The Great American Read is a new eight-part series from PBS that explores and celebrates the power of reading, told through America’s 100 best-loved novels. Nerd Nite host, Ricardo Williams selected Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights click here to read.
Thanks to the many advancements in technology and an abundance of exciting science fiction, let’s face it – everybody loves space… except Ricardo William’s Aunt Linda. She wants to significantly keep her distance. Click here to watch the video and find out why.
Watch new Nerd Nite videos here: https://www.youtube.com/nerdnite
Join Nerd Nite for an evening of thinking and drinking at the ORLANDO PUBLIC LIBRARY!
Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking presentations. Speakers present for 15 minutes on a fascinating subject. Presentations are followed by a brief Q&A with the audience.
Orlando Public Library
101 E Central Blvd
Orlando, Florida 32801
Our event will be held on the 3rd floor in the Albertsons Room.
Doors open: 6pm
Presentations begin: 6:45pm
Guest speakers:
Josh Manning
Dr. Penelope Canan
Amanda Brinkman
Hosted by Ricardo Williams
Supporting Sponsors:
Red Bull Amaphiko
Bach Festival Society of Winter Park
THIS IS A FREE EVENT. We will only be accepting online donations.
NOTE: The bar will be serving beer, wine, and a special Red Bull cocktail.
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PRESENTATION #1:
“Make America Geeky Again: Let’s Bring The Nerds Back To Congress” by Josh Manning
Not that long ago our U.S. lawmakers had access to their own independent “geek squad” they could call upon to help them understand the basics of science and technology issues of the time. Just as the country was entering into the 21st century digital age, the group was disbanded. Given today’s rapid and increasingly complex technological change contrasted with what appears to be a Luddite-like legislature, this talk will make the case that America needs to bring the nerds back to Congress, probably now more than ever before.
Josh Manning is the founder and former “Nerdboss” of Nerd Nite Orlando. He spent a year on a hill in the Nation’s capital spreading the good word about the benefits of science and technology toward advancing the American dream. He’s since carried that passion back to Florida and is excited to share some of the knowledge he acquired during his quest.
PRESENTATION #2:
“Earth’s Atmosphere and Our Choices: Ozone, Carbon Dioxide, and Methane” by Dr. Penelope Canan
DESCRIPTION:
Citizens have the power and obligation to support the health of the planet’s precious atmosphere. Here I will focus on three chemical compounds: ozone, carbon dioxide, and methane. Future decisions about the atmosphere rely on us to (1) know the differences between hard-path and soft-path technologies, (2) operate with governance structures that balance the principles of People, Planet, and Prosperity, and (3) understand the power, not tragedy, of the commons.
BIO:
Dr. Canan is an Environmental Sociologist from the University of Denver, who is now Professor Emerita at the UCF. For more than a decade she served as lead author on the United Nations Technology & Economic Assessment Panel for the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances.
She co-authored the critically acclaimed book, Ozone Connections: Expert Networks in Global Environmental Governance.
She is a member of the Natural Resources Committee of the League of Women Voters and IDEAS For Us.
Dr. Canan’s career is characterized by collaboration and cooperation in the management of the Global Commons; the promotion of Earth Systems Science and measurement of social impacts; and, in the Right to Petition, guaranteed in the last clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
She has two daughters and one husband.
PRESENTATION #3:
“Accidentally Creating a Movement: What Happened After I Went Viral and Created an Iconic Symbol” by Amanda Brinkman
BIO:
Pop-culture fanatic and media studies expert, Amanda has over 15 years studying the impact female-driven media has on American culture. Her expertise is in storytelling and branding, human-centered design, visual and material culture, and social impact. Amanda’s work has been featured in over 100 publications, ranging from Vogue to Forbes. She is a regular speaker and panelist at events and conferences (SXSW, OMR) and has taught at the university level. She designed the original viral Nasty Woman shirt and game, and writes the popular bi-weekly newsletter The Shout.
Join us for some thinking and drinking this Sunday as Nerd Nite returns to Stardust Video & Coffee in Audubon Park for a special pop-up event, in partnership with Orlando For Revolution.
Topics include, but not limited to:
* Who is More Effective, Thanos or the President?
* Elon Musk: Visionary or Villain?
* If Apple is Worth a Trillion Dollars, then Why the Fuck Does My iPhone Break So Easily?
THIS IS A FREE EVENT. We only accept donations.
Hosted by Ricardo Williams
Join us on Thursday, August 9th as we return to Stardust Video & Coffee in Audubon Park for an evening of thinking and drinking.
Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking presentations– all while the audience drinks along in a casual atmosphere. Speakers present for 15-20 minutes each on a fascinating subject, often in an uncanny and unconventional way. Following each presentation is a brief Q&A with the audience.
