Happy March, nerds! The days are getting longer and spring is right around the corner, so naturally we are expecting another blizzard. 🫠😂 BUT we are also expecting another Nerd Nite, so we’ve got that going for us. Incoming speaker and talk details:
Designed by Clowns and Monkeys: The Story of the 737 Max Disasters
In the span of less than six months between October 2018 and March 2019, Boeing went from a respected engineering firm to a complete joke. Two brand new aircraft, 737 MAXs to be specific, crashed shortly after take-off- killing many, thanks to nothing more than bad design. Part tragedy and comedy, Boeing created a plane that endangered so many all for the sake of making a quick buck.
Levi Magnuson is originally from South Dakota and moved to Fargo to attend Grad School in 2022. Since 2024 he has worked for the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County at the Hjemkomst Center. History has always been his passion, but engineering has always interested him.
Walking Erect: Evolution, Aesthetics, and Architecture
Beauty feels transcendent — a window into something higher than ourselves. But evolution suggests a more grounded origin: we find things beautiful because our ancestors who did, survived. Symmetrical faces signaled healthy mates. Lush landscapes promised food and shelter. Our aesthetic sense wasn’t designed for truth — it was designed for survival. And that’s precisely the problem. In a world of fast fashion and abundant content, the same instincts that once protected us now routinely lead us astray.
With 25 years of experience shaping the built environment, Brent Behm has worked across a broad range of architectural contexts and client types. Nine years ago, he founded his own studio — a deliberate move toward a more intentional, design-driven practice. Brent holds a degree in architecture from Arizona State University and a graduate degree from Rice University. Outside the office, he channels his love of craft into woodworking, and searches for inspiration through travel whenever possible.
I Don’t Like Mondays: A Modest Proposal for a 6-day Week
Ever heard of someone talk about a 4-day workweek? Well, I’m here with an even better idea: a 6-day WEEK (not workweek). We can do it if we want. Nobody is stopping us. There would be some adjustments required, though.
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.
…plus our usual laughs, shenanigans, and doorprizes. See your beautiful faces on Thursday March 19th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at The Cellar below Front Street Taproom. Tickets are available for advance purchase on Eventbrite, or you can just bring $10 to the door. Same price to you either way. We eat the fees to keep the monkeys from getting them.
…See what I did there? Because our next show is in March? 🫠🤓 Anyway, that’s a wrap on our February show. Thanks so much to our wonderful speakers Dick, Jeff, and…uh, me I guess for donating their time and expertise to us, to our glorious venue Front Street Taproom for hosting, and to everyone in the audience who so kindly tolerated my surprise performance of a critical scene from Shrek. 🥸🙄😂
FNN will RETURN Thursday March 19th, same time, same place, new topics- tickets are available now on Eventbrite. If you need something to occupy yourself in the meantime:
Check out Roadsideamerica.com or USAgiants.com to find more Muffler Men! And keep an eye out for the one that went missing in Fargo- if you spot it, let us know! 👀🕵️♀️
Get more Jeffrey story time:
His books “Forever Towards the Sunrise: A Lifetime Lived in the Outdoors”, “Our Bend in the River: Learning to Live a More Natural Life”, and “Klasberg, North Dakota: Collected Stories from the Middle of Nowhere”.
Follow the NDSU Extension on Facebook for free access to local experts and help with your lawn, garden, or trees. Their next FREE webinar on March 2 will cover how to grow apples!
Sad reminder: November 19th, 2026 will be the last Fargo Nerd Nite ever unless we can find someone to take it over- if you are interested, drop us an email (use that Contact us button at the right). We’d love to talk to you.
Lastly, as of today, there is one speaker slot remaining for the year– April 16th. If you are interested in presenting, this may be your last chance.
SO mark your calendars for March 19, hit us up if you’re interested in participating more heavily in the nerding, and we’ll see you out there.
TGIF Nerds! I hope everyone had an acceptable+ week and is sufficiently prepared to survive another Valentine’s day, one way or another. Personally I’m only in it for the day-after discount chocolate, but you do you, boo boo.
Thankfully, it is also time for another Nerd Nite! Check this lineup:
The Giants Among Us
They stand among us on, beckoning us to auto repair shops, putt-putt golf courses and small-town amusement parks. These larger-than-life fiberglass mascots have been around for decades, their origins fading into obscurity. Join us to learn the interesting origin and history of these giants among us known as America’s Muffler Men.
