Order yourself a drink (or two) and some dinner (menu) while we teach you some cool stuff! Street parking is available in the area (free after 6 p.m.) as well as pay lots nearby. Dickens is also located two blocks from the downtown West-Kerby C-train station.
Dickens is a wheelchair accessible venue. If you require to use the elevator please notify us by email before the event so we can arrange for it to be used. Or you can call Dickens directly upon arrival at 403-233-7550.
Refund Notice
We have always tried to accommodate refunds as requested but it’s not always possible to accommodate last minute requests. To that end, refunds will only be issued by us 48 hours before the event and the Eventbrite fees have to be paid still. After that if tickets are not needed, the purchaser is responsible for finding a buyer.
Presentations
A Bloody Nerd Nite Presentation
Adrian Schuster, Canadian Blood Services, Director – Associate, Integrated Supply Chain Planning – Plasma Protein Related Products (PPRP)
What happens to your blood, plasma or platelets after a donation? And recent changes to donor criteria and patient safety.
Adrian Schuster worked in pharmaceutical manufacturing and served as the Operations Manager at Alberta Distillers Limited before joining Canadian Blood Services in 2016. At Canadian Blood Services, he initially managed the processing and distribution of blood and blood products in Southern Alberta, and his role later expanded to oversee these functions across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Currently, he is responsible for the national inventory and supply of medicines and therapies derived from plasma.
Ritual Re-imagined: Exploring the power of ceremony in everyday life
Sarah Kemmers
Sarah Kemmers is a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant with close to a decade of experience in facilitating meaningful ceremonies. With a deep passion for creating rituals that honor significant moments, Sarah has guided many individuals and communities through personalized celebrations that reflect diverse cultural and spiritual traditions. Drawing on a rich background in facilitation practices and ceremonial design, Sarah skillfully weaves together elements that foster connection, reflection, and transformation. Join us as Sarah shares insights and experiences from their journey, highlighting the profound impact that ritual and ceremony can have in our lives.
Digital Cosmos: Simulating Human Space Exploration
Bryan Verstreeg
Returning Nerd Nite alum, Bryan Versteeg talks about using the evolving set of tools in video game engines to further awareness and education regarding the science and technology of space exploration.
Bryan Versteeg is an award winning conceptual designer with a focus on space exploration, settlement, and the infrastructure that would support humans living away from the Earth.
He’s been in the design visualization industry for almost 30 years working with private space companies like Deep Space Industries and AXIOM, documentaries like “The Science of interstellar” by Warner Brothers, and over a hundred different publications worldwide including multiple spreads in National Geographic.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: We have moved! Join us at Dickens.
Order yourself a drink (or two) and some dinner while we teach you some cool stuff! Street parking is
available in the area (free after 6pm) as well as pay lots nearby. Dickens is also located two blocks from the downtown West-Kerby C-train station.
Nerd Nite #54 Event Details:When: Wednesday, April 24th, 2024 (Doors open at 6:00pm, talks start at 7:00pm)
Where: Dickens (1000 9th Ave SW) MAP
Tickets: $15 plus fees – ticketsThis is an 18+ event.Dickens is a wheelchair accessible venue. If you require to use the elevator please notify us by email before the event so we can arrange for it to be used. Or you can call Dickens directly upon arrival at 403-233-7550.REFUND NOTICE: We have always tried to accommodate refunds as requested but it’s not always possible to accommodate last minute requests. To that end going forward, refunds will only be issued by us 48 hours before the event and the Eventbrite fees have to be paid still. After that if tickets are not needed, the purchaser is responsible for finding a buyer.
Presentations
Flocking QT Stories
The Flocking Queer & Trans Stories simulations are interactive digital art installations that explore how computational simulations of emergent complex behaviours, combined with individual storytelling, might provide us with new ways to deepen our understanding of gender and sexuality-based marginalization and resilience through computer modelling, public coding and art. Using Craig Reynolds’ flocking algorithm with sound analysis modification and a harm/support system, this simulation shows the effects that society has on those that are considered “non-normative”.
John Craig (he/him) is an application developer and student research associate at the University of Calgary. He is interested in the intersections of computer science, education, and social issues learning, especially UI/UX design, accessibility in technology, and VR for education. He was funded through a 2020 University of Calgary PURE Award to research interactions in VR for collaborative learning and developing interactive computer simulations of socio-scientific issues. John’s work was also supported by a Fleck Fellowship from the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and he is an Oculus Launch Pad 2019 scholarship awardee. His collaborative work has been displayed in public spaces such as the National Music Centre of Canada, Spark Science Centre, the University of Calgary, the 2021 ACM SIGGRAPH Immersive Pavilion and more, and John is also an Oculus Launch Pad 2019 alumni and scholarship awardee.
