Nerd Nite 15: Nanobots, World Cup Fever, and the Dark Art of Crochet

Sometimes awesome knowledge just won't fit in a catchphrase.

Nerd Nite returns! Join us to Quaff 'N' Learn (TM) with three mind-blowing presentations from your secretly nerdy neighbors....

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“Synthetic Biology: Why Nanites Should be Made of MEAT” by Marshall Vaughan

Nanites, also known as nanobots, nanoids, or nanomites, are microscopic robots! In addition to being super-scientific, they are a favorite trope of sci-fi writers and pundits speculating on functional immortality, smart matter, interstellar travel and much more. Join us for a ludicrous speed overview of this exciting realm of great big tiny possibilities.

Marshall Vaughan is a techie, sysadmin, and hardware hacker who knows how important stuff works - logic bounces off him like bullets.

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“The History of the World Cup, and Why You Should Watch It” By Dave Wasser

The World Cup is the most popular sporting event on the planet. Dave Wasser will talk about the history of this quadrennial tournament, and how the sport of soccer has become a kind of lingua franca of the world.

Dave Wasser is a soccer journalist, archivist, consultant, and historian.

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“Happy Hookers: How Crochet, Hyperbolic Math and Cognitive Science All Knit Together” by Tanya Tarr

While a ball of yarn and a hooked needle often conjure images of rocking chairs, tea cozies and a pile of cats, the art of crochet is a transformer in the world of hobbying as well as mathematics and cognitive science. We'll explore a brief history of the art, how crochet disproves hundreds of years of Euclidean mathematical theory, and explore the biological and cognitive factors behind crochet's therapeutic value.

As if her twittername (@nerdette) doesn't tell you something, Tanya Tarr is a big ole nerd for data mining, fabric arts, food chemistry and the wildflowers of Texas. In her day job, she helps teachers and school employees across Texas, and is writing a book (in her head) called "Becoming Texan: the Memoir of an East-Coast-Carpetbagger-Union-Thug."

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Buffalo Billiards (upstairs) - 201 E. 6th St, Downtown Austin

FREE (21+)

Free billiards and shuffleboard for attendees!

"It's like the Discovery Channel with beer!"