Dick Nilles is a Fargo native, former potato research technician, current brewer at IcewindBrewing in Mapleton, husband and father of two and roadside attraction enthusiast.
Real Baddies Plant Native
The bright yellow lilies dotting the curbs in parking lots. Expanses of satisfyingly mowed turf grass. The same red geranium hanging over every grandmother’s front stoop. Although commercially popular, these plants unfortunately provide zero benefit to our wildlife, being either unrecognizably hybridized away from their original species or completely foreign to this continent. But there’s good news! If you want to support our pollinators, even a few plants can make a difference. In this talk, we’ll ditch the petunias and learn to select plants to nourish our native birds, bees, and butterflies.
Tracy Kurtz is a has-been chemist living in a microbiologist’s world with a horticulturist’s dreams. When she’s not bossing for Fargo Nerd Nite, she is working on completing her Master Gardener certification, saving the world from death by Powerpoint, and pointing out invasive plants for sale at garden centers.
Adventures and Misadventures of an Outdoor Writer
I’ve been a freelance outdoor writer for nearly 10 years, and each adventure is both memorable and difficult! I will talk about some of the best!
Jeffrey Miller, who by day works for the Cass County Soil Conservation District, is a freelance outdoor writer who lives on a small homestead near Kindred.
See your beautiful faces Thursday, February 19th, 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 to balance out the chocolate.
…what a great show to kick off the year. Thanks so much to our presenters Steven, Darrell, and Jamie for sharing their experiences and expertise with us, to our glorious venue Front Street Taproom for graciously supplying us with space and beer, and to everyone who came out to enjoy the show!
Our next show is Thursday, February 19th, same time, same place– tickets are on sale now at Eventbrite, and full speaker and talk details will be posted closer to the actual event.
We also made a bit of a sad announcement last week- after 10+ years and 80+ shows, Fargo Nerd Nite is coming to an end. 😢 The bosses are getting older and our lives are going in different directions- rather than let the show fizzle into mediocrity and death, we’re going to go out on our terms, on a high note, in a good place. Our 2026 shows will proceed as scheduled, but unless we can find someone to carry the torch, Nov 19th 2026 will be the last Fargo Nerd Nite ever.
If you’re interested in becoming a Nerd Boss and inheriting this circus, shoot us an email. There is a lot behind running Nerd Nite but the only required qualifications are that you’ve been to one before- we started out with zero experience and we’ve made it this far. 🙂 And if you start now, we have all year to show you the ropes. So let us know if you are at all interested in taking over- we’d love to make this an ‘Until Next Time’ instead of a goodbye.
Happy Friday my nerds. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and that 2026 is being kind to you.
But now that all that is over with, we can get back to the really important stuff, like NERD NITE!! 🤓 Our next show is coming up fast- peep the speaker and talk deets here:
Thaw and Order: Life of a Chef in Antarctica
[No description needed here- we’re learning about life in the cold, and there will be puns. What more do you need? 😀]
Steven Schalau is a Sous Chef of Nova Eatery, but also an Antarctic explorer (of a sort). From flipping burgers at -90F, to being the Southernmost human being in the world (for a couple minutes, he’s done some fun stuff.
Speaking The Douglas-Fir Beetles Language: Ecological Pest Management Using Pheromones
The Douglas-fir beetle is a native insect throughout the range of Douglas-fir in western North America. In the 1990’s, a highly effective treatment using the anti-aggregation pheromone, MCH, was developed to protect-high value trees during periodic beetle outbreaks. This treatment has been used operationally to protect high-value, mature trees for the past 25 years collectively on hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest throughout western North America. This is unequivocally the most effective pheromone-based treatment for any bark beetle species in the world. The pheromone is naturally produced by the Douglas-fir beetle to regulate the density of immature insects in host trees. Consequently, it is very safe to use.
Darrell Ross has degrees in forest ecology from Penn State and Oregon State, and a PhD in forest entomology from the University of Georgia. He was a professor at Oregon State for 30 years before coming to the School of Natural Resource Sciences at NDSU in 2020. He has conducted research on pheromone-based management strategies of bark beetles for over 30 years.
The Surprisingly Boring Secrets of Losing 370 lbs
The unglamorous, surprisingly practical story behind losing 370 lbs after a high of 652 lbs. From the lowest moments that forced a change, to the slow two-year grind without medication, to adding a GLP-1 (Zepbound) at 600 lbs, this talk breaks down what actually worked, walking, lifting, and four mindset rules that kept him going. Expect humor, honesty, and take-home ideas you can use.
