Presented by University of Miami’s Graduate Student Association
January 28, 2021 at 7:30pm via Zoom and Facebook Live.
We’re kicking off 2021 with a special Nerd Nite featuring 3 Florida nerd bosses from Nerd Nites Miami and Orlando. Join us for a beer in your sweatpants on your couch and get to know some nerd bosses better.
Line Up:
1) Military Marine Mammals: Dolphins So Smart They Should Do A Nerd Nite Presentationby Laura Chaibongsai, Nerd Nite Miami Co-Boss and UM Grad Alum
The best humans in the US Navy and the most advanced technologies don’t hold a candle to the abilities of marine mammals, such as dolphins and sea lions, when it comes to certain undersea missions. The US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program features some of the most highly trained animals in the world. Laura will share what these animals do and what makes perfect for the job.
Laura is a Nerd Nite Miami Co-Boss and marine science nerd.
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2) Why Toy Story is the Greatest Franchise of All Timeby Ricardo Williams, Nerd Nite Orlando Boss
So the world shuts down for a year. Many people are locked away in their homes due to quarantine. What do you with all that time inside? Deep clean? Finally fix that wobbly table in the living room? Start that epic screenplay you’ve been toying around with in your head for the past decade?…. D.) None of the above. You binge watch your favorite TV and movie series! In this talk, Ricardo Williams will go over how 2020 led him to re-think the quality and viability of some of our most cherished cinematic universes and why Toy Story is atop them all.
Ricardo Williams is the host of Nerd Nite Orlando, founder of Orlando For Revolution, and the owner of SOVRINOS LLC. Ricardo is also a filmmaker and musician. Currently, he writes about culture, history, and produces the show, “NERDIER THINGS”.
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3) A Brief History of Underwear
by Melissa Blundell-Osorio, Nerd Nite Miami Co-Boss
You’ve probably never given much thought to why we’ve come to wear underwear, but the history of it is a fascinating one! This presentation will explore the various purposes and functions of underwear, how it evolved over the years to the modern-day garments we wear, and how cultural attitudes around sex and gender are reflected in these intimate items.
Melissa is a Nerd Nite Miami Co-Boss and the Director of Education at the Wilzig Erotic Art Museum. Her nerdy interests are in human behavior, psychology, and anthropology, particularly when it comes to human sexuality.
Join us through Facebook Live here:
https://www.facebook.com/NerdNiteMiamior through Zoom here:
https://zoom.us/j/96162775461
Thank you to our sponsor of this special event, UM’s Graduate Student Association. Can’t wait to have the UM students nerd out with us.
December 10, 2020 at 7:30pm via Zoom and Facebook Live.
Each year we bring back some of our favorite speakers from the year to entertain and educate us once more. Join us online on December 10, 2020 to hear from some Nerd Nite all-stars.
Line Up:
1) Pepper’s (?) Ghost
(Because What 2020 Needs is More Horror)
by Lizzie Bracken (the haunted mansion lady)
Lizzie is back to go into more detail on the history and techniques of theatrical illusions, specifically on creating ghosts and holograms.
Lizzie is a designer, artist, and architect living in Chicago. She is currently an Architectural Designer at Jonathan Splitt Architects, Ltd. She is an award winning theatrical designer and former Assistant Professor of Theatrical Design and Technology at North Central College, and is also a company member with The Ruffians and Playmakers Laboratory (formerly Barrel of Monkeys) in Chicago. Lizzie has a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, and a MFA in Theatrical Design from the University of Texas at Austin.
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2) Washington, D.C. – Taxation Without Representation.
by Kristofer Hernandez (the electoral college guy)
A look at why the national’s capital is not a state, what that means for its residents, and what can legally be done about it.
Kristofer B. Hernandez is a graduate of the University of Chicago with a focus on Electoral Politics and self-proclaimed civics nerd. Kristofer is also an attorney, a member of the Board of the ACLU of Greater Miami, a member of the Voter Services Committee of the League of Women Voters of Miami-Date, and the Miami-Dade Chair of the Floridians for National Popular Vote.
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3) Sailor Moon Part 2: Unmasking the Magical Girl, A Critical Take
by Darwin Rodriguez (the Sailor Moon guy)
A critical analysis and summary of Sailor Moon, arguably the most successful and world-renowned example of the “Magical Girl” Anime genre. This presentation will contextualize Sailor Moon as a catch-all of numerous Eastern and Western narrative, religious, and visual tropes, employing various analytical lenses. Basically, let’s geek out over Sailor Moon with art history, sociology, anthropology, and some anecdotes here and there.
Darwin Rodriguez is a public historian that works primarily at the Perez Art Museum Miami as a Teaching Artist and museum education facilitator. He is also an adjunct professor of History at FIU, specializing in Western Civilization and US History. He hails from Hialeah by way of Washington Heights, calling both Miami and New York home. Darwin is most interested in democratizing visual learning through social interaction, and is also an anime nerd.
Join us via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/96162775461
or Facebook live: https://www.facebook.com/NerdNiteMiami.
Virtual Nerd Nite Miami: Thinking and Drinking at Home!
Nerd Nite is a monthly event during which several folks give fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along. It’s like the Discovery Channel… with beer! Now from the comfort of your own home!
This Month’s Speakers & Topics:
The Shocking Truth About Lightning and Thunderstorms
by Eric Cramer
Although lightning is one of the most commonly known and destructive natural phenomena on Earth, it remains poorly understood. Eric will discuss the theoretical and experimental aspects of lightning research, present the biggest questions in the field, and show the connection between the atmospheric science of thunderstorms on Earth and the astrophysics used to describe high energy bursts of distant galaxies.
Bio: Eric has a Ph.D. in Physics from Florida Institute of Technology. His dissertation work involved the simulation and modeling of energetic particles inside thunderstorms. After a postdoctoral assignment at the University of Alabama and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, he became a systems engineer at Northrop Grumman.
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Change and the Effects on our Brian
by Elizabeth Davis
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A Modest [Beer] Proposal
by Tracy Kurtz
Nerd Nite Fargo Boss Tracy Kurtz will discuss the science of beer, share first hand observational research, and attempt to convince us that Natural Lite is immune to staling. You do not want to miss this special guest appearance!
Watch the video of this event from November 12, 2020:
https://fb.watch/28L3ZSmrOT/
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The Nerd Nite Miami 6 year anniversary!
Speakers and topics:
1) Banned Books: What’s your number?
by Madhuri Nagaraj
The power of language has always had the ability to influence people; the United States of America has been built on the concept of free speech since 1791. And yet throughout history, many books have been banned or challenged from the shelves of libraries. Come find our which books are frequent offenders, which books are classics, which books surprise you and how much of a rebellious reader you are!
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2) Discover the World of Genever
by Anthony Espinosa
A mainstay in the European Low Countries since the Middle Ages, genever arrived in the U.S. in the 1800’s and became the spirit of choice. Although the World Wars and Prohibition drove it into obscurity, mixologists have revived it in recent years, inspired by demand for both vintage recipes and even-more-creative-cocktails.
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3) Graduating from the Electoral College
by Kristofer Hernandez
You think you know how the U.S. elects its Presidents. But what really is the electoral college? Where is it? Why do we even have it? Come learn about the complicated reasons why the leader of the free world is chosen by only 538 people, and how that affects our democracy.
Watch the replay:
https://fb.watch/1ogqpCObg5/
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