Nerd Nite Philadelphia

Nerd Nite No. 14, May 9th, 2012

philadelphia — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:38:02 +0000

Dearest Nerds,

Fast on the heels of the nerdtasticness that was the Apcocalypse 2012 Nerd Nite, we bring you the next edition, sure to delight:

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

doors at 7:00, show at 7:30

Frankford Hall at Frankford & Girard

$5 cover

The lectures at hand:

“Social Networking at the Synapse: how complex protein interactions provide insight into psychiatric disease” by Matthew MacDonald

The brain’s capacity for storing memories and learning new skills depends heavily on its ability to forge and maintain synaptic connections between neurons. This “neuroplasticity” emerges from the complex interactions between hundreds of proteins within these neurons. Every biology teacher he’s ever had has warned against anthropomorphizing these proteins. Disregarding that advice, Matt chooses to view the synapse as a really small party filled with social protein all striving to get along have a good time. When the party is good the brain functions well. But, when the beer runs out and there are too many dudes, shit gets ugly.

Bio: Matthew MacDonald is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Department Of Psychiatry. His doctoral work focused on developing new approaches to investigate protein complexity at the synapse. He currently spends his days trying to understand the biological basis of schizophrenia and human consciousness. In retrospect this may have been a poor career choice. As it turns out the human brain is really complicated; he wishes someone had warned him.

“Every Joyful Conspiracy” by Elizabeth-Jane Cole

How do we create irresistibility for ideas whose time has come? The point at which we begin to see the unknown and believe in an infinity of possibilities is the point of genesis of all possible worlds. We can achieve boundless things if we see challenges as opportunites to imagine the world we want, instead of hurling metaphorical rocks at the things we don’t like. This talk contains previews of the upcoming book Quantum Monkeywrenching, will include examples of how to create transformational experiences with a little creativity and intentionality, and not a few high spirited shenanigans.

Bio: Elizabeth-Jane Cole is an author, Enabler of Joyful Conspiracies, and radio producer. She is also the cofounder of the Evil Twin Booking Agency (with Artist Scott Beibin), organizing tours for people who think and act. In a past life, she contributed to WIRED magazine, produced a long-form interview with a balloon porn fetish model for Third Coast Award-winning podcast series Love + Radio, and wrote instructionals on DIY film distribution techniques.

“The Sounds of the Systems: exploring 8-bit/16-bit video game music” by Steve Lakawicz

Join Steve Lakawicz as he explores how video game programmers overcame the limitations of 8bit sound to create aural masterpieces. Steve’s presentation will highlight the hardware inside the systems and use specific examples to illustrate the types of obstacles that early game music composers would have confronted. His presentation will feature music from the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, Sega Game Gear, and Sega Genesis.

Bio: Steve Lakawicz holds a BM in Tuba Performance from Rutgers University as well as an MM in Tuba Performance from Temple University. His love of video game music has lead him to form a blog, Classical Gaming (classicalgaming.wordpress.com), to promote discussion both casual and academic about the music of video games. He is also the co-founder of the video game/nerd music chamber ensemble, Beta Test Music (betatestmusic.com). He currently resides in Philadelphia where he teaches statistics at Temple University.

Plus: juggling by David Darwin and tunes by Matt Young,

Nerd Nite No. 13, April 26, 2012: Philadelphia Science Festival edition

philadelphia — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:43:23 +0000

Dear Nerds,

The next Philly Nerd Nite is part of the Philadelphia Science Festival, a city-wide celebration of science. We are thrilled to be a part of it, and we’re even more thrilled to offer you a scholarly ode to 2012 apocalypse mania. Should you like, you may buy tickets online, but we will also be selling them at the door as always.

Note that Nerd Nite is on a Thursday this month and that the talks will start at 8:00 instead of 7:30. Right before Nerd Nite will be “Meet and Geek“. Admission to that gets you admission to Nerd Nite. So many nerdly possibilities . . .

The haps:

Philly Science Festival Nerd Nite

Thursday, April 26th

Doors at 7:30 / Show at 8:00

Frankford Hall / $5 cover

We have three great talks and two performances by the West Philadelphia Orchestra lined up for you:

“The End is Not Nigh: Fact and Fantasy in the Maya 2012 Phenomenon” by Simon Martin

We’ve all heard that the world is going to end in a fiery cataclysm, or that a galactic alignment is going to herald a new world order, or perhaps that they’ll be a rain of pink elephants come 21st, or 23rd, December 2012. Moreover, whatever it is that’s going to happen, the Ancient Maya predicted it because their calendar comes to shattering conclusion on that date. We can dismiss the ideas of self-declared experts of this “ends of days”–even though they can be fun to listen to–but the science questions in this are: How did we get to this? What did the Ancient Maya actually believe? Using hieroglyphic texts–including some only recently unraveled–we can form a real picture of ancient Maya beliefs about time-reckoning and the cosmos, and the 2012 phenomenon they have inspired.

