From archaic brain circulation seesaws to Neuralink brain implants, neuroscience has a long and diverse history of creative—and sometimes outlandish—approaches for measuring the human brain and its activity. Although not all approaches worked, even the strangest among them got us to where we are today… In this talk, Prof. Voytek will sample some of the weirder approaches that have been developed for studying the human brain, discussing his research with mini-brains grown in human dishes to working with people implanted with permanent brain stimulators.
Danielle Gaffen
Title: Decoding Your Diet: Personalizing Your Plate with Nutrigenetics, Nutrigenomics, and Microbiome Science
From the earliest feasts to futuristic foods, the quest for the perfect plate has evolved. Today, it’s not just about the power-packed provisions that propel health or the savory selections that shield against sickness. The real spice lies in the dynamic interplay between our genetic blueprint and the bustling community of microbes residing within us – our microbiome. Gear up for a feast of knowledge, sprinkled with fun, and discover the fine dining experience designed by precision nutrition for your body.
Nicholas Peters
Title: Pokémeh: Design Oddities in the Pokémon World
Pokémon continues to be the very best in terms of the world’s top performing media franchises, but for every proverbial Hyper Beam the brand unleashes on popular culture, there have been several storied not-so-super effective moves. With particular mind to art, narrative, and game design, we’ll catch some of Pokémon’s most hilarious, fascinating, and head-scratching controversies; including dashed evolutionary dreams, monsters that can’t sit, game breaking miscalculations, and a quest so inaccessible, it’s downright shocking.
In the 2020 finale, we talked Math! Like really rad, sexy math and geometry. We also learned about secret codes in textiles!
“The Spies Who Stitched Me”
by Czarina Salido & Francis French
Codes, spies, needles, and intrigue! Did knitting change the outcome of a war? In the world of textiles, codes can refer to the ancient origins of the modern computer codes that deeply affect our everyday lives. But there are stories of other, hidden codes in textiles… codes used by spies that may have changed the outcome of wars or helped people escape persecutors. Delve into this mysterious history with Francis French, science educator (and textile photographer on books such as The Techniques of Indian Embroidery), and Czarina Salido, Director of Taking Up Space, currently teaching Native American girls about coding.
Bios: Czarina Salido is the Director of Taking Up Space, a program that inspires the next generation of explorers through mentoring and awarding Native American girls scholarships to Space Camp, while introducing girls to fun, hands-on experiences that help to facilitate a high level of self confidence and interest in STEM-related areas.
Francis French is an author and educator with international experience in relating science, engineering, music, astronomy, art, and wildlife to general audiences through classes, workshops, public speaking, television and documentary productions. He is the author of numerous bestselling history books, and a keynote speaker at conferences.
“Unsolved Math Mysteries at Burning Man”
by Satyan Devadoss
Brilliant, cutting-edge ideas are all around us: Beyoncé and music, quantum computing and physics, vaccines and biology, Hamilton and theatre. But when it comes to math, many think of it as a pile of formulas and equations that is painful but useful, like a root canal. In reality, mathematics is filled with mysteries and wonders that can bring joy to anyone, much like ice cream.
This talk is about one of these revolutionary ideas, whose origins date back 500 years to the Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer. We discuss Dürer’s puzzle and play with higher-dimensional cubes, all of which inspired the creation of a 2-ton sculpture at Burning Man. This talk is open for all ages, especially suited to those who absolutely love or absolutely hate math.
Bio: Before becoming the Fletcher Jones Professor of Applied Mathematics at USD, Satyan Devadoss was a professor at Williams for nearly 15 years, and has held visiting positions at Ohio State, UC Berkeley, Harvey Mudd, and Stanford. He is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, and recipient of two national teaching awards, whose thoughts have appeared in venues such as NPR, the Times of London, the Washington Post, and Forbes. His work explores the structure of shape, and its intersection with origami, painting, architecture, genetics, and design. He is a satisfactory father to four children and married to a queen.
Nerd Nite SD are actively increasing the participation and representation of women scientists in science communication. In 2017, only 12% of NNSD presenters were female. By 2019, the number of female speakers more than doubled (29%) and in 2020, the male-female presenter ratio was 60% vs. 40%. Our goal for 2021 is to reach equal representation of male and female presenters on NNSD!
