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.
Rulon W. Clark “Danger noodles! A deeply nerdy conversation about venomous snakes.”
Snakes are undeniably weird. What kind of a lizard evolves a body plan without arms or legs? Turns out this limbless body plan is oddly successful, as snakes are one of the most diverse and widespread lineages of reptiles. But aren’t you curious about how something without arms or legs kills and eats animals bigger than itself? Even if you’re not, come find out what happens when someone with an unhealthily intense interest in snakes is given a few drinks and a captive audience. If that’s not enticement enough, he will also show some mind-blowing slow-motion videos of venomous snakes trying to kill stuff.
Dr. Rulon W. Clark earned a B.S. in Biology from Utah State University in 1997. His work as an undergraduate researcher there cemented both a love of science and wildlife. He obtained a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 2004 and has been on the faculty in the Department of Biology at San Diego State University since 2007. His research group focuses a variety of topics related to the ecology and conservation of animals, using tools from behavioral ecology, comparative evolution, biomechanics, physiology, functional morphology, and molecular genetics.
Chris Callewaert “Stinky Science: Solving the Stink from Armpits”
Meet Dr. Armpit, the scientist who is wiping out bad body odor. He has stuck his nose under more than 1000 armpits and has quite some experience with smelly armpits. Fresh sweat however does not smell – it’s the bacteria that cause malodor. There are many influences, such as gender, body mass index, age and nutrition; but the main cause is still the bacteria. This had led Dr Armpit to come up with a not-so-conventional solution: exchange sweat and bacteria to solve body odor. About 100 people have applied other people’s bacteria in their underarm and saw improvements in the condition. Smells like success!
Dr Chris Callewaert was given his nickname in Belgium, when he started swabbing everyone’s armpits and studied the armpit microbiome during his PhD. Now he is a postdoc in the Knight lab of UCSD. His research has been popular in the media, with features in CNN, BBC, FOX, NPR, Huffington Post, Washington Post, The Times, etc. He presented a TED talk and results of his research can be found on www.DrArmpit.com
***And besides being a rad scientist and celebrity, Chris is also a microbrewer in Belgium – the mecca of all beers!! So, if BO is not something you want to talk about, ask him about his brews!
Mona Tumbler: “Hot Topics in Intellectual Property Law with Ms. Mona!”
From Kylie and Kendall Jenner getting sued for copyright infringement on lace thongs, T-Mobile trademarking the color pink, to the billion dollar doll wars between Barbie & Bratz, Ms. Mona will take us on a fun (and informative!) frolic through some of the crazy and obscure ways companies are coming up with to protect their brands!
Ms. Mona is an on again off again attorney, an English Language and Arts teacher, travelled to nearly 50 countries around the world, loves to attend SDCC, and has nearly 15 years of experience in complex civil litigation, both as an associate at several prominent law firms, working with in-house counsel at a large tech company, and as an Electronic Discovery Project Manager. She obtained her law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, her master’s degree from Stanford, and holds undergrad degrees in both economics and English literature from UCLA. (She is also a fan of the Oxford comma which, pro tip, cost a Maine dairy company $5 million dollars in a 2018 settlement for the lack thereof.)
This January, we brought back one of our voted number one speakers and Top Gun hero, Paul Wynns, who told us “how to be a Top Gun: WITH MATH”. An SDSU graduate and soon-to-be licensed dietician, Danielle Gaffen brought prunes to the table (literally) and explained how they could protect your bones (especially if you’re an older male). Brittany Lee had something to say about protection (but mainly of your hearing)!
Paul Wynns: How to be a Top Gun: WITH MATH
Remember the movie Top Gun? Well, as it turns out, “Top Gun” is a real military organization with real pilots that do more than topless volleyball matches, motorcycle racing, and sunglass modeling. We’ll look at the history of Top Gun and air combat from the dawn of aviation. In the beginning, there were fighter pilots, and they were very dashing. Their first recorded encounters involved waving, shaking of firsts, throwing bricks, pistol fire, and grappling hooks. Since then, air combat has been a case study in “well that escalated quickly…” What’s the secret to success for fighter pilots through the ages? Put your shirt back on and leave the volleyball in your locker. We’re going to talk about the fundamentals of air combat maneuvering, which is all about geometry and physics. THERE WILL BE MATH.
