Nerd Nite Fargo

Happy Thursday, my nerds. If you’re reading this, congratulations on surviving another ND winter. I have never been so frackin happy to see dead brown grass ever in my whole life. 😀

AND, new Nerd Nite coming up fast! Details here:

Aircraft Design & Aerodynamics       

Have you ever looked at an aircraft and thought, “Why design it that way?” Grab a drink and learn about aircraft design and how these oddly shaped machines are able to stay airborne.  Your presenters for the evening, Tajae Viaene and Tate Russell, delve into the unique characteristics of wing shape while teaching you the fundamentals of flight.  Try to keep at least one free hand as we test your skills at drinking and flying (your very own paper airplane, that is).        

Tajae Viaene currently serves as a Designated Pilot Examiner and Director of Flight School Operations at the Fargo Jet Center.  While managing the second largest flight school in the state of North Dakota, she also finds free-time to fly her own Cessna 180 taildragger with her 9 year old son, Desmond.

While moving up the ranks at the Fargo Jet Center Flight School, Tate Russell currently holds the title of Assistant Chief Flight Instructor.  With more than 2,000 flight hours, he brings his aviation experience and teaching ability to provide a well-rounded presentation that will have you ready for take-off!

Monogamy?! In this economy??       

Polyamory may seem trendy and new, but did you know it goes back to the beginning of man? In this presentation, you’ll learn about what it means to be polyamorous with a personal take.

Lee is a young artist with big aspirations. Outside of playing DND and hanging out with friends, they are passionate about cooking meals for others. Not so much with the baking. They have a strong love for all things environmental, astronomy, and movies (especially horror). Don’t be afraid to say hi, they love meeting new people and making friends. 

So there you have it! Celebrate the fact that we can see over the snow-bergs by joining us next Wednesday, April 19th at 7PM (doors at 6:30) at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. Get your ticket in advance at Eventbrite, or bring $10 cash to the door.

See your beautiful faces there.

🙂 T

Thanks so much everyone that turned out for March 15th NN- it was a great crowd, great topics, and I am stoked to see all your gorgeous faces at our next show on Apr 19, 7PM. Mark ya calendars and stay tuned for further details.

🙂 T

Happy Sunday Nerds! Are you ready for the next installation of nerdery to take your mind off of this March blizzard bull-oney? Me frickin too. Details:

Restoring Awe & Wonder to The Night (and maybe saving the planet)

When was the last time you walked out the door at night in the Fargo-Moorhead area and felt a sense of awe? Amazement at our place on the planet and in the universe? Have you ever tried looking up? It doesn’t help. Light pollution is ruining our view, our sleep, our health, and taking everything that is cool about the night away from us. Yet there are simple steps we can take to restore darkness and awe to our lives!

Patrick Sommer has been a Fargo resident since 2004, living here with his wife and two now adult daughters. He has volunteered to defend our nighttime environments since late 2019, but his full-time day job is for the North Dakota Air National Guard. He has an undergrad from UND, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Mary, and is working on a Master of Sustainability, Security, and Resilience from Ohio University. Also, a science and sci-fi nerd!

The Whitechapel Murders: A Who Dunnit!

The year is 1888, and the worst areas of London are riddled with crime. Even those brave souls willing to walk the dark streets will soon learn fear, for Jack the Ripper is near.

Jade Harveland, a licensed sex coach and professional nerd with a passion for comics, history, DND and more, returns for his 10th presentation at a Nerd Nite!

Hello, Can You Hear Me: Understanding your Dog By Understanding Their Body Language

What if your dog could speak English? Not gonna happen, but you CAN learn to speak dog. Let’s take a stroll into the world of how our dogs are feverishly trying to tell us about their day.

Julie Jessmon is a lifelong geek of all things dog that has been working and training people how to build a partnership with their pooches. She is not a trainer- she is a relationship coach for you and your pup.

So if you want to spook yourself with a real life murder mystery, renew your wonder for our night skies, and learn to communicate more effectively with your pup, we’ve got you covered. See you at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub on Wed March 15th, 7PM (doors at 6:30). $10 cash entrance.

…Assuming the plow doesn’t come by and block us all into our driveways again.

🙂 T

Maybe the weirdest title I’ve ever come up with, but at least it doesn’t have a damn thing to do with Valentine’s day. Break out of the lovey dovey candy coated mould and get your learn on with Fargo Nerd Nite. Topics:

The Oldest Profession: Should It Be Legal?

