We all know that learning is more fun when you’re drinking with friends and colleagues. Thus, Nerd Nite is a monthly event held in nearly 100 cities across the globe during which several folks give 18-21-minute fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along. Imagine learning about everything from math feuds or the science of the Simpsons, to the genealogy of Godzilla or debunking beer myths, while having a few or a few too many.
The Nerd Nite Podcast on CBS’ new Play It network brings the live experience of our in-person events for your aural pleasure, so feel free to have a drink or two while listening – just as long as you aren’t driving and are of age!
Every episode features a new guest from a different Nerd Nite city around the world. The most recent episode, based on a presentation at Nerd Nite Orlando called “Roses are Red, Orange Lilies Mean I Hate You: Exploring the Symbology of Flowers” features Emily Dovydaitis. She is a tree-hugging enthusiast, as well as an undergraduate in Biology and Cultural Anthropology at UCF. She fancies ethnobotany. Her dream is to one day travel to the Amazon to study native, plant-derived medicines. When she’s not drowning in organic chemistry, Emily enjoys rattling off plant binomials and drinking tea. She also secretly envies the fact that plants make their own food, which means they don’t need to clean dishes.
Presentation description:
Although most flowers lack tu-lips, they often “say” more than most people realize. During the Victorian era, the clandestine language of flowers provided a way for society to communicate emotions in a more respectable manner. Lovers, charmers and boothangs alike should ask themselves one simple question before this Valentine’s Day: what sort of message are you actually sending with that bouquet?
Listen here and learn about the symbology of flowers: http://www1.play.it/audio/nerd-nite/