Paul’s Bio
Paul is an avid fan of all things anime, manga, sci-fi, and fantasy, with minors in tabletop gaming and giant robots that transform into aircraft. He is an amateur flow artist and has performed with fire staff and sword at festivals in the Southern California region. He’s also trained in the martial arts of wushu and jissen kobudō.
Paul’s educational and professional background includes a postgraduate degree at Stanford University and an internship at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley where he specialized in aerospace engineering and air vehicle design. He is a US Naval Academy graduate and retired Naval Aviator with 398 carrier landings that, to his knowledge, did not permanently injure any personnel or damage any government equipment. Previously, he’s worked at Boeing Defense, Space, and Security as an aircraft systems program manager, where he and his project team were awarded patents for developing new prototypes and concepts. He’s currently enrolled in an MBA program at the UCSD Rady School of Management. The main take-away from this bio is that Paul does not know what he wants to do when he grows up, and possibly has not grown up at all.
Paul currently runs an aviation training startup, Flex Air (www.goflexair.com) and the Kevin Workman Foundation (www.kevinworkmanfoundation.org), a local non-profit that brings art education to the nerds of tomorrow.
Danielle Gaffen: Prunes: More Than Just a Laxative
Did you know that osteopenia and osteoporosis affect over 54 million people in the United States and their incidences are increasing due to the aging of the population? Osteoporosis in men is an overlooked yet increasingly important clinical problem that, historically, has not received the same degree of awareness as with women. However, the lifetime risk of fracture is 20% for all men. Current osteoporosis prescription medications have low efficacy, high side effects, are very expensive, and are not indicated for bone loss prevention. Dried plums are natural foods that may be effective in preventing bone loss.
Learn more about the first nutritional intervention research study exploring the bone metabolism effects of dried plum consumption in older men.
Danielle’s bio
Danielle will graduate in December with a Master of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences from San Diego State University in order to become a registered dietitian. Danielle was head researcher of a nutritional intervention study premised upon the hypothesis that consuming dried plums may prevent bone loss in older men. Danielle’s preliminary research findings were published in the Current Developments in Nutrition journal and presented at the American Society for Nutrition conference in Baltimore earlier this year. Danielle will be submitting her full manuscript for publication within the next few months.
Brittany Lee F*** That Noise
Listen up, nerds! Have you ever experienced ringing in your ears? Join Brittany Lee for a night of ears and beers to find out what causes this sensation. Learn about hearing science, see if you’re at risk for noise-induced hearing loss, and get some sound advice for protecting your ears.
Brittany’s bio
Brittany is a Ph.D. candidate studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego. She uses eye tracking and event-related potentials to research language co-activation and word processing in deaf and hearing readers. Outside of the lab, she spends most of her time at the speech-language clinic, in the kitchen, or on the dance floor.
Rounding out the safety trilogy after his popular “That Shit is Dangerous!” and “That’s Not a Fucking Tourniquet!” talks, workplace safety and emergency response expert Carlo E. returned to teach us all about fire extinguishers.
He explained the different types of fire extinguishers, and how different chemical extinguishing agents are used for different types of fires. We learned the nuances of amateur firefighting, and leave with some practical tips on what to do if everything around you is on fire.
Carlo has a master’s degree in public policy, and received a departmental best thesis award for his analysis of workplace safety regulation enforcement. He is credentialed as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and Wilderness EMT, and has experience in incipient stage firefighting from starting lots of fires when he was younger.
— Up in Arms: the art and style of sword fighting in full armor
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be an armored hero from an epic tale like Game Of Thrones or The Lord Of The Rings, Scott Farrell and Loreen Mattis will give you an inside look at the life of a knight in shining armor. Their talk will provide insight into the design and function of historical armor, and how the (nearly lost) skills of the armor maker continue to be put to use in surprising ways in modern technology, from military ballistic protection to (no kidding!) equipment for keeping astronauts safe during the Apollo missions. Learn all about how to buy, strap on, and fight in medieval armor in the 21st century.
