Join us April 14, 2022 *in person* at Gramps Bar, Wynwood.
Be there AND be square.
Check out this line up!
Crawling and Sprawling: The Future of Florida’s Soil Macrofauna
by Ben Machado
Ben is currently working on 2 research projects tracking the expansion of global invasive species into Florida. iNaturalist, a free and awesome online tool, is an integral part of his research, allowing him to access large data sets from around the world. It also allows the general public to contribute to the scientific community and learn from them as well. So, sit back and be amazed at how scientists and nerds like you are teaming up to solve some major global issues. Then, use iNaturalist for yourself at this year’s City Nature Challenge, between April 29 and May 2.
Bio: Ben is the Programs and Finance Coordinator for Citizens For A Better South Florida, an environmental education nonprofit based in Little Havana. He also does freelance work for nature documentaries, volunteers for field work with UM students and for outreach events like City Nature Challenge. He works to bring educational opportunities to disadvantaged communities across South Florida.
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The Zombie Amendment: A look at how the Equal Rights Amendment could rise from the dead!
by Kristofer Fernandez
The Equal Right Amendment expired over 30 years ago. Or did it? This presentation looks at the ways the ERA could be brought back to life.
Bio: 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 co-founder of the Miami Film Club.
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Poetry 101
by Lissa Batista
Be there AND be square!
Nerd Nite Miami at Home (virtual)
Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 7:30pm
Nerd Nite is a monthly event during which several folks give fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along.
Grab a beer from the fridge, put on your comfy pants, have a laugh, and learn something new. Make sure to tell your out of town friends they too can enjoy Nerd Nite Miami virtually this month!
This month’s speakers and topics:
1) “If You Build It They Will Come”
by Gabriela Fernandez Sanchez
The story of Front Yard Theatre Collective: how one woman decided to stop waiting around for an opportunity, and started her own theater company in a front yard.
Gabriela Fernandez Sanchez is half Venezuelan, half Spanish, but a Miamian at heart. She studied theater in Madrid, in one of the cities’ most important schools: Laboratorio de Teatro William Layton. Once graduated, migrated to Miami out of love. She is the proud founder, director and producer of the Front Yard Theatre Collective, the official MC of the Moth in Miami and works as a freelance producer in TV, Film and live events.
2) “Redistricting”
by Yanelis Valdes
Redistricting is a process that happens every 10 years, based on Census data. The process can entrench power for politicians. Or it can fairly represent our communities—allowing us to have power over the decisions made about our everyday lives and having elected officials who truly represent our needs. Miami-Dade is in the process of redrawing district maps at this very moment. We need to protect our communities and demand fair representation. It starts with education and awareness about the process and how to advocate for our futures.
Yanelis Valdes is the director of organizing and advocacy at Engage Miami.
3) “Okavango – Survival of the Fittest!”
by Ron Magill
Having traveled to Africa over 50 times, Ron Magill has been privileged to see many unforgettable wildlife moments. This presentation will cover the events of the most unforgettable evening he ever experienced there. It is a visual journey into nature in its rawest and most intense form!
Ron Magill is a wildlife expert and photographer. He is the host of HITN’s national wildlife documentary program, “Mundo Salvaje con Ron Magill.” As Zoo Miami’s “Goodwill Ambassador”, he has made frequent television appearances on many programs including, “National Geographic Explorer”, the Discovery Networks, the “Today Show”, “Good Morning America”, “The Late Show ”, “CBS’ This Morning”, “Dateline” and “CNN” as well as on Spanish networks Univision and Telemundo, all to promote animal and conservation causes.
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Join us via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/91483935134
or Facebook live: facebook.com/nerdnitemiami
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October 14, 2021 at 6:30pm, Gramps Bar, Wynwood
Help us celebrate our 7th birthday with beer, balloons, and 3 nerdilious talks!
This month’s speakers and topics:
“YouTube Tutorials can change your life” by Daniel Richter
While YouTube can be a complete timesuck of rabbit holes, if used correctly it can be life changing. Learning through YouTube videos can take you to places you would have never imagined. Everyone can use free content to learn new skills and follow their passions. Daniel Richter is a self-taught pianist, electronics technician, 3D modeler, arduino, youtuber, and now after moving from Venezuela to Miami 5 years ago, he found a career and path in his life, after so many years of being lost.