Female scientists are encourage to nominate themselves or other female scientists to present their work at Nerd Nite SD! Contact
When it comes to creatures living in the waters, you might have all the questions! The answer lies in the icosahedron! This August, we’re brining you three biology nerds who each nerd out on a unique aspect of marine or freshwater habitat. What are oysters and mussels up to when they think no one is watching? In his marine peepshow, Luke Miller, who spends his time squatting on the rocky shore or in the mud sticking sensors on animals, reveals what makes intertidal communities thrive or fail. How do flatworms re-grow lost body parts?Ricardo Zayasuses freshwater planarians (flatworms) as models to study the molecular basis underlying tissue regeneration. And Ric DeSantiago, a.k.a. DaHood Scientist, “takes the hood to science and brings science to the hood” and helps us understand relationships among intertidal communities!
August speakers:
Luke Miller “Prying into the private lives of oysters and mussels”
To most people, shellfish like oysters and mussels are just rocks with food inside, And frankly, we’re not going to quibble with that viewpoint. But before they arrive on your dinner table, those animals spend years stuck to rocks, piers, boats, or each other, and they make their living sucking up whatever happens to be floating by in the water. It’s not a glamorous life by any measure, but mussels and oysters are doing their part to keep our bays and coasts lively and productive, while avoiding all sorts of threats to their survival. We’re going to take a peek into what they’re doing when they think no one is watching, and try to gain insight into why they flourish or fail.
Bio: Luke Miller spends a lot of time squatting on the rocky shore or in the mud, where he attempts to stick sensors on animals and keep seawater out of sensitive electronics. When not quarantined at home, he spends large chunks of time sitting in an office at San Diego State University where he is an assistant professor of biology, or running around keeping a small child and wife entertained.
Measuring tide pool water chemistry parameters in Sitka Alaska, January 2019
L: Sarah Mastroni, C: Luke Miller, R: Genevieve Bernatchez
Ric DeSantiago “Inter ecosystem connectivity through marine subsidies: Foodwebs don’t care about your boundaries!”
As ecologists, we tend to focus our specific ecosystems and how organisms within those systems interact with each other and the environment. The more we study these interactions, the better we understand the predator-prey and grazer-plant that make up the foodwebs in our systems. But nature doesn’t care about our definition of an “ecosystem” or where we draw the boundaries. So, if we want to understand the natural world, we need to be the fish who jumps out of the water and explores the land. This is the story of the lessons I learned when I was invited to explore South Coronado Island.
Bio: Ric DeSantiago is a PhD student in the Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology at San Diego State University and University of California, Davis. He works with Dr. Jeremy Long and is a proud member of the #longlabmafia. Ric broadly studies coastal communities and is interested in the connectivity between sea and land. His current research looks at the impact of the invasive seaweed, Sargassum horneri, on rocky coastal communities as it washes ashore. Ric likes to use art in the form of cartoons and short film to communicate science and is always down to nerd out over beers.
Ricardo Zayas “Regaining a sense of touch: lessons from flatworms”
Have you ever wondered if worms can feel gentle touches or feel pain when baiting fishhooks? Animals rely on sensory systems to physically interact with the environment. Specialized cells allow us and worms to detect light, vibrations, temperature, smell chemicals, or feel touch. Impaired sensations can be quite debilitating or dangerous. My lab uses freshwater planarians, flatworms with the remarkable ability to replace injured tissues, to study how animals can regenerate sensory cells. Tune in to learn about how our work should offer insights into genetic mechanisms underpinning sensory cell repair, function, and disease.
Bio: Dr. Ricardo Zayas was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Ricardo moved to the mainland to earn his B.S. in Biology from Fairfield University (1993). Motivated by a long-standing commitment to social justice and teaching, he volunteered as a science and math teacher at Loyola High School, a school predominantly addressing the needs of under-served male African Americans in Detroit, MI. Ricardo earned his Ph.D. in Biology from Tufts University (2003) and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois where he studied stem cell biology and tissue regeneration in planarians. Planarians are really cool (and cute) organisms that are capable of regenerating lost body parts from very small body pieces from a population of adult pluripotent stem cells. Ricardo joined San Diego State in 2008, where he runs a research program using planarians as a model to investigate molecular and signaling pathways underlying regeneration of the nervous system.