You may have heard of the term ‘TERF’, but have you heard of the term ‘SWERF’? How does prostitution fit with our ever-evolving social systems? Look at current systems of regulation throughout the world and how they fail. Together we’ll ask why prostitution should, or shouldn’t, be legalized.

Aria is a sex educator and relationship coach based out of North Dakota. A self-declared feminist, she shares her controversial views in this short talk.  Aria is also a dork who rejects the very in-depth bio her husband wrote in favor of you knowing she is a sequel educator, a crazy cat lady and a crochet Cresent.

How to Become the Ultimate Cheese Nerd

This is the year I decided to take my cheese journey one step farther and study to become an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional. What does that even mean? I am absolutely crazy? What type of information would a said person need to know? Follow along as I chat cheese and learn about my quest for more knowledge.

Megan Lewis is the creator of Milk Made catering.  She believes in feeding people: whether that is finding delight in artisan cheese or helping those who may struggle feeding their family. She brings her whole self to her brand, knowing this world is full of incredible product from artisan producers. Bringing that cheese to you is her craft.

Orphans in France in the early 18th Century: Necessity or Sad Reality?

What was daily life like for orphans in Dijon, France in the early 18^th century? Who were the boys of the Bonnets Rouges and girls of Sainte-Anne? Was abandonment necessary or just a sad part of life for families? Jessica will discuss the importance of these institutions for the survival of children in early modern France.

Dr. Jessica Nelson is a Moorhead native with a PhD in History from Purdue University. Her dissertation was on orphans in Dijon where she made 8 trips to do research, enjoying the food and mustard. She currently works at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County and at Fargo Billiards. She enjoys golf, walks, books, traveling, and relaxing when not working. She lives with her two cats – Rory and Georgie.

So there you have it! Join us next Wednesday, February 15th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub for cheese, sex work acronyms, what I hope turns into a Les Miserables sing along, and all the discounted Valentines candy you can stomach. Admission is $10 at the door, cash only.

See your beautiful faces there.

🙂 T

What up nerds?! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break and that you were all crowned the Festivus King or Queen of your occasion. #dontbejealousofmypole.

Anyway, now we can start this year right with some drankin and nerdin! Topics here:

Defining (Dis)ability

What is disability?  How has the definition of the term changed over the years?  How do you think about disability?  How should you think about it?  How do you want to think about it?  Jed will lead us through several exercises to challenge our beliefs and lead us to a better understanding of our fellow humans.

Dr. Jed Locquiao hasn’t sent me a biography yet, but his LinkedIn profile says he is an assistant professor at MSUM who supports professionals and answers questions in special education/ higher education as a teacher/ researcher.  He is also a regular trivia player and owns a pretty snazzy renaissance period bard costume.

The Evolution of Motorcycles, Motorsports, and Moto-Culture.

No matter the industry, invention is merely the starting line. In motorsports, competition was immediate, and racing began as soon as there were two machines to pit against one another. Innovation fueled an industry and a fan-base. We’ll take a quick journey from motorcycle beginnings to present day and the various cultures and subcultures that followed rooted in motorsports.         

Jim Bolluyt is a husband, dad, creative, and rider of motorcycles.  Despite not being allowed to own a motorcycle growing up, he was heavily influenced by motorcycle-riding/loving Grandfather and Uncle. As soon as he was released from parental restraints, he got into motorcycling of all kinds.

Plastic Assassin! Finding Creative Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Waste

Single use plastic sucks! It takes thousands of years to degrade, is difficult to recycle, and it’s killing our planet. We’ve been over-enjoying this decadent, disposable convenience for a long time, so join me to retrain your brain in how you think about plastic packaging, learn some painless ways to reduce your plastic waste, and save some MFin turtles.     

Tracy Kurtz is a has been chemist living in a microbiologist’s world, and a prime example of the Attenborough effect.  Interests include aerial acrobatics, horses, chubby pitbulls, and exactly four other things.

So join us on Wednesday January 18th, 7PM (doors at 6:30), at Fargo Billliards and Gastropub to become a better human, guaranteed. 😉

WAIT! What’s that big announcement?

Well nerds, after all these years, the time has come for us to convert to capitalism and start charging to attend Nerd Nites. We have so many ways we want to improve the show and frankly we can’t bankroll it anymore without help, so we’re asking you to contribute. From here on out, admittance to the show will be $10 cash at the door. Fancy setups through Eventbrite will follow soon, but for now, bring a Hamilton with you to the Gastropub and know that you’re helping to build a bigger, better Nerd Nite.

Thanks so much for hanging with us all these years, and I can’t wait to see you next week.

