Join us Tuesday, March 27th for Nerd Nite Baltimore Lucky #13! We have another great line up, from international health philanthropy to space battles and robots, because, why not?! Come out, grab a beer and settle in for the best 2 hours you’ll spend on a Tuesday!
Talks listed below, Disclaimer: Order of talks may change. As always, we appreciate your flexibility and ongoing support!
Nerd Nite Baltimore (NNB) is part of an international community of Nerd Nites in over 90 cities around the world! This event combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker! Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun.
Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward. The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer and spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.) Doors open at 6:30ish…event starts at 7:00pm We have a great line up for this month!
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Talk: “Create your own lane”
By: Robin Baker, OTR
Robin F. Baker, is a social entrepreneur, international occupational therapist, consultant and catalyst pursuing solutions to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. Robin is the founder and executive director of GoTHERAPY, a social enterprise committed to improving stroke survivors and persons with disabilities access to rehabilitation services in low to middle resource countries. Robin was recently recognized as the 2017 Maryland Daily Record’s “Very Important Professional, Successful by 40” for her work and commitment to global health and rehabilitation.
About: Merging ones passion with their purpose and confidently pursuing their deams even if the road hasn’t been paved.
Talk: “The Physics of Space Battles”
By: Dr. Gautham Narayan
Gautham Narayan is the Lasker Fellow at Space Telescope and a former organizer of Astronomy-on-Tap in Tucon, AZ. He studies how things go boom, things in the process of going boom, and what happens after things have gone boom. He decided very early on that the bigger the boom, the better the boom! Therefore he went in for the biggest booms in the Universe – supernovae and sci-fi!
About: BLACK HOLES DEVOURING SPACESHIPS! GIANT SPACE LASERS! TESLAs IN SPACE! Who doesn’t love them? Well, as long as you are on the right end… or you aren’t being asked to build one, because it turns out that’s hard. Poke at some of sci-fi’s biggest tropes, and the learn about the cool science that is actually possible.
Ring in the new year, Nerd Nite style! Join us Tuesday, January 16th for Nerd Nite Baltimore 12. We’re getting craaazy this month! This January we bring you, not only, two great talks, but one musical/comedic performance by Sarah Stardust and Baltimore #popscope will be set up outside the pub for viewing the night sky! Bring your legwarmers and ear-muffs, be there and be square!
Details below, disclaimer: order of talks may change. As always, we appreciate your flexibility and ongoing support!
Nerd Nite Baltimore (NNB) is part of an international community of Nerd Nites in over 90 cities around the world! This event combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker! Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun.
Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward. The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer and spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.) Doors open at 6:30ish…event starts at 7:00pm We have a great line up for this month!
Topic #1
Title: Bringing you evidence-based practice for management of MS symptoms using FES (functional electrical stimulation) techonology.
By: Jennifer Sahm, PT, DPT and Adwoa Bonsra, PT, DPT
Summary: Sit back and learn about what multiple sclerosis is and the electrifying science behind the using functional electrical stimulation for long-term management: A Tale of Two Physical Therapists’ in the field.
Jennifer Sahm is not only a co-boss of Nerd Nite Baltimore, by day she’s a neurologic physical therapist! Jennifer Sahm and Adwoa Bonsra are physical therapists with over 16 years’ combined experience working with patients with neurologic and orthopedic conditions. Jennifer and Adwoa work at the International Neurorehabilitation Institute, a state-of-the-are rehab facility, in Lutherville, MD. Jennifer received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2009. Adwoa received her Doctor of Physical therapy degree from the University of Maryland in 2006.
The International Neurorehabilitation Institute is founded by Johns Hopkins neurologist, Daniel Becker, MD. INI is one of the nation’s only freestanding, independent rehabilitation practices for adults and children suffering from paralysis. We see patients who have spinal cord damage from multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis and traumatic injury. INI specializes in activity based restorative therapies (ABRT) including functional electrical stimulation. These interventions are based on the fact that the injured nervous system requires optimal levels of activity in order to regenerate. Individualized rehabilitation programs are tailored for our patients needs’, enabling them to follow these programs at home as well.
Topic #2: Musical Performance by Sarah Stardust!
Sarah Stardust is a musical science comedian based in Washington, D.C. Favorable mentions can be found by WAMU, ‘I F*cking Love Space,’ and D.C.’s ‘Hometown Sounds’. The Sarah Stardust EP is available now on your favorite download or streaming platform.
