Nerd Nite Orlando #6 is our Back To School Special! We will learn how two monks changed the world, be enlightened about the ethics of brain experimentation, and answer the infamous Yahoo! Answers question, “How is Babby Formed?” !

Nerd Nite Orlando is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking talks across many disciplines – all while the audience drinks along in a casual bar atmosphere. 3 speakers will present for 20-25 minutes each on a fascinating subject of their choice, often in an uncanny and unconventional way.

It’s like the Discovery Channel – with beer! Come meet up, drink, and learn something new!

EVENT:

Thursday, August 8th, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Stardust Video and Coffee, 1842 E. Winter Park Rd. Winter Park, FL 32803.
Facebook Event <–be sure to RSVP!

FREE!

PRESENTATIONS:

———–

“Cryptic Cyrillic: How Two Monks Changed the World” by Edward Petersen

Have you ever wondered what all those familiar-yet-strange letters were in “The Hunt for Red October” or other films set in Russia? They’re Cyrillic, a unique alphabet developed centuries ago for Slavic people who had no written language. While this writing system has helped Eastern Europe grow by leaps and bounds, it has not been without controversy. In modern times, it has more often served to divide than to unite. Come learn the history of this fascinating system now used by a quarter-billion people throughout the world.

Ed Petersen currently works for the Planning Division in the City of Orlando. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Central Florida. He is an avid traveler, having visited 49 US states and 20 countries, including Russia in 1999. Ed has had a lifelong interest in patterns, language, and alphabets, and can speak a smattering of Spanish, French, Latin, and Russian (though he’ll likely need plenty of help).

———–

“Brain on a Chip: The Ethics of Brain Experimentation” by Max Jackson

Is it possible to study the brain without incurring the wrath of PETA or hoping for willing human subjects? It is now! Max Jackson is a researcher who grows brain networks in the lab, on demand. The ethical and economic advantages of these techniques are vast. Join us for a discussion about the ethics of brain experimentation as well as the exciting developments in this field.

Max Jackson is a masters student in BioTechnology at the University of Central Florida where he focuses his research on neural-machine interfacing. He is President of the UCF Synthetic Biology Club, and the Graduate President of the Central Florida Society for Neuroscience. Prior to graduate school, Max worked for a mobile-learning application development company. He enjoys reading the classics and philosophy literature in his free time.

———–

“Fornication Education: All These F**king Questions!” by Daniel Pellito

Young people are exploratory about sex due to their intrinsic curiosity. As a science teacher and sex educator at a lower income public school, Dan Pellito has been asked a myriad of questions by his students, from the naively adorable to the outright strange. Dan asserts that if students don’t learn the basics from trusted adults, they’ll find other means, such as MTV’s “Teen Mom.” Let’s demystify the notion of sex and encourage open conversations with the younger generation.

Daniel Pellito is a science teacher for a low-income school in Orange County, Florida. He studied music and biology at the University of Central Florida. He’s been in the classroom since 2006 and currently teaches biology as well as engineering to 6th – 8th graders. Daniel is an advocate of the “flipped classroom” model and is developing an agriculture/aquaculture program through a school/community garden.