Watch Dr. Zayas talk about flatworms replicating own cells to grow parts of their body:
We had an excellent line-up for our July virtual event and the topics could not have been more diverse! Sarah Shoffler gave us some important tips on how to find sustainable seafood in San Diego, Tim Slattery told us what our eye movements while reading reveal about our mind, and Anthony Kiefer took us on a tour of our celestial neighborhood! All that amazing science in one night and FOR FREE! You came, you thought, you drank!
Join our email list to receive the invitation each month: HERE
Sarah Shoffler “What is Sustainable Seafood and How to Find it in Three Easy Steps”
Americans are scared of seafood! Sarah will give the audience enthusiasm and confidence in buying, and maybe even cooking, seafood. The dominant narrative is that our oceans are going to hell in a handbasket and that it’s the fault of those extracting from it. Plus, cooking seafood is scary – Is it fresh? How do I cook it? What the hell would I do with a whole fish if I knew where to get one? What are all these certifications at the Whole Foods counter? Did this fish die happy? She’ll answer these questions by explaining some broad facts about where our seafood comes from, the challenges of getting US or local seafood and why “US-caught” is its own sustainability label, along with the scientific and legal bases for that information.
Sarah’s Bio: Sarah M. Shoffler is a seafood enthusiast, foodie philosopher, and a fishery biologist for NOAA Fisheries. She loves writing about issues on the cusp of science and seafood and anything about our food community. When she’s not supporting San Diego’s homegrown or harvested foods and drinks, you can find her hiking with her husband, Eric, and pooch, Taco. The information and any views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of NOAA.
Anthony Kiefer “Us In Space”
A tour of the celestial neighborhood, because we need a vacation from Earth for a minute.
Anthony’s Bio: Anthony Kiefer is a lifelong space nut, and even guided tours at Lowell Observatory! He is currently attending Northern Arizona University to just get an Astronomy degree already (not astrology!!!)
Tim Slattery “Eye Movements as a Window to the Mind”
Ever lost your car keys, searched for them for hours only to find them in a location you already searched? Did that feel like a strange trick of the mind? Cognitive scientists study human eye movements in order to understand the mental processes behind everyday tasks, like visual search, reading, and navigation. Come learn how and why we move our eyes and what we can learn from these movements about the way our mind works. We’ll take a look at the state of the art of eye tracking technology, what it’s capable of, and what the future holds as eye trackers become embedded in our personal devices.
Tim’s Bio: Tim Slattery is a sci-fi fan, puzzle game enthusiast, monocular nerd, high-school wrestler, and father to two crazy boys. He sings in the car and doesn’t care who is watching at the stoplights. After completing his PhD in Cognitive Psychology at University of Massachusetts, Tim went on to research visual cognition at UCSD. Tim is currently based at Bournemouth University, UK.
Dr Steven Snyder “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe”
How my quest for a telescope, a trip to the Guggenheim and a pile of bricks brought me to a surprising realization. Science does more than just provide explanations; it fundamentally warps the way you experience the world around you.
Steve’s Bio: Steve received his first pair of coke-bottle thick bifocals at the tender age of three. Within six months they were held together by generous wads of masking tape and it’s been downhill ever since. He has been custodial crew for a day school, a fruit fly farmer for a biological lab and has amassed way more math credits than is psychologically healthy. Today he serves as President and CEO of the Fleet Science Center where he spends his days harassing his staff with crazy ideas for new ways to lure the unsuspecting into the wonderful world of science.
Matthew Gates “Plague Breaker: Half a Billion Years of Plant Warfare”
Plants have had a very longstanding and fundamental interaction with many organisms since before they colonized land. Today’s descendants have evolved complex defenses and collaborative symbioses, and understanding this deadly dance between enemy and ally can be the key to food security, medical innovation, and new technology. This presentation will cover some of the unique and interesting ways that plant life has fundamentally changed and what the implications are for humans looking to work with nature to provide resources sustainably.
Matthew’s Bio: Matthew Gates is an Integrated Pest Management Specialist and science communicator on YouTube channel Zenthanol, operating an agricultural consulting organization by the same name. For the last decade, he has worked with agricultural organizations to improve the management of pests in an environmentally sustainable way through educating staff about the use of biocontrol agents and other new techniques that rely on a multifaceted holistic approach.