Topic #3
Title: The Story of the Late Persian Empire as told by Imperial Rock Reliefs
By: Parviz Ghavamian
Bio: I’m as associate professor of astrophysics at Towson University, and I study the physics of exploding stars. When I’m not doing that, I like to read, listen to classical music, play disc golf and of course read up on ancient history. I started an ancient coin collection featuring many of the kings I’m discussing at this talk! (I will probably bring my coin collection and let people examine them as long as no one loses any!)
Talk: In the west we know nothing about Persia before the Iranian revolution of 1979. The Persian Empire rose again after their destruction at the hands of Alexander the Great in 331 BC. Known as the Sassanian Empire, it became an equal superpower in 640 A.D. We primarily know their history not through written sources, but via their coinage and imperial rock reliefs. I’ll be talking about that tonight!
“Baltimore #popscope will be here, but wait, what is #popscope?
About: #popscope = pop-up telescope!
Ariel Hicks co-leads the Baltimore chapter of #popscope that was launched by Viva Dadwal and Michael O’Shea in September 2014. Bringing Baltimore together by public astronomy. #popscope will be set up outside of the pub for your night sky viewing pleasure!
#Popscope is an urban movement that aims to reconnect diverse communities to the night sky and to each other by hosting free, “pop-up” astronomy nights in public spaces.”
Website: www.popscope.org
Twitter: @bmorepopscope
Instagram: @bmorepopscope
YouTube: Baltimore #popscope”
Come get nerdy with us! Tuesday, November 7th for Nerd Nite Baltimore Eleven. We have three great speakers who will no doubt light up the belgian beer hall AND they just all happen to be amazingly talented and smart women. Come sip and learn and walk away with new brain wrinkle from all this new knowledge! Details below, disclaimer: order of talks may change.
Be there and be square! Nerd Nite Baltimore (NNB) is part of an international community of Nerd Nites in over 90 cities around the world! This event combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker! Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun.
Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward. The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer and spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.) Doors open at 6:30ish…event starts at 7:00pm We have a great line up for this month!
Talk #1:
PowerPoint is Boring: Engaging the Adult Learner
Talk Summary: Have you ever sat through a meeting and thought, this could be an email? Do you have to present to coworkers, and get nervous or ramble? Bring a charged phone & get ready to interact with activities and discussion on how to engage the adult learner, regardless of the content. Strategies for overcoming nerves, creating meaningful learning experiences, and creating presentations that wow will be some of the items discussed.
Bio: Irene Bal is a lecturer in Educational Technology at Loyola University Maryland. Prior to joining the faculty at Loyola, Irene worked in a school district in Columbia, SC as an instructional technology coach, where she presented and worked with adults engaging them in integrating technology in their work & life. She has also presented at many state, regional, national, and international conferences, chats, and webinars on blended learning, hour of code, creating technology events, grant writing, engagement in professional development, and Makerspaces.
Talk #2
Scientific Outreach…in Saudi Arabia by Dr. Alex Lockwood
The life and work of a single Western woman in an Arab country with a slowly developing knowledge economy. Alex Lockwood is a planetary scientist turned science communicator, who spent 2 years working in the Middle East before moving back to the US to support the James Webb Space Telescope.
Talk #3:
Using What Works to Improve Youth Well-being, Building Stronger Communities and Support Families
Presented by: Jessie Watrous and colleague
Jessie Watrous is the Director of Evidence Based Practice at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work, Institute for Innovation and Implementation where she is assisting Maryland child welfare and juvenile agencies to improve practice and strengthen their service array. She previously worked at Annie E. Casey Foundation as a Senior Associate on the Evidence-Based Practice Team. At Annie E. Casey, she was a leader in the development of an initiative to improve community-level child well-being, Evidence2Success. She also consulted with state child welfare leaders on system reforms.
Watrous holds a master’s degree in public affairs from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, where she concentrated on program evaluation and nonprofit management.
In one week’s time Nerd Nite Baltimore welcomes you to join us for our 9th episode where music meets space…meets plasma mass spectrometer. Don’t miss it!
History lesson: Nerd Nite Baltimore (NNB) is part of an international community of Nerd Nites in over 90 cities around the world! This event combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker!
Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun. Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward.
