Feb 2020NERD NITE LONDON, WHERE IT’S HIP TO BE SQUARE.

Nerd Nite London is a monthly event where three speakers give 18-21 minute fun-yet-informative talks across all disciplines, while the audience drinks along. This February, we’ll be learning about the lost letters of the English alphabet, discover the secrets of better building design and bust some data mining myths.

Be there and be square.

Address: The Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL

Details: February 19, 2020

Tickets: Early Nerd Tickets £6, General Admission £7.50, Extra-generous donation to Shine Trust £10  Tickets available here

Doors Open At 7pm, Event Starts: 7.30pm.

Bar Opens At 5pm.

WHERE’S ETHEL? LOST LETTERS FROM THE ENGLISH ALPHABET
Our alphabet has 26 letters. But there were more. What were they? Where did they come from? What happened to them? And why is ye olde not quite as it seems? Lydia Thornley has been on a voyage of typographic nerdery to find out.

Bio: Lydia Thornley is a graphic designer, creative director and illustrator. She once cited nosiness as a core design skill, takes on projects on the basis of the question “Is it interesting?” and loves an opportunity to research something in unnecessary detail. This is her third Nerd Nite London talk.

REMBRANDT’S ALGORITHM: HOW DECODING CENTURIES WORTH OF PAINTINGS MIGHT HELP US DESIGN BETTER BUILDINGS
Over time, we’ve got better at predicting what buildings will look like before they’ve been built – we use models, renders, and we scan materials. But scientists and engineers are still struggling to convey what a space will feel like. When it comes to feelings, art is where it’s at – might Rembrandt or Van Gogh hold some of the answers we’ve been looking for? In his talk, Reinier will tell you why engineers should be visiting museums instead of running experiments.

Bio: Reinier Zeldenrust is a part of Foster + Partners’ Specialist Modelling Group, a diverse group of nerds, nestled within an architecture firm. These days, he spends most of his time searching for the best ways to mix daylight and artificial light. Always looking for inspiration in unlikely places, he has previously given Nerd Nite Talks on Animal Architecture and Living on Mars. He tweets @rdzeldenrust.

KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU: SO THAT’S WHY YOU MINE MY DATA FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

HAL 9000; a shadowy tech cabal; Marvin the paranoid android. They are all mining your personal data to manipulate the next election. This talk will discuss the use — and abuse — of personal data in political campaigns. Jens Koed Madsen take the audience through examples of how data can generate psychologically and personally specified political ads, while also diving into the hype and caution against some hyperbole that often surrounds these methods.

Bio: Jens Koed Madsen is a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford. He explores the psychology of persuasion, complex information systems, system sustainability, and micro-targeting. He gives assurance that he will not data-mine you while you are in the audience and your computer is unattended. He tweets at @jenskoedmadsen.

All proceeds from Nerd Nite London go to charity. this year we are partnering with The Shine Trust to help foster a new generation of nerds.

More information about Nerd Nite London can be found by following us on Twitter @nerdnitelondon, liking us on Facebook www.facebook.com/nerdnitelondon or visiting www.london.nerdnite.com. for more information about The Shine Trust visit www.shinetrust.org.uk