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“Girls Gone Wild: Women Protecting South Florida’s National Parks” by Gary Bremen
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas’s activism on behalf of the Everglades and other ecosystems is legendary, but she is far from the only woman who played a significant role in creating and protecting national parks in our area. Meet May Mann Jennings, Juanita Greene, Polly Redford, and other women who fought, and continue to fight, to create an environmental legacy here in South Florida when Gary Bremen presents, “Girls Gone Wild: Women Protecting South Florida’s National Parks.” Veteran Nerd Nite Miami presenter Gary Bremen is a South Florida native with a passion for national parks and local history.
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“Python Hunting” by Dylann Turffs
Pythons have become the face of invasive species in South Florida and are often blamed for all of the Everglades’ problems. Dylann Turffs discusses how the python problem came to be and share stories of her experience encountering and removing pythons from the greater Everglades over the last decade. How does the way we value or fear certain animals shape how we choose to manage them and what treatment of them we tolerate and encourage? Dylann Turffs is a naturalist, environmental educator, and outreach specialist with nearly a decade of experience nerding out about south Florida’s natural spaces.
Join us at our normal night and time (2nd Thursdays, 7:30pm), at our normal bar (Gramps), but with some new awesome bosses!!
This month’s speakers and topics:
1) “Where do shark babies come from?” by Susana Ramirez
Parthenogenesis is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization by sperm. In animals, such as sharks, it means development of an embryo from an unfertilized egg cell. This presentation will break down what this means, how it happens, and what it means for sharks and shark conservation.
Bio: Susana Ramirez is the Founder of Save The Sharks, a South Florida non-profit organization working to promote shark conservation and awareness through education, research and community outreach. Susana immigrated from Cuba, living in Finland before settling in the U.S. She began writing at an early age, focusing on conservation work throughout the world. Today, she understands the power in having a voice and hopes her words can have an impact on others, leading to a global shift on how humans interact with wild animals and their environments.
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2) “Understanding Childhood Cancer” by Warren Alperstein, MD and Oscar Ortiz
Join us for a special presentation in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Bio: Oscar Ortiz is the Executive Director of the SebastianStrong Foundation, an organization focused on raising awareness of childhood cancer and funding research for less toxic, more targeted childhood cancer treatments and cures. The foundation was started in 2017 shortly after the passing of Oscar’s then 16 year old son, Sebastian, after a brutal 14 month battle with rhabdomyosarcoma. SebastianStrong has awarded nearly $1.8 million in grants to fund new and cutting-edge medical research across the country in the hopes of one day eradicating childhood cancers. The Foundation also provides financial support to assist kids and their families with the hardships of battling cancer.
Bio: Warren Alperstein, MD, is Assistant Professor of Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplants at the University of Miami, as well as Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics. He is a graduate of Technion Medical School at the Israel Institute of Technology and obtained his BS in Child Development at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Alperstein completed his internship and residency at the University of Chicago, Comer Children’s Hospital, and won a fellowship in pediatric bone marrow transplantation at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is also active in Chai Life Line – a support network that provides social, emotional and financial support to children with life-threatening or lifelong illnesses and their families. Warren is married with children and is a supporter of all Chicago-based sports teams.
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3) “Sensuality IS your Superpower” by Patty Suau
Let’s get sexy darling! Follow my journey as TinyFcknPix, from devastating heartbreak to life as an orgasm. I will share with you how I discovered my delicious superpower of sensuality and how you can step into yours too.
Bio: Patty is a sassy and spunky artist choosing drawing as her medium for communicating across different cultures. A formative moment in her evolution as an artist came in 2013 when she debuted TinyFcknPix, a series of miniature erotic drawings framed in large formats. The series was born from the desire to heal the pain of breaking up with her ex-fiance and figuring out her self-confidence. Today the works continue to evolve, varying in size but always addressing self-love, connection, intimacy and emotional intelligence.