What do you do for fun when it’s hot outside? You learn about birds, library classification systems, and AI security fails, of course. This month at Nerd Nite Asheville, we’ve got a line up of mega-nerds, bringing some of the nerdiest facts you’ve ever heard. Bring a fan to cool your steaming hot brain.
July 10th, 2025 doors 6pm, show 7pm at River Arts District Brewing Co.
Pre-sale tickets $10, door $15 (cash preferred, Venmo etc. available). Get your pre-sale tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/nerd-nite-asheville-july-2025
This month’s lineup:
Danny Raleigh
Adapting New Technologies for Tracking Bird Migration
For millennia, humanity has marveled at the ebb and flow of the seasons while pondering why certain bird species leave before winter and return at the advent of spring. We will explore wild hypotheses concerning their whereabouts, the clues that led to improved understanding, and review the tools and techniques that have offered humans a broader view of bird migration into modern times. Danny will share personal experiences with various species and show what professionals have been conducting for modern, scientific research.
Danny is a nerd who has been fascinated with birds from a young age. As an adult, he has tracked and monitored avian fauna around the country for various organizations and agencies, adventuring from Alaska to Texas and Nova Scotia to Hawaii. His journey has led him this year to Asheville, and he has been exploring the Blue Ridge hoping to find any bird that will sit still for a photograph.
Leah Worster
The Pitfalls of Dewey Decimal
Every library, from school libraries to special research libraries, uses a classification system to organize their collection. There’s often an assumption that whatever organizational system the library uses, it must be the most appropriate way to organize their collection. Join Leah for a quick journey through the history of Dewey Decimal Classification, the most widely used library classification system, and then delve into the traps and pitfalls of its use.
Leah (she/her) is a third generation librarian, after a detour through software engineering. She is passionate about information access and digital divide issues. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys cuddling her cats, going on adventures with her husband, and knitting.
Sarah Kent
Epic AI Security Fails in the Early Days of Skynet
Hollywood warned us about an AI that would become self-aware, launch nuclear missiles, and terminate humanity. Instead, we got a drunk intern with great grammar who is easily tricked into misbehaving. The #1 threat against AI is prompt injection, an exploit that tricks large language models (LLMs) into breaking rules if you just ask nicely enough. Discover why the real threat isn’t robots taking over the world. It’s humans realizing how embarrassingly easy it is to make multi-billion-dollar AIs do exactly what they’re not supposed to. We’re probably safe from the robot apocalypse, but maybe not from watching our most advanced technology get hoodwinked by anyone with too much time and questionable life choices.
Sarah Kent is a Senior Application Security Consultant at GuidePoint Security. When she isn’t hacking the planet and learning about emerging technologies, Sarah is hiking in the Pisgah Forest and attending concerts with friends. Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-e-kent/
With your host, Von
This month’s Star Trek mini-feature: Worf Low-key Sucks (aka That Time Worf Joined A Terrorist Group To Ruin Dax’s Vacation)
Von (they/them) is a local 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: @nerdniteAVL)