Nerd Nite Fargo

Greetings nerds! ‘Tis the season for cooler nights, scary movies, diabetes-inducing amounts of candy, and of course: NERD NITE. Speaker details:

Linda Slaughter’s Life & Legacy

Linda Slaughter was instrumental in the creation of North Dakota’s first schools, early historical preservation efforts, and the state’s Suffrage movement. So why did it take until the year 2023 for a biography to be published about her life?          

Lis Fricker is a born and raised Fargoan, and attended NDSU for a Bachelors in Public History, a Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies, and a Masters in History.

The Civil War Isn’t as Far in the Past as You Think-Products Available Then You Can Still Get Today

So you think the Civil War is past and you have no connection to it? Come and join me, and a trip to the grocery store, Barnes & Noble, or hearing about the stock market will never be the same again!

Alan Fricker is a self-professed history nerd. While his primary historical interests are the Civil War, World War II, railroading and firefighting, he can also talk your ears off about politics, economics, and photography. He is also is good at spouting off miscellaneous historical factoids unasked! He works as a medical editor by day, and is a history hunter with his reading and Fort Abercrombie site interpreter’s work at night and on some weekends. He holds a master degree in history from NDSU.

Unfortunately, our third speaker on the history of local cemeteries had to back out due to health issues, but we’ll make it up to you with some trivia and candy. See your beautiful faces next Wednesday, October 18th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. $10 at the door, or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite. Same price either way, bc we’re nice like that.

🙂 T

What a great Nerd Nite last night! We learned that having a great lawn may be more about less work than more work, found out exactly how much and why Brian hates our projector (its…a lot), and that the cross sections of trees that scientists keep for study are called…get this…cookies. How feckin adorable.

Our next nite is inbound, October 18th, 7PM, Fargo Billiards. Mark ya calendars and stay tuned.

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Greetings, nerds! Anyone else just liiiiiiving for these cooler temps? F that 90+ degree business. Give me my hoodie, my bonfire, and my Nerd Nite, and I am a happy camper. Topics for this month:

Fall Lawn Tips
Growing a lawn can be challenging. Fortunately, September is a great month to improve the health of your lawn for next year. Learn about fertilizing, optimal mowing height, weed management and practices to increase your lawn’s density.

Dr. Esther McGinnis graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Ph.D. in Applied Plant Sciences. She is the North Dakota State University Extension Horticulturist and Director of the NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Her graduate students research pollinator plants, plants for rain gardens, and spotted wing drosophilia.

Projector Pranks and Pixel Predicaments
Navigating Accessibility Challenges in Presentations and maybe a short overview of what accessibility is in user interfaces.

Brian Glaeske, user interface whisperer by day, pixel pusher by night. Bringing a touch of magic to every user interface design.

If Trees Could Talk
In the language of rings, trees tell us stories about the past. Trees told us that the great flood of 1826 in Winnipeg extended back upstream into the United States. Before European settlers came to the Dakotas, fires of the western shortgrass prairies occurred about every 25 years, on average. Again, the trees told us. The language of tree rings tells us about past environments, ecological disturbances and human history. Let’s explore this language and discover the world around us.

Dr. Joe Zeleznik grew up in the northern hardwood forests of northeast Ohio, and studied forestry in West Virginia, Michigan and New York before setting out to be a forester in the Great Plains. He’s been the NDSU Extension Forestry Specialist for more than 20 years. He studies tree rings throughout North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, learning about the environment and human history through the fascinating science of dendrochronology.

Oh yeah. We’re getting that dad lawn. We’re uncovering secrets in Nature. We’re even learning how to improve future Nerd Nite presentations. See your gorgeous faces this Wednesday, September 20th, 7PM (doors at 6:30), Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. $10 at the door, or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite (same price to you either way, bc we’re nice like that).

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Happy Sunday nerds! Apologies for the late update here- pride weekend got the better of me. Deets for this Wednesday’s show:

5 C’s to Improve Your Relationships              

Aria will be discussing how the 5 C’s: Consent, Communication, Compromise, Consideration and Compersion will improve relationships.      

Aria is a master of the fine art of arguing and is always right, no matter what others may say. She’s spent her entire life fighting everything from her parents to her customers to get what she deserves. She’s also incredibly humble.

Massage and Mental Health: The Healing Power of Intentional Touch       

Massage has long been thought of as either a luxury item or erotic foreplay. Though it can be both, it is much more than that. For thousands of years practitioners all over the world have been using massage to soothe physical ailments, relieve muscle tension, and restore harmony within the mind, body, and spirit.    

Kathleen O’Neill graduated valedictorian from Elite Massage Academy, is a Licensed Massage Therapist, and Operations Manager at Elite Therapeutic Massage. Not only is she a passionate practitioner of massage, but a reaper of the many benefits. Coming from a life of chaos she found peace within the world of massage, and seeks to educate the masses on this under-utilized form of healthcare.

Edible Landscaping for People and Pollinators in the Northern Plains    

…pretty much says it all. 😀                            

April Johnson is the NDSU Extension Pollinator Technician and a graduate student in Natural Resource Management. She is passionate about edible landscaping and has over 20 edible perennial food crops on her ¼ acre city plot, with plans for more.

So we’ll see your gorgeous faces this Wednesday, August 16th, 7PM (doors at 6:30), Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. $10 at the door, or get your tickets in advance on Eventbrite (same price to you either way, bc we’re nice like that).

