Nerd Nite Boston

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Be there and be square tonight at the Middlesex. Full details in this post.

And while you’re at it, check out the write-up we got in the nightlife section of Boston.com (scroll all the way down to the last blurb).

Dearest nerds and friends of nerds,
The next Nerdnite takes place this coming Monday, February 22, at the Middlesex lounge in Central Square (see below for address). As usual we’ll be featuring nerd-appropriate tunes by DJ Claude Money

The talks:
1. Cross-Cultural Revolution: Contemporary Chinese Music in Exile
by Danny Liss

After graduating from Amherst College with a degree in Music Theory and Medieval Literature, Danny Liss moved to China for a year in order to escape the constant harassment of recruiters offering him lucrative employment. In between teaching lessons about the difference between “like” as a verb and “like” as a modifier, he explored some of the country’s many contradictions. He currently lives in Cambridge, where he works in non-profit administration.

Talk 2: The Neurobiology of Zombies — Updated for 2010
by Jeremy Kay

You might think of zombies as lowly B-movie material, but scientists have discovered many instances of zombie-like behavior in nature. Updating my talk that I gave several years ago, I’ll give some creepy examples. Jeremy is a postdoctoral fellow in neurobiology at Harvard — and the organizer of Nerdnite. He loves referring to himself in the third person. His professional work concerns vision… his fascination with zombies is purely recreational. Really. Like, your brains will totally not get eaten if you show up. We promise.

Be there and be square!
Monday Feb 22, 8pm
315 Mass Ave
Cambridge
$5

Hello nerdnite fans,

Nerdnite co-host Mary got interviewed by the Weekly Dig at the last Nerdnite — you can check out the article here:

Also: A NY Times article about the research Lanthe described in her talk can be found here:

Stay tuned for news coming soon about the next Nerdnite, Monday February 22.

Hello nerds and friends of nerds,
The next Nerdnite hits Monday January 25, 8pm at the Middlesex Lounge (address below).  We’ll have two speakers, and of course  nerd-appropriate tunes by DJ Claude Money, which can be heard before, between, and after the talks.

Talk 1 by Aaron Foster
“Nerds & Whey: Or, how the controlled spoilage of milk begets the world’s tastiest cheeses.”

Aaron Foster knows a lot about cheese, and has the paunch to prove it. At St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD, Aaron studied philosophy and literature, all the while working as a cheesemonger at the local shop. Shortly after graduating in 2003, he moved to Piedmont in Italy to study gastronomy at Slow Food’s Università di Scienze Gastronomiche. Back in the US, he has been a cheese buyer at NYC’s Artisanal Premium Cheese, he has helped develop a cheese cave and beer room for Whole Foods’ lower east side store, and now has turned his attention to chocolate at Somerville’s Taza Chocolate. During his off hours, he can be found making lacto-fermented pickles, brewing beer, curing meat, and pondering cheese.

Talk 2 by Iolanthe Chronis
“Everything You Can Do I Can Have Measured: Studying Face to Face
Social Networks Using Cellphones”

Lanthe just finished her Masters at the MIT Media Lab, where she
worked to understand influence patterns in face-to-face social
networks.  Before that, she was an MIT undergraduate in EECS and
Physics, enjoying activities ranging from museum curation to square dancing.  Now, she’s about to voyage to Silicon Valley to lead Startup House, an intern entertainment and job-hunting startup.

Be there and be square!
Monday January 25
Middlesex Lounge
315 Mass Ave, Cambridge
8pm
$5

Hello nerdnite fans,
Three important announcements.

First is that Nerdnite will return Monday January 25 at the Middlesex, starting at 8pm. Lineup to be announced shortly.
Second is that this is the first date of our new, regular monthly schedule. Nerdnite will now happen the last Monday of every month at the Middlesex. This should make it easier for any disorganized nerds to remember when to show up for nerdnite.
And third…although our new permanent home is the Middlesex, we have not forgotten our roots — we are working on a special Nerdnite event that will take place at the Midway in JP. When this will happen is yet to be determined… but Nerdnite will definitely be back at the Midway.

Be there and be square January 25!

Dearest Nerdnite fans,
The next Nerdnite will take place Sunday December 6, 8pm at the Middlesex Lounge in Central Square (full logistics at the bottom of the message).  DJ Claude Money will provide nerd-appropriate tunes before, between, and after the talks, so be sure to stick around for a drink or two when the talks are done.

Here is the lineup:
Talk 1 by Asim Ahmed:
Eastern Equine Encephalitis: the story of a highly pathogenic, often fatal, mosquito-borne virus in New England

Asim A. Ahmed M.D. is an instructor at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School. After medical training at Baylor College of Medicine and UCSF, he completed a pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia followed by subspecialty training here in Boston at Children’s/HMS. His subspecialty is pediatric infectious diseases. With those credentials, I have no doubt that he plans to scare the crap out of all of us.

Talk 2 by Victor Parkinson
Quantum Weirdness: Where It Comes From and Where It Goes

Victor is the self-proclaimed Pontiff of Puns, Maven of Multiple Meanings, and Archduke of Alliteration; he enjoys science fiction, video games, and refining what it means to be 15 degrees off normal. In his spare time he moonlights as a graduate student in physics at Tufts University, heading in the direction of a PhD in quantum cosmology.