Malbec is red, Gin is sometimes blue, I’d like to drink, and learn some stuff too!
If you aren’t as nerdy at love as you are at science and haven’t made Valentine’s Day plans yet, now is your chance! Tickets are on sale tomorrow January 30th at 7pm.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: We have moved! Join us at Dickens. Order yourself a drink or two (and you can order yourself dinner) while you sit back and listen to us talk nerdy to you. Dickens allows our patrons to order food from their full menu, and of course, the full bar. Street parking is available in the area (free after 6pm) as well as pay lots nearby. Dickens is also located two blocks from the downtown West-Kerby C-train station.
Nerd Nite #53 Event Details:
When: Wednesday, February 14th, 2024 (Doors open at 6:00pm, talks start at 7:00pm) Where: Dickens (1000 9th Ave SW) MAP Tickets: $15 plus fees – tickets
This is an 18+ event.
Dickens is a wheelchair accessible venue. If you require to use the elevator please notify us by email before the event so we can arrange for it to be used. Or you can call Dickens directly upon arrival at 403-233-7550.
REFUND NOTICE: We have always tried to accommodate refunds as requested but it’s not always possible to accommodate last minute requests. To that end going forward, refunds will only be issued by us 48 hours before the event and the Eventbrite fees have to be paid still. After that if tickets are not needed, the purchaser is responsible for finding a buyer.
Well, sure that whole “pandemic” thing was a little disruptive but there is finally a happy update. Nerd Nite is back!! We have an excellent event scheduled for Friday, October 13th and tickets will go on sale this Sunday Oct 1st at 6pm.
And just so you know, it’s been 1313* days since our last event and our next event is on the October 13th. Love how many 13’s that is.
More details to come but here are the basics. We are doing our fist event back on a Friday to give us more time to enjoy the night. We will supply food and appies after the first presentation (7:45ish). Also expect some trivia games, swag, learning and laughter throughout the night. After the event finishes we will stick around for maybe some more games and just catching up.
Nerd Nite #52 Event Details:
When: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 (Doors open at 6:00pm, talks start at 7:00pm) Where: Wild Rose Brewery (4580 Quesnay Wood Dr SW) Tickets: $15 plus fees – tickets (tickets go on sale Sunday Oct 1st 2 6pm MST)
This is an 18+ event.
Presentations
A Traffic Nerd’s Untold Story of Calgary’s 2013 Flood Disaster
Yeatland Wong, P. Eng., Director of Smart Mobility, Transnomis Solutions Inc.
A harrowing tale you’ll never hear anywhere else from Calgary’s Traffic Management Centre – the near misses, quiet victories, and the unlikely story of a beleaguered band of traffic nerds trying to help save the city.
Yeatland is a transportation engineer specializing in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and advanced traffic technology, and formerly a City of Calgary traffic management supervisor, responsible for the City’s $1M/year ITS program. Yeatland currently works in private industry as a specialist in Advanced Traffic Management Systems, and is an executive board director for ITS Canada.
How do you see a virus …. With a really expensive microscope!
Dr. Craig Jenne, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Imaging Approaches Towards Studying Infection, Professor Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Department of Critical Care Medicine University of Calgary
We will discuss how we can use advanced microscopy to look inside living animals to “see” how pathogens, viruses and bacteria, interact with our immune system and cause disease.
Dr. Jenne is an infectious disease researcher at the University of Calgary who uses advanced microscopy to study the immune system. This work focuses on how infectious interact with our defences leading to disease. The lab uses innovative approaches to actually visualize pathogens and study their behaviour with special interest on how to treat infections and how some of these “pathogens” can actually be harnessed to build new therapies and medicines.
Electric cars in Alberta – Blending in, at home and into the grid
Rajko Pavic
Director at Electric Vehicles Association of Alberta
Rajko Pavic is a business professional with two college degrees in Marketing, who has been passionate about EVs since around the time of the movie “Who Killed The Electric Car?” With past experience in Customer Service. Management, and Global Logistics across a few different industries, Rajko finally got to work with Electric cars 10 years later. He was a fan of EVAA’s work long before joining in 2022 – where he continues to work on helping people understand and enjoy the wonderful world of zero tailpipe emission motoring
Remember the Wild Rose event space does not allow you to bring food ordered from the front pub side of the building to the event space in the back. We will have some pizza’s and some platters after the first presentation. NOT a full meal but should be a good snack for everyone. If you plan on eating there before the event make sure you give yourself time to order and eat before the event starts.