The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer and spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.) Doors open at 6:30ish…event starts at 7:00pm
We have a great line up for June! Not necessarily in this order…
Topic #1:
“Tuned In for What?!”
Eijah Wirth
A discussion of Peabody’s Tuned-in program and Classical Composers of the African descent. Tuned-in is Peabody’s scholarship program for musically talented Baltimore city youth.
Bio:
Elijah Wirth is the director of the Peabody Preparatory Wind Orchestra at Johns Hopkins University, which he helped to establish in 2008. He currently heads the Music Theory and Wind, Brass, and Percussion departments in the Preparatory division as well as the Wind, Brass and Percussion Academy. He is the assistant director of the Tuned-In program. Tuned-In participants have the opportunity to work with accompanists and to attend concerts and other cultural events around Baltimore.
Topic #2:
“From Brains to Bombs”
Richard Ash
University of Maryland, College Park
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectometry (ICP-MS) is not just a fun and sciencey thing to say, it is also a powerful method for the analysis of much of the periodic table. It is with great sensitivity (solutions to the parts per quadrillion level), and isotope ratios to extraordinary precision (5 ppm precision). At the University of Maryland, Geology Department Plasma Laboratory we have two such instruments that are used for a wide range of projects: from the analysis of rocket fuel to bee vomit, from cold fusion to pipe bombs, with a few rocks thrown in for good measure. I plan to meander through some project highlights and end with a tragid CSI-like thallium poisoning case that we have been investigating to try to solve an attempted murder.
Topic #3
“Astronomy in the News”
Joel Green
Fresh from Austin, intrepid astronomer Joel Green reports on the latest in the universe. Then stay tuned as he showcases the mind-blowing Hubble panorama of our nearest neighbor galaxy Andromeda- a mirror of our own Milky Way.
Joel Green is one of our very own Nerd Nite bosses of Baltimore, by night (every other month). By day, he is the Project Scientist in the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute–the Home of the Hubble and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescopes, working closely with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Previously, Joel was a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. A New Yorker who spent twelve years in upstate NY, six years in Austin, and now a resident of scenic Baltimore, he has acquired a fondness for crab and barbecue, cowboy boots and hats, sunshinee and Civil War battlefields.
In one week’s time Nerd Nite Baltimore welcomes you to join us for our 9th episode where music meets space…meets plasma mass spectometry. Don’t miss it!
History lesson: Nerd Nite Baltimore (NNB) is part of an international community of Nerd Nites in over 90 cities around the world! This event combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker!
Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun. Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward.
The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer and spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.) Doors open at 6:30ish…event starts at 7:00pm
We have a great line up for June! Not necessarily in this order…
Topic #1:
“Tuned In for What?!”
Eijah Wirth
A discussion of Peabody’s Tuned-in program and Classical Composers of the African descent. Tuned-in is Peabody’s scholarship program for muscially talented Baltimore city youth.
Bio:
Elijah Wirth is the director of the Peabody Preparatory Wind Orchestra at Johns Hopkins University, which he helped to establish in 2008. He currently heads the Music Theory and Wind, Brass, and Percussion departments in the Preparatory division as well as the Wind, Brass and Percussion Academy. He is the assistant director of the Tuned-In program. Tuned-In participants have the opportunity to work with accompanists and to attend concerts and other cultural events around Baltimore.
Topic #2:
“From Brains to Bombs”
Richard Ash
University of Maryland, College Park
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectometry (ICP-MS) is not just a fun and sciencey thing to say, it is also a powerful method for the analysis of much of the periodic table. It is with great sensitivity (solutions to the parts per quadrillion level), and isotope ratios to extraordinary precision (5 ppm precision). At the University of Marland, Geology Department Plasma Laboratory we have two such instruments that are used for a wide range of projects: from the analysis of rocket fuel to bee vomit, from cold fusion to pipe bombs, with a few rocks thrown in for good measure. I plan to meander through some project highlights and end with a tragid CSI-like thallium poisoning case that we have been investigating to try to solve an attempted murder.
Topic #3
“Astronomy in the News”
Joel Green
Fresh from Austin, intrepid astronomer Joel Green reports on the latest in the universe. Then stay tuned as he showcases the mind-blowing Hubble panorama of our nearest neighbor galaxy Andromeda- a mirror of our own Milky Way.
