The days are heating up and the nights are getting longer, but nothing is longer than the wait for the next Nerd Nite.

Coming to your computer on May 27, please join our eminent speakers!

Tickets are offer-what-you-will and available here courtesy of our partners at The Fringe! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for speaker announcements. RSVP on Facebook or manually enter this into your calendar.

The Intense, Intricate, and Intriguing Lives of Ants

by Ilan Domnich

Did you think that people were the dominant animals on Earth? Think again! Ants are virtually everywhere and with many species comes a wide array of remarkable strategies for survival. Join us to learn about some ants with some truly unique abilities. Presentation is arachnophobe-friendly.

Ilan Domnich completed his B.Sc. in Animal Biology, with a specialisation in Invertebrate Zoology. A passionate, young entomologist, Ilan’s enthusiasm for insects is unparalleled. He has volunteered as an invertebrate specialist at the Royal Alberta Museum for the past six years, caring for live animals in the collection and contributing to outreach events. Ilan also has a degree in Finance from the University of Alberta, with a minor in Accounting. In his free time, Ilan works on his art and enjoys exploring the outdoorsX.

Follow Ilan on Instagram: @crude_organism

Our Curvy View of Black Holes

Dr Sharon Morsink

by Dr Sharon Morsink

When light travels through a wine glass, it travels on a curvy path, giving a distorted view of objects behind it. Similarly, gravity causes light to travel on curved paths leading to a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. This effect allows us to view far away galaxies, the back sides of neutron stars, and the regions near black holes! In this talk we will look at recent images of stars and black holes and learn more about their properties.

This talk will be best enjoyed along with stemmed glassware filled with a transparent beverage.

Sharon Morsink is a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Alberta. Her research focus is on understanding neutron stars and black holes using theoretical computational modelling and observations of light and gravitational radiation.  She teaches a variety of astrophysics and physics courses at the University of Alberta at all levels ranging from introductory astronomy courses to graduate courses. Recently she was a member of a team (including Nerd Boss Ross Lockwood) that developed a free (non-credit) online course on black holes, available on the Coursera platform. Follow Sharon on social:

The Nerdiest Parenting Tool: Dungeons and Dragons 

by Trevor Prentice

Teach your kids probability, math, rules, strategy, accounting, creativity, story telling, drawing, acting, improvisation, and leadership; D&D has it all.  Tune in to Trevor’s presentation to nerd out about D&D, how he first got roped in to playing, more kid friendly versions, and how to best get started playing with your kids. Learn how to be a nerdy parent on social:

By day Trevor runs The IP Link, helping businesses make the most out of their investment into patents.  A certifiable nerd, Trevor has a BSc in Physics, a Masters in Aerospace Engineering, and a Certificate of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.  In his spare time, Trevor sells speed cubes (better Rubik’s cubes) online through Rocket Cubes and sends out a weekly newsletter called The Nerdy Parent with fun strategies for intelligent parents!
Pre-covid he was a capture the flag and urban tag aficionado (and hopes to be again soon).  He is also known for building a neighbourhood ranking web-app called ‘Hood Rank and for running the Margaret Zeidler Star Theatre, fulfilling his dream of choreographing 10 watts of raw laser power, live, to an audience of up to 250 often sober minds.