Nerd Nite Fargo

• 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.

Use of “Unobtainiums” in Science Fiction Storytelling

Any work of Science Fiction worthy of the name will employ something that requires the consumer to take a leap of faith. Whether an alien technology or an as yet undiscovered super-material, bending the rules of the known universe is essential to transporting the audience to another world. Novelist Z.E. Duval walks us through the concept, some history, as well as a practical exercise on how such ideas can inform the entire basis for a work of Sci/Fi.

Fusion Power Now Only 5 Years Away (perpetually)

For the last 50 years, physicists have said fusion power is forty years out given adequate funding. But physicists aren’t the only people playing this game. In this talk, I will describe 7 different hot fusion projects underway right now, where they are in development, when they aim to finish and what kind on reactor would result from each. Two of the projects are main stream (ie funded well by the US gov or many gov’s) the other five are smaller but more interesting and or likely to work.

The Ins and Outs of Intellectual Property (or How to Please a Woman the Nerd Way)

<Teaser coming soon>

…PLUS!!!!!  A COSTUME CONTEST!  

“A Night of Ice and Fire: A History of Westeros in the Real World”  – Ben Jagim 

Explore the rich history of Westeros from George R.R. Martin’s epic series A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) along with the real life historic events that inspired the story. From conquests to mass migrations to the betrayals and how they impact both the present day story and real life events. Special notice: No Spoilers, presentation will be on the history leading up to the start of the series and show.

“Who Is Your Favorite Character? Adults and our Childhood Media Role Models: A Study on Gender” – Kayley Erlandson

Who was your favorite television or media character when you were a child? Spock? Princess Jasmine? John McClane? Have you ever wondered how (or if) this character shaped you into the person you are today? Our presenter conducted interviews with 19 college freshmen and sophomores to better understand how their gender was both shaped and mirrored by their favorite media characters and how this formed their gender identity as a young adult.

“Giardia-WHAT?” – Andrew Tschosik

A brief look into the world of the protozoa with the infectious smile.