Hello lovely London Nerds. Are you feeling literary? We are!
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. Tonight (June 4th) we’re returning to Stoke Newington Literary Festival where we’ll be learning about Stoics, 19th century London street life and Tarot.
Be there and be square.
Address: The Mildmay Club, 33-34 Newington Green, London, N16 9PR
Details: Saturday June 4th, 8pm.
Tickets: £8 from https://stokenewingtonlitfest.eventcube.io/events/40323/nerd-nite
Vagabonds: Life on the streets of 19th century London
Our historical view of London has been filtered through chroniclers such as Dickens, who did not come from poverty. In this talk, Oskar will show us the 19th century London from the perspective of beggars and thieves, musicians and missionaries, porters and hawkers and sex workers and street criers.
Oskar Jensen’s chief area of research is cantology – the study of song. He specialises in ‘vernacular’ song in 18–19th century Britain. Oskar is a Senior Research Associate in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies at the University of East Anglia, working on a study of English protest song from 1600 to the present day. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Vagabonds.
How to control the uncontrollable
Can ancient Greek philosophy help us navigate modern-day life? Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy which originated around 300 BC. It focuses on self-control, developing a good character, and increasing personal knowledge and wisdom. Stoicism is not usually associated with fun and accessibility, but this presentation will explore the core concepts and provide ways for you to live a more Stoically enabled life.
When Ben Aldridge is not writing about practical philosophy, you can find him climbing mountains, learning Japanese, running marathons, solving Rubik’s cubes and sleeping in unusual places.
Tarot Tales
We are all built from stories. Coming back to consider what story we are telling can be a wonderfully creative way to encourage self-awareness. Tarot’s characters, symbols and images prompt focused reflections, helping us to form a language around how we feel, empowering us to step out of the centre of the story and remember we are writing it.
Sophie Bickerstaff is a Therapeutic Tarot practitioner and trainee therapist who combines psychology with the mystical world of Tarot to help people consider, reflect on and communicate their inner worlds. Her work explores the power of storytelling in our pursuit of self awareness and the way we can use this tool to empower ourselves within our mental, emotional and physical lives.
More information about Nerd Nite London can be found by following us on Twitter @nerdnitelondon, liking us on Facebook at nerdnitelondon or visiting london.nerdnite.com. See some of our past speakers on our YouTube channel
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 April we’re going to be learning about bringing stuff back from Mars, whether we should trust the chemical industry and what typefaces taste like.
Be there and be square.
Address: The Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL / Online
Details: Wed 20 April 2022. Doors open at 7PM, event starts at 7.30PM.
The online stream* will go live at 7:15PM, with the speakers starting at 7.30PM and will be available for around 24 hours. Tickets available here
The chemical industry… friend or foe?
The chemical industry has given us some fantastic things integral to everyday life, but of course it is time for change! A summary of the steps being taken to better the industry, as we all strive towards a greener future. But is it too little, too late? And perhaps a moment for self-reflection? Is it sufficient to simply recycle your spent juice bottle or refill your coffee cup at your local Starbucks?
The war on plastic or a war on consumer behaviour? A 101 guide (albeit a brief one) on what’s necessary and how get there.
Josh Murray has previously worked for chemical giant, INEOS, and is now a Chemical Trader working in London.
What the Font?
What do fonts sound or taste like? And what might they reveal about your personality?
Expect an interactive experience, and have a drink in hand! *The interactive nature of this talk is best experienced in-person, so do bear with us if you’re watching online.
Sarah Hyndman is the founder of Type Tasting. She uses typography to create unique experiences that transform what people think and feel. She’s the author of books including Why Fonts Matter and How to Draw Type and Influence People. Sarah is chef Heston Blumenthal’s “font science expert”.
Follow Sarah on Twitter and Instagram @TypeTasting, and visit her website www.typetasting.com
Mars Sample Return Mission… daring the impossible
Landing on the Moon is one thing, but landing on Mars, drilling samples and then launching those samples off the Martian surface back to Earth for analysis is bordering on science fiction… however it will soon become reality!
This talk will take a deep dive into the NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return Mission and will discuss some of the crazy technological developments needed to pull off one of the 21st century’s most daring missions.