Dr. Jeremy Long “How to homebrew a marine lab during a lockdown”
My research group started an 8-week experiment at our marine lab on March 6th. Two weeks later, San Diego closed its beaches and banned non-essential travel. Despite what my mom would have you believe; marine biologists are not typically considered “essential employees”. Also, finding basic supplies during this pandemic has been impossible (knows anyone who tried to buy t.p. in March or flour in April). Because I was determined to complete our study, I persuaded SDSU to label me essential, convinced lifeguards and cops to let me collect organisms, and Macgyvered a marine lab in my garage with duct tape, cinder blocks, and baking soda. This is a story about the quest for truth amidst a pandemic.
Bio: I am a marine biologist that has never extracted a golf ball from a whale’s blowhole. I will fight you if you try to convince me that charismatic megafauna are cooler than invertebrates. My unscientific quarantine time includes taking online dancehall and afro-dance classes. Because hip hop influenced my research, the acknowledgement sections of my papers include shout outs to Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Del tha Funky Homosapien.
More cool videos about how researchers study the endangered black abalone:
Dr. Jessica Barlow “A Sage Model for Helping to Make the World a Better Place”
I’ll be talking about how science — and all fields — can be applied in an interdisciplinary way to tackle pressing local issues through massively-scaled city-university partnerships. It’s a win-win-win-win for students, instructors, local governments, and communities.
Bio: Jessica is a professor in the School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at San Diego State University (SDSU). She is a linguist by training and her research program addresses why people sound funny by focusing on phonology, language acquisition, and speech sound disorders. Completely unrelated to this, and because she seems to think that she is just not doing enough, Jessica also serves as the executive director of the Center for Regional Sustainability at SDSU, where she oversees programming that addresses social, economic, and environmental challenges of the San Diego-Tijuana region. She also really likes birds.
Watch more about Jessica’s awesome work on local sustainability here:
Kameroun Mares“The Development of Honey Bees, Hives and Genetics”
In my talk, I will be covering the development of honey bees (Apis Mellifera) and their colony structure, touching upon the critical ecological impact of the species, referencing the genetic concerns of the San Diego Beekeeping Society work with western queen breeding.
Kameroun currently majors in Molecular and Cellular Biological Sciences. She is a well-known member of the San Diego Beekeeping Society, being considered a professional Beekeeper in regard to hive removal, re-queening and care. Additionally, she assists with the modernizing of society members, developing a larger online and social presence geared towards the expansion of the society and support for the proper handling and care of bees.
Lisa Rivera “The science behind disappearing bees”
Society has become more disconnected to the basic practices that have sustained us since the beginning of civilization. Many are oblivious to the dangers and causes of their disappearance, without realizing that they too play a huge part. In this presentation, Lisa discussed how lucky we are in San Diego to keep bees with our Mediterranean climate, and how San Diego can be the leader of change in the way the U.S deals with bees and the balance of our ecosystem.
Lisa’s Bio:
I graduated from Crawford complex school of Law and business. Worked selling all kinds of Insurance for 4 years. I have been a beekeeper for 4 years. I own a wildlife management company in which we perform live bee removal and relocation since 2018. I am currently studying for a Bachelors in biological sciences because I am obsessed with ecology and environmental science and how it relates to public health the food and pharmaceutical industries and the laws surrounding it all.
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Troy Sandberg “Designer Organisms & Engineering via Evolution”
All life on Earth is coded in DNA. Like the 1s and 0s of computer machine code, a particular sequence of the DNA basepairs A, G, T, and C composes the ‘software’ of every organism. Recent advances in genetic engineering and synthetic biology allow us to make arbitrary edits to an organism’s DNA or even create entire genomes from scratch, enabling almost limitless possibilities. Although our ability to write functional DNA code is currently quite poor, evolution provides a way to sample billions of different DNA ‘programs’ and reveal the best one. Troy discussed ways in which we can use this capability to engineer creatures for our own purposes, from the production of valuable chemicals to the creation of microbes that can help fight climate change or even cancer.
Troy’s Bio:
Dr. Troy Sandberg got his BS at Caltech and his PhD at UCSD, both in Bioengineering. His research involves using “evolution machines” he helped develop to study microbial adaptation and facilitate genetic engineering. A lifelong science enthusiast, outside of bioengineering his interests span from quantum mechanics to cosmology and everywhere in between. Troy is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, a Siebel Scholar, a recurring guest on the Science Faction podcast, and a proud champion of several eating challenges.
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Edward Nichols “What’s the password?”
Ever wonder why a password? Where do these things come from, and why haven’t we moved on to something better? We heard the sordid tale of the password, and what we can do to make things better, and the consequences of using poor chosen passwords.
