January 11th, 2024 doors 6pm, show 7pm at River Arts District Brewing Co.
We have changed the start time for our events! The show will start at 7pm sharp. Early arrival recommended.
Meet your presenters for January’s Nerd Nite:
Sara Rivera
Life on the Ocean’s Surface
We know that the ocean hides secrets deep in its depths, but how much do we know about the creatures living on the ocean’s surface, on the precarious border between water and air? Join us as we learn about snails that build bubble rafts, barnacles with buoys, blue dragons that eat vicious man o’ war jellyfish, and other wild creatures that live in this unique habitat. How do they survive in this strange, upside down world? How are they affected by efforts to clean up ocean plastic? And how do they relate to Roman fashion choices?
Sara Rivera (they/she) is a Masters student at Western Carolina University studying tropical fireflies. Out of the lab, they perform nerdy drag as Rubella Werk (@rubela.werk) and Syd Phyllis (@syd.phyllis). They also have a science communication organization called THEM in STEM (@them.instem) with Science Storytimes and local firefly walks in Sylva.
Cris Bettis
The Archer’s Paradox
The Archer’s Paradox is a mesmerizing blend of physics and skill that archers navigate to hit their targets. We’ll talk about bows, arrows and all the funky things the arrows do when they are let loose.
Cris is a lifelong nerd, computer scientist, avid gamer, archer and artist. He likes spending his free time painting nerf blasters and cooking.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbspropshop/
Terry Richardson
Fabricating Telescope Mirrors for JPL from Glue
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory uses lasers for deep space communication, and they need many large telescope mirrors to do it. Terry will tell you how researchers in South Carolina have contributed to this effort by spin-casting telescope mirrors using epoxy.
T. R. Richardson is Professor emeritus of Physics and Astronomy at the College of Charleston. He began teaching at the College as an adjunct instructor in 1978. He was promoted over the years and finally was appointed to the William Mebane Chair in Physics and Astronomy in 2005 and was presented with the campus wide Distinguished Teaching Award at the graduation ceremonies in 2006. He retired to West Asheville in 2022 where he resides with his cat Piccolo while conducting workshops for kids making a unique Safe Solar Viewer (SSV) of his design.
With your host, Von
Von’s Star Trek mini feature for December: The best celebrity guests of Star Trek.
Did you know Iggy Pop had a guest role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine? Well, he did, and it was hilarious. Find out more fantastic stars who trekked through space in Von’s favorite franchise.
Von (they/them) is a local drag performer known for their radioactive style, political commentary, and inability to shut up about Star Trek. A lifelong nerd of both science and theater, they were an avid lover of Nerd Nite in Los Angeles before moving to Asheville and starting the local Nerd Nite Chapter.
Von claims this show for the Romulan Empire. (IG: @von.infinity)