🙂 T

No, it’s not just one of the top five most popular first word guesses in Wordle. FNN has wrapped our last show for this year; we’ll be taking the rest of Nov/Dec to plot for next year, maybe figuring out wtf TikTok is, and hopefully churning out some rad new nerd art for giveaways. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to help us reboot, to our speakers for volunteering their time and talents, and to our venue for constantly putting up with our shit. Here’s wishing you the merriest of holidays, and we’ll see you at our first show of 2023, January 18. Stay with us on the socials for updates. MWAH.

🙂 T

Happy Wednesday, Nerds! We’ve come to the very last FNN of 2022, as our usual schedule takes us too close to Xmas and we have a non-compete with Santa, so this is your last chance to get your think and drink on before we all devolve into an infuriating loop of Mariah Carey and trying not to argue with our relatives about politics over a dried out turkey. Better that you enjoy a beverage, maybe win a door prize, discover yet another place from which you’ve been unwittingly ingesting bug juice, get a dose of real viral history, and wage a war with graph paper and dice. It’s Nerd Nite, baby, and it’s all you want for Christmas. (#callback)

You’ve Got Red on You: A Tale of the Humble Cochineal

From lipsticks to food dyes, one small sessile parasite (that’s a barely moving beastie to you and me) was been responsible for much of the red color in our daily lives. Learn about the chemistry and the history of Carmine, the dye extracted from the cochineal bug.

-Dr. Graeme R. A. Wyllie came to the US from Scotland several decades ago earning his PhD at the University of Notre Dame before joining the faculty at Concordia College. He also heads up Concordia Science Academy, a science outreach organization that provides hands-on science experiences to thousands of kids a year in the FM area and beyond.

It’s Not Just COVID: An Overview of Outbreaks in ND

Believe it or not, COVID is not the only disease that has had an outbreak. We’ll go over a brief overview of some other disease outbreaks that have occurred in North Dakota through the eyes of an epidemiologist.

-Brenton Nesemeier was born and raised in Fargo. He is currently an epidemiologist with the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. He graduated from NDSU with a MS in microbiology. He lives in Fargo with his big lovable Maine Coon, Groot, his diva rescue cat, Zoey, and his fluffy chonky ragdoll, Hades.

The Basic Mechanics of Dungeons and Dragons (Or how to Kill Monsters, Find Treasure, and Laugh Your Ass Off with Your Friends)

You’ve heard your cooler friends talk about it, and now there’s a movie with Chris Pine playing a hot bard, but how exactly do you play Dungeons and Dragons? Now’s your chance to learn the basics with a local friendly Dungeon Master. She will provide all of the dice – all you to provide is the heart of a hero and a propensity for mayhem.

-Laurie Seifert Williams has been playing D&D since approximately 1991 when she became a D&D “widow.” She grew to love the nerdiest of nerd games while learning to play in an effort to spend more time with her future husband. Laurie is currently a Dungeon Master for a diverse party of players who just celebrated their first year in her current campaign. Assisting her for Nerd Nite are Coale, Enigma, Orag, Otsana, and Vola.

So there you have it! See your beautiful faces at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub, Wednesday November 16th. Show starts at 7PM, doors open at 6:30. Still free and open to the public, as long as you’re old enough to get into the bar.

🙂 T

And not even proffered by a blurry figure out of the back seat of a windowless panel van! It’s Fargo Nerd Nite, baby. And there’s something for everyone.

Drug Development: Concept to Commercialization

Learn about the drug development journey- what it takes to get from the Eureka! on the lab bench, through the FDA, and on the shelves ready to help patients.  This presentation is an overview of the key stages of drug development, clinical trial design, and important regulatory milestones and pathways.

[Charissa Quinlan is still writing her official biography but suffice it to say for now she is a bad bitch and this is a great talk and you will enjoy it.]

How Much Do You Really Know About Alcohol?

Did you know that the word alcohol originally referred to eye makeup? How about the fact that much of the wine mentioned in the Bible is not made from grapes? Or that beer originated in what is now Iraq? The production of fermented beverages such as beer and wine predates the smelting of metals, with the history of alcohol spanning over 8000 years. Join us for a discussion of this rich history and gain new insight into your favorite drinks.

Dr. Seth Rasmussen is a Professor of Chemistry at NDSU and the current national Chair of the History of Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society. In addition to his traditional chemical research on organic semiconducting materials, he has published extensively in the history of science over the last 15 years, with a focus on the histories of glass, alcohol, and plastics.

