Spring has not only sprung, she has bloomed, pollenated, and given us all a headache. But we know there’s still room in that cranium of yours for knowledge. This month, you’ll learn about various famous scientists who were guest teachers at Black Mountain College, get psyched about puzzle games, and meet an Appalachian Indiana Jones.
May 14th, 2026 doors 6pm, show 7pm at River Arts District Brewing Co.
Pre-sale tickets $10, door $15 (cash or Venmo). Get your pre-sale tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/nerd-nite-asheville-may-2026
This month’s lineup:
David Peifer
Famous Scientists at Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College (BMC) is famous for the artists who were teachers and students at the school. While the production of art played a key role in the curriculum, BMC was not an art school. It was a liberal arts college with courses in humanities and the sciences. Just as with the artists, there are several famous scientists who taught and visited the college. Many people know that Buckminster Fuller built his first geodesic dome on the Lake Eden campus. However, few are aware that two of Albert Einstein’s assistants taught at BMC at the beginning of prestigious careers in Physics. Einstein himself visited the campus in 1941. This talk will examine the lives of some of the famous scientists who taught at BMC and explore how the sciences played a part at this famous college.
David Peifer loves mathematics. In fact, some have called him the Ambassador of Math. He believes that mathematics is part of nature and is a universal language that reflects the truth and beauty of the world around us. For over 30 years, he has professed about Calculus, Abstract Algebra, and Geometry to his students in the Mathematics Department at UNCA. He has published research in topology — specifically he is interested in knots and braids. When he learned that the great topologist Max Dehn had taught for seven years at Black Mountain College — a very small liberal arts college now famous for the artists who lived and taught there — Peifer became intrigued. Why had this great mathematician been at BMC? Since then, Peifer has published several papers about the sciences at Black Mountain College.
Emilee Harper
Your Brain’s Guide to Puzzle Games
The world of video games is vast and, to some, extremely polarizing and confusing. Some people say that video games are damaging and should be avoided at all costs. Others say that if you find the right ones, they can be extremely beneficial to your mental and emotional health. Emilee is in agreement with the latter opinion and is more than happy to explain how the genre of puzzle games can be beneficial to your brain. Game recommendations are included!
Emilee was born and raised in AVL, got her Bachelors’ Degree in Elementary Education, and is now a first year teacher at Odyssey Community School. In her free time, she likes to play Dungeons and Dragons, partake in video gaming, create art of all kinds, and read books. Her #1 book recommendation is The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch from the Gentleman Bastards Sequence.
Ben Steere
How Do Archaeologists Find “Lost” Sites?
How does an archaeological site become “lost,” and how do archaeologists know how to find them? Archaeology professor Ben Steere will share first-hand accounts of how he and his colleagues relocate and record archaeological sites, and will talk about the role you can play in protecting these important cultural places. Along the way, you’ll learn about fascinating archaeology sites in western North Carolina, what the Indiana Jones movies get right and wrong about archaeology, and hear the true story of how Ben helped relocate a mound site looted by the sons of a nineteenth-century Virginia meat-juice baron.
Ben Steere lives in Asheville and has worked on archaeological research projects across western North Carolina since 2004, along with some forays into piedmont Georgia and Oaxaca, Mexico. He loves learning and teaching about the human past through the study of the things people leave behind. He would love to answer your questions about eighteenth-century Indigenous architecture in the Southeastern United States.
With your host, Von
This month’s Star Trek mini-feature: Ferengi or Alpha Bro? (aka the origins of Machete Bear)
Last month was your once-yearly explanation of Allamaraine! But who the heck is Machete Bear? Why is a bear with a machete the mascot of this nerd-focused event? And what does it have to do with the Ferengi from Star Trek and… Andrew Tate?? All these questions and more will be answered as Von reprises one of the show’s oldest and best loved mini-features, Ferengi or Alpha Bro.
Von claims this show for the Romulan Empire. (IG: @nerdniteAVL)