Joel Green is one of our very own Nerd Nite bosses of Baltimore, by night (every other month). By day, he is the Project Scientist in the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute–the Home of the Hubble and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescopes, working closely with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Previously, Joel was a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. A New Yorker who spent twelve years in upstate NY, six years in Austin, and now a resident of scenic Baltimore, he has acquired a fondness for crab and barbecue, cowboy boots and hats, sunshinee and Civil War battlefields.
This April at Baltimore Nerd Nite we celebrate Hubble’s 27th brithday, explore brain-computer interfaces and look into ethical questions posed in Star Trek! Join us for drinks and you might just learn something you didn’t already know.
Nerd Nite Baltimore (NNB) is part of an international community of Nerd Nites in over 90 cities around the world! This event combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker!
Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun. Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward.
The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer and spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.)
This April we have three AWESOME speakers lined up for your entertainment. Talks may or may not be delivered in this order:
Topic #1:
Controlling the World with Your Mind
Gavin Philips
When the fragile pathways of communication between our brains and our bodies are broken by injury or disease, can assistive technology replace what was lost? Brain-computer interfaces may hold the key to reconnecting our minds to the world around us.
About Gavin:
Gavin Philips is an electrical engineer who dreams of being an occupational therapist. His work in various labs and clinics has focused on rehabilitation, neural signal processing, and doing weird things with wheelchairs.
Topic #2:
The Needs of the Many and the Needs of the Few
James P. Howard, II
In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (WOK) and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (SFS), an ethical dilemma was posed. In WOK, Spock sacrificed his own life to save the ship and his shipmates, explaining to Kirk, that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. But in SFS, Kirk sacrifices his ship to save Spock, saying, “Needs of the one, outweigh the needs of the many.”
This talk will explain why both statements are ethically correct and not in contradiction. Further, this talk will explore applications of these ethical dilemmas to self-driving cars and public policymaking.
About James:
Dr James Howard is a data scientist with more than 15 years experience as a mathematician, a different kind of mathematician, and a statistician. He’s often distracted by shiny things.
Topic #3:
Hubble: the Little Telescope that Could
Dr. Ivelina Momecheva
For Hubble’s 27th birthday, we are going to remember its rocky start and its incredible discoveries. Happy Birthday Hubble!
About Iva:
Iva Momcheva is a scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute. She hails from the small Balkan country of Bulgaria and her favorite animal is moose.
It’s all about animals and love this February at Baltimore Nerd Nite! Join us for drinks and you might just learn something about the history of human professional wrestling and weird sex practices of the animal kingdom (including hyenas and humans.)
Welcome, nerds of all kinds, to Nerd Nite Baltimore! Nerd Nite (in over 90 cities around the world!) combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker!
Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun. Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward.
The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer & spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.)
This February we have three AWESOME speakers lined up for your entertainment which may or may not be delivered in this order:
Topic #1:
Hey Nerd, Put Down Your Space Telescope and Watch Professional Wrestling
Brian Bittner
This talk will introduce some of the history and key concepts of professional wrestling, discuss the value of professional wrestling as a drama and a pop culture phenomenon, discuss problems with the business model and cultural insensitivity of professional wrestling, and introduce ways for viewers to participate in wrestling culture and learn more.
“How did the world’s oldest sport become ‘the cutting edge of internet television’ and a global competition for bodybuilders, acrobats, fitness models, and MBAs? What does modern professional wrestling tell us about morality, technology, and storytelling? Is it too violent, racist, and sexist for mainstream entertainment? And most important of all, you know it’s fake, right?”
About Brian:
One of Brian Bittner’s first memories was crying after seeing Hulk Hogan lose to Andre the Giant in their mid-eighties feud. Today he weeps for so-called “nerds” who aren’t watching the new golden age of professional wrestling. He is an awe-inspiring 5’9″. He weighs in at an earthshaking 180 pounds. He hails from Baltimore, Maryland. And he is leaving Nerd Nite 7 as the new Nerd Nite Heavyweight Champion of the World..
Topic #2:
From the Brothel to the Block
Jayme Harget
Prostitution is often referred to as the “oldest profession”. But in America, contemporary ideas about Prostitution are rooted in the Progressive Era. Some argued that prostitutes benefited society by protecting virtuous women from being corrupted by males believed to have little control over their sexual urges and desires. In the early twentieth century progressive reformers articulated the belief that prostitution was not a practical solution to male sexuality; instead they believed prostitution victimized vulnerable females. But let’s focus on Baltimore: what led some women into prostitution? How did it get become illegal? And what’s happening now?
