Nerd Nite Fort Collins is back at The Lyric with an extra special show featuring the live, interactive, video game themed band EXTRA LIVES! This team of professional musician nerds tour the world delivering sick beats inspired by the games that inspired us. We welcome Tony Meade, Musician and Uber-Tolkien Nerd to regale us with his knowledge of the art and the artist with his talk “Of Story & Song: Tolkien’s Musical adaptations”. Mark Gants, a nerd’s nerd if we’ve ever met one will explore how all this playing around may be just what we need right now with his talk “The Hidden Power of Games”. Two talks and live music!?!? YES! Join Nerd Nite March 28th at The Lyric for this epic lineup!
EXTRA LIVES: Interactive Video Game Concert
Extra Lives is the world’s first Audience RPG: a full narrated choose- your-own-adventure game where you are the main character! Plunge into an exciting story with lights, music, sound effects and visual from the legendary console games of the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s… and a live score provided by the lovable nerds of Extra Lives. This immersive feast for the imagination will transport you back to your childhood whether you grew up playing video games or not!
Of Story & Of Song: Tolkien’s Musical Adaptations
Tony Meade, Musician and Uber-Tolkien Nerd
Tolkien’s creative world is founded on music, and not only are the characters moved and shaped by music, it has provided inspiration for many musicians to engage creatively with the world through their own work. From classical compositions to heavy metal thunder, from parody songs to some of the greatest film scores of all time, Middle-earth has set the scene for many adaptive works. This talk will explore the role of music in the stories, a timeline of adaptations and music inspired by Tolkien, and a little of my own work in this area.
The Hidden Power of Games
Mark Gants, Engineer, Gamer, Teacher, Nerd
In a time of growing division, differences over tightly held convictions often lapse into conflict. Drawing on a lifelong passion for gaming, a game developer explores how shared play, rather than debate, can help people relate to one another and see each other differently. By looking closely at what happens at the gaming table, we uncover unexpected insights about connection, perspective, and human interaction in the midst of disagreement.
Join Nerd Nite Fort Collins this month for a deep dive on some fun and interesting topics pertinent to Valentines Day and everyday.
Bug Sex: A Valentine’s Day Special
Sophia Anner
Ever wonder how bugs get it on? Whatever you’re thinking, they probably do that and more. Insects are incredibly variable, fascinating, and (relatively) easy to study, which makes them ideal for showcasing a broad diversity of sex strategies. I’ll walk through some of the wacky (to us!) ways that insects reproduce, informed by the latest evolutionary biology and animal behavior research.
Why We Need Our People
Natalie Pennington
Growing up you might have felt the pressure to be in a relationship, or to think of your romantic partner as your best friend. While being friends with the person you are dating is great, research also suggests having other people in our lives (aka, friends) that support us is really important, too. I’ll share about what that research tells us, and offer some practical advice for building stronger relationships.
A new year means a new season of Nerd Nite Fort Collins! Join the nerd crew for a year in review slide show, some fun science trivia and two great presentations all at the wonderful Wolverine Farm Publick House.
Show your Nerdy colors! We have Nerd Nite Fort Collins t-shirts available for purchase with your tickets or at the door. These high quality blended fabric shirts feature the Nerd Nite Fort Collins logo in dramatic multi-color screen printing and are guaranteed to help its wearer demonstrate their nerd credentials. Sizes S,M,L and XL available for $20 or 2 for $35.
This talk will explore the fascinating interplay between seasons, light, and mental health. We’ll uncover the neurobiological and environmental factors that contribute to SAD. I’ll then go over the most effective evidence-based treatments, from light therapy and medication to lifestyle changes.
The Endless Battle of Tech Communication: Simplicity vs. Precision and How to Be Understood
Matt Sodnicar
How do you effectively communicate technical concepts? Ever get lost in jargon, acronyms and details? Ever communicate details completely and still not be understood? This talk will help you realize that simplicity vs. precision is a sliding scale – and when to push either direction. But, first you have to know your audience.
The world is changing fast and how we dress and how we interface with technology are two great ways to understand the time and place we find ourselves. Join us at Wolverine Farm Publick House to dive deeper.
Upstairs doors open at 6:30 pm. Show starts at 7:00 pm
Don’t forget your Loyalty Libation cards!
Fashion-ism: Historical and Political Influence on Societal Expression
Chris Pruneski
One of the most universal aspects across many cultures and times are how we choose to express ourselves. From tattoos to shoes, business casual or full runway looks, the way we dress says a lot about us without saying anything at all- and even more so about the society around us. How are clothes the most expensive and worst they’ve ever been? How did a necklace cause the French Revolution? What’s the deal with wedding dresses? All these questions and more may be answered at this talk by Chris Pruneski, local amateur fashion designer and artist!
I’m Tired Grandpa: The Rise of the Indie Web Resistance
Andres Sepulveda Morales
The Internet has steadily become inundated with an increasingly impossible marsh of slop to wade through, especially in this new era of generative AI. For every corporate initiative and regurgitated ad copy fiasco, there’s movements to break free from the madness and retain the social aspects of the internet. We’ll cover the state of the net, why people are freaking out, and snapshots of where you might find your next meaningful corner of the internet in places like neocities.org or in open source communities.
Rich science fiction and literary landscapes provide an isomorphism through which to view our current problems and opportunities and the past and the future. We are excited to learn a slice of Tolkien lore from some amazing guest speakers! Be there and be square!