Jamie Selzler is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, certified nutritionist, and wellness coach. He began his journey in July 2021, later adding a GLP-1 (Zepbound) in 2023 as one tool alongside consistent habit change. In 2025, he shared his story on the Mind Pump podcast and now creates content across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, focused on practical, sustainable health change.
…plus all our usual hijinks, doorprizes, and laughs. Get yourselves to The Cellar at Front Street Taproom on Thursday, January 15th, 7PM (doors at 6:30). Tickets are available now on Eventbrite, or you can bring $10 to the door. Same price to you either way- we eat the fees bc they’re high in fiber.
And just like that, we’ve wrapped up another fabulous season of Nerd Nite. Immense thanks to everyone who came out and made our last show of 2025 the very best it could be- speakers Erin, Sara, and Kellam, our glorious venue Front Street Taproom, and of course our wonderful audience! We are breaking for the holiday season but Nerd Nite will return in 2026 with fresh new nerdery for your brain space. Tickets for our January show will go on sale on Eventbrite soon.
We wish you all a safe, happy, and nerdilicious holiday season. 🤓🎁🎅 See you next year.
Welp, we are down to the last and best show of the year. 🥹 Our annual Best Of feature brings back three of our favorite speakers from the season to give encore performances. Can you guess who they are?
…well you don’t have to because I have all the details here. Check out this line up:
Beyond the Myths: The Amazing World of Vampire Bats
When you say “vampire”, people think of Dracula. But did you know that vampire bats are a real thing and they really do drink blood? Join me to learn about the different species of vampire bats and the amazing adaptations they have for feeding solely on blood. We will also look into the surprising importance of the social lives of vampire bats for their survival and how they take care of their friends like no other species.
Erin Gillam is a biology professor who has been chasing bats around since before she could legally drink alcohol. She has studied the ecology and behavior of bats in many places, including Costa Rica, Bulgaria, and Madagascar, plus right here in North Dakota. Warning: Erin has a “bat button”, which can lead to extensive sharing of bat facts when hit. Beyond bats, Erin loves reading, hanging out with her husband and son, and snuggling with her two golden retrievers.
Fire In the Mountains: A Dragon’s Journey Through Chile
Join this Dragon on an adventure of a lifetime through the mountains of Chile. As a full-ride fellow of the Astronomy in Chile Education Ambassadors Program (ACEAP), Sara embarked on an astronomy lover’s dream trip: an opportunity to experience some of the largest and most impressive telescopes in the world. Follow her on this path of twists and turns on a truly memorable trip with some bumps along the way, but the most STELLAR views!
Dr. Sara Schultz is the Director of the MN State Moorhead Planetarium. She has a Masters in Astrophysics, and a Ph.D. in Science Education. Sara’s passion for astronomy, science literacy, and both formal and informal education colors every part of her life. She loves collaboration and relationship building to support learning. The quote that describes her outlook best: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. -African Proverb
‘What the sigma?’ What even are kids saying these days?
This is a talk about new-ish slang and what to do about it. And, yes, we are going to cover ‘6-7’.
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 real question is whether Tracy is going to reuse her same tired jokes or not. 🫠 See your beautiful faces next Thursday, November 20th, 7PM (doors at 630) at our beloved Cellar below Front Street Taproom. Bring a Hamilton to the door, or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite (same cost to you either way).
OH AND:
Since Nerd Nite actually came out in the black this year, we are burning up our bank account with some giveaways!
The first 30 people through the door will get a free drink ticket on us (but remember to bring some tip dollars for our wonderful beer-tender). Doesn’t matter if you get your ticket in advance or pay at the door. First 30 people to show up are winners, baby.
All sales from this show will be donated to the Great Plains Food Bank, because fuck food insecurity.
You can also look forward to some improved swag/ doorprizes going forward, but personally I’m more excited for the food bank donation. 🙂
Thanks for being awesome and helping us do awesome things, nerds. See you Thursday.
Wowza- what a fantastic show last week! Thanks so much to our speakers William, Amber, and Logan for taking time to share their nerderies with us, to our wonderful venue Front Street Taproom for taking good care of us as always, and to everyone who came out to share it with us. Further resources from our speakers:
•Koury, J. (Director). (2008). We Are Wizards. [Film]. Brooklyn Underground Films.
