> Nerd Nite No. 32, November 6, 2013

Nerd Nite No. 32, November 6, 2013

Hey Nerds!

First – a big thanks to everyone who came to our Halloween party.  We had a blast, and we hope you guys did too.  And you certainly did not disappoint in the costume contests.  From some extreme nerds to Mary Poppins to Bunnicula to Doc, Marty, and a Flux Capacitor, we were amazed by your talents all evening long.  Mad props.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming with a smorgasbord of nerd goodness.  Details:

Wednesday, November 6, 2013
doors at 7:00, show at 7:30 sharp
Frankford Hall at Frankford and Girard, 2 blocks from the Girard St blue line stop
$5 cover gets you a night of nerdy fun, plus food and drink specials

 

The lectures at hand:

“How the Universe is Trying to Kill You” by John Bochanski

While the night sky looks peaceful and serene, it is anything but. Near and far, the universe is full of hazards that pose a threat to all life on Earth.  We’ll take a look at a few, and look at some ways that astronomers are trying to identify the most eminent threats. While I can’t tell you when and where the next threat might strike, I can tell you that Bruce Willis and nuclear bomb is not the way to go.

Bio: John Bochanski is an astronomer and visiting professor at Haverford College.  John is also a blogger for Sky and Telescope magazine and volunteers for the Philadelphia Science Festival.  Hailing from South Jersey, John graduated from Villanova and got his Ph.D. in Seattle from the University of Washington.  After that, he worked at MIT and Penn State, before coming back to Philly.  When not contemplating the mysteries of the Universe, John can be found watching the game, or out on a run around town.

“Jeffro Kilpatrick: Bury My Bones in Ink” by Jeffro Kilpatrick

Kilpatrick will discuss how he uses art and cartooning in all ends of his life, from his career to charity to social circles to wooing the love of his life. He will show examples of his work referencing geeky pop culture, his fascination with Philly and Fishtown, and his obsession with the world’s maudlin, rambling, nocturnal creatures.

Bio: Jeffro Kilpatrick is a Philly cartoonist, born and raised in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia. He is a co-founder of the Philadelphia Cartoonist Society (www.phillytoon.org) and a proud member of the Meathaus Comics Collective (www.meathaus.com). He spends his days and weekends teaching art to Philly middle school students, and his nights hunched over the same drawing table he had when he was a kid.

“From 76ers Cheerleader to Science Cheerleader” by Darlene Cavalier
Cavalier will guide us through her unlikely journey from the sidelines of the 76ers to center stage of the citizen science movement where she and her team at SciStarter (a popular online citizen science community) connect thousands of people to hundreds of crowdsourcing projects. Now you, too, can classify galaxies, track migration patterns, build $10 spectrometers, and even collect microbes during an upcoming 76ers game! And, yes, she’ll also talk about the rise of the Science Cheerleaders (250 current and former NFL and NBA cheerleaders who are also scientists and engineers) who catalyze citizen science projects across the country.
Bio: Darlene Cavalier is the founder of SciStarter.com, a one-stop-shop for citizen scientists and a share space where researchers recruit participants.  She is also the founder of ScienceCheerleader, an organization that creates mechanisms for public engagement in scientific research and policy discussions, but is far better known for giving rise to the “Science Cheerleaders” comprised of more than 250 current and former NFL and NBA cheerleaders who are also scientists and engineers. Cavalier herself was a cheerleader for the Philadelphia 76ers. These so-called Science Cheerleaders playfully challenge stereotypes, inspire young women to consider science careers, and involve people from all walks of life in citizen science.  She has been featured on the Today Show, CNN, NPR, ESPN, Discover, the Washington Post, Fox National Headline News and more, and is a frequent public speaker on all things related to public engagement in science.  Cavalier is the Director of Special Projects at Discover Magazine. She holds a MLA from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where she resides with her husband and four children.AND!!!
SKELETOR is the host of popular Karaoke Gong Show for more than six years at the Trocadero. It is the most evil and FUN Karaoke show you will ever attend. Carmen Martella III portrays a parody of Skeletor, the overlord of evil, from the 80’s cartoon “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.” The next Karaoke Gong Show is Friday November 15th!

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