Nerd Nite Philly

Brandon Zimmerman: Confessions of a 19th- Century Skull Collector

When it comes to collecting skulls, no one did it better than Philadelphia’s own, Dr. Samuel George Morton. Aided by a fiercely loyal and tireless network of skull collectors, Morton amassed the world’s largest collection of skulls and redefined Philadelphia’s relationship with the dead. Featuring stories about some of Morton’s most famous skulls and infamous skull collectors – from medical dissections to bloodthirsty pirates, from raided Egyptian tombs to Philadelphia’s own serial killers – it’s bound to be the best 20 minutes of entertainment involving a disembodied head since Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. Say it with me… Meka Leka Hi Meka Hiney Ho!!

Bio: Brandon Zimmerman is an award-winning illustrator, museum exhibition designer, historian, and photographer. He has worked as a consultant for a national forensic firm, a vaccine manufacturer, and several local museums. He also has an unhealthy fascination with tapeworms and an even unhealthier love of Chinese buffets and bad 80s comedies. Over the past 5 years, most of his time has been spent researching shrunken heads, books bound in human skin, and the history of the Samuel George Morton Cranial Collection, so yeah… pity his social life. You can contact him and see more of his work at www.brandozim.com

Jayatri Das: Your Brain Creates Your World

Ben Leach: Brains Not Guaranteed: The Stupid Schemes of Supposedly Super Smart Supervillains

If you are a fictional character with an enlarged or exposed brain, chances are you’re going to eventually become a supervillain. Often, these clever creeps brag about how intelligent they are and how they are the masterminds behind the perfect plans to stop our favorite heroes and heroines. Thankfully, decades of pop culture have preserved many moments in which we’re able to catch these smart scoundrels with their pants down. From B-movie brain monsters to cartoon and comic supervillains, we’ll be highlighting some especially stupid moments involving fictional characters who should be in MENSA.

Bio: Ben Leach is a New Jersey-based science and medical writer. However, he is also a collector of the eclectic and unusual, especially if it’s something that relates to his childhood from the 1980s and 1990s. He has been a published author on collectibles since he was 19, with work appearing in Lee’s Toy Review, Toyfare, and about.com. Currently, he operates a website dedicated to antiques and collectibles with his family called The Collector Gene (www.collectorgene.com)

Plus: Interactive games from innovative local developer Cipher Prime will be available to try out between speakers!