Join us on the first Wednesday of every month!
Next event is 5 March at A Rolling Stone (Note the venue!)
5 March Speakers
“A (Mostly) True History of Beer”
by Jaco Hamilton-Attwell
Hold onto your glasses as we try to pour more than ten thousand years of beer history into fifteen minutes. From the past when all beers were hazy to the current haze craze, from god to Pasteur, from pots and cups to stainless and steins, from grain to glass!
When Tanja decided to buy her boyfriend, Jaco, a homebrewing kit in 2009 she had no idea the monster that she would create. But she still said Yes when he asked her to marry him! And she is still with him even though he does not stop talking about beer! Jaco is a certified beer judge and has judged at, and organized numerous homebrew competitions. His home brewing has also improved, and he recently won first and second place at the New Zealand Brewers Cup in the Porter and Pale Ale category respectively. He has proof that he has tasted at least 5000 unique beers, some of which he can remember.
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“The History of the Alphabet”
by Harley Bell
From A to Z, through thousands of years, this is the history of our written language.
Harley Bell is a business poet and copywriter. He holds a graduate diploma in publishing and his writing has appeared in various journals. He serves human and non-human communities through volunteer efforts of river restoration and listening to rocks. He is currently writing a book about water.
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“From God and Cults to Quantum Physics: Why Zero Matters“
by Nicole O’Hearne
Zero might seem like nothing, but its history is packed with drama, danger, and a touch of the absurd. This talk dives into why ancient philosophers feared it, how a secretive cult tried to ban it, and why Martin Luther’s constipation somehow relates to mathematical heresy. From religious debates to quantum weirdness, we’ll explore how zero went from blasphemy to one of the most powerful ideas in human thought.
Brought to you by Christchurch’s resident Nerd Boss, Nicole is back for a full-length talk after more than two years! A nerd of many things—but, unfortunately, not the things that make her good at pub quizzes—Nicole has worn many hats: engineer, winemaker, and now ‘community activator.’ This time, she’s diving into the fascinating world of numbers, specifically zero. She’s read exactly one book about it, which is all she needs to make this talk infinitely interesting!