Scott Farrell is director of the Chivalry Today Educational Program, and lead instructor of the Swords of Chivalry Western Martial Arts training program. He (along with his tireless assistants Loreen Mattis and April Apperson) teaches five sessions of historical fencing each week at San Diego’s Team Touche Fencing Center, and Lionheart Fencing Academy. When he doesn’t have a sword in hand, you can find Scott hosting the Chivalry Today podcast, and performing various works of Shakespeare with the Intrepid Theatre Company’s “Shakespeare for a New Generation” school tour.
You can read some wonderful things about Scott’s outreach program here: https://chivalrytoday.com/about/
— Storytelling and The Human Mind
Storytelling is intrinsically tied to our human experience and perception of the world. When we don’t understand something, we make up a story to fill in the gaps. Usually, these stories are informed by a set of narratives we already have ingrained in our minds.
Nathan talked about storytelling, what it is, how it works, and how our own social narratives might be influencing us in ways we don’t realize. He also gave some insight into how audience members can take advantage of storytelling to be stronger and more persuasive communicators in their own lives.
Nathan Young is the founder and executive director of the New Narrative, a social initiative that takes a critical look at the primary narratives that influence our cultural lives to see if it’s time to create a “new narrative” that can be more equitable, fulfilling, and sustainable for all. The primary medium of the New Narrative is storytelling. Storytelling has the ability to foster connection, share a vision, and inspire action in a way no other medium can provide. Communities grow stronger through storytelling and shared narratives. By sharing the stories of what’s most important to us we can shape the narrative of the world we live in. For more information please visit https://thenewnarrative.org/
“There Goes the Neighborhood: A Short History of Nuclear Accidents”
Nuclear accidents have come in many shapes and forms, from dire to farcical, and have left indelible marks on science and society. Whether Chernobyl, the Radium Girls, or a clueless Boy Scout, find out why science goes wrong, and what happens when it does!
Anthony Neuberger has a degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of New Mexico, where he studied fission reactor design and did research at Sandia National Laboratories. He currently works with Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis. When he is not working, he spends as much time diving as possible, because water is better at stopping neutrons than air.
“I HAVE THE POWER … in foreign policy making!”
We nerds are oh so good and leaving the P-word at the door, but this month we’re taking Politics face-on … under the guidance of a professional, of course. Dr. Fletcher received her PhD from SUNY with a dissertation titled “Overseeing Politics, Authority, and Unilateral Presidential Power [and so on. Frankly, she had us at ‘overseeing’. And again at ‘unilateral’. And again….]”. She teaches at SDSU, examining the institutional aspects of law through developmental and historical lenses to help understand law as a political phenomenon. By reconceptualizing judges as legal actors institutionally bounded and historically contextualized she lends a new perspective on how legal regimes do not map political regimes, how legal time intersects with political time, and the dynamic relationship that exists between law and power. Dr. Fletcher is particularly interested in the way the mutual construction process constrains legal decision-making and how law defines and redefines the constitutional order with-in which the executive makes decisions in foreign affairs.
What does this mean for YOU? She’s going to use He-Man to make her case for the Executive having the ultimate power in foreign affairs.
Nearly everyone swears—in pain, anger, joy, or most relevantly, inebriation. Cognitive scientists have begun to look under the hood of profanity and the results are remarkable. How can stroke patients who are left otherwise speechless still swear fluently? Why do words like “zounds” or, more recently, “sucks” that were once taboo eventually lose their sting? What is it about Tourette Syndrome that can lead to the uncontrollable production of taboo words? In this talk, Dr. Ben Bergen showed how the cognitive science of profanity opens a new window onto how our brains process language. Also, there was a lot of swearing.
Dr. Bergen is a professor of Cognitive Science at UCSD. He wrote the book “What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves” … but don’t think less of him for it.
2. THE PRACTICE OF BEING COMFORTABLE WITH THE UNCOMFORTABLE
Every one of us is uncomfortable with something. What if you addressed what makes you uncomfortable, head on? On a consistent basis? This was a story of what happened.
