Nerd Nite Kitchener-Waterloo

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Nerd Nite KW is back. And we’re getting spooky.

Come join us at the nerd table as we listen to two different smart-yet-funny talks. These aren’t some boring lectures – these are the quintessential edutainment we all love.

We’ll be announcing our speakers shortly so stayed tuned. But we promise they are pretty darn interesting.

To cap off the night there will be a round of trivia with infamously terrible-yet-charming prizes. Because it’s the most spooky time of the year – trivia will be Halloween themed.

Want to get even more involved? Take your Halloween costume for an early spin and enter our costume contest.

Our new location is the Jazz Room in uptown Waterloo.

$5/person. Tickets are available in advance through Eventbrite. Love NerdNiteKW? Become a member! Memberships will be available for purchase at the door and cost $35 for the year -that’s nine regular shows for the price of 5 for those non-math nerds. Be there – and be scared.

That’s right friends! It has been a whole year of Nerd Nite being in Kitchener Waterloo! Let’s celebrate with two super awesome presentations, trivia, and memories!

Wednesday March 20, 2013

8pm Rum Runner Pub downtown Kitchener

Andrew Rader (newly crowned winner of Discovery Channel’s Canada’s Greatest Know It All !!) will be talking about why our future in space won’t be Star Trek… but that’s ok. Andrew is a spacecraft engineer (www.votearndrewtospace.com), a frequent presenter at Nerd Nites around the world, and friend to all.

Ben Criger (Institute for Quantum Computing and Robocop fan to the extreme) will be telling us why we either love Total Recall and/or why we should love it. Some of you may believe that a new version of Total Recall was made, but Nerd Nite takes place in happy land where there is only ONE Total Recall movie starring Arnold Schwarzenerder.

Then the most fun trivia ever with possibly better prizes! (but really, what’s better than Kinder Surprises?).

BE THERE AND BE SQUARE!!!

For one night only, be a big kid and come to THE MUSEUM in downtown Kitchener to play with all the cool toys!

Wednesday March 13, 2013
The water table, Plasma Cars, the Star Lab and other super cool stuff that we would normally have to push little children over to play with will be ALL FOR US!

The event is from 6pm-9pm and then we can hit the pub if you like. Show up whenever you like during that time and just look for your friendly neighbourhood Nerd Nite hosts Charlotte, Ryan, and Eric!

This is a Pay what you can event (proceeds go to fund the Museum’s awesome programs) and there will be a cash bar courtesy of Imbibe.

Episode 11 is here!

Wednesday Feb. 27 starting at 7:30pm (ish)

Join your super awesome nerd friends and fearless nerd leaders as we learn, drink, and be merry!

Talk one: ‘Science or Fiction’, adapted from a popular podcast, tests your knowledge of science news and your ability to think critically and judge whether something is likely to be actual science or just a masquerade.
Cory Albrecht is “just” a computer geek interested in how science and critical thinking influences how we view the world and helps us evaluate all the claims thrown at us from every direction.

Talk two is given by your Nerd Nite co-host: Mechanical Engineering masters program graduate, community artist, and Waterloo region nerd culture icon Ryan Consell. Ryan will be talking about and giving a live demonstration on yo yos. Feel free to bring your own for some instruction!

Followed by Eric’s friendly neighbourhood trivia and the worst prizes possible!

Wow this is our tenth Nerd Nite at the Rum Runner Pub!!!

Come on out and have fun while learning!
Our two presenters are:

Bill Lucas is an archaeologist. He specializes in North American archaeology, Aboriginal rights and digital media. He is currently enrolled at the University of Waterloo in the graduated program. Bill has done excavations across south Ontario and is thrilled with anything archaeology related!
For this Nerd Nite Bill will be presenting Archaeology in Pop-Culture: Exaggerations and Excavations. Archaeology has been the backbone for many of our favourite stories. Pop culture references have been known for making grand exaggerations, because of this there are misunderstandings about what it is archaeologists actually do. This presentation discusses how archaeology is the basis of many tall tales while giving a more realistic approach to what they do and how it affect our larger community.

A Hamilton native, Ben Criger’s palpable social anxiety has driven him to a career in the sciences. As a bonus, this same anxiety has resulted, on multiple occasions, in Ben watching the movie RoboCop more than once in a day.
Why You Should Like RoboCop (And Why You Don’t):
In these 30 action-packed minutes, perennially-underrated film scholar Ben Criger will make the case for the also-perennially underrated RoboCop, which he contends is the greatest film of the 1980s. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn a little bit . . . about friendship.

Then enjoy some light trivia and socialize with your favourite people!

BE THERE AND BE SQUARE

Join your nerd brethren for our very first Nerdtacular celebration!