Jordan Murray is a Propulsion Architect for the Mars Sample Return Earth-Return-Orbiter Spacecraft at Airbus Space, Stevenage. His background includes rocket engine development and nuclear (and no surprise… is a space nerd).
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 at nerdnitelondon or visiting london.nerdnite.com. See some of our past speakers on our YouTube channel. For more information about The Shine Trust visit shinetrust.org.uk
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
NERD NITE MARCH- UPDATE
Unfortunately due to everything that’s going on we’ve decided to cancel the March event at Backyard Bar. We are sorry for the disappointment, but it’s not all over; we’re hard at work with our speakers figuring out how to run the event as a livestream. We’ll have the same talks, questions and a chance to chat with fellow nerds and we’d love for you to join us. Our goal is to recreate the spirit of Nerd Nite – i.e learning and drinking – but online. We’ll be in touch soon with more details. We might be asking you to wear thematically appropriate hats, design a cocktail to drink during the talks or we might run a dry t-shirt competition. Online participation – as with in person interaction – will be entirely voluntary.
Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter or our mailing list for details on this and future events: https://london.nerdnite.com/contact/. We’ll let you know about April’s event in the coming weeks.
See you online, and keep washing your hands!
The Nerd Nite London team
NERD 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 March we’re finding out why drugs aren’t all bad, what life is like when you can’t recognise faces and how swearing can be good for you.
Be there and be square.
Address: The Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL
Details: March 18th, 2020
Tickets: Early Nerd Tickets £6, General Admission £7.50, Extra-generous donation to Shine Trust £10
Doors Open At 7pm, Event Starts: 7.30pm.
Bar Opens At 5pm.
Talk Yourself Better
Pharmaceutical drugs have a bad rap. Critics often ask the question: ‘Why can’t depressed people just have therapy instead?’ This talk will provide the answer and explain why psychotropic drugs are still a much-needed and valid treatment. It will also explore the downsides of meds, and discuss the importance of advocating for yourself and doing your own research.
Ariane Sherine was a journalist (Guardian, Sunday Times) and created the Atheist Bus Campaign (the ‘Probably No God’ ads on buses) before having a full-scale nervous breakdown. These days she’s on three psychotropic drugs, and what she doesn’t know about them could be written on the side of an olanzapine tablet.
I Always Forget A Face
Face blindness (a.k.a. Prosopagnosia) affects 2% of the population – and most of those who have it may not actually know that they do. If you’ve ever found yourself embarrassed by not remembering who someone is, it could be you. I’ll be giving examples, showing you how to tell if you have it, what you can do about it, and explaining how I nearly bought the wrong blonde in a pub her dinner.
Until he had a stroke 4 years ago, Bruce had never heard of Prosopagnosia. Since acquiring it, he’s been the subject of several research studies and is a now an active member of Face Blind UK. Please say who you are when you meet him, otherwise he won’t have a clue. Favourite item of clothing? Name badges.
Swearing is Good for You
With f-bombs and footnotes, Dr Emma Byrne will arm you with the science of swearing. Learn how to use it to kill pain, bond teams, and deal with all the shit going on right now. Armed with copious research receipts, she’ll make the case that you – yes you – really should give a fuck. This is a follow-up to Emma’s 2018 Nerd Nite talk featuring new material on gender, civility, and protest
Dr Emma Byrne is an AI researcher and computational neuroscientist. Her work includes building a robot to do genomics research, and an agent to play video games, making hundreds of doctoral students redundant at a stroke. She’s the author of ‘Swearing is Good for You’ and regularly appears on national and international radio on the subjects of swearing and robotics.
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, 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
NERD 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 January we learn about the science skills of pigeons, whether uranium is more ballet or disco, and why we should add space junk to our list of things to worry about. Be there and be square.
Address: The Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL
Details: 15 January 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.
Citizen Scientists of the Sky
Today you’ve probably seen upwards of a hundred pigeons on the streets of London. And you’ve probably ignored them. But did you know that these beautiful birds with superior powers of navigation are also esteemed avian academics who deserve our respect? Could these “rats with wings” even do a better job than scientists? Find out how science has evolved over the centuries to a world where we can all be involved in research (including pigeons) and how we’ve got to the stage where playing games on your phone during your commute has the potential to cure HIV.