…Okay so the title may have been slightly misleading, but we really will have free candy for everyone, because it’s October and a great excuse to work on our collective diabetes. See you on Wednesday, October 19th, 7PM (doors at 6:30) at Fargo Billiards.

🙂 T

Good evening nerds,

Well that month flew by fast. Thanks so much everyone that showed up to our post-Covid debut, and I hope you’re ready for MORE because we’ve got MOAR. Topics for our September show:

Mythbusting EVs & Mathmatically Deciding Yay or Nay

So you’re a math geek and want to know how to mathematically decide if an electric vehicle (EV) would work for you, or maybe you despise math want someone to explain an easy way to figure this out.  Do these things catch fire?  Are they as fast as a Bentley? Do they need sunlight to run?  Do they have a fireplace?  (For you a cliff notes types…no, yes, no, and yes.)

Join me for a balanced perspective on EVs…things to consider, upsides, downsides, EVcetera.

Dana Woodruf is an engineer working in finance at Bobcat. Originally from Houston, she moved to Fargo last summer.  She’s had an electric vehicle for 4 years and 83,000 miles…and she analyzes everything!

I Have Five Minibikes and So Should You

A minibike is a two-wheeled, motorized, off-highway recreational vehicle popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, but available continuously from a wide variety of manufacturers since 1959. OK- thanks Wikipedia, but what’s the whole story?  What’s the difference between a minibike and a dirtbike, or a scooter?  Should I build five of them in my garage?  How do I do that?  We’ll address these important questions and more.

Dusty O Schultz was born and raised right here in Fargo ND. In 2002 he graduated from the North Dakota State College of Science with a degree in Diesel Technology. For the last 20 years he has been employed at GPK Products in the maintenance department as a Mold Tech. Hobbies include using an axe to split wood the old fashioned way, fixing pretty much anything that does not contain a computer, and rocking out to his favorite jams.

…and since our last speaker had to back out (don’t worry- he’ll be back in November!) we’ll supplement with some trivia, along with our usual potty humor, door prizes, dranks, and overall good times. So we’ll see you this Wednesday, September 21st, 7PM, Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. This show is free and open to the public, but as we learned in August that may change shortly, so get it free while it’s free.

🙂 T

F an A right, tater- after a two year pandemic induced hiatus and the world’s slowest relauch process, we are FINALLY BACK. Now we can pair our excessive drinking with learning again! YAAAAAYY!! Topics:

Does God Shoot Craps? And Other Ways People Fuck Up Quantum Physics.

While postulating about quantum mechanics, Albert Einstein famously stated “God does not play dice with the Universe.” He had a knack for saying cool sh*t that people still misinterpret to this day. Most folks have heard something about quantum mechanics, whether it be in the news, as plot devices for popular books or movies, or from other crap that borders on religion/philosophy. Let’s kickoff Nerd Nite with a chat about quantum mechanics; a few of the basic ideas, some of the neat consequences and where lots of folks get things wrong (even Einstein).

Warren Christiansen has been a nerd his whole life.  He loves board games, role playing games, movies, music and most things nerd. Warren is an Assistant Professor of Physics at NDSU and also regularly plays music around town at Junkyard Brewery and Max Lounge.

How Dirty is Carbon?

The press will tell you that carbon can be dirty but they never mention the deep and scandalous truth of how it really gets down. Join me for a journey through organic chemistry that would make your mother blush (depending on your mother).

Dr. Angelica Meyer is a fun-loving Ph.D. Organic Chemist after graduating from the University of Kansas. Afterwards, she served as a chemist in the oil field for 5 years and is currently working as a senior manager in Technical Operations at Aldevron, where she designs and drives processes for GMP manufacturing of biologic materials. She’s a mathematician at heart where the beers are always half-full!

Fic or Fact, Uncovering the Truth about Pole Fitness

Put on your best detective face as we collect historical clues to answer the burning question: does doing pole fitness make you a stripper?

Dr. Misty Tomchuk is co-owner of Zero Gravity Alternative Fitness in Fargo, ND. With a background in hard sciences and education, she has been teaching and coaching since 1999. Her hobbies include starting businesses, helping people, and binge watching tarot readings on YouTube.

OH, and we finally ponied up and got sweet FNN tshirts! They are soft and stretchy and fantastic for subtley proclaiming your nerdery to the world. These will be on sale at the show for $20 each (cash or venmo), or keep an eye on our social medias for chances to win one for freesies.

SO, Wednesday August 17th, show at 7PM, doors at 6:30, Fargo Billiards and Gastropub. See your beautiful faces there.

🙂 T