Yo Nerds!
Are you ready for the October edition of Nerd Nite Philly?
We have a little something for everyone ranging from the history of beer to the science of being scared
and a wild card with a talk about conjoined twins by an expert from the Mutter Museum. But there’s more!
Friend of Nerd Nite, David Darwin, will be once again performing his One Man Sideshow act for
our entertainment.
Without further ado, the discussions at hand:
"Beer, Brats, and Bavaria: A History of Oktoberfest" by John Ceccatti
The first Oktoberfest was celebrated in 1810 to honor the marriage of the Bavarian Crown Prince. The early
festivities included a horse race and a display of local agricultural products. Munich brewers joined the
event later in the 19th century, although the malty amber lager they served likely emerged much earlier
in response to the Reinheitsgebot, the 16th-century Bavarian brewing law that prohibited brewing during
the warm summer months. To comply, Bavarians brewed a stronger beer in March – Märzen in German – that was
stored in cool caves and would be drinkable all the way to October. As this year’s Oktoberfest draws to
a close, it seemed like an opportune moment to explore the connection between beer and history in Bavaria.
About John: John Ceccatti, a lecturer in the history of science at the University of Pennsylvania, studies
the history of the German brewing industry. Although he has visited Oktoberfest in the past, he would rather
enjoy German gemütlichkeit in Munich’s famed englischer Garten or at the Andechs monastery in the
Bavarian countryside.
Tom Knabe will talk about The Science of Fear: Why Haunted Houses Scare Us
Millions of people attend haunted attractions every year for the thrill of being scared. But what causes
us to be fearfully startled? Tom Knabe, Creative Director for Fright Factory haunted attraction in
South Philadelphia, has been in the industry for 9+ years and will go over many of the classic and modern
scenarios haunted attractions use to maximize fear levels.
"Conjoined Twins: Together Forever?" by Marcy Engleman
They say twins are close, but conjoined twins take that to the extreme. Monsters, freaks of nature,
abominations: all things people have thought about conjoined, or “Siamese” twins. How do conjoined twins
happen? This talk will highlight these amazing people throughout history, their origins, lives, and for
some, separation.
About Marcy: Marcy Engleman is the Museum Educator at the Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of
Philadelphia. She is proudly a committee member of the Museum Educators Roundtable. Marcy graduated from Penn
State University with a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and at home, she maintains her own personal zoo
of reptiles and a bird. Marcy is the mother of twin girls.
Plus Entertainment by David Darwin!
The logistics:
Wednesday, October 1
Doors open at 4pm. Show starts at 7:30pm
$5 cover gets you happy hour specials all night plus admission to this fantastic night
Frankford Hall, 1210 Frankford Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Be there and be square!
Love,
The Nerd Nite Philly Squad
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