Join us for our 26th consecutive Nerd Nite in Orlando at the Geek Easy!
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. Speakers present for 15-20 minutes each on a fascinating subject of their choice, often in an uncanny and unconventional way. Following each presentation is a brief Q&A with the audience.
Come meet up, drink, and learn something new!
EVENT IS FREE!
EVENT INFO:
Thursday, April 9th
Talks: 7:00 – 9:00pm
Location: The Geek Easy (behind A Comic Shop)
114 S Semoran Blvd Suite 6, Winter Park, Florida 32792
PRESENTATIONS:
FIRST TALK: “Who Are We Anyway?: Using MMORPG’s As A Lens for Understanding Our Reality.” by Daniel Kaufmann
Talk Description:
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games are one of the quickest growing forms of entertainment since the turn-of-the-century. Much of the media and countless healthcare professionals have spent years trying to understand the exact way in which a player becomes immersed in these interactive virtual worlds which range from Azeroth, Middle Earth, a galaxy far far away, and many, many more. Certain concepts in the field of psychology have been used to reach a better understanding of the person, all the way from understanding the nuance of in game roles, virtual communities, and even ways we project ourselves into the game when we create avatars. This talk will provide the audience with insight into how the positive experience of the game can result in greater understanding of concepts such as personality theory, motivation to play, and the context of what happens when we play games in an online capacity.
Speaker Bio: Daniel Kaufmann is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida, and is pursuing his PhD at Barry University. He is currently preparing to conduct his dissertation research on the topic of personality theory and motivational connections involved in the play of MMO games, and really hopes to finish before Episode VII comes out.
SECOND TALK: “Next Gen Interactive Theater: Merging Video Games, Architecture, and Theater” by Sarah Elger
Talk Description: What’s next in interactive theater and video games? Why is interactive theater important? What would happen if we took the idea of gaming into reality and challenged the players in a more real world situation? Sarah is creating an experience which will take interactive theater to the next level that will Beta test with Orlando Fringe in May. She’s created this type of experience by studying architecture, especially the works of Archigram, video games, namely the game play of World of Warcraft, and endless theatrical elements. How do you design a real world experience that empowers players to push themselves and engage in the designed world around them?
Speaker Bio: Sarah is an Associate Attraction Designer with Universal Creative with a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and BA in Sculpture from Bard College. She has always been interested in pushing the arts into a new realm, into something innovative and inspiring. After working on numerous plays, seeing how architecture can influence a user, and playing endless World of Warcraft, Sarah wanted to create an experience that pushed people to think and take the audience out of their seats and into the action of a production. She wants the audience to feel like they are the stars of their own play and get to make decisions that affect their play.
THIRD TALK: “How Not To Die On This Fucking Rock: Using Ecologically Inspired Sustainable Systems To Allow Extraterrestrial Human Habitation.” by Griffin Lunn
Talk Description: Being a single planet species is for chumps. However, Space is a cruel bitch and Mars WILL CUT YOU. Our local regenerable life support systems expert Griffin Lunn will break down the strategies on how to live outside our comfy little biosphere and in HOSTILE TERRITORY. With biomimicry hybrid physical/chemical life support systems and In-Situ Reutilization techniques we should be able to tame these inhospitable shitholes. And once we do hopefully we won’t trash it like we did with our last place (the Earth and/or your first apartment; pick whatever one makes the most sense).
Speaker Bio: Griffin is a Sustainable Systems Engineer at Kennedy Space Center, working on the Engineering Services Contract. He currently works on thermofluid analysis for ground support systems on the Space Launch System, but also maintains a sustainable systems lab that works primarily on bioreactor design/operation and nutrient recovery for closed-loop Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS). Somehow Florida Tech awarded him a couple degrees in chemical engineering and Biotechnology. Griffin enjoys (when outside government property when they somehow let him leave/escape) beverage formulation and waking up in strange new places, and usually in that order.
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RSVP on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/352683394918428/
RSVP on Meetup here: http://www.meetup.com/Orlando-Nerds-and-Geeks/events/221575621/
If you have any questions about Nerd Nite Orlando or are interested in being a future presenter, email Ricardo [at]