Welcome to Nerd Nite Los Angeles! We’re so excited that you’ve discovered our community’s nerdy little corner of LA. We are Nerd Nite (like TED Talks or the Discovery Channel + beer), Drinking & Dragons (live, imsurovised DnD), NNXL (live music), and Nerd Nite Out (community-building). Check out what we’re up to at one of our upcoming events!
WHAT IS NERD NITE?
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 more than 100 cities across the globe during which several folks give 20-minute fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along. It’s like TED Talks…but with beer.
WHEN AND WHERE IS NERD NITE?
Brewyard Beer Company LLC.
906 Western Ave, Glendale, CA 91201
Every 3rd Tuesday of the Month (November and December dates subject to change)
WILL THERE BE FOOD?
Yes! Tacos are provided by La Prieta Mexicana.
NEXT NERD NITE LA IS TUESDAY, JANUARY 20TH!
PRESENTATION #1: How Rare is Planet Earth? Using “Missing” Planets to Find Our Place in the Universe
By Jack Lubin
Summary: Since the first discovery just 30 years ago, we have now found over 6000 planets orbiting other stars. This large census has allowed for robust statistics which tell us about the prevalence of different kinds of planets that call our galaxy home. But in astronomy, we never have a complete sample: the universe is too vast and time is too short, we certainly are missing a lot of planets! But how can we quantify what we are missing? UCLA postdoctoral fellow Jack Lubin will educate on this ever-evolving subject and encourage the audience to question our place in the universe.
Bio: Jack Lubin grew up on the east coast watching space race documentaries but quickly realized he was more interested in the moon than the people trying to get there. That interest blossomed into full fascination with astronomy. He came west to earn a PhD in astrophysics from UC Irvine and then moved up The 405 to UCLA, where he continues his research in exoplanet demographics as a postdoctoral fellow.
PRESENTATION #2: It Wasn’t A Lab Leak: The Evidence For A Natural Origin of SARS-CoV-2 As Explained By A Much-Aggrieved Epidemiologist
By Elizabeth Traub
Summary: No serious scientist believes that COVID-19 started with a lab leak. Let Elizabeth Traub, an unserious but qualified scientist, walk you through all the evidence that supports a natural origin for SARS-CoV-2 using language a lay audience can understand. Elizabeth’s informative presentation will look at conclusions from a few papers that were able to use genetic data to pinpoint an exact stall that was the likely location the virus jumped into humans, and the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and bat viruses. There will be lots of pictures of raccoon dogs.
Bio: Elizabeth Traub is an infectious disease epidemiologist who specializes in respiratory virus surveillance. Elizabeth was one of the first LA County epidemiologists to work full time on the COVID pandemic, is one of 500 authors on a paper published in Nature about the first 12 cases of COVID in the United States and led the team responsible for variant surveillance in Los Angeles County for about 2 years. She helped develop an award-winning citizens’ science project called Angelenos in Action that tracks respiratory viruses in the general public. Elizabeth now supervises a team of epidemiologists that tracks respiratory viruses and outbreaks of illness in the community and has recently been focusing on bird flu preparedness and response.
PRESENTATION #3: Driven By Curiosity: Exploring the World of Traffic Engineering
By Cassidy McDonnell
Summary: Have you ever stood at an intersection, anxiously hitting the “walk” button, wondering if your actions make any difference in the world? Have you ever taken laps around a roundabout, wondering whether they do more harm than good? Though traffic design shapes the way we operate in the world everyday, we often take for granted the intention and purpose behind details such as signal timing, parking lot design, and the difference between a street and a road. Comedian and Vanderbilt graduate Cassidy McDonnell will dive into common traffic infrastructure: the “why” behind it, controversy in current standards, and innovative planning for cities that cultivate community.
Bio: Cassidy McDonnell holds a degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on Transportation from Vanderbilt University and has worked in both rail track design and traffic engineering. She also hosts and produces a STEM-themed stand up comedy show called “Women in STEM” where she features jokes and stories deeply influenced by her life in the engineering world (and, of course, a truckload of traffic puns).
Join us at our next Nerd Nite LA on Tuesday, January 20th! Talk and speaker details coming soon!
Get your tickets now, RIGHT HERE!
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