Well, sure that whole “pandemic” thing was a little disruptive but there is finally a happy update. Nerd Nite is back!! We have an excellent event scheduled for Friday, October 13th and tickets will go on sale this Sunday Oct 1st at 6pm.
And just so you know, it’s been 1313* days since our last event and our next event is on the October 13th. Love how many 13’s that is.
More details to come but here are the basics. We are doing our fist event back on a Friday to give us more time to enjoy the night. We will supply food and appies after the first presentation (7:45ish). Also expect some trivia games, swag, learning and laughter throughout the night. After the event finishes we will stick around for maybe some more games and just catching up.
Nerd Nite #51 Event Details:
When: Friday, October 13, 2023 (Doors open at 6:00pm, talks start at 7:00pm) Where: Wild Rose Brewery (4580 Quesnay Wood Dr SW) Tickets: $15 plus fees – tickets (tickets go on sale Sunday Oct 1st 2 6pm MST)
This is an 18+ event.
Presentations
Democratising onsite construction, one robot at the time
Dr Alicia Nahmad Vazquez, Associate Professor UofC , founder MI Toolbox
Advances in digital fabrication and computation enable us to address the increasingly urgent requirements of more houses, decreasing embodied energy and waste in construction. However, access to digital fabrication processes is not equally distributed. Through case studies, Alicia reflects on how human-compatible novel digital design and construction methods can augment onsite construction techniques by reducing material waste whilst building beautiful and efficient structures.
Alicia Nahmad is an architect with a passion for robotics and digital fabrication, a strong believer that robotics can augment rather than replace human craft and that human-robot collaboration is the future of the construction industry. As a research-based practising architect, for the last 13 years, she has been engaged with the digitization of building trades and adapting advanced digital design and robotic fabrication methods to incorporate the wisdom and craft of traditional building cultures.
Strange Bedfellows: Pets and People in the Ancient World
Dr. Carolyn Willekes, Assistant Professor Mount Royal University
Pet ownership is a multi-billion-dollar industry, reflecting the important role(s) companion animals play in modern human life. Join me as we jump back in time to look at the presence of pets in the lives of those who lived in the ancient Mediterranean world to learn more about the bonds that have long existed between humans and their furred, feathered, and scaled companions.
Dr. Carolyn Willekes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of General Education at Mount Royal University and her research focuses on human-animal relationships in the ancient Mediterranean world.
Lessons we didn’t want to learn. Thanks COVID.
Dr. Franco Rizzuti, Medical Officer of Health
Unpacking the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 Pandemic- what we now know about public health measures, and how this allows us to plan for the future.
Dr. Franco Rizzuti is a Public Health & Preventive Medicine Specialist Physician, he works as a Medical Officer of Health with AHS-Calgary zone & Clinical Assistant Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine. His interests within Public Health are environmental public health, emergency & disaster management, and health informatics. Outside of work you’ll find him outdoors, working on a home improvement project, or testing out the latest tech.
Remember the Wild Rose event space does not allow you to bring food ordered from the front pub side of the building to the event space in the back. We will have some pizza’s and some platters after the first presentation. NOT a full meal but should be a good snack for everyone. If you plan on eating there before the event make sure you give yourself time to order and eat before the event starts.
Just a quick note about where we are at for the rest of this season. Normally June is our last event till September. This avoids conflicting with Calgary’s big summer time events and lets us all enjoy the outdoors during the brief Calgary summer time. Well this year with everything happening, we are still playing it by ear but most likely we will not be starting up until September. Even then, there are things in play that might push that back further.
So yeah. Not a great or informative update but there you go.
Stay safe. Help where you can. Enjoy what you can.
Yes, yes we know. Risk in Alberta is still rated at Low for COVID-19.
This decision is not based on the craziness that is gripping the world right now. Our decision is based on keeping close contact with groups of people to a minimum. We don’t know where the people that we, Wurst’s staff, Wurst’s patrons or you the audience has been in contact with. We want to make sure we give the health care system here the time they need to deal with the likely sh*t show that is about to happen. We also want to make sure we keep the risk for the most vulnerable (the elderly, etc.) as low as we can. We can’t make much of a difference but we can make some. Every little bit helps.
Refunds will be heading out soon.