Follow up on a few of William’s studies on where econ meets obesity:
Miljkovic, Dragan, William Nganje, and Helene de Chastenet “Economic factors Affecting the Increase in Obesity in the United States: A Differential Response to Price” Food Policy, Vol. 33/1 pp 48-60, 2008.
Addiction to sugar leads to increased consumption, regardless of future prices
Miljkovic, Dragan, and William Nganje. “Regional Obesity Determinants in the United States: A Model of Myopic Addictive Behavior in Food Consumption.” Agricultural Economics, A Journal of the International Association of Agricultural Economists, Vol. 38 (3):375-384, 2008.
Addiction to sugar leads to increased consumption, regardless of current prices
And keep up with Logan’s adventures in microbiology at https://drekkerbrewing.com/beers/. I didn’t capture his list of recommendations but I’ll see if I can get it. 😅
Anyway, there’s only one way to beat a show that fun…and it’s with our annual BEST OF!! Three of our favorite speakers from the past year are returning for encore performances- I know who they are, but I don’t know what topics they’ll choose to bless us with, and in either case you are just going to have to wait for details, mwaaa ha haaaa. 😈
BUT tickets are on sale now at Eventbrite for Thursday November 20th, 7PM (doors at 6:30), at the Cellar below Front Street Taproom. Grab your tickets in advance or bring $10 to the door- same price to you either way. See you there.
Happy Thursday, nerds. Let’s combat these cooling outdoor temperatures with a hot knowledge injection! Check out out our upcoming lineup:
Funky Suds
Dive into the wild side of brewing—where yeast gets weird, bacteria brings the funk, and flavor takes a walk on the untamed side. From fruity to barnyard, join me for a fun look at how wild beer brewing turns science, patience, and a little organized chaos into something delicious.
Logan McLean hails from Wheatland, ND and has been brewing up good times for nearly 11 years. He got his start in cider at Social Cider Werks, stirred things up at Finnegans Brewing, and now serves as lead brewer at Drekker Brewing Company—where he’s been crafting magic for 5 years. When he’s not wrangling yeast, hops, and malt, he’s probably plotting his next great beer idea.
The Obesity Epidemic: Policy Response
Dr. William Nganje has been Chairman and Professor in the Agribusiness and Applied Economics Department at NDSU since January 2013. He graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in May 1998 and joined NDSU in October 1998. He has published several top journal papers, books, and technical reports in food and financial risk analysis. His most recent invited presentation was on “Food Security and Food Safety Risks in Global Rice Markets” at the 2024 International World Rice Conference Summit in Manila, Philippines.
Wrock: What It Is and How It’s Getting Me Through 2025
What the heck is Wrock? Where did it come from? Is it actually important? Explore these questions and more with a Pop Culture Master!
Amber Fetch is a lifelong pop culture nerd, raised on a steady diet of Star Trek: TNG, Animorphs, Harry Potter, Saturday morning cartoons, and classic rock, all culminating in a Master’s degree in Popular Culture Studies with a thesis on gender play in FMA: Brotherhood. You don’t get much nerdier than that! Amber loves deep diving into seemingly obscure pop culture artifacts to explore the whos, whats, and whys behind them.
Plus our usual smorgasbord of drinks, doorprizes, buffoonery, and laughs. See your fabulous faces on Thursday, October 16th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at The Cellar under 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 so we don’t attack our Halloween candy stash.
Welp, it was nice to have some free time this summer, but it’s good to be back in the swing of the nerdery too. 🙂 Thanks so much to our speakers Audrey, Idris, and Paula for sharing their zeal for information with us, to our ever gracious venue Front Street Taproom, and to everyone who came out last week. Our next show is Thursday, October 16th, 7PM (doors at 6:30), same place. Tickets are available now on Eventbrite, and full speaker + talk details will be posted closer to the actual show.
In the meantime, check out these recommendations/ resources from our speakers:
Want to try your hand at some carnivorous plants? Try these online nurseries:
Add some native/ pollinator plants to your landscape, or start planning for next year! I really love this guide from the NDSU Extension office; as you shop, pay attention to whether you’re buying the straight species or a cultivar (cultivars will have a name in quotes behind the scientific name, for example Eupatorium maculatum ‘Gateway’ is a cultivar of Eupatorium maculatum, AKA Joe Pye Weed). Cultivars may not be as beneficial to the ecosystem as the original species, but they’re not necessarily bad…but that’s another show. 🙂
