Dear Nerds
Unfortunately Rosie is unable to speak at tomorrow’s event. Instead, a comedian called Joel Sanders has kindly agreed to step in, and will tell us a cautionary tale about the perils of technology and what happens when you switch life on the road for life on a boat. If you’d explicitly been hoping to hear Rosie, and would like to refund your ticket, please email us. We might not sort it until the weekend, but we will sort it.
If you hadn’t bought a ticket yet, but you’re planning on coming, tickets available here
Really looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow (Wednesday) In the meantime, keep nerding on.
Louise
(Boss- Nerd Nite London)
We’re back! After an extended summer break, we’re making our first foray into the world of IRL events, returning to Backyard Bar and Comedy Club on Sept 22nd. For those of you who aren’t quite ready to venture out yet, don’t worry- we’re going to be broadcasting a livestream, too, and we’re aiming to ensure *some* level of audience participation for those enjoying the event from home. We’re still working out the details though.
As for the event itself, we’ve got a great line up to re-start the season. Details below, and tickets available here
Nerd Nite London- September 22nd 2021
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.
Address: the Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL / Online
Details: Wednesday 22nd September
Tickets: Early nerd tickets £6, general admission £7.50, online £5. Concessions also available. Tickets available here.
Doors open 6.30pm, event starts 7.30pm
Nerd Nite London is back! And also still at home if that’s what you’d prefer. Our autumn season starts with some deductive reasoning, an exploration of the break-up, and we learn how to take on Big Tech. Be there and be square.
Deductive Reasoning in the Meantime
A stand-up comedian shelves his comedy notebook during the lockdown and binge reads Sherlock Holmes. He cannot stop himself observing things, but things are no longer funny.
Or are they..? When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how unlikely, is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Mike Capozzola is a NY-raised, London-based comedian & cartoonist
How Breakups Keep Us Together
Award-winning comedian Rosie Wilby shares some of the insights she has gained while writing her new book The Breakup Monologues, published by Bloomsbury this May. She believes that breakups, painful as they are, can sometimes be harnessed as an opportunity for learning and growth, a catalyst for new adventures and a helpful nudge towards making better future partner choices. In fact, breakups can perhaps even help us to stay together in the long run.
Rosie Wilby is an award-winning comedian, author and podcaster who has appeared many times on BBC Radio 4 programmes including Woman’s Hour and Four Thought. Her first book Is Monogamy Dead? was longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize and followed a trilogy of solo shows investigating the psychology of love and relationships. Her new book The Breakup Monologues is based on her acclaimed podcast of the same name. She is on Twitter @rosiewilby and Instagram @breakupmonologues
The People vs Big Tech
YouTube, Google, Facebook and Apple are all facing ‘class’ or ‘collective’ actions, where large groups of citizens and consumers band together to seek compensation for wrong doing on a large scale. How effective is this legal route for getting redress and changing the behaviour of these global giants?
Liz Coll is a consumer tech policy expert and campaigner for fairer and safer digital technology. In July 2021, she launched a class action lawsuit against Google on behalf of the 19.5 million UK consumers who have been unfairly overcharged to the tune of £920m in the Google PlayStore. She publishes a regular round up of digital and consumer news at: Connected Consumers
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
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’re going to be learning about the Russian orthodox church, the science behind photo-ID, and why people cheat in relationships.
Be there and be square.
Address: Your living room, or maybe your kitchen. Or that corner of the hallway with the really good internet connection where you seem to live these days. Your choice.
Details: February 17th 2021. The stream will go live at 7pm, with the speakers starting at 7.30pm
Tickets: Early Nerd Tickets £4, General Admission £5, Extra-generous donation to Shine Trust £7.50. All proceeds will be donated to charity. Tickets on sale here
Love Factually
Ever wondered what to look for in a partner, why people cheat or how Covid is impacting our relationships? Join Laura Mucha to find out.
Laura Mucha is an ex-lawyer turned poet and author. Her book Love Factually / We Need to Talk About Love, is the result of ten years of interviews with hundreds of strangers aged 8-95 across every continent, together with extensive academic research. Richard Curtis describes it as “much better and more useful than my film”. Laura has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, WNYC, ABC and Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, and The Guardian describes her as “a fantastic nosy parker”.
Orthodox Christianity in Russia: Pussy Riot, KGB, and actually nobody believes in God
Russian cities are sprinkled with solemn cathedrals that watch you as you walk down the streets minding your own business. Behind the heavy doors you’ll see the ultra-religious babushkas, businessmen, and young women. Dig deeper, and you’ll find a troubled relationship between the church, the state and the people. Many Russians believe that the church cooperates with FSB agents. With the share of believers at an all-time high, practically nobody reads the Bible or attends church regularly. And yet, almost 3 new churches are built every day in Russia. We’ll talk about how Orthodox Christians are a very unhappy group of people and how it is possible to get a prison term of 2 years for singing in a church.
Olga Ponomarenko is a Russian researcher turned computer scientist. She has worked at startups, international monetary institutions, and banks. Her work ranges from coding up mobile apps to developing radio programming, to studying the effects of Russian Orthodoxy on contemporary Russia. She was actually born in Belarus.
Face value: The science behind photo-ID
We use photo-ID to verify our identity in a variety of situations. But research has shown that the process of checking photo-ID, that is unfamiliar face recognition, is surprisingly error-prone. Here we’ll talk about how we might improve photo-ID, or the process of checking it, with insights from psychological science.
Dr Kay Ritchie is a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Lincoln and also heads Lincoln’s Pint of Science team. Kay’s research focusses on human face processing, particularly face recognition.
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