Nerd Nite @ Live in Ann Arbor
Details
Nerd Nite
Talks start at 7:00pm. These events are sponsored by the Ann Arbor District Library. Parking is $1.65/hr in the city parking structures. The surface lot across from the venue is $2.65/hr.
Gather ‘round for an evening of informed and informal talks from a friendly neighborhood expert! We’ll have three speakers, each presenting on a different topic and sharing interesting facts that you never knew you never knew! Past Nerd Nite speakers have led deep dives into topics from the legacy of Louis Pasteur, to the origin of elements, to how a trumpet works, to a dissection of romance novel tropes. So bring a friend, grab a drink, and enjoy an evening among fellow nerds. Be there and be square!
SPEAKERS
As you head back into your “real life” after holiday disruptions, you might find yourself struggling to find balance. Luckily, we have Eileen Johnson to talk about Stressing the Stressors of Stress! While the “fight or flight” response to stress was perfect for ancient humans fending off a bear, an overworked stress response can cause serious long-term damage. Stress has become a major part of how we live our modern lives, but fighting your toxic boss won’t improve your chances of survival. Understanding the evolutionary pathways that organize stress and how to manage them can help us move towards a culture that balances work with proper rest.
Eileen (she/her) is a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering and hopes to defend her thesis and graduate this coming semester. She is passionate about accessible scientific research and plans to pursue science communication and writing.
Riddle me this: They outlived the dinosaurs, they are found on every continent on Earth but not in the open ocean, they can photosynthesize, but they aren’t plants. What are they? Did you guess lichens? Congratulations! Give yourself a pat on the podetium! Join Jade Marks, Science Communication Manager for the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History for It’s Complicated: The science, sex, and synergy of lichens. If you’ve ever looked closely at a boulder, a tree branch, or even a dilapidated barn, you’ve probably seen a lichen. These colorful organisms often get mistaken for moss but aren’t even in the same kingdom! What are they? Why are they so important to science? And what can they teach us about identity and relationships?
Jade holds a BS in Environmental Science from Indiana University and a dual MS in Soil Science and Botany & Plant Pathology from Oregon State University. She is a scientist by training, educator by trade and artist at heart. At her day-job, Jade helps researchers tell their stories through activities, narrative, art, and movement. But long before she got into science communication, Jade studied lichens. They are still her deepest passion and eternal muse.
We’ll close out the night with Jess Li and Droplets for Droplets: How Microfluidics Can Help Keep Our Water Safe. When you turn on the tap, where does that water come from, where has it been, and what’s really in it? While you may have heard of the various chemical pollutants that can affect the water supply, have you ever thought about the invisible life that thrives within it? Jess will introduce you to the bacterial zoo in our water, how these microbes can affect our health, and what cutting edge technology called microfluidics could enable us to do about it.
Jess (they/them) is a 5th year PhD student in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at U-M with a deep passion for bacteria and the other unseen life on this planet, particularly in spaces heavily influenced by human activity. In their free time, they enjoy tangling yarn in precise ways to (somehow) create stuffed animals.