Bio: Simon Martin, Co-Curator of MAYA 2012: Lords of Time and Penn Museum American Section Associate Curator, is an expert on Maya writing and specializes in Classic Maya history and politics. His work has been featured in the New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, Science, and Archaeology Magazine. He appeared in the Nova television program “Cracking the Maya Code” in 2008 and has collaborated on shows for Discovery and the History Channel.

“Apocalyptic Soul: Seeing Through Image in the Age of End Times” by Li Sumpter

From the History Channel’s Armageddon Week and Nat Geo’sDoomsday Preppers to AMC’s The Walking Dead, images and ideas of an impending apocalypse are virtually inescapable. If we are, in fact, what we eat, mindless consumption of fear-based media could have harmful effects on the individual and global mind. Through an aesthetic approach to contemporary myth and media, this talk examines archetypal patterns of apocalypse and the metaphyiscal relationship between image and reality that shapes our collective vision of the future.

Bio: Li Sumpter is a doctoral student in Mythological Studies and Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She believes our future trajectory through the multi-verse is shaped by collective participation in a mythic paradigm that supports a corresponding reality. In her dissertation, Apocalyptic Soul: Seeing through Image in the Age of End Time Sumpter examines the impact of apocalyptic media on psyche, collective destiny and the phenomenological world.

“How to Survive the Apocalypse” by Scott Gabriel Knowles

In the winter of 1951 Philadelphia was leveled by two atomic bombs. Fortunately, the city’s civil defense experts had planned for the worst, and the citizens of Philadelphia raised their city from the rubble back to its full industrial might in time to beat the Soviets and win the war. (This did not happen–but it was planned for by top defense experts.) The Cold War was an era full of apocalyptic nuclear fantasies–luckily we no longer imagine fantastical scenarios of disaster and recovery; or do we?

Bio: Scott Knowles is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Great Works Symposium at Drexel University. He is a historian of modern cities, technology, and public policy–with a particular focus on risk and disaster and his most recent book is The Disaster Experts: Mastering Risk in Modern America.

And dance like it’s the end of the world to the mighty sounds of the West Philadelphia Orchestra!

Nerd Nite No. 12, March 14, 2012

philadelphia — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:13:28 +0000

Dear Nerds,

Please join us as we make plans to take over the world. If you attend the March Nerd Nite, you will learn how to build a nuclear fusion reactor, how to manipulate vast swaths of data to generate art (or whatever your little heart desires), and how to harness the power of the pig nose to become vastly wealthy.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

doors at 7:00, show at 7:30

Frankford Hall at Frankford & Girard

$5 cover

For your edification:

“DIY Nuclear Fusion or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Particle Physics” by Ian Gallagher

Most of what is heard nowadays regarding advances in high-energy physics takes place in enormous, far-off laboratories that are far removed from our everyday realm; however, this was not always the case. Many advances in our understanding of physics were undertaken by a handful of scientists, often demonstrated using completely self-constructed apparatuses. Several of these experiments can be – and have been - undertaken by resourceful individuals, using what more or less amounts to spare parts. This presentation will highlight a bit of the rich history of nuclear/particle physics, and give a brief overview of how to [safely] construct a nuclear fusion reactor.

Bio: Ian Gallagher is a senior at Drexel University, studying Electrical Engineering, and is part of a small team developing and constructing an all-electric car for competition in the 2012 Formula Hybrid competition. He has a great desire to learn how things work, and loves to tinker with all sorts of machines. Aside from his academic pursuits, he is an avid mountain biker. There is more to his life than just these things, but he’s been so busy lately that they’ve momentarily slipped from his mind.

“Data as Art” by David Clayton

Data is everywhere, it is constantly being collected, filtered, organized, searched, filed, archived, and deleted. More and more, artists and designers are exploring the unique aspects of data as a mode of creative expression.

Bio: As curator of programs for Breadboard at the Science Center, David Clayton plays at the intersection of Art and Technology. The program explores creative applications of technology in art. He also co-organizes Ignite Philly and still dreams of being an astronaut.