Lastly, we hope on Thursday night you will sit in front of your computer/phone/TV and watch something that educates you. Frank will be cracking open a Corona (because it’s tasty) and doing a clean version of his legendary opening bits to his 6 and 8-year-old.
Nerd Nite #50 is happening at WURST on February 20th:
When: Thursday, February 20, 2020 (Doors open at 6:00pm, talks start at 7:00pm)
Where: WURST (2437 4 St SW)
Tickets: $10 plus fees – tickets
This is an 18+ event.
Presentations
Presentation # 1:
How to Make Biofuels (even more) Sustainable
Cameron Young, P.Eng. MSc
Based on his MSc capstone project, this presentation will examine advanced biofuels, why they are an improvement over traditional biofuels, and what part biofuels can play in Canada’s energy future.
Cameron is a chemical engineer who has recently completed a MSc in Sustainable Energy Development. He is working as an energy systems analyst.
Presentation # 2:
Information Pollution, Fake News, and Digital Literacy
Dr. Erika Smith, Assistant Professor, Mount Royal University
Disinformation is a widespread problem in Canada and around the world, with research showing it as a growing challenge for our information-based society. What can we do in our own lives, and across our education systems, to help address the problem of fake news?
Erika Smith promotes the development of educators and learners in higher education. She researches and teaches about social media and digital literacies in formal and informal contexts.
Nerd Nite #49 is happening at WURST on January 16th:
When: Thursday, January 16th, 2020 (Doors open at 6:00pm, talks start at 7:00pm)
Where: WURST (2437 4 St SW)
Tickets: $10 plus fees – tickets
This is an 18+ event.
Presentations
Presentation # 1:
This is Your Brain on your Social Media
Dr. Tracy Alloway, Author, TEDx speaker and Psychologist
Join me as we explore the growing body of research on the link between social media, memory, & happiness.
Tracy Packiam Alloway, PhD, is an award-winning psychologist, professor, author, and TEDx speaker. She has published 13 books and over 100 scientific articles on the brain and memory. She has also provided consultancy to the World Bank on reading in developing countries and is a sought-after speaker internationally. Her research has also been featured on BBC, Good Morning America, the Today Show, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and Newsweek, and many others. She was also featured as an expert in the documentary The Observed Life
Presentation # 2:
How to get your legs…and keep them too; Contracts in Disney
Brittany Doucet-Lewis, B.A., J.D.
Disney can teach us a lot about law. Have you ever wondered whether Ursula could keep Ariel’s voice and turn King Triton into a sea polyp? We’ll delve into the enforceability of contracts in Disney movies.
Brittany is a practicing family law lawyer who, after starting her career in litigation, has turned her attention to alternative dispute resolution methods to help lessen the impact of court battles on families. Outside of law, she grew up in dance, musicals, and show choir, which has fostered a love of Disney and fairy tales.
Nerd Nite #48 is happening at WURST on November 21st:
When: Thursday, November 21, 2019 (Doors open at 6:00pm, talks start at 7:00pm)
Where: WURST (2437 4 St SW)
Tickets: $10 plus fees – tickets
This is an 18+ event.
Presentations
Presentation # 1:
Beer and Breastmilk
Dr. Shannon Ruzycki, BSc MD MPH FRCPC
A review of the available scientific evidence to answer the most important question on every new mom’s mind: ‘When can I drink again now that I’ve delivered this baby?’
Dr. Ruzycki is a physician who has specialized in general internal medicine and works at the Foothills and Rockyview hospitals. She did her MPH at Johns Hopkins while on maternity leave and used all her newfound epidemiology skills to find out if it was safe to drink wine while studying and breastfeeding during the busiest year of her life.
Presentation # 2:
Demystifying Math Learning
Kelsey Gould, M.Sc.
Addressing early math learning and ways to support engagement.
Hi everyone! I am a doctoral student in School and Applied Child Psychology at the University of Calgary. My research focuses on the development of early mathematical understanding as well as professional accountability in terms of school psychologists’ number sense awareness.
Presentation # 3:
Rap Music for Language Nerds
Dr. Darin Flynn
The leading music genre known as rap is dominated by language. I’ll get you thinking about how this creatively flourishing art-form relates to language science. We’ll briefly examine how sounds, words, grammar, and meaning are manipulated in rap, and what this reveals about language in the mind and in society.
Dr. Flynn does research, teaching, and supervision mainly in phonology—how humans arrange speech sounds into utterances—and in Indigenous languages—their analysis, documentation, and revitalization. His other interests include Black Vernacular English and taboo language, which both figure prominently in rap music.
