Nerd Nite is a monthly-ish informal gathering at which nerds get together for nerdery of all sorts (well, mostly presentations and drinking). Nerds and non-nerds alike gather to meet, drink and learn something new.

Shows take place at the DC9 Nightclub the 2nd Saturday of every month. We do special events from time to time with local institutions.

If you would like to be notified of upcoming events, follow our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, or sign up for our mailing list.

Interested in giving a Nerd Nite talk?!

Almost any nerdy topic is fair game. The only real requirement is enthusiasm! To get the ball rolling, send us a message with a brief description of your idea for a talk.

Next Nerd Nite:

Date: Saturday, March 14
Time: 6:30pm
Location: DC9 Nightclub
Tickets: HERE
Topics:

• “Dammed Commies: How Singing, Roller-Skating Beavers Destroyed the Federal Theater” by Alan Katz
• “Nearly Extinct Frogs and How to Stalk Them” by Blake Klocke
• “How to Win a War With Balloon Animals: The Ghost Army of World War II” by Taylor Winkleman, sometimes called The Dogtor

Learn more>

DC9 Nightclub
DOORS: 6:00PM
$10 – TICKETS HERE
21+

“Dammed Commies: How Singing, Roller-Skating Beavers Destroyed the Federal Theater” by Alan Katz

Summary: Once upon a time, the federal government directly produced theater, and it was some of the best around. A revolutionary children’s musical and a misguided invitation changed all that, leading to the foundations of McCarthyism, the demise of federally-funded theater, and some sick, sick burns. And I will tell you who’s to blame.

Bio: Alan is a theater producer, director, and performer for The Arcanists and Shakespeare in the Pub. He’s a critic for DC Theater Scene and a punk ass book jockey for the world’s largest museum. He’s @dcdramaturg most places. Fun fact: when he was 16, he was offered a position to stay in Mexico indefinitely as a Pentecostal prophet. He refused, but only because he liked school too much.

“Nearly Extinct Frogs and How to Stalk Them” by Blake Klocke

Summary: A sperm-looking fungus has wiggled its flagella towards driving amphibians (frogs & toads, salamanders, and caecilians <- google it) towards extinction around the globe.  At least 501 species have experienced declines due to the amphibian chytrid fungus.  Harlequin frogs of Central and South America have been amongst the hardest hit, 30 species of Harlequin frogs are feared to be extinct.  The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project was formed to prevent the extinction of Harlequin frogs in Panama by establishing populations in captivity through captive breeding.  I’ll share with you the stories (miracles, heart wrenching moments, and optimism for the future) of reintroducing and radio tracking critically endangered half-dollar sized frogs in the rainforests of Panama for more than 100 field days.

Bio: Blake is an animal nerd, cyclist, podcast enthusiast, and PhD student.  His future goals are conserve species on the edge of existence, disseminate knowledge of the natural world and the crisis it faces, and to assist people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter the field of conservation biology.  One time he was on the beltway with a sloth in the car.

“How to Win a War With Balloon Animals: The Ghost Army of World War II” by Taylor Winkleman, sometimes called The Dogtor

Summary: Nerd Nite alum and perennial weirdo Taylor Winkleman is at it again, bringing you history that is fun, strange, and interactive. There are a lot of unsung heroes in the world, and while it seems strange to say it, some members of The Greatest Generation(TM) are unsung as well. Come learn why the United States Army went to Parsons to recruit for a Top Secret WWII unit, their connection to the worst movie of 2019, and what any of this has to do with balloon animals.

Bio: Taylor is a California native with a doctorate in veterinary medicine, a masters in public health policy, and a never-ending quest to learn the weirdest bits of history. Last time she appeared on this stage, she talked about epidemiology in 18th-century Crimea and set the stage on literal fire, so it makes perfect sense that we’re talking about balloon animals in world war 2 today. When she’s not learning weird history, you can find her spending her leisure time training at the trapeze school as an amateur circus artist and aerialist- and be sure to check out her show, Friday March 20th at 8pm, tickets available on the TSNY website.

DC9 Nightclub
DOORS: 6:00PM
$10 – TICKETS HERE
21+

“Battle of the Sexes: the Surprising Complicated Sex Lives of Animals” by Sara Nemati

Summary: Mating isn’t easy in the animal kingdom! Males want to spread their seeds, females want good dads with strong genes. But there’s more to the story. From curly duck penises to sperm scoopers to flatworm penis fencing, all is fair in love and war. Learn about the surprisingly complicated sex lives of the animal kingdom and how the battle of the sexes still rages on today.

Bio: Sara Nemati is a biology teacher at Montgomery County Public Schools and likes to nerd out on science books on the side. You may remember her from the 10 Weirdest Mammals. Fun fact about me: I have a Jack Russell terrier mix that knows over a dozen tricks.

“How to lose a girl in two standard deviations – an analysis of women in STEM roles in romantic comedies,” by Veronica Carlan

Summary: Ever thought about how women are often portrayed in roles that are less technical than men? Especially leading ladies? Especially in movies targeting female audiences, like rom-coms? In this talk, we will learn about the basic structure for a rom-com, see a statistical analysis of women being disproportionately represented in non-STEM roles in rom-coms, and learn how Hollywood (are you listening, Spielberg?) could change the recipe to incorporate more diversified and technical roles for women.

Bio: Veronica is a math and statistics professor at Northern Virginia Community College, as well as a part-time data scientist at Elder Research. (So it’s pretty safe to call her a nerd.) When she’s not sculpting the minds of America’s youth, she can be found with her main man, Bongo the Shepherd, on some of Virginia’s best trails.

“Fertile and flirty: Menstrual cycle influences on behavior (or how, if for some forsaken reason you’re using the rhythm method, you’re your own worst enemy)” by Liz Necka

Summary: Despite what your friend who got pregnant in high school said, it is incredibly rare to conceive from a single act of sex alone. So rare that, without intervention, it’d be hard to keep up reproduction at a rate sufficient to continue the species. Enter evolutionary forces: animals have evolved to behave and appear in ways that make it more likely that they’ll get their freak on at the right (wrong??) time. But these forces are in play even when our own goals are not in line with our biological imperative to reproduce, and when we’re engaging in behavior that can’t directly do anything to advance our species. In this talk, we’ll explore these behavioral adaptations in humans and other animals, how they affect our social world, and importantly (if you have ovaries or are person who has sex with someone with ovaries), how to keep yourself in check (or lean in) when your body really wants to fulfill its duty to the human race.

Bio: Liz is a social neuroscientist from the University of Chicago who studies how biology shapes (and is shaped by) how we perceive, behave towards, and react to other individuals. She’s a social and behavioral science advocate, a science policy enthusiast, and a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow. Outside of work, Liz can be found lindy hopping, nerdy-gaming, or hiking with her 120 lb dog. Her current project is trying to convince her husband that ferrets are cute and that she should have one in their home.