About Jayme:
Jayme was born in Baltimore City, and lived most of her life in the area. A social studies teacher in Harford and currently Baltimore Counties for the past 15 years, Jayme has been described as the “foremost historian of prostitution in Baltimore.” She is intrigued to see how this topic combines with beer.
Topic #3:
Penis Fencing & Genitalia Arms Races: Animals are kinky and the ocean is about as hetero normative as tumblr
Rachel Pendergrass
Ever wondered what hyenas do with their pseudophalluses? Learn about some of mother nature’s extreme examples of reproduction in the animal kingdom, particularly marine animals.
About Rachel:
Rachel is a science communicator and humorist in Washington, D.C. She also hosts/produces the nationally touring Solve for X Variety show, which combines her three loves of art, science, and comedy (and- periodically -really bad puns). In addition to comedy and performance, Rachel has written for McSweeneys, Redbook, HowStuffWorks, and more. She’s talked about science at Dragon Con, Geek Girl Con, Nerd Nite, The Atlanta Science Festival, and has told stories on Story Collider and Risk! Live Show. She’s touched many sharks and has been embarrassingly drunk with many esteemed scientists. Find RK, her puns, and her RTs of science articles about flatworm dicks on twitter at @Sharkspearean. To see more, head over to www.rkpendergrass.com
Welcome, nerds of all kinds, to Nerd Nite Baltimore! Nerd Nite (in over 90 cities around the world!) combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker!
Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun. Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward.
The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer & spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.)
This December we have three AWESOME speakers lined up for your entertainment:
Topic #1:
The Resistance: Bacteria vs. Antibiotics
Ryan Oliver
Antibiotics are a crutch of modern medicine. Unfortunately, resistance to these critical drugs is spreading at an alarming rate. Some questions we will address include: What kinds of antibiotics do we use to treat infection? How have bacteria become resistant to these drugs? How can we use molecular machinery already in use by bacteria to inspire new, more effective antibiotics?
About Ryan:
Ryan earned his B.S. in biochemistry at UNC Asheville and M.A. in chemistry at Johns Hopkins. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins studying the biosynthesis of antibiotics.
Topic #2:
The Sex Lives of Tarantulas
James Davies
The mating rituals of spiders may look familiar to nerds who have tried the dating scene – getting or giving lousy gifts, embarrassing dancing and being intimidated by your date. We’ve all been in that situation, but it can get much worse if you’re a spider.
About James:
James Davies is a nerd working for Hubble Space Telescope. He had a pet tarantula as a kid and has been fascinated with spiders ever since. He is happily married.
Topic #3:
Why I had a Boeing 747 Almost to Myself
Joel Green
Is the road to planets in our galaxy a bumpy one? Is it simple, gradual accumulation of tiny dust and gas parcels, or do we get to hit the “reset” button a few times on a new solar system? Did it happen here? Intrepid astrophysicist Dr. Joel Green will take you on a journey 42,000 ft above the coast on a unique observatory to bring you the latest on “gluttonous” stars that gobble and incinerate the planetary material around them… and wonders whether our seemingly friendly Sun has such a dark past.
About Joel:
Joel Green is one of the bosses of Nerd Nite Baltimore! In his day job, he is the Project Scientist in the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute — the Home of Hubble and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescopes, working closely with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Previously he was a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. A New Yorker who spent twelve years in upstate NY, six years in Austin, and now a resident of scenic Baltimore, he has acquired a fondness for crab and barbecue, cowboy boots and hats, sunshine and Civil War battlefields.
Welcome, nerds of all kinds, to Nerd Nite Baltimore! Nerd Nite (in over 90 cities around the world!) combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker!
Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines with fun. Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward.
The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer & spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.)
