from NC State University and teaches writing and linguistics at NDSU. He also enjoys talking to groups of folks in 20-minute chunks with 3-5 minutes for questions. Seriously.
The Perpetual Crisis of Conservation Biology – A Story of Two Chickens
The grassland prairie is the most endangered ecosystem in North America. Most prairies have been cut in half, forcing many native species into small, isolated pockets. A charismatic resident, the prairie-chicken, still exists in this fragmented landscape, but populations are starting to vanish. Zack’s talk describes the trials and tribulations of saving prairie-chickens, and a past project hoping to rescue an endangered population in Wisconsin.
Zack spent his childhood lost in the woods of Minnesota. During that time, he fell in love with nature. His love interest turned into a career as a geneticist. Zack has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Genetics and has studied lizards, birds, bees, crops, and weeds. When not in the lab or begging for research money, Zack hikes the prairie to identify wildlife with his wife and kids. He also breeds snakes and has a small zoo in his house.
…plus our usuals: beer, door prizes, laughs, and terrible 90s music during the breaks. It’s your last chance for a dose of nerding for the year (our usual schedule takes us too close to Xmas and we signed a non-compete with Santa), so join us next Thursday November 21st, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at The Cellar below Front Street Taproom. Bring $10 to the door or get your tickets in advance at Eventbrite. Same price to you either way- we eat the fees to gear up for Thanksgiving.
Happy Monday, my nerds. Thanks so much everyone who came out for our show last week, our speakers for donating their time and expertise, and of course our fabulous venue Front Street Taproom for putting up with our shenanigans yet again. Our next show is also our LAST SHOW of 2024, and it’s our BEST OF for the season- three of our favorite speakers from the last twelve months are returning for encore performances, and we are so excited to have them back!
Tickets will go on sale at Eventbrite shortly, full speaker + talk details will be posted closer to the actual date. For now:
Don’t forget to vote, MFers! Remember you can go to Vote411.org for election and candidate information, get a practice ballot, check your registration- anything you need to know about voting can be done there. Get it done.
If you were enchanted by his opening song and want to hear more of Warren singing (probably less about food tho), he’s performing at The Troll Lounge on Halloween.
Otherwise, mark your calendars for our next show, and have a wonderful Halloween.
T