8pm

Rum Runner pub downtown Kitchener.

Dr. Tibra Ali will be giving us a big dose of learning as he talks about the holidays favourite subject: BLACK HOLES
You will be all stocked up on appropriate conversation topics for those awkward family get-togethers!!!

Then some awesome trivia, socializing, STAR WARS SNOWFLAKES, door prizes, and SUPER AWESOME FUN TIMES.

OH YES THERE WILL BE AN UGLY HOLIDAY SWEATER CONTEST!!!

BE THERE AND BE SQUARE AND AWESOME
Don’t forget to bring your own scissors to make the Star Wars snow flakes!

It’s that time again! NERD NITE EPISODE 8 IS UPON US Wednesday November 21 at the Rum Runner Pub in Kitchener!

7:30pm start!!!

Join us for a double whammy of physics presentations then everything you need to know about the Platypus.

Topic: A blending of relativity and quantum behavior from a geographer’s perspective.
Speaker: Alexander “Sandy” Hunter has a degree Environmental Studies in Geography and is an active citizen scientist.

Topic: What the LHC can tell us about neutron stars and the early universe.
Speaker: Nikolay Hristov is an upper year undergraduate physics major who did a research project on quark gluon plasma, the stuff that probably makes up the cores of neutron stars and the early universe, and an important project for the LHC at CERN and the RHIC in Brookhaven.

Topic: The Platypus – friend, foe or wtf?
Speaker: Your friendly neighbourhood Nerd Nite boss Charlotte Armstrong will again be jumping on stage to talk about yet another strange animal.

Followed by TOTALLY AWESOME NERD TRIVIA!
Just 25 questions AND THERE WILL BE A PRIZE!!!

Join your fellow nerds for a special halloween version of Nerd Nite at the Rum Runner Pub (1 King St. Kitchener)

7:30pm start

Learn about bats, the who’s, why’s, and wtf’s of bloodletting, and other scary stuff tba! 3 twenty-ish minute presentations and then social time so that you can get to know your fellow nerds better!

feel free to wear your costumes and spread the nerd word so that more people can enjoy the awesomeness!

THERE WILL BE A DOOR PRIZE!!!!!

donations will be accepted as honorarium for our awesome presenters.

BE THERE AND BE SCARY SQUARE!!!

Join us for a presentation and tour of the AWESOME Avatar exhibit at The Museum in Kitchener! Trust me, even if you didn’t like the movie, this exhibit will really impress you and there are super cool interactive parts as well. This isn’t just about the story, it is also about the making of the movie and the science behind it.

6:30pm at The Museum 10 King St. Kitchener

We will be getting a special discounted price (because we are cool like that) to view the exhibit so make sure you say you are with Nerd Nite at the front desk:
$12.50 to see the Avatar exhibit
$17.75 to see both the Avatar exhibit and the treasures of China exhibit

That’s right nerd friends! After a wonderful summer of Nerd Speed dating, movie nights, and a great field trip to the UW observatory…we are back to our regularly scheduled programming!

Join us on Wednesday August 8 at 7:30pm at the Rum Runner pub downtown Kitchener for 3 great presentations followed by some trivia and socializing!

Why I Love Bees – An Alternate Reality Game Primer presented by Geoff May

In 2004, an advanced Artificial Intelligence from the year 2552 became stranded in our antiquated 21st century internet. This helpless complex code had to re-organize itself, and during that process befriended a large community of sympathizers, who successfully sent her back to whence she came, in an emotional farewell. …But what does that have to do with bees? Come and find out how this awesome trending form of entertainment – ARGs – has grown over a decade, and what it’s all about!  Geoff May runs www.4DFiction.com and www.Wikibruce.com, news and resources for creators and players alike, and has been known through the ARG scene since 2004, thanks to the Halo 2 ARG “I Love Bees”.
Adventures of Joe Canada!

Joe Canada is an adventurer, writer, and ideas man who hosts a local current events show. Armed only with existing technology, he has set out to examine the viability of electrifying all transportation in the Windsor – Quebec City corridor, home to half of Canada’s population. Tonight he will be sharing his results, and discussing the best possible options to escort us beyond the Age of Oil, and into a solid-state transportation system.

The Rovers of Mars – Charlotte Armstrong

That’s right, your loyal host is presenting again. Charlotte has recently been designated as the Regional Coordinator for the Planetary Society in addition to her hobby of coordinating events that celebrate and inspire a love of science. Charlotte will talk about the Mars Rover family history and the adventures of the Mars Science Lab: Curiosity.

Trivia and socializing to follow!

September calendars will be available. There is a whole bunch of awesome happening in September!!!

Be there and be square!