Tickets $10 at Humanitix
Are you ready to get nerdy!?
Think TED talks with beer. Discovery Channel meets Drunk History.
Be there AND be square!
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Presentations:
“How to vandalise Wikipedia”
by Mike Dickison
Did you hear about the young farmer from Dannevirke who got his name added to a Wikipedia list of mythical Japanese monsters, and it ended up appearing as one of the monsters in a fancy board game? Stories like this make it seem like Wikipedia’s easy to vandalise; how much can we trust it? How do we detect hoaxes? If we were sociopathic enough to want to get false information into the encyclopaedia and make it stick, what would we need to know?
Dr Mike Dickison did his PhD on giant flightless birds and has been a museum curator and digital librarian. Now he spends most of his time encouraging people to improve Wikipedia, but in this one-off exclusive talk he’ll turn things around and reveal the grubby world of making it less accurate. Follow him on Twitter: @adzebill
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“Gin and Tectonics: Earthquake Engineering on the Rocks”
by Brandy Alger
What do earthquake engineering and drinking have in common? Very little, it seems, other than the word munted. But after attending this talk when you find yourself a bit tipsy in the newly revamped CBD, you can stare in awe at all of the incredible engineering technology keeping the city safe.
Brandy Alger is an extroverted engineer turned social scientist on a mission to engage the masses around natural hazards. As part of this mission, Brandy has created a “fun and nerdy” walking tour of some of Ōtautahi’s best earthquake resilient buildings and technology in the West End.
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“Necator americanus: The Saviour of the Universe?”
by Jacquie Leaman
Jacquie has attempted to alter her gut microbiome by self-inoculating with the non-pathogenic hookworm species, Necator americanus. She aims to inform, entertain and try and persuade you that medical science has misinterpreted the relationship between Necator americanus and Homo sapiens.
Jacquie Leaman is a medical scientist with 40+ years of experience having trained aeons ago within various departments in Pathology. Currently, she is employed as Head of Department in Microbiology at Canterbury SCL and is in the science of growing bugs from people. She has a passion for all things “health,” hence her interest in the gut microbiome.
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Doors: 6:00pm
Presentations: 6:30pm
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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates!
Are you ready to get nerdy!?
Think TED talks with beer. Discovery Channel meets Drunk History.
10 August, 6:30 pm
Little Andromeda
Be there AND be square!
Get tickets by clicking HERE!
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“Climate hypocrisy and the need for a systems vaccine”
by Danny Rood
Regardless of how hard we try to tackle climate change, we’re probably going to be labelled hypocrites in one way or another. Looking at behaviour change and the systems currently in place, is it possible to have a society where us moral do-gooders can do what’s needed to keep the ocean from swallowing up properties and the sun from giving us a year-round tan?
Danny is an environmental practitioner doing emissions reduction things for Toitū Envirocare. After stints in the energy industry, the oil and gas sector, central government, and as a freelance photographer, he’s back where he needs to be. And he’s not getting as depressed about the planet as he used to.
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“Construction in the world’s most hostile environment – Antarctica”
by Matt Jordan
Matt will discuss what it takes to rebuild New Zealand’s Antarctic Research Station – Scott Base. He’ll present an overview of the challenges associated with building in the coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent on the planet. There will also be pictures of penguins.
Matt Jordan is a Project Manager at New Zealand’s national Antarctic Program – Antarctica New Zealand. He is a Board Director for the US Antarctican Society and is the Co-Chair for the Canterbury Branch of New Zealand’s Antarctic Society. Matt’s experience spans seven continents, with a resume that includes kayak guiding and instructing in the Norwegian Fjords, teaching English in Brazil, and building power stations in Australia and New Zealand. Matt has been to Antarctica six times, with a seventh deployment planned for October 2022.
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“The physics and unfortunate events behind champagne”
by Olaf Schelezki
Who invented Champagne? How should you drink Champagne on Mars? Is Champagne the Caterpillar and Butterfly for a desperately sophisticated monk or an Alice in Wonderland Rabbit Hole for scientists and polite snobs?
Olaf is a German-born Pole with an early discovered affinity for wine and an eager protector of its philanthropic, cultural, and mystical importance. He is a studied and worked Viticulturist and Oenologist, academic, and highly decorated sparkling wine producer (i.e. his parents drank all of it).
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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates!
Are you ready to get nerdy!?
Think TED talks with beer. Discovery Channel meets Drunk History.
Let’s get nerdy about pregnancy tests, cults, and law. Bar opens 6pm, talks at 6:30pm.
Feel free to hang after! Be there AND be square!
Get tickets by clicking HERE!
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“Rabbit Hole Resistance – How to Survive the Infodemic”
by Anke Richter
Worried about anti-vax propaganda? Angry at the Wellington protesters? Wondering what on earth – given it’s not flat – has happened to millions of minds during the pandemic? You might need the Rabbit Hole Resistance. Find out from a FACTivist what cults and conspiracy theorists have in common, and how to push back against misinformation with compassion.