“Pigs, Pits and Peccadilloes” by Marcia Pelchat

The nose and mouth are gateways to the body and thus are essential for good nutrition. We also rely on odor cues for social interactions. Yet, as you will discover, everyone has an unique sensory world: Learn about specific anosmias (profound insensitivities to particular aromas in individuals with otherwise normal senses of smell), swine pheromones, and human sweat. Find out what Collette said about truffles and revel in the splendor – and shame – of truffle oil. Experience some revolting odors if you can. Bring tears to your eyes with asparagus pee. Learn whether you can smell your own stench or must leave that to others. What could go better with beer? (P.S. Don’t pass any pig farms on the way home.)

Bio: Marcia Pelchat is a Senior scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. Monell is a non-profit, multidisiplinary basic research institute where everyone studies some aspect of the chemical senses (taste and smell). Dr. Pelchat studies food cravings, learning mechanisms in food selection and the relationship of individual differences in chemosensory function to nutrition. She is a frequent public speaker and tap dancer who once dressed 27 oompa loompas. She particularly enjoys disgusting her children.

And featuring performances by: Emily Bate and Michael Knight with Amir Gollan.

Nerd Nite No. 11, February 8, 2012

philadelphia — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:37:36 +0000

Hey Gang!

The next Nerd Nite is drawing near! This is also our first Nerd Nite to feature a talk by a chemist! And as far as we know, our first skydiver *and* our first hypocrisy expert . . .

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

doors at 7:00, show at 7:30

Frankford Hall at Frankford and Girard

$5 cover

For your listening and learning pleasure:

“Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind” by Rob Kurzban

Do you wonder why people are so inconsistent? Why people often seem to contradict themselves? Why they believe things they know aren’t true? Why they say “don’t do X” and then do that very thing? In this presentation, I’ll show how the fact that the human mind is made up of many different parts answers all these questions…

Robert Kurzban is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. His research focuses on evolutionary approaches to social phenomena such as cooperation, trust, mating, friendship, and social networks. His favorite color is blue and his favorite breed of dog is husky.

“Jumping out of planes: the art and sport of skydiving” by Alex Mandel

Skydiving is on the top of most people’s bucket list. It is one of the most exciting and exhilarating extreme sports around but there’s much more to it than strapping on a parachute and diving out of a plane. In this presentation, I’ll explore the techniques and finer points of skydiving.

Alex Mandel is a licensed skydiver who has been frequently jumping out of airplanes for the past 4 years. He made his first tandem jump in January 2008 and than worked his way to earn a free fall license. On the weekdays he works on his start up and develops real estate.

“Chemistry and energy. From alternative fuel to blowing sh*t up” by Mike Zdilla

Chemistry was once about mixing substances and changing them into other things, but this is not the case today. Perhaps with the exception of drug discovery, most every facet of chemistry today is concerned with energy. From food to fuel to batteries to bombs, chemists are concerned with storing and using energy. A talk highlighting usage and transformations of chemical energy will be presented, with a focus on the oft overlooked role of the inorganic elements. The talk will include chemical demonstrations, and a live musical performance.

Mike Zdilla is a professor of Inorganic Chemistry at Temple University. His focus is inorganic chemistry, which means the study of the chemical elements that usually get ignored by the more popular yuppie elements (I’m talkin’ to you, carbon oxygen and hydrogen). He teaches courses on inorganic chemistry, metals in biology, and crystallography. He has a wife who is an English and literacy educator, and who indulges his love of all things nerdular, and a 2 year old son who loves letters like his Mom, but whom Mike hopes to convert to his own camp in time.

And as if that weren’t enough, we have comedic storytelling by Zach Webber and tunes by song knitter Rob Gallo.

Nerd Nite on the radio

philadelphia — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:55:17 +0000

Nerd Nite is conquering not only bars, but also the press via the brand new Nerd Nite magazine, your iPod via the Nerd Nite podcast, and now the local airwaves!

Check out Carolyn Beeler’s very nice story “Thinking while Drinking” on WHYY.

Nerd Nite No. 10, January 11, 2012

philadelphia — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:16:34 +0000

Hey everybody!

It’s 2012 and it’s gonna be nerdier than ever this year. The first Nerd Nite of the year is approaching rapidly. Are you worried about cell phone radiation, do you want to seriously geek out about bikes, are you a closet graffiti writer yearning to paint freely on walls? This is your Nerd Nite. Plus we have music, comedy, and Frankford Hall has delicious beer and pretzels. See you there!