Jenny Chapman is a keen amateur ornithologist and unapologetic pigeon fancier with an interest in how science and society interact and overlap (and try to get on, but occasionally argue about who is going to put the bins out). She has a degree in Biology, a Masters in Evolutionary Genetics and splits her time between hula hooping and environmental activism.
Space Junk – The Threat Hanging Over Our Heads
Outer space can often feel completely disconnected from daily life but in fact we rely on satellites everyday. Whilst space is big, it’s getting crowded with an increasing amount of space junk orbiting the Earth. This talk looks at why you should be worried about space junk and what we can do to solve it.
Harriet Brettle is a business analyst at Astroscale where she is working to develop a commercial solution to the threat of space debris. She is a co-founder of the London Space Network, organising monthly networking events to strengthen the UK space community.
Dance like an Electron: Using the electrons and energy levels in a selection of elements to choreograph a dance
Each element has a different number of electrons dancing around in it, corresponding to its number in the periodic table. As the number of electrons get bigger, the element needs more energy levels to make space for these hyperactive subatomic particles, and some of those energy levels or orbitals get rather crowded – like a packed dance floor around 3 a.m. We’re going to look at the way that electrons move around the nucleus of a selection of elements and create our own Nerd Dance Troupes.
Kay Scorah is a lapsed biochemist and advertising person, leadership and communications consultant, inventor of the Essex Road Recipe project, writer of a blog (warning, not for the easily offended) and occasional standup and theatre performer. She has run her own business, havemorefUnlimited for 32 years.
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, 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 November we ask is monogamy dead? How we can use maths to plan better parties? And how was King Shulgi different from the rest of the Third Dynasty of Ur?
Address: The Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL
Details: 20 November 2019
Tickets: Early Nerd Tickets £6, General Admission £7.50. Tickets available here
Doors Open At 7pm, Event Starts: 7.30pm. Bar Opens At 5pm.
Is Monogamy Dead?
In many surveys, around 50 percent of people confess to cheating. So, if you’re in a monogamous relationship and you’re not cheating … you’d better look closely at your partner! Comedian, writer and broadcaster Rosie Wilby unpacks some of the surprising results of her own survey that she conducted as research for her first book Is Monogamy Dead? Are we all a bit more polyamorous than we admit? She also discusses new relationship terminology and ponders why lesbians divorce at a much faster rate than gay men.
Rosie Wilby is an award-winning comedian who has appeared many times on BBC Radio 4 programmes including Woman’s Hour and Four Thought, TV programmes including Good Morning Britain and at festivals including Latitude and Glastonbury. Her book Is Monogamy Dead? was shortlisted for the Diva Literary Awards 2017 and longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize 2018. Rosie also presents The Breakup Monologues podcast, which has been recommended by Chortle, The Observer, Metro and Time Out. Twitter: @rosiewilby Insta: @breakupmonologues
Your New Favourite Ancient Tyrant
All kings of the Third Dynasty of Ur were the same, right? Wrong. King Shulgi wasn’t like the rest. They just made ziggurats and huge libraries of cuneiform clay tablets. Okay, Shulgi did all of that too, but he did something else besides – and 1500 years before the ancient Greeks.
Andy Riley is an Emmy-winning comedy writer whose credits include Year of The Rabbit, Veep, Black Books, Armstrong and Miller, Little Britain, Tracey Ullman’s Show and Smack The Pony. He’s also a cartoonist whose books include the Bunny Suicides series and Great Lies to Tell Small Kids (all for grownups) and the King Flashypants series (for children).
Let’s have a maths party
Not everyone would immediately think of maths as a key component of party planning. This talk looks at how mathematical thinking can be applied to help solve problems in our everyday life, including the planning of weddings and special occasions.
Zoe Griffiths is a mathematician who began her career talking about maths as a classroom maths teacher. She is now a maths communicator, presenting to audiences in schools and at science festivals with Think Maths. Zoe dabbles in comedy and recently performed at Robin Ince’s Christmas variety show ‘Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People’. Twitter: @ZoeLGriffiths
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
