This Nerd Nite, we’re smashing together pop culture, public service and not knowing what we want. Hopefully, by the end of the night, we WILL know what we want. Or at least know why we don’t really know what we actually want. Confused? Us too. Here are the details for the evening…

Science demo starts at 7:30pm. Trivia starts at 7:45pm. Main show kicks off at 8pm.

When: Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Where: Backstage Theatre — Northeast side of the ATB Financial Arts Barns (10330 84 Ave NW)
Tickets: $20 in advance (plus fees + GST)
No minors.

>> Get your tickets NOW! <<

Our line-up of talks includes:

How to Prosecute Thanos
Gregory Pang

Thanos kills half of all life in the universe in Avengers: Infinity War. His motivation was not to kill for the sake of killing, but he wanted to make life more sustainable. In the sequel, **spoilers!** the good guys win but not by way of due process in the courts of law to bring Thanos to justice. But what if instead, we, the surviving half of civilization, put Thanos on trial?

Gregory is a lawyer who has been practising since 2009 in the areas of business, trademark and entertainment law. He also collected many different Marvel comics as a kid and still keeps the most valuable ones securely locked away in an undisclosed location. Gregory’s negotiating style is inspired by Captain Picard totally owning the Sheliak when he cited the treaty’s arbitration clause against them in ST:TNG episode “Ensigns of Command”

Ambulance Dispatch: The most important thing is to know where you are
Monica Davis

Most people are calling 9-1-1 looking for an ambulance in one of the worst moments of their life. Through clear protocols and advance computer-aided dispatch and deployment, emergency communication officers are able to be the first first responders when someone calls for help. Learn a little about the voice on the end of the phone, the protocols we use, the technology we employ, and the realities of a job in ambulance dispatch.

I’m a single mom of four kids. I have a PhD and teach science labs at MacEwan University. I have worked in ambulance dispatch casually for nearly seven years. I love the juxtaposition of my former research life in basic science, where what I discovered had very few tangible results for actual people and the fact that someone can call me asking for an ambulance and I can see that ambulance arrive and give the help they need in real-time. I also love the comparison of my academic life that some like to flippantly call “ivory tower” and my first responder life, where I deal with so many people who are at the margins of our society. I like to think that I live in the middle of these two extremes and it allows me to be more empathetic while still having high expectations of the people in my life.

Do You Feel Like Your Life Is Out of Your Control? You’re Right!
Bryan Saunders

Years of psychological and neuroscience research have come down to this: we don’t really know what we want, and many of our actions are out of our logical control. This talk will explore all the subtle ways in which our behaviour and decisions are manipulated, and how this can be used for both good and evil in economics, dating, gambling, cancer prevention, religion, and more!

Bryan is the CEO of Psychology & Marketing. Here, he consults businesses on the use of psychology & neuroscience to influence behaviour & increase sales. Bryan is also the President of the Board of the Predictive analytics, Omnisensory, & Neuromarketing Society—which is working to establish ethical and professional standards in these emerging fields. Finally, he manages the Alberta operations of Aromatech Scent Branding & Marketing. Previously, Bryan used his superpowers to improve cancer prevention campaigns & public health policy tactics at Alberta Health Services. Bryan has a keen interest in eye tracking, multisensory marketing, & conversion rate optimization. He is currently working on a app that gamifies saving the planet. He’s hoping that it goes viral, and saves us from certain doom.