Nerd Nite DC

Online: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/j/95599572800?pwd=RVNJWWY5d0hBS1I4SVE1QXRlTEV2QT09
Meeting ID: 955 9957 2800
Password: 939397
6:30 PM
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“The Stickiest of the Icky: Collecting Animal Semen for Fun and Profit” by Ian Booth

Summary: The common wisdom holds that it is wrong to jack off a pet or cock-tease a farm animal. But one person’s bestiality is another person’s treasure, and animal semen is a major player in the global economy and conservation efforts.  I’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of the human relationship with animal sperm, ranging from the profitable (more than $200 million in exports of bull semen last year) to the environmental (the peregrine falcon, saved by a sex hat), with stop offs at the just plain weird.  If you’ve ever enjoyed a pork chop, cheese, or a trip to the zoo, you’ve benefited from this sticky business.

Bio: Ian’s experience with sperm goes all the way back to mid-1984, when he was one.  He eventually got much bigger, lost the tail, and left North Carolina for the Peace Corps.  He would go on to become a Jeopardy! champion and the only person ever chased out of not one, but two 19th century naval fiction fan clubs.

“On Nipple Toothed Pachyderms: American degeneracy and the fossil record of elephants” by Advait Jukar

Summary: What do fossils have to do with the spirit of America? Were the French right about a degenerate fauna in the west? What the heck are nipple teeth? I will be answering these questions and will take you on a journey through the fascinating fossil history of elephants and their kin.

Bio: Advait is a Deep Time Fellow at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and studied the structure of ancient ecosystems, megafaunal extinctions, and the evolution of elephants and horses. Before Advait studied fossils, he studied mildly toxic frogs on a mountain in Korea.

PLUS: A Very Special Presentation by Nerd Nite Co-Boss Kali Holder!

Nerd Nite is Back Online!

NERRRRRRDS! Things are weird right now. Really weird. So please let us put a little consistent nerdery in your life. That’s right, it’s Nerd Nite Online! PART 2: Nerd Nite Strikes Back. This Saturday, April 11, at 6:30pm, join two Nerd Nite Juggernauts for the sequels of some absolute all-time favorite presentations. Just check out this lineup:

“The Law of Star Wars Strikes Back” by Thomas Harper (at 6:30pm)

Summary: Star Wars: Most sane people watch it for the epic lightsaber duels, space battles, and (obviously) Baby Yoda. But have you ever wondered whether Han Solo was legally justified to shoot first, or if the Mandalorian could lawfully go around disintegrating bounties?  Probably not, but join Army JAG attorney Major Thomas Harper as he returns to Nerd Nite DC to break down all the most important legal issues from the galaxy far far away.
Bio: Thomas Harper is a massive Star Wars fan who also happens to be an Army JAG attorney. When he isn’t attempting to reenact A Few Good Men, Thomas blogs and podcasts for The Legal Geeks, where he uses Star Wars to teach about legal topics. He regularly shares his love of Star Wars on the national stage, and has presented at San Diego Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, WonderCon, and DragonCon.

“More of Your COVID 19 Questions Answered” by Taylor Winkleman (at 7:15pm)
Bio: In addition to being 100% “that know-it-all bitch” (it says this on her PhD), Dr. Taylor Winkleman is a veterinarian and global health security expert who moonlights as a writer and is developing a science-based podcast with her scientist friends. (Check out her podcast here!) And Saturday, she’s putting her disease expertise to good use once again: yours!

Saturday, April 11. 6:30pm. On Zoom, right from our homepage.
We will never stop Nerding.

One last thing! Our friends at DC9 could use your help. This event is totally free, but please consider donating the usual ticket price (10 smackoos) to the best Nerd Nite hosts in the universe (DC9) by clicking here: DONATE TO DC9

We can’t wait to see you (social-distantly)!
Click here to join us! (Password: 017514)

#NeverStopNerding