Second Breakfast, Elevenses, and Afternoon Tea: The Real Reason Hobbits Eat so Much
Cameron Duke
In Tolkien lore, Hobbits are known for eating. In the books, they like to get six meals a day, while in the movies, it is seven. And If you’re thinking like I am, you’re probably wondering, what’s going on, metabolically speaking, with hobbits? I looked into it (so you don’t have to!), and it turns out there might be a scientific reason for them to be so hungry! I invite you to follow me down this absurd rabbit (or should I say, hobbit) hole.
How To Read J.R.R. Tolkien’s THE SILMARILLION (and Why)
Tony Meade
J.R.R. Tolkien’s THE SILMARILLION is the foundation of the Middle-earth mythology from which THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS sprang, but many fans have found it a challenging work to read. Nerd Nite Denver alum Tony Meade will help both new readers and Tolkien nerds to finally crack the code of THE SILMARILLION. This incudes an exploration of its origins, in-universe and real world development, and a reading approach to make it more enjoyable and easier to appreciate THE SILMARILLION for its unique storytelling style.
There are many different ways to think about anything, and sometimes a new perspective changes everything. This month’s presentations get meta on poetry, which touches the symbolic nature of cognition – whoa! If that didn’t bend your mind, then let’s noodle on what worms can teach us about… everything. It’s going to be a great night! Doors at 6:30, talks start at 7:00. Be there and be square!
The fall of a line: how poetry sounds
Jenny Morse, PhD
Most people try to read poems to get an image or a story, which is great but not all that poetry does. Poetry combines visual art–because it is an image on the page made by line breaks and spacing choices–with music–because the natural sounds of the language contribute to the meaning of the poem. In this talk, I’ll look at some of my favorite poems in terms of their arrangement on the page and the way they use the sounds in language.
Worm Majix
John Anderson
What I’ve learned from and about worms. From Charles Darwin and friends to some of the most recent observations. Deeply rooted in the world of life and death on this planet.nearly. Best I know now of some of the most interesting stuff them worms got going on. From leaf folding to sidewalk surfing and procreating. “It just might be that these “simple” creatures could play an even more important role in the survival of life on this earth than we have ever dreamt of” Sophie Reinecke
Nerd Nite Fort Collins returns to Wolverine Farm this August- Bigger! Stronger! Faster! NERDIER! Upstairs Doors open at 6:30pm. Speakers commence at 7:00pm. Don’t forget your Loyalty Libations card to get another stamp toward a free drink!
We have two exciting speakers lined up this month:
1. Better Than Bill? Teaching Hands-On Science
Scott Sieke
Every time I share an aspect of my job with peers, I hear “where was this when I was growing up?” Science education has changed over my lifetime. Many classrooms used to be 90% lecture and 10% demonstrations, and that model worked for some students but left many others behind. I’ll share some Bill Nye style science demonstrations along with thoughts on the changes educators are bringing about in classrooms.
2. Intertwined: Fiber Arts and the Labor Movement
Evelyn Maguire
“Intertwined: Fiber Arts and the Labor Movement” delves into the profound and often overlooked connections between textile crafts and the struggle for workers’ rights. This presentation will explore how fiber arts have historically served as both a medium of production within industrial labor and a powerful tool for social commentary and resistance. We will examine how artisans and workers have used these mediums to build community, express solidarity, and advocate for fair labor practices, demonstrating the enduring impact of textile art on movements for justice.
The Art (and some Science) of Influential Communication
Matt Sodnicar
Do you struggle communicating important topics at work? Are you not being understood? Do you get frustrated – or do you frustrate others in conversation? Well, it’s not you, it’s them! Actually, it’s you too – but you’ll learn how to recognize how others process information and adapt your messaging to be better understood.
Robo Norbert Wiener
Justin Fritz
Norbert Wiener was a prolific scientific mind whose work influenced and predicted the technology that shapes our institutions and interactions. This talk and presentation will explore the state of the art in technology and AI with the help of an AI model of the founder of the science of cybernetics: RoboWiener. We will diagram the technology popularly referred to as ‘AI’ to better understand it and to make some predictions about what is to come. Finally we will close with some ideas about how individuals and society can survive and thrive in this modern world.
Your next difficult conversation, the corals and the bees: The similarities between the two and how you can help
Rich Karp
Bees and corals are both critical to their respective ecosystems and live interesting lifestyles. However, they are both threatened by increasing human populations. Here we will compare and contrast two seemingly dissimilar animals and discuss ways you can help conserve them.
Recycling brewing by-products
Charlie Hoxmeier
Brewers spent grain is a nutritionally dense by-product of brewing, even after brewers have extracted what they need. What’s left has a lot of potential to be repurposed as a human or animal protein source.
Nerd Nite is a fun informational, educational live show conducted by a team of local nerds who recruit other nerds to talk about, well, nerdy stuff. It’s fun! Anyhoo, we are having a free social in lieu of our regular show because we are all tired from hosting the anniversary special at The Lyric last week.
What to expect at the social? Well, while we don’t have any talks lined up we do have space at The Wolverine Farm so let’s make the most of it. Stop by and chat with the Nerd Nite Fort Collins hosts about what sparked your curiosity from a previous show or workshop a talk that you would like to present.
