Throw horns for history and rush the stage* for statistics riffs at the bar show where the nerds are the rock stars and smart is punk af.

Cue it up: Three experts. Dozens of cheeky slides. A bar full of former gifted kids gone feral who love special interest deep dives. This is Nerd Nite DC.

*okay maybe just do this in spirit. Nerds are wild creatures who can be easily spooked by sudden movements.

Nerd Nite DC has been DC’s favorite irreverent lecture series since 2009.

Join us for our final show of 2026– we take December off, so this is your last chance to Nerd out with us this year! Your host this month is the ever-fabulous Diva Darling, joined by our three wildly entertaining and wickedly smart speakers giving three must-see talks:

– Laura Darby, “Body of Lies: You’re Fatphobic and You Don’t Even Know It”

Most people think fatphobia is just “being mean to fat people”, but it’s much bigger, older, and more deeply embedded than that. Using research from sociology, psychology, medicine, media studies, and feminist theory, this talk traces how fatness became moralized in Western culture and why thinness became associated with discipline, goodness, desirability, intelligence, and even humanity itself. Anti-fat bias shows up everywhere from healthcare and hiring practices to school bullying, dating culture, social media, fashion, and celebrity discourse, often in ways people genuinely don’t recognize as bias at all.

Laura Darby is a primatologist, conservationist, writer, vocalist, and creator of the Substack “Thick Me Up,” where she writes about fatphobia, body politics, culture, media, and the systems that shape how we think about bodies. She’s particularly interested in how moral panic around bodies gets constructed, reinforced, and monetized, and she has a habit of turning deeply uncomfortable topics into talks that still make people laugh.

– Mara Sherman, “Otzi the Iceman: Copper Age Hottie”

Otzi the Iceman, a naturally formed ice mummy from the Copper Age in the Otzal alps in Italy. He was discovered by hikers in the early 90s, and his discovery has changed our understanding of the copper age in Europe. There’s also an interesting fuck you to MAHA because our man was literally eating a paleo diet and was fit enough to climb the alps and he STILL had atherosclerosis. Oh, and also he was fully murdered!

Mara Sherman is a theater director currently based in Central NY, but her artistic home is DC! 

– navi, “Don’t Trust the Pitch in A432”

The mainstream frequency to which we tune our music is A440, but we’re too punk for that, MAN! But there’s an underground alternative you might not know about: A432. It’s got a ton of lore, but which of it is true? Is it mathematically connected to the Universe? Can listening to A432 meditation tracks on YouTube heal you at the DNA level? Is it a N*zi mind-control tool?? Only by coming to Nerd Nite can you ever know for sure.

navi is one of Nerd Nite DC’s co-producers. They took one year of piano when they were in first grade. They promptly forgot everything. They have been composing digital music in some form and have performed and toured as a nerdcore rap artist for 10+ years.

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DOORS 6PM | 21+

Nerd Nite DC

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Doors open at 6, show at 6:30. Talks are 15 minutes with a 5 minute Q&A, and during the breaks, you can play along in our “alternate talk titles” competition to try to win a free drink on us. It’s rowdy, interactive, and the most fun you’ll have learning something all month.

The show is on the second floor of DC9 and is mostly standing room with limited seating available on a first-come, first served basis.

Nerd Nite DC is produced by Rae Pendergrass, navi, and Diva Darling.