GUEST SPEAKERS:
Matt Luby
Josh Murdock
Tairi Perez and Peter Gardner
Hosted by Ricardo Williams
THIS IS A FREE EVENT. We only accept donations.
http://bit.ly/nerdnitetbt2018
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PRESENTATION #1: “The Force Belongs to All of Us: Not Just You Assholes” by Tairi Perez and Peter Gardner.
As nerd culture has become mainstream culture, toxic masculinity has infected all aspects of it and we are trying to figure out if it was there from the beginning or if this is something new, or is this a case of the assholes having a louder voice than the rest of the community. And what can we do about it?
Peter Gardner has been a lifelong nerd back in the time when it would still get you beat up. A writer by profession, and a feminist and LGBTQ+ activist, he has become worried about this culture he is a part of and wonders how he can help. He has also never gotten through Guardians of the Galaxy Volume II without crying.
Tairi Perez is not just the token women so Peter isn’t mansplaining, she’s also a passionate activist, feminist, and always looking to get involved with her community. While she is still relatively new to being a nerd, dealing with and being the victim of toxic masculinity has been something she’s dealt with her entire life. Her D&D character can often be found getting the entire party killed for no good reason.
PRESENTATION #2: “EdTech: Robots, Augmented Reality, VR, and other ways technology is changing education.” by Josh Murdock
The world of education is ever evolving as technology becomes more advanced and affordable. Lets dive into apps, gadgets, and technologies that are turning what we thought was sci-fi into reality in our schools and virtual classrooms. Exploring the world of augmented reality, virtual reality, robots, online learning, and startups that aim to improve educational experiences. Learn more about world of EdTech and how teachers must keep up with technology to help prepare students for the future. Plus I might have a few fun games, prizes, and sharks with freakin’ lasers.
Josh Murdock, known as Professor Josh, is an IT manager, instructional designer, professor, community organizer, blogger, and all around geek. He has been in higher education for over 20 years, including teaching educational technology and social networking currently at Valencia College for the last 14 years. He blogs about apps, gadgets, gizmos, startups, conferences, and tech tips at ProfessorJosh.com and works with his wife on a food blog eatmoreofit.com that will make you hungry. You might have seen his food photography (@eatmoreofit) or his love for LEGO and geekiness (@professorjosh) on both Twitter or Instagram. He continues to build a community around education, technology, blogging, and entrepreneurship as EdTech Orlando organizer, Startup Weekend Orlando organizer, and founding planning team member of FLBlogCon. His motto: Engage, Excite, Educate!
PRESENTATION #3: “The Nuclear Niche: Fungi that Survive and Thrive in the Heart of Chernobyl” by Matt Luby
The resilience of many species of fungi to various adverse conditions has been known to biologists for many years. It is only in the past three decades that we have begun to evaluate the ability of some fungi to not only survive extremely high doses of harmful radiation, but also to tap into it as an energy source. We’ll discuss not only how it happens, but what we might be able to do with our knowledge of this unique adaptation.
Matt Luby is an Orlando native with a background in neuroscience research and science education. He currently spends most of his time being a board member at a hackerspace and operating a pedicab. When he has free time, he likes to travel about the world and/or run marathons.
Join us for FREE FOOD AND DRINKS that are out of this world! Trade in your earthling citizenship and become a Martian as we celebrate the second season of MARS, Premiering this November. Click below for more details!
We are grateful to have Beth Hobart of “Beth Sells Florida Real Estate” join us as a supporting sponsor for Nerd Nite on July 12th.
Beth is a proud UCF Grad who is extremely passionate about her community. She currently sits on the Board for the Orlando City Soccer Foundation, the fundraising arm of Orlando City Soccer Club, committed to improving the lives of children in the Central Florida community.
She also volunteers with Rebuild Globally, a non-profit that fights poverty through education and job training in Haiti, and is a past Board Member and volunteer with Quest Inc., a local non-profit that helps children and adults with developmental disabilities.
In 2015, Beth served as President of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® Orlando Chapter, a network of successful REALTORS® advancing women as professionals and leaders in business, the industry, and the communities they serve. And she has also served as a Florida Realtor’s Director in 2015 and 2017.
Beth is an Alumni of the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s Connect DTO Inaugural Class, focusing on strategic insights into commerce, community, culture and catalystic movements happening in Downtown Orlando now and the future. She is an Alumni of Leadership Orlando’s Class 90, America’s largest community leadership program that creates opportunities to observe, interact and learn from public, private and civic leaders across Central Florida. She is also a graduate of the Mayor’s City Academy, a program which educates the citizens of Orlando about our City government.
Aside from staying involved in her community, and helping people buy and sell homes, she is an avid runner, with countless 5Ks and half marathons under her belt, but she’s most proud of the 4 marathons that she has completed: Disney, NYC, Marine Corps (Washington D.C.) and Chicago.
