Nerd Nite Fargo

• When: Monday, Oct 17 @ 7:30 PM.
• What:  Thinking & Drinking
• Where: Fargo Billiards & Gastropub.
• Who: Nerds 21+.
• Cost: $0.
• Nerdtastic Topics:
  • Looking for Life in the Universe (Heidi Manning): The universe is a very large place, and as scientists search for life off of Earth, they need to focus their search. How and where do we look for life in the solar system?
  • OK if I Rant? (Mary Jane Haugen): A non-political view of a political upheaval: Ukraine’s Orange Revolution.
  • The Real Nightmare and How Animals Will Save Us (Larry Reynolds): Despite having been given a bad rap in the Developed World, animal products (milk, meat, seafood, etc.) are an important component of a healthy diet, especially in the Developing World.  Moreover, animals are critical to agricultural sustainability. Given the projected increase in the world’s population, animals will be critical to achieving food security: providing an adequate and healthy diet for all.
• Plus, don’t miss the Halloween Costume Contest! Wear your best tricked out costume and win sweet loot, like nerdified paintings, inappropriate embroidery, and more!

• When: Monday, Sept 19 @ 7:30 PM.
• What:  Thinking & Drinking
• Where: Fargo Billiards & Gastropub.
• Who: Nerds 21+.
• Cost: $0.
• Happy Hour: Join us beforehand for games, featuring Telestrations against Humanity.   (It’s like Telephone + Pictionary + Cards Against Humanity.  Not for tender hearts or weak stomachs.)
• Nerdtastic Topics:
  • “How I Learned to Stop Worrying about the Stigma and Love Dungeons & Dragons.”  by Warren Christiansen
  • “Slaying the Dragon – The Quest to Defeat Cancer.”  by Steve Dekrey
  • …followed by Gaming Breakout Sessions!

• When: Monday, August 15 @ 7:30 PM.
• Where: Fargo Billiards & Gastropub.
• Who: Nerds 21+.
• Cost: $0.
• Happy Hour: Join us beforehand for games, featuring Telestrations against Humanity.   (It’s like Telephone + Pictionary + Cards Against Humanity.  Not for tender hearts or weak stomachs.)
• Nerdtastic Topics:
  • Dusty O’Schultz: Scared, Fear, and Phobia: Although these words are often used interchangeably, they are three very different things.  What happens when we experience fear, and why do some people enjoy being scared?
  • Zachary Duval: The New Spectrum: Understanding Political Ideology in Four Dimensions: Tackling questions that will challenge your world view…and your sobriety.
  • Jake Weisser and Jared Zimney: Magic…for Nerds.  As opposed to the other kind of magic for nerds.  Explaining the ins and outs of maybe the nerdiest game ever.

• When: Monday, July 18 @ 7:30 PM.
• Where: Fargo Billiards & Gastropub.
• Who: Anyone 21+.
• Cost: $0.
• Nerdtastic Topics:
  • Alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.  Let’s take a (not so) sober look at our complicated relationship with ethanol. We’ll consider the history, pharmacology, and psychology of this familiar and fascinating drug.
  • The Children from Hell: The Story of the 12th SS, a WWII Panzer division comprised of Hitler Youth Volunteers
  • <Topic coming soon!>

When: June 20, 7:30 PM.

Where: Fargo Billiards & Gastropub.

Who: Anyone 21+.

Cost: $0.

Topics (3):

“Heroes Need Help Too: What We Can Learn about Mental Health from Batman & Buffy”  —  We will discuss how science is used for diagnosing and treating mental health problems. Batman and Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be presented as case examples to describe the processes involved.  – Kathryn Gordon & Brandon Saxton.

“The Placebo Effect: Tricking Ourselves to a Healthier Tomorrow!” — Katy will discuss the history, medical uses, and possible biological causes of this strange phenomenon. – Katy Vesel

“Saving Ancestral Seeds & Foods” – Jamie Holding Eagle

3 TOPICS:

-Topic 1:  “The Breakfast of Champions – Serialism and 12 Tone Theory.” Since the dawn of time, humans have been fascinated with two things; musical ideas and logic. What happens when you apply logic and creativity together to create a new art form? Will there be rioting (yes)? – Brianna Drevlow

Location: Fargo Billiards & Gastropub (3234 43rd St S, Fargo, ND 58104)

Start Time: 7:30PM –  Monday, MAR 21, 2016

Topic 1: NERD RAGE: Or How the Internet Made Me Laugh – Brad Meixner

Examples of Anonymity, Idiocy, and Outrage in Fandoms

Topic 2: From Michelangelo to Engineered Humanoids: Awaiting the Return of the Renaissance – Dr. Kalpana Kati

Engineering humanoid structures and body parts is the holy grail of the field of Tissue Engineering. I will describe the basic principles of this technology and also its need for interfaces and interactions with diverse fields from sciences, arts, humanities, and engineering as in the era of Renaissance. The disconnect between art and science and engineering is a hallmark of modern times. Was there a ‘nerd night’ during the Renaissance?

Topic 3:  Listen to the Music  – Brian Farlow

Music fans, come and explore the fascinating journey your favorite music takes from the studio to a plastic disc and how thousands of those can now fit in your pocket. We’ll talk about the basics of sound reproduction, digital audio, the mp3, and what new music technology is just over the horizon. 

What ELSE do we know?  We will be drinking & learning!

“Eggstravagence: The story of Faberge and his eggs” by Andrew Tschosik
A look at the most prized gifts of the Russian Imperial Court and the man who made them, jewel to the Tzar himself, Peter Faberge.

“Riddle Me This: Making and Breaking the Enigma Cipher” by Aaron Feickert
During the second World War, the Enigma cipher machine was used heavily for German field communications. We’ll explore exactly how the machine worked and meet the Polish mathematicians you’ve never heard of who broke it wide open.

“Classic Horror Movies and the Real Life Events that Inspired them, Part Two” by Dusty O’Schultz
Horror movie writers pull inspiration from all sorts of places, even real life events. Some times the plot is completely made up and the characters in these movies are based on real people. The story of a murderer and the movies and characters he inspired will be explained.

Does the mere hint of playing a board game conjure up interminable hours waiting for other players to take their turn in Monopoly? Were you never a winner at The Game of Life? If so, take heart! There are far better games to play. In this Nerd Nite gaming extravaganza (yeah, we went there), we’ll explore hobby or Eurogames – games that balance strategy and luck with collaboration and camaraderie. Learn about the rise and extent of Eurogames (From “Candy Land to Chess”), how to pair Eurogames with the appropriate cocktail (Gamers Don’t Let Other Gamers Drink Water), and – if you’ve not yet been eliminated by an exploding kitten – how to win at games (“The Game Whisperer”). Hosted by a gargantuan collaboration including Eric Momsen, Jenni Momsen, Rachel Salter, and Tara Slominski who’ve settled Catan enough times to know the robber will get rolled just as we have the resources to build our first city.