1. The Wreck of the Federal Express by Andy Hilfers
Description: Join us aboard a premiere passenger train service during the height of rail travel, and learn a bit of history, a bit of engineering, and why form over function can get out of hand.”
Bio: Andy Hilfers, local cryptid and aspiring Supervillain henchman, can usually be found buried in too many nerdy hobbies to count. As a former Middle/ High school teacher, he’s helped run 3 tabletop gaming clubs, and will ask if you did the readings. Will be flying across the globe in September to go see some Trams.’
2. Pinball yesterday and today by Parnell Lutz
Description: We’ll look at where pinball started, and how much it changed during the 20th century compared to today. Bio: I’ve always been into fixing electronics and doing projects. When I was older I found pinball through a coworker and the addiction became real. I like working on fixing games, maintaining the games on location and some playing. Prior to the family, I did auto racing and enjoyed car trips and camping. Now I’m just trying to get my kids addicted to pinball and become pro pinball players so I have an excuse to travel with them
3. “POW!” Pictorial Linguistic Blend in Graphic Novels by Minden Anderson
This presentation is an introduction to the concepts of encapsulation, layout, and composition and explores the pictorial linguistic blend — i.e. how authors and illustrators use text and images to create meaning — in graphic novels. Bio: Minden Anderson has a M.A. in English and Rhetoric, and she teaches a course in the study of Graphic Novels, Film, and Radio Drama — both delightful excuses to dig much too deeply into literary mediums she was already going to nerd out about anyway.
Beware the Slides of March! … or not! Join your fellow Northland nerds on Thursday March 28 for a great evening of learning, laughter, and lavender(?).
Nerd Nite Duluth welcomes three presenters to our stage:
Luke Moravec steps in to talk “A Million Miles of Mysteries: the Odometer on the Mystery Machine”
Alison Moffat will introduce many of us to MCU’s most powerful and entertaining avenger in “Eating Nuts & Kicking Butts: Marvel’s Unlikeliest Unbeatable Superhero”
Alexis Elder shares the not-quite-optimal performance and logical conundrums encountered by Generative AI in her presentation “Stanky Bean and the Stochastic Parrot: Understanding Issues in AI”
Doors open at 6:30. Show starts 7:00. Still only 5$
Nerd Nite Before Christmas has come and gone. Super belated followup: thanks to everyone who attended – and some special thanks to the following folks:
Jon Brophy for his technical expertise with audio and cables.
Cheryl Skafte for providing lighting control work and being our eyes in the booth
Elizabeth Brophy and Amber Haglund Pagel for providing musical interludes via bass and bassoon.
Luke, Luke, and Adam are grateful for everyone willing to willingly pitch in and share their skills.
New event in January: Nerd (K)nites of the Round Table at Bent Paddle
We wanted a chance to chat, get feedback, and enjoy each other’s company so we are planning a hangout on Tuesday, January 24 at 5:30 at Bent Paddle. The brewery has a great selection of NA and alcoholic beverage options and allows food deliveries.
Bonus: Trivia Mafia starts at 7:00 p.m.
Marchish Nerd Nite
Umm…. we have narrowed down the next nerd nite to… a Tuesday in March. More details soon!
Real talk: we tried to be normal this time, but we couldn’t resist returning with several Santa sacks worth of nerdy holiday fun. Please join us as we celebrate the season with presentations about holiday gatherings, Netflix Christmas royalty and VERY naughty surgeons (take that, holiday theme!).
Historian Jess McCullough confronts us with an unrecognizable Europe with “Blood and Peppermint: The Implied Geopolitics of the Netflix Christmas Universe (NCU).”
Troy Abfalter takes us on a tour of (OTHER) local holiday lights displays with “Little Sweater-Beard: Magic, Mythology, and Outdoor Holiday Gatherings in Duluth.”
And historian of the macabre Kyra Lemieux gives us sweet, horrible relief from the holiday theming with “Opposite Santa Claus: Scandalous Surgeons of the Georgian Era.”
We’ll round out the evening with door prizes, goofy awards, and a game from gamemasters Alison and Garner Moffat. Also, courtesy of Elizabeth Brophy, we’ll have bassoon!
Doors at 6:30 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m. Still $5. We will see you at Studio4, Historic Duluth Depot!
You are kindly invited to reserve the evening of Tuesday, December 19 for an evening of learning & laughter at Studio4, Duluth Depot. Door at 6:30 & Start at 7:00. We’ll have you out the door before 9:00.
After a long and awkward pandemic hiatus, a small group of Duluthians are exhuming the remains and bringing Nerd Nite back to life. We are happy to present:
Nerd Nite: Back from the Dead!
Prepare for an evening of morbidity on Tuesday, October 24 as we present three presentations that explore demonic domiciles, unearth frightening folk tales, and reach out to our forebears!
With our guide Nathan Payne, we will be treated to vacation slides of a charming Dutch Colonial …. FROM HELL. Get ready to make memories in the “Amityville Multiverse.”
Kelly Florence tells us a bed-time story that we can’t put down in “Nighty Night, Sleep Tight: A Nightmare before Freddy.”
Carolyn Kerns stares into time itself and shares the origins of our fall rituals in “Halloween 101: Meaning Making with our Ancestors.”
and… a trivia game by Perfect Duluth Day’s Trivia Master Alison Klawiter!
Important Things! Remember This
Nerd Nite will be at Studio 4 in the St. Louis County Depot!