This September we have three AWESOME speakers lined up for your entertainment:
Topic #1: Hubble’s Colorful Universe
Zolt Levay, Imaging Group Lead, Space Telescope Science Institute
The Hubble Space Telescope, NASA’s flagship space science mission has provided an unobstructed view of the universe for over 25 years and has led to a dramatic impact on astronomers’ understanding of the universe. Hubble has also become familiar to many non-scientists around the world via the media and popular culture, and influenced everyone’s understanding of astronomy. One of the many reasons for this is a steady stream of dramatic, colorful images that show us wonders of the cosmos in more detail than ever before and help to communicate Hubble’s science discoveries. A combination of objective, scientific techniques and more subjective but traditional photographic principles are used in translating Hubble’s exquisite science data into engaging views of cosmic landscapes. Come hear how and why these images come to be and explore some common questions and misconceptions.
About Zolt:
Zolt earned a B.S. in Astrophysics in 1975 from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana and M.S. in Astronomy in 1978 from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. He was employed by Computer Sciences Corp. as an analyst and programmer with various space science missions at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. He joined STScI in 1983, developing science analysis software, and joined the Office of Public Outreach in 1993 as an image-processing specialist.
Topic #2: Forget the Birds and the Bees: What Fruit Flies Can Teach Us About Sex
Ethan Greenblatt, Biophysicists, Carnegie Institute
About Ethan:
Ethan received his PhD in Biophysics from Stanford University in 2011, moving to the Carnegie Institute in Baltimore in 2012 to learn fly genetics and the developmental biology of female reproduction. His current research focuses on uncovering genes that allow for eggs to maintain their incredible developmental potential during long periods of arrest.
Topic #3: Anatomy of a Joke: A Comedian’s Quest to understand What Makes Funny Funny
Jim Meyer, Stand-up Comedian
About Jim:
Jim is a stand-up comedian and writer who has spent much of the last 16 years wandering from stage-to-stage in a seemingly Sisyphean search for the roots to the tree of funny. And while his quest may never be complete, he has picked up a thing or two along the way and he’s love to tell you about it.
Welcome, nerds of all kinds, to the fourth ever Nerd Nite Baltimore! Nerd Nite (in over 90 cities around the world!) combines imbibing and learning. Anyone with a passion can be a Nerd Nite speaker!
Join us for a night of educational drinking! Nerd Nite Baltimore is a bi-monthly event held at a local bar where information combines wth fun. Talks at Nerd Nite are typically 20 minutes with a rollicking Q&A afterward.
The barkeeps at De Kleine Duivel will keep your glasses full of delightful Belgian beer & spirits. (This is a 21 and over venue.)
This July we have three AWESOME speakers lined up for your entertainment:
Topic #1:
Sugar and Other White Powders: Pulling Back the Veil
Rachel Lajoie
Sugarcane, stevia plant, coca leaves, and wheat all have something in common: they aren’t white, but the powder we turn them into is. Discover what happens when you leave the color behind and what it means for our bodies, our health, and ultimately our freedom. About Courtney:
Rachel Lajoie is an astronomer turned Health Coach and the owner of Whole Living Wellness. Rachel has been interested in healthy eating and exercise since a very young age and even ran for NCAA in college. However, in graduate school Rachel developed an eating disorder and started binging…..on sugar. This issue taught Rachel to stop focusing on willpower alone and start asking why good people eat bad things. Rachel now uses her knowledge about how to change habits to help people end cravings and emotional eating, naturally maintain their ideal body weight, and live a life they love!
Topic #2:
The History and Chemistry of Beer
Joel Tolman, PhD
Discover the chemical transformation of a few simple ingredients in to what we call beer.
Joel Tolman is Professor of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University and a long time home brewer.
Topic #3:
More than Words: Tales of the Unspeakable Brain
Sadhvi Saxena
Imagine you want to say “I love you,” but you can’t speak the words. Imagine you have a gluten allergy, but you can’t read the ingredient list. Imagine that this happens all of the time, despite the fact that your intelligence, thoughts and consciousness are intact. Some stroke and brain injury survivors have to deal with this frustration everyday, because they have what is known as aphasia. Aphasia hinders one’s ability to speak, write and understand both written and verbal language. This talk will introduce the audience to the diversity of aphasia, it will discuss the brain and aphasia research from a clinical perspective, and it will delve into innovative methods for aphasia treatment.
Sadhvi is a shameless lover of broken brains. For 6 exciting years, she has been researching brain injury, dementia, and the use of noninvasive brain stimulation to study and treat brain disorders. When not working with patients or playing with data, she advocates for the development of personalized, continued, and affordable rehabilitation. She received her M.S. in Clinical Investigation from Boston University and is currently finishing up her M.H.S at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.