Be There And Be Square
8pm Sunday December 6, 2009
Middlesex Lounge
315 Mass Ave
Cambridge, MA
$5
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Hello Nerdnite fans,
The next nerdnite approaches — next week, Monday September 28.  8pm
at Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge (details below).  Last Cambridge
Nerdnite was a great turnout and I hope we can repeat the feat again
this time.  We have two talks on the agenda that sound super exciting,
plus DJ Claude Money will be spinning all night.

The talks:
1. “Wimpy Supermassive Black Holes”
by Anil Seth
Leave it to astronomy nerds to turn even black holes into something
wimpy.  Supermassive black holes and massive star clusters live at the
centers of most galaxies.  Although they only occupy a tiny area,
these objects appear to play an critical role in the evolution of the
galaxies they live in.  Anil’s talk will explain how studying the
“wimpiest” (i.e. lowest-mass) of these black holes can teach us
something about formation of galaxies.
Anil is a postdoc at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics.  He was groomed for academic success at Wesleyan
University and University of Washington.  When not sitting in front of
a computer, he enjoys cooking, playing music and the sporting life.

2. “The Psychology of Sexual Attraction”
by Jason Mitchell
What is the root of human sexual attraction?  It seems unlikely that
nerds would be able to shed any light on this subject, but as it turns
out, insights from evolutionary theory have provided some unexpected
answers to this question. For instance — people can tell an
unattractive person by smell alone.  Jason’s talk will review these
findings and others that derive from a Darwinian view of romance.
Jason is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at
Harvard University, where he relentlessly clawed his way up from being
a graduate student.  He hasn’t been the same since the conclusion of
Battlestar Galactica.

Be there and be square!
Monday September 28, 8pm ($5)
Middlesex Lounge
315 Mass Ave
Cambrige, MA
boston.nerdnite.com
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52318050296
groups.google.com/group/nerdnite_boston

Hello Nerdnite fans,

The next Nerdnite is coming up on Monday, July 27.  We are very excited to be having a special Cambridge edition at the Middlesex lounge in Central Square.  In addition to the talks we’re featuring a special appearance by friend-o’-Nerdnite band I Have Ears.  And possibly a few other surprises. It’s gonna be a fun night, so without further delay I’ll give you the lineup:

Talk 1: What’s up with my down there? A quickie on women’s health.
Sarah Kleinman

Sarah is a nurse midwife who provides GYN, pregnancy and postpartum care to women in Quincy Mass and delivers babies at the brigham and women’s hospital.  Although she spends many of her weekly hours at the clinic and the hospital she has strong passion for writing and movie making and all things that pull together science and art.  She is a scorpio and loves thunderstorms and at age 8, after seeing the movie Dirty Dancing, was overheard saying: “Goodbye David Hasslehoff, hello Patrick Swayze.”

Talk 2:
The Cognitive Science of SuperBowl Commercials, or  Why Can’t I Remember the Name of That Ad?
Lisa Haverty

Lisa is a cognitive scientist at Brain on Brand.  Her Ph.D. is in psychology, but her first academic love was mathematics.  Lisa worked for a few years in advertising after leaving academia, and when she’s not spouting expertise on how consumers process advertising, you might see her zipping by on her Vespa or out Lindy hopping.

Featured band: I Have Ears
http://www.myspace.com/ihaveears
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/i-have-ears/72469385375

Hello Nerdnite fans,

After many requests, suggestions, and wheedlings, we’ve decided to take Nerdnite on the road to Cambridge.  Rest assured, Midway fans — we’re not leaving JP forever.  But we thought we’d see what kind of nerdery might be lurking on the other side of the river.

The event is planned for Monday July 27, at Middlesex Lounge in Central square.  (see the boston.nerdnite.com front page for the address).  We’ll have speakers and a band, and a special guest DJ spinning nerd-appropriate music.  Details soon.  In the meantime, mark your calendars — I  hope you all can make it!

The next Nerdnite approaches — Friday May 15 at the Midway Cafe.
Herein you will find the lineup. You can find the Midway at 3496
Washington Street in Jamaica Plain.  We’ll get things started at
8pm.

Talk 1:  Termites: Beyond Home Wreckers
by Kelley Schultheis
Perhaps you’ve had nightmares about termites destroying your home or
devouring you in your sleep.  Well, perhaps that is because you know
nothing of these minute-wood-crunchers.  Put your fears aside as you
learn of the fascinating adaptations of these friendly social
roaches.

Kelley is a world-renowned expert on giving Nerdnite talks on odd
animals.  This will be her second appearance on our stage.

Talk 2: The Aesthetics of Blood
by Mat Laibowitz
Making extensive use of scenes of a graphic nature and a complete
disregard for good taste, Mat will give us an in-depth discussion of
the creation and use of fake blood throughout the world of cinema.
Get ready for an extremely nerdy cataloguing of the various formulas
for blood effects, and the blood aesthetics they create.

Mat is an overeducated aspiring filmmaker. His dreamy path to
realizing his visions in 24 frames per second of glowing light has
brought him through Columbia University, through a graduate degree in
digital (yuck!) special effects from NYU, and, his crowning
achievement, being accepted into the Joe Blasco College of Make-Up.
Due to forces beyond his control he never attended this prestigious
institution, and instead enrolled in the lesser-known MIT Media Lab
where, to this day, he researches filmmaking technology of a different
sort.

It’s a great lineup, so come on out this Friday.

Be there and be square!
Friday May 15, 8pm
Midway Cafe
3496 Washington Street
Jamaica Plain, MA
(617) 524-9038
boston.nerdnite.com