San Diegan born and raised, Beck Bamberger graduated from UCLA in two years, then became the University of Pittsburgh’s youngest MBA graduate at 21. Beck started BAM Communications, a full service tech PR firm, while working as a TV host in San Diego. After winning an Emmy in 2011 for her TV work, she focused entirely on her entrepreneurial interests, growing BAM while starting Bite (San Diego’s top-rated and largest food tour company).
3. NO MICS: THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF OPERATIC SINGING
How do opera singers produce those incredible sounds? Why can’t pop singers keep up? Do you have to be rotund to be a great performer? As a year-end treat, two local opera singers explained and demonstrated their skills. Bravi!
Alvin Almazan is a tenor with San Diego Opera’s Opera Exposed young artist and education outreach program, and has also performed as a soloist and chorister. His most recent roles have been in La Traviata with Capitol Opera, La Boheme with Capitol Opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors,Lilith (premiering the role in its staged form) at the IDEAS Workshop at UCSD, and Queen of Carthage, an adaptation of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with San Diego City Opera. Caitlin Tuttle is a charming operatic soprano, and Alvin’s voice coach.
In the 1960’s, two superpowers were engaged in a titanic battle to land the first human on the moon. Why did America get there first? Why was Neil Armstrong chosen to make that first step? In this talk, SPACE HISTORIAN Francis French took you through the colorful personalities and risky decisions that led up to the historic moment of the first moon landing. Together we all toasted Dick Gordon: Apollo 12 astronaut, friend of Francis, and handsome bastard.
Mr. French is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, and is the Educational Director of the San Diego Air and Space Museum. He’s authored a number of books and articles for Spaceflight Magazine, and he has even completed training at the US Space Academy whaaaaaaaaaaat!?
2. WHY ARE THERE STILL MONKEYS? AND OTHER STUPID CREATIONIST QUESTIONS
We looked at the pseudoscience of Creationism, and turned the willfully ignorant into the hilariously mocked. The evidence against Creationism via genetics, geology, the fossil record … the very universe itself, is overwhelming. Why don’t they get it??
Voted last year’s FAVORITE SPEAKER, PALEONTOLOGIST Trevor Valle returns to Nerd Nite San Diego once more! Trevor once got into a prolonged, intense Twitter war with Ke$ha and her fans, after he saw a photo of her defiling a fossil he spent years cleaning. He’s also the host of National Geographic’s “Mammoths Unearthed”, and he loves hockey more than you probably love anything.
1. Scott Farrell, Director and Head Instructor at San Diego’s Swords of Chivalry historical fencing program, part of the Chivalry Today Educational Program. He is co-author of the books “Martial Arts and Philosophy,” and “Batman, Superman and Philosophy,” and his articles on the ideals of chivalry have appeared in print and online publications all over the world – including the New York Times and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Blog!
Nerd Knight – Medieval Sword Fighting and The Philosophy of Chivalry
In this presentation, Scott introduced the growing field of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), talked about what Game of Thrones gets right (a little bit) and wrong (a whole lot!) when it comes to scenes involving sword fighting, and explored how the ideals of chivalry can be discovered by attacking your friends with lethal weapons.
2. Although she occasionally wears heels to work, Cathy Chang has learned to embrace the lab coat, gloves, and mask that mark her as a Forensic Biology Criminalist at the Crime Lab. In addition to her duties in the Biology Unit, Cathy spends her free time at crime scenes, because, well, that’s also part of her job. With twelve years of experience at the Lab, there’s a lot yet left to learn. But Cathy’s happy to share what she knows, especially if beer is involved.
The County Crime Lab’s Contribution to the World of Nerdly Things
Is Forensic Science really performed in minutes by analysts who wear designer clothing under sexy blue lighting? This talk familiarized you with your County Crime Lab. You learned how things like lasers, lines, and right triangles help solve crimes. And we even solved the mystery of what that blue light really does.
3. The Battle of Cannabis and Science
Sam David is the founder of Coastal Analytical, a lab responsible for cannabis analysis. A chemist and materials scientist, Sam is a member of the International Association of Analytical Chemists, and is certified as a quality manager by the American Society for Quality.
Sam shared the hurdles laboratories face when working with schedule 1 substances, including the difficulty of procurement as well as the stigma using marijuana for medical treatment.
Confront your biases and indulge your curiosity.