Beth loves traveling with her husband, Jim, and walking her rescue dog, Tommy, spending time with good friends and her family, and leaving the world a little better than she found it…all while drinking copious amounts of coffee.
Samples of a few flavors will debut at the Nerd Nite event on Thursday, July 12th.
Following which, all flavors will be available at the Greenery Creamery for a limited time offer.
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The Greenery Creamery is an ice cream boutique in downtown Orlando.
Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking presentations.
COSMIC CREAM
An Einstein-Rosen bridge trip for the taste buds with a swirl of colorful, fruity flavors.
GARGANTUA
A mix of dark cocoa, Oreo chunks, and chocolate chips with a delicious and irresistable gravitational pull.
LITTLE GREEN MENTHE
Minty ice cream with chocolate chips coming in piece(s).
MISSION READY CARAMEL
Smoke salted thai tea with a blast of vegan sauce swirls.
SPACE JUNK
Black ash coconut littered with marshmallows, crunchy cinnamon bites, chocolate galactic swirls, and pretzel.
Nerd Nite Orlando is set to host a pop-up art show for theme park designer, concept artist, and author/illustrator Nikkolas Smith at Purple, Rock, Scissors on Thursday, July 12th.
Nikkolas Smith, a native of Houston, Texas, is a Master of Architecture recipient from Hampton University, current Theme Park Designer & Concept artist at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Children’s Books Author/Illustrator. His first picture book “The Golden Girls of Rio” was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. He also creates activist art paintings and Hollywood movie posters (Black Panther, Southside With You, Dear White People, Stranger Fruit). Nikkolas also talks for conferences (TEDxWatts) and schools all over the country, and after hours leads in youth mentoring on Saturdays, with the kids of Compton & Watts, CA, giving lessons in digital painting and life skills for success. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
MORE DETAILS HERE: bit.ly/nnojuly2018
Join us on Thursday, June 14th for a special happy hour event at Purple, Rock, Scissors in downtown Orlando.
Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking presentations– all while the audience drinks along in a casual atmosphere. Speakers present for 15-20 minutes each on a fascinating subject, often in an uncanny and unconventional way. Following each presentation is a brief Q&A with the audience.
WHERE: 189 S Orange Ave #2020, Orlando, FL 32801
WHEN: Thursday, June 14th
Happy hour begins at 5pm (Come on in anytime after 5, we’ll be playing games and drinking)
Program begins at 6:30pm.
This is a FREE event. We only accept donations.
Make a contribution here.
Guest speakers include:
Saffiyah Johnson
Michele G Moss
Brittany Vincente
Hosted by Ricardo Williams
PRESENTATION #1: “Why I Love IP!: How Childish Curiosity, An 80s Love Song, and An Unlikely Duet Turned Me Into an IP (Intellectual Property) Lawyer” by Michele G Moss
A discussion of copyright law as it relates to music. The audience will learn how copyright law determines authorship of songs; the difference between sound recordings and musical compositions and why copyright registration matters to artists, producers, and lyricists.
Michele Moss has been in practice for over 14 years and has extensive experience in civil trial and litigation in Florida state and Federal courts. Ms. Moss’s intellectual property litigation practice includes claims involving copyright, trademark and trade dress infringement, claims of internet trespass, defamation and civil liability for online content. Ms. Moss’s computer and internet law practice includes the preparation of website terms of use, privacy policies, computer/internet usage policies, End User License Agreements (EULAs) and claims arising from data breach incidents.
PRESENTATION #2: “volunTELLing: the story behind your volunteers” by Saffiyah Johnson
The audience will learn the internal and external motivations of why people volunteer. The audience will also learn how organizations can develop and retain volunteers and how volunteers can master useful experiences at volunteer organizations.
Saffiyah “Saffy” Johnson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the state of Florida. During her professional career, Ms. Johnson has worked with various populations in leadership roles and has also participated in a variety of organizations. Ms. Johnson is the current Chair of the Orange County Children’s Cabinet and the Chair for the NASW-FL Central Florida Unit.
PRESENTATION #3: “Going Beyond ‘Fun’: The Role of Human Motivation in Video Game Design” by Brittany Vincente
Why do players put hundreds of hours into some video games but not others? In this talk, we’ll explore the leading theory of human motivation, Self Determination Theory, and how its application in game design results in games that are not only enjoyable to play but sustain engagement over time.
Brittany has a background in social psychology research and is currently Research Manager at Immersyve, Inc., the world’s leading research and consulting firm on improving motivation and sustained engagement. With Immersyve for over four years, she has been the operational coordinator for hundreds of gaming studies in the mobile, console and PC space. As a gamer, she has eclectic taste in genres and has a current obsession with Marvel Contest of Champions and Fortnite: Battle Royale.