The details:

January 11, 2012, doors at 7, show at 7:30

Frankford Hall at Frankford and Girard

$5 cover

Our line-up:

“The radiowaves are coming for your sperm, and other myths of the cell phone era” by Scicurious

It seems that these days everyone has a cell phone attached to their ear. Every week another website trumpets a study saying that the cell phone waves are causing cancer, lowering your sperm count, even killing the bees. But are they? Sci will take you through the latest on cell phones and radiowaves, and let you know exactly whether or not the cell phones are coming for your sperm.

Scicurious has a BS in Biology, a BA in Philosophy, and a PhD in Physiology. A mild mannered researcher by day, Scicurious is an active science blogger by night, where she writes about the good, the bad, and weird in physiology and neuroscience. She is the recent winner of the Three Quarks Daily Top Quark Prize in Science Writing, has been published several times in The Open Laboratory Science Blog Anthology. Her writing has also been featured in Scientific American, The London Guardian, and the New York Times, and has made numerous appearances on the radio and at conferences to talk about life as a science blogger and the weird and wonderful world of science. She writes at the blogs Neurotic Physiology and Scientific American’s “The Scicurious Brain”, and you can follow her on Twitter at @scicurious. She often writes in the third person.

“A Nerd’s Survival Guide to Biking Cross Country.” by Geoff Cotter

Traveling by bike is an excellent way to better experience one’s surroundings while traveling. At a bicycle’s speed, its easier to take in every hill and river and meet people on a more personal level than you would had you driven by car. Through a series of misadventures, anecdotes, and lessons learned, geoff introduces a basic guide to the how and why of bike touring across the US.

Geoff is a 28 year old mechanical engineering grad student at Drexel University. Geoff has bike toured across the united states, new zealand, central california, kentucky bourbon country, as well as numerous shorter trips through New England, PA, and NJ.

“Why That Kid is Hanging from the Overpass to Paint His Name” by Ryan Derfler

In the 60’s and 70’s, the modern day graffiti movement blew up in Philadelphia. By the 80’s, Philadelphia was “all tagged up” and as an attempt to curb the problem, the City created a program called The Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, to engage the youth and to rechannel their creative energy. Fast forward almost 30 years and the program has changed the face of the City with over 3,500 outdoor and indoor art works, involving over 40,000 youth, earning Philadelphia international acclaim as the City of Murals. Hear some of the more colorful anecdotes and learn about some of the Program’s “secret weapons” to get so many public works done over the years.

Ryan Derfler, Director of Business Development, joined the Mural Arts Program in 2008 and was tasked to develop a tour program to generate earned income revenue. Since then, he has developed the most talented tour guide pool in the City, tour attendance and revenue have doubled, and tour products and promotions have received acclaim world wide. Ryan now oversees merchandising and is working on a social entrepreneurship model centered around a new learning center and gift shop called Mural Arts at The Gallery, which opened in October 2011.

Featuring: music by Gretchen Lohse and comedy by Will Dean.

BE THERE AND BE SQUARE.

Nerd Nite No. 9, December 7, 2011

philadelphia — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:45:14 +0000

Nerds. The December Nerd Nite is upon us:

Wednesday, December 7th

Frankford Hall, 1210 Frankford Avenue

doors at 7:00, show at 7:30 pm

$5 cover

For your edification, we present:

““Free Will: How there isn’t any (at least, not the way you think)” by Brett CohenFree will concerns individuals’ ability to choose what they want to do. When we decide something, whether it’s what we’re going to eat for dinner, who we’re going to go out on a date with, or what we’re going to do with our life, we have the unmistakable sensation that it is freely chosen. If we don’t like our decision, we can change our minds — and we often do. How can we square this apparent freedom with the constraints of brain — which is, after all, a physical system, governed by laws of nature? One possibility is that we may have to abandon our old positions on the subject — and in doing so, consider an alternative view of free will — and of ourselves.

Brett Cohen majored in philosophy at Brown University, where he took over 14 classes in topics such as metaphysics and philosophy of mind. Realizing that he was headed toward the philosophy of unemployment, he learned software development, and currently creates websites, user interfaces, and mobile applications.

“Why it pays to slice up body parts: bone histology and dinosaur biology” by Allison Tumarkin-Deratzian

We can learn a lot about extinct animals from the overall anatomy of their skeletons, but even more information is contained in their bone microstructure. Bone tissue records a detailed record of an individual’s life history, and thin-sections of fossil bone provide windows into understanding the biology of critters long dead. Age, growth rate, stress, and sex—it’s all in there if you know what to look for, and can stand a little sawing and grinding.

