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Nerd Nite #25: Plot Twists and Revelations - The Story of Science
When you think of science, what comes to mind? For many people, science springs to mind a collection of facts they tried to memorize for various exams. Veronica Taylor shows another side of science: the story of science. This talk guides viewers on a journey through the drama of the scientific process, how scientific ideas evolve, and how they are are communicated.
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Nerd Nite #24 - The Science of Consciousness
Ever wonder what it means to be conscious? Consciousness defines our very existence – we experience it every waking (and dreaming) minute of every day, yet it is one of the most challenging phenomena to define. For thousands of years, humans have posited theories of awareness. Over the last half century, we have finally developed the tools to empirically investigate consciousness.
In this talk, we'll learn about how theories of consciousness have developed over time and see an overview of the cutting edge methods scientists use to create empirically informed models of consciousness. Brian is affiliated with the Center for Consciousness Science at the University of Michigan.
About Brian H. Silverstein:
Brian has been studying consciousness for the better part of a decade. Starting from philosophy, he eventually decided to empirically test theories instead of just talking about them. Now he uses computational neuroscience to study the neurobiology of consciousness with the Center for Consciousness Science at the University of Michigan. Originally from New York, he now lives in Michigan. When he’s not sciencing, he’s usually drawing, cooking, or playing the piano poorly.
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Nerd Nite #23 – Knowing is Half the Battle: What 80s Cartoons REALLY Teach Us
80s cartoons were nothing more than half-hour toy commercials with a sprinkle of moralistic preaching to sweeten the pill for parents, right? Cartoonist Jerzy Drozd explores 5 writing tips one can glean from a closer examination of the cartoons of our youth. Jerzy was one of the speaker's at the March, 2015 Nerd Nite
About Jerzy Drozd:
Jerzy Drozd is one of the artists of The Warren Commission Report. He leads cartooning workshops for children and teens in libraries and schools; podcasts prolifically about comics and how to make them at ComicsAreGreat.com, KidsComicsRevolution.com, and LeanIntoArt.com. He wrote and drew the graphic novel The Front, has worked on Antarctic Press’s Ninja High School and PPV: Pay- Per-View (which he cocreated with Tom Root, writer of Cartoon Network’s Robot Chicken), and has drawn special projects for Marvel Comics, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, VIZ Media, and others. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and two cats.
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Nerd Nite #23 – The Elements of Style: How to be a Great DJ in 5 Simple Steps
In this talk, DEFTMIX uses concepts from Strunk and White’s classic college textbook, The Elements of Style to distill the essence of being a great DJ.
About Rolando Calip, Jr. AKA DEFTMIX:
Rolando Calip, Jr. has been a DJ for 20 years and currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He has spent the last 2 years as the Nightlife Director/Saturday DJ Resident for Live Nightclub. Before moving to Ann Arbor in 2011, he lived in New York City for 10 years; DJing, curating music for hospitality groups, and managing DJs. Music has taken him all over the world; most recently to Manila in the Philippines where he performed at Black Market Nightclub on NYE 2015. Follow him on Instagram @deftmix.
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Nerd Nite #23 – Sweet is the Light: Curing Blindness Through the Ages
Cataracts are the most common cause of blindness on the planet. Long before anesthesia or antiseptics, cataract surgeries were being performed. This talk will touch on the evolution of the procedure from ancient to modern times. A few of the questions we’ll answer along the way: Why is the sky blue? Is staring at an eclipse really bad for your eyes? Where do orange carrots come from?
About Zvi Kresch:
Zvi Kresch is a faculty member at the UM Kellogg Eye Center. Prior to coming to UM, he spent a year traveling with his wife and practicing ophthalmology abroad with the The Himalayan Cataract Project. He was exposed to different types of cataract surgery and became very interested in the procedure’s origins. When not studying eyeballs, Zvi enjoys chess, making kombucha and playing the harmonica.
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Nerd Nite #19 - Coroner’s Court
Coroner’s Court
The Coroner’s Court is a now rarely used legal procedure used to investigate a death under mysteries circumstances. The County Coroner, or medical examiner, would impanel a jury, usually six men, who would view the remains, hear witnesses and study the evidence. This was not a trial, as no one was then accused of a crime. The jury was to determine, first, if the person was dead, and if dead, was the cause of death due to, natural causes, accident, suicide or murder. When the jury determined the cause of death was due to accident or murder, then, if possible, name the one most likely to have caused the death. Sometimes the jury returned a verdict of: “due to person or persons unknown to us at this time.”
About James Mann:
James Mann is a local historian and the author of eight published books on local history. His books include Wicked Washtenaw County, Wicked Ann Arbor and Wicked Ypsilanti. He hosts Lantern Tours of Highland Cemetery, in Ypsilanti, the last two weeks of October.
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Nerd Nite #21 - Telling Tales of Local History: the Good, the Bad, and the Ornery
Telling Tales of Local History: the Good, the Bad, and the Ornery
Using pictures from her book, Images of America: Downtown Ann Arbor, local history geek Patti Smith will take you on a tour of our not-so-distant past where we will visit with store men, shoe men, and some very irate students.
About Patti Smith:
Special education teacher, former lawyer, local history geek, loves writing and crossword puzzles.
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Nerd Nite #22 - Why the hell haven’t we cured cancer yet?
Why the hell haven’t we cured cancer yet?
As one of the leading causes of death in the US, cancer has long been the focal point of intense study and public interest. However, after millions of dollars and countless hours spent on cancer research, the silver bullet cure remains elusive. Have you ever wondered why? Join us as we delve into the intricate nature of the disease and the difficulties physicians and scientists face when treating a patient with cancer. Along the way, we will discuss the biological origins of cancer as well as its pathology, epidemiology, and potential therapeutic options currently under scrutiny.
About Yijung Yang:
Yang graduated from University of Maryland with a degree in Physiology and Neurobiology. Then, after a two-year research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, moved to Ann Arbor to join the MD/PhD program at the University of Michigan, and is currently in the research phase of graduate training under the guidance of Dr. Diane Simeone, director of the Translational Oncology Program at UM.
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Nerd Nite #22 - Beyond South U: Where Students Live and Vote in Ann Arbor
Beyond South U: Where Students Live and Vote in Ann Arbor
While we all think we know where U of M students live, it’s harder to find out than you’d think. Austen and Pat go through their method of coming up with a solid picture, and discuss what this means for students and residents alike every election cycle in Ann Arbor.
About Austen Hufford and Pat Sier:
Austen and Pat are U of M seniors studying economics and public policy respectively. Austen will be working in journalism this summer at the Wall Street Journal and Pat will be working in Chicago at a marketing technology company. Find Austen on twitter: @austenhufford
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Nerd Nite #22 - Why We Watch: How Everything From Football to Mario Entrances Us
Why We Watch: How Everything From Football to Mario Entrances Us
Games are a form of storytelling as old, if not older, than language itself, but we rarely stop to think why some games succeed and some fail. What do college athletics–which, despite being non-professional games, earn nearly $1 billion per year–have in common with a fifteen-year-old Pakistani boy playing video games in China for the first time, with 770,000 live viewers and $3 million in prizes on the line?
About Ryan “Gorgon” Jurado:
With professional experience in publishing, music performance, gaming, podcasting, and three majors split across two undergraduate degrees, Ryan “Gorgon” Jurado is what you might call a renaissance nerd. These days, he spends his time studying the burgeoning realm of online spectator games, often called eSports, in which he is a data analyst and live commentator for audiences of tens of thousands. You can find him on Twitter: @gotcowdota