Anke Richter is an international journalist and writer with a special interest in weird stuff and alternative festivals. Her next book, “Cult Trip”, comes out later this year. She co-founded FACT (Fight Against Conspiracy Theories) Aotearoa and Rabbit Hole Resistance on FB. Check out factaotearoa.nz!
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“The Positively Negative Origins of the Modern Pregnancy Test”
by Anna Hobbs
The modern “pee-on-a-stick” is what comes to mind when you think of a pregnancy test, but until surprisingly recently, the methods of detecting a bun in the oven were inaccurate, inaccessible, expensive, and involved…frogs? Expect to learn about the many methods used throughout history to discover if there is a wee one on the way.
Anna is a water engineer by day and loves biking, knitting, and spiralling down Wikipedia wormholes in her spare time (hence this choice of topic). While admittedly unqualified, she is looking forward to sharing how this invention has transformed women’s rights and healthcare in modern history.
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“Are there rules saying a dog can’t be a lawyer?”
by Johnny Sewell
25 years ago the groundbreaking film Air Bud was released. While the film is ostensibly about a dog that is kind of good at basketball, it raises important questions about the importance of rules in our society, and touches on philosophical issues about how we define people both legally, and in broader society.
Johnny Sewell is a Practice Manager at local law firm Godfreys Law, and has a special interest in 90s films, American sports, dogs, and wasting work time on Wikipedia deep dives and researching pointless legal arguments.
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Doors: 6:00pm
Presentations: 6:30pm
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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates!
Are you ready to get nerdy!?
Think TED talks with beer. Discovery Channel meets Drunk History.
We’ve got a lineup of talks on love, sex, and magic ready for you.
Be there AND be square!
Get tickets by clicking HERE!
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“Back in the Binary”
by Kit Hindin
Ever wondered what all the new gender labels mean; how you can be an ally; or why any of it matters? Join Kit on a short journey through their gender-curious childhood and adolescence and the awkward and funny situations they’ve waded through to get to gender-euphoria.
Kit is a facilitator and consultant working with strategy, diversity and culture. They facilitate workshops on diversity and allyship among other things.
Links: kithindin.com | Article on nonbinary identities: https://bit.ly/3qX82NN
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“Myths & Phallus-ies — the shaky herstory of the vibrator”
by Caleb Dunne
Today, they are synonymous with masturbation and female sexuality. But before emerging as empowering toys, vibrators were conceived with different motivations in mind. Learn about their origins and development in this titillating tour through time.
Caleb has a degree in engineering and works for the government. He also had a mullet growing up, is a middle child, and competed in a mermaid/man competition. He is reluctantly the Deputy Nerd Boss of Nerd Nite Christchurch.
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“Pretty Lights And Where To Find Them”
by Matthew Bridle
The aurora is a magical phenomenon that has been enthralling civilisations since the beginning of time. This talk will uncover some of the many mysteries of the aurora and will give you some pointers on how to see one for yourself.
By day Matthew is a software engineer, and by night he’s a keen aurora chaser. He’s been fascinated by space weather and its many effects on Earth since he was a teenager and loves driving to remote locations to watch the night sky, and hopefully get some pictures of the Southern Lights!
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Doors: 6:00pm
Presentations: 6:30pm
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Vaccine passes will be required to enter the venue.
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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates!
Are you ready to get nerdy!? Join us for the first-ever Nerd Nite Christchurch on 27 October 2021!
This global event has finally landed in Ōtautahi. Be there and be square.
Get tickets by clicking HERE!
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“When Spooning Led to Forking – The Evolution of Eating Utensils”
by Nicole O’Hearne
Ever wondered why the fork looks like it does? Why Europeans always have a utensil in each hand while eating, but Americans like to just use a fork? Why a lot of Asian countries use chopsticks, but the Thai use a fork and spoon?
Nicole is here to explain all this and more! A structural engineer by day but a table setting aficionado by night, her upbringing with etiquette and table setting classes make her uniquely qualified to speak on this topic.
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“Everyday Life Behind Bars — how to use a bike for (almost) everything”
by Emily Cambridge
This talk will highlight how life behind this set of bars can actually give you the greatest sense of freedom.
With a background in landscape architecture and urban design, Emily now calls herself a fraudster Landscape Architect, having worked on walking and cycling projects across NZ for over 5 years. Emily is passionate about the humble (and not so humble) bicycle and all that these machines can offer us in our everyday lives.
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“Demons, Witches, Bedlam, and Schizophrenia”
by Hugh Benson
Schizophrenia – what it was, what it is, what it might not be and what comes next.
Hugh Benson, a Psychology student at the University of Canterbury, shares a seminar he gave on Schizophrenia. Join his perplexed classmates on a trip through the history of a damaged mind.
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Doors: 6:00pm
Presentations: 6:30pm
Where: Pegasus Arms – Upstairs
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates!
Grab your tickets at Humanitix!