🙂 T

Did you miss last’s night’s Nerd Nite? Poor you. But don’t worry- there is more nerdery inbound next month. Stay tuned for details, but for now, mark ya calendar for Wednesday August 16th 2023, 7PM, Fargo Billiards. See your fabulous face there.

🙂 T

Happy Friday, nerds! Alas that summer is half over already, but lucky for us, nerdery knows no season. Buckle on your sword belts and secure your pointy ears: July Nerd Nite is upon us! Details:

European Styles of Swordsmanship: Through the Centuries

Let’s discuss the history of fencing! Different types of European fencing have existed since about 1300, and are still practiced today. This is an introductory talk on HEMA, which includes discussion on rapier, saber, longsword and more. Certain examples will be available to handle but NOT to fence with.

Kevin Wander completed his undergraduate at MSUM in History and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in 19th century Russian military history. He has a passion for historical fencing and has been fencing since 2015. He is currently the head instructor at the Fargo-Moorhead Historical fencing club and specializes in the 19th century British military saber.

The Linguistic World of Tolkien: How Constructed Languages Shaped Middle-Earth

Ai a mae g’ovannen, mellon nín. Delve into the captivating linguistic realm of J.R.R. Tolkien and discover how his constructed languages shaped the rich tapestry of Middle-Earth, adding depth and authenticity to his legendary universe.

Bethany Mastin is a passionate language enthusiast. While she had no formal linguistics background and is only fluent in one language, she has dabbled in numerous others throughout her life, and among these, none have captivated her more than Tolkien’s Elvish languages. Bethany’s deep fascination with and occasional forays into various languages have nurtured a profound appreciation for the linguistic tapestry woven within Tolkien’s extraordinary world.

…okay so we’re not remaking the movie but Elvish and swords really does sound like LotR. 🙂 PLUS since we’re down one speaker, we’ll play some trivia to even the keel. See your beautiful faces next Wednesday, July 19th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. Tickets available in advance on Eventbrite, or $10 at the door.

🙂 T

PS- ‘Macil appa!’ is what I googled to be the Quenya phrase for “sword touch”, like ‘Touche!’ in actual fencing. We can ask Bethany if there’s a more apt phrase. 🙂

But don’t be too sad! Fargo Nerd Nite will be back Wednesday, July 19th, 7PM at our usual hang at the Gastropub. We’re talking SWORDS and ELVISH LANGUAGES. We might end up remaking Lord of the Rings- Idk. Mark your calendars and watch for tickets on Eventbrite.

See your glorious faces there.

🙂 T

Welcome back Nerds! Fargo Nerd Bosses are super excited to be hosting the Nerd Boss Retreat this year. What is the Nerd Nite Retreat you ask? Once a year all the Nerd Bosses get together to discuss business, meet fellow Nerd Bosses and then getting together that evening for a special Nerd Nite. Guess what, We’ve asked the Nerd Bosses to be the speakers this year and you’re all invited!! This epic event will be held at The Fargo Theatre Saturday June 24th. Topics:

This Year In Nerdery

This talk will be a highlight reel of the past year’s best nerdery. Expect to learn a hodgepodge of science, technology, history, pop culture, and more with as many jokes and shenanigans as an educational 20 minute talk can fit!

Dr. Rorry Brenner is a nerd through and through. He has a B.S. in computer science, a Ph.D. in neuroscience, and a decade of experience building military robots. He’s the founder of a machine learning startup, D&D dungeon master, 1st percentile chess player, and yet somehow terrible at trivia. As the MC and organizer for Nerd Nite Pittsburgh Rorry is psyched to bring the Pittsburgh spirit on the road!

Recent-and-Possibly-Breakable World Records

While none of you can become the world’s tallest person or the grow the longest fingernails in the next few weeks, you can learn about 10 world records that have been set in the last two years, a few of which you could potentially be able to break yourselves, and one of which (or maybe even two) we’ll all try to break together at Nerd Nite Fargo tonight. Quick, get Guinness on the phone!

Matt is the Big Boss of Nerd Nite and also host of Nerd Nite NYC even though he lives in Los Angeles. Objectively, that doesn’t make much sense. He’s also the unofficial world record holder in tortilla throwing. Seriously.

Close Encounters of the 5th Kind

Do you believe in aliens? You’ve heard of close encounters of the 3rd kind, but there are actually 5 kinds of encounters you could have with extraterrestrials. In his presentation, John will explain the different ways you might cross paths with little green men. You’ll also learn about open-minded sky watching, identifying explainable phenomenon, and how you might have an encounter of your own.

John is the St. Cloud Nerd Nite mini-boss. He grew up in Chicago around the time of the dinosaurs. He’s served as a Marine and is a Chicago Bears fan (we’ll forgive him for that one). He loves weird cars, woodworking, and the cosmos. The kids call him a Disney princess because he’s infinitely likeable, is always in a good mood, and is an amazing animal whisperer. He used to be in the technology field, but now he’s pursuing a career that’s a better fit with his deeply compassionate nature… working with youth.

There you have it! Don’t forget June’s event is at the Fargo Theatre, (Sorry Gastropub, we needed a bigger space, we still love you). Saturday June 24th Doors open at 7:30PM and show starts at 8PM. There will be drinks, mingling, learning, and sweet door prizes! Limited seating available, tickets are $10 on the Eventbrite site. We highly suggest purchasing your tickets on the Eventbrite site, we cannot guarantee walk in tickets available!! See you all there!!