Allison Tumarkin-Deratzian is a vertebrate paleontologist in the Temple University Department of Earth and Environmental Science, where she pontificates about rocks and fossils and delights in making her students’ heads explode. She also moonlights as an actress with various community theatre groups in Montgomery and Bucks Counties. This basically means she spends her days with dead things and nights with people that don’t really exist, which may explain a lot.

“When You Have Nowhere To Go Except Everywhere” by Scott Beibin

‘Groucho Fractal’s Nearly Amazing Quantum Transdimensional Survival Guide at the End (and Beginning) of Everything’ is a touring live performance and webcast exploring the intersection of science, consciousness, art and nature hosted by Scott Beibin. The show features the delightful pairing of eco-engineering, open source philosophies, and emerging technologies with silly dance moves and tasty raw vegan treats. Come enjoy a short preview of the Groucho Fractal show before the official(ish) launch in 2012 at this installment of Nerd Nite Philly.

Scott Beibin is a Philadelphia based artist, theorist, problem-solver, and vortex engineer connecting the sacred, profane, and the absurd. Beibin has toured internationally as host, curator, and media-archaeologist for the Lost Film Festival which combines activist filmmaking with live storytelling. He is also co-founder of the Evil Twin Booking Agency (along with author Elizabeth-Jane Cole), organizing tours and outreach campaigns for people who think and act.

And rock music by Ben Riesman of Le Fits.

Food and drink specials: $6 beer + pretzel and $8 beer + sausage to enjoy in a veritable sea of tables and chairs.

Nerd Nite No. 8, November 9, 2011

philadelphia — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:44:06 +0000

What’s up Nerds.

The next Nerd Nite is drawing near:

Wednesday, November 9th

Frankford Hall, 1210 Frankford Avenue

doors at 7:00, show at 7:30 pm

Free Nerdiness: NO COVER!

Food and drink specials include: $6 beer + pretzel and $8 beer + sausage to enjoy in a veritable sea of tables and chairs.

The lectures at hand:

“Art, deception and image processing” by Jay Parrish
We normally use image processing to look at the Earth (essentially the reflectance spectra of plants and rocks). But the same technology can be used to examine pieces of art. When we do so we need to keep in mind how we can deceive ourselves or how we can be deceived. We’ll look at how magic is done, and how knowing neuroscience can be helpful in image interpretation. When we’re done you should have a better idea of how to forge a masterpiece.

Bio: Jay Parrish is Professor of Practice in the Penn State University Dutton e-Education Institute, teaching remote sensing. He has previously been State Geologist of Pennsylvania, Director of GIS for Lancaster County, Director of RE Wright’s Forensic image analysis, a volunteer with the Mennonites, a college professor (BGSU), Ball Aerospace employee at JPL (radar geobotany), and a geophysicist at Mobil Oil and Geospectra Corporations. He cannot hold a job.

“Demystifying Acupuncture” by Caroline Grace Ashurst

Caroline Grace Ashurst, L.Ac., M.Ac., a practicing Acupuncturist in Philadelphia, intends to shed light on the practice of acupuncture by offering information to enlighten, inform, and inspire. She plans on challenging preconceived notions and engaging curiosity while delivering the principles of this complementary modality.

“Sexy Serpent Smells: a Sense of Snake Scents” by Rocky Parker

Imagine sitting on the barely-thawed ground of a field, surrounded by flattened yellow grass and bare trees. Then you hear a rustle, some thrashing, more rustling… then out from the grass pop one, two, ten, twenty little brown and yellow heads staring blankly into the spring air. They delicately flick their glossy black tongues and tick their heads in random directions before indulgently returning to the scents of sex saturating the ground. Every spring, garter snakes emerge in the tens of thousands from limestone sinkholes on the midwest plains in search of one thing: sex. After 8 months of life at 0.5 degrees, they are willing and able to seek out mating opportunities… and as many as possible in the tumultuous four week scramble of spring. The one cue males need to locate and choose between mates is the female sex pheromone. But sometimes, things are not always what they seem. Sometimes, there are males that smell like females. I will discuss different aspects of the garter snake mating system, with special focus on how pheromones are used to coordinate reproduction in this (and maybe all?) snake species.

Bio: Rocky Parker is a physiologist who specializes in endocrinology and molecular biology. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. His previous research centered on snake reproductive physiology and chemical ecology. He is now studying the physiology and molecular biology of taste cells… and he can slay Bohemian Rhapsody… a cappella.

Entertainment by: The Philadelphia String Quartet

To Frankford Hall via public transport: from the Market Frankford Line, get off at Girard Station and go east on Girard Avenue (toward Johnny Brenda’s, away from the Piazza). Make a left on Frankford Avenue, and Frankford Hall will be on your left side.

See you there!

Nerd Nite No. 7, October 5, 2011

philadelphia — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:59:37 +0000

Yo Nerds,

Mark your calendars for the return of Nerd Nite!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

MilkBoy Philly, 1100 Chestnut St.

doors at 7:30, show at 8:00

5 dollar cover

Boy have we got a show in store for you:

“Back to the Future: Antarctica in a Warm World” by Jane Willenbring, Univ. of Pennsylvania

East Antarctica hosts the largest amount of ice on land on Earth. As such, it is particularly important to understand what happens to this ice when the Earth warms. Does it melt and contribute to sea level rise? Or, does the ice sheet expand due to an increased ability of warmer air to hold moisture? Until recently, the Earth Science community has had limited ability to measure rates of surface processes that occur over long time periods, such as recording the very slow glacier margin movements and other imperceptibly slow rates of land surface change. In this talk, I will discuss a novel geochemical technique that uses cosmic radiation to date rocks at the Earth’s surface. This technique has revolutionized our understanding of how the East Antarctic Ice Sheet responded to times in the past that were even warmer than today and helps us to go Back to the Future.

Bio: Dr. Jane Willenbring is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania where she leads a research group that uses field work, isotope geochemistry and the changing composition of the Earth’s water and atmosphere to study the response of the landscape to the rise of mountains, sea level, ice sheets and civilizations. She is originally from North Dakota and so is well-suited to the cold temperatures like those near the South Pole in the ’summer’ time – but she still dislikes the cold.

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“Brainstorm: Mind reading technology, theory and practice” by Geoffrey K. Aguirre, Univ. of Pennsylvania

Using machines to “read out” the contents of sensory experience directly from the brain has been a staple of science fiction. Recently, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to reconstruct a ”movie” of visual perception for human participants. I’ll explain how this works, and what the prospects and limits are of mind reading technology.

Bio: Geoffrey Aguirre is a Neurologist and cognitive neuroscientist. His clinical and research work concerns the organization of the brain for mental operations, in particular the loss and recovery of visual ability. Using functional MRI, a non-invasive tool for measuring brain activity, he studies how neurons are normally arranged to represent and store the appearance of people, places, and things. He uses these techniques to understand as well how blindness changes the brain, and with collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania, how the brain adapts to the recovery of vision.

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“An Introduction to the Fun of Lockpicking” by Robert Tran, The Open Organization of Lockpickers

Everyone relies on their locks to keep things secure. From front doors to filing cabinets, they give us the sense of security that no one else can get inside without the proper key. However, in reality, most locks can be picked trivially without any evidence of exploitation. You will learn how and why lockpicking works as well as what manufacturers have done to protect against such shenanigans.

Bio: Robert Tran is a security professional by day, but some say he’s a super-secret agent by night. He’s been tinkering and taking apart technology since childhood, but hasn’t necessary figured out how to reassemble them. When Robert is not wrenching on his cars or motorcycles, he’s picking locks. Going by the handle “Dr. Tran”, he’s been an active member of TOOOL for 3 years and has taught at conferences including Shmoocon, CarolinaCon, NotaCon, Security BSides, QuahogCon, HOPE, & Defcon.

And featuring:

Tragi-comic songs by Charles Latham and Comedy by Chip Chantry.

The Return of Philly Nerd Nite

philadelphia — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:14:48 +0000

Nerds of Philadelphia!

Great News! First, yes, we do still exist, and two new co-bosses have joined the ranks of the Nerd Nite Philly Team. Matt and Gina will be working with Michelle to bring the nerds of Philadelphia more great speakers and talented performers!

ALSO, Nerd Nite has found a brand new venue for our Fall return. Starting on October 5th, Nerd Nite Philly will take place at (drum roll please) MilkBoy Philly on 1100 Chestnut Street the 1st WEDNESDAY of each month. Check out http://milkboyphilly.com/ for more info. Our new venue is easily reachable by public transportation (including the blue line stop at 11th and Market and Regional Rail at Market East).

Please email us at nerdnitephilly@gmail.com with questions, comments and speaker and performer suggestions.

We’re looking forward to seeing you all again in October! Stay tuned for more information.

Michelle, Matt, & Gina

Nerd Nite Philly Team