Wednesday Feb 11th
Howler (7-11 Dawson Street, Brunswick)
Doors: 7 pm
Show: 7:30 pm
Tickets: $15 + BF – Available Now!!
3 presenters share a topic they are NERDY about while the audience shares a drink.
This is the FIRST Nerd Nite Melbourne show of 2026, and we’re kicking things off by diving head-first into: Ozempic, teaching human neurons to play music, and learning alien-inspired languages! From weight-loss drugs and world-changing biotech to brain cells gaming their way into the future, and decoding communication beyond Earth, this lineup is making science feel a little unhinged (in the best way).
So come for the facts, stay for the banter, and leave with at least three new niche obsessions and an urge to question free will, download DOOM, or start preparing for first contact.
Be there. Be Square
Jordyn Thomas
Why Everyone’s Talking About Ozempic: The Science Behind the Hype
Description: Ozempic is everywhere: on your feed, in the news, and probably in a fridge in your neighbourhood. Beyond the weight-loss hype and black-box headlines, how was this drug discovered, what does it actually do, how are Gila monsters involved, and why are cardiologists suddenly paying attention?’
Bio: Jordyn Thomas is a cardiovascular disease researcher obsessed with finding new ways to treat heart disease. Her interest in drugs spiralled into a career in cardiovascular research. When not in the lab, she’s loudly supporting Carlton in the AFL/AFLW, walking her dogs, or doing peer review at the pub.
Socials: @JordynMThomas (Twitter/X)
Alon Loeffler
Teaching Human Neurons to Play Doom
Description: The Fascination Silicon AI is impressive, but it’s an energy-hungry simulation. I’m fascinated by “wetware”—the idea that living neurons are the most efficient, adaptable computers in existence. At Cortical Labs, we’ve interfaced living human neurons with computers. I’ll show how we taught these cells to navigate the world of Pong (and Doom next), transforming a petri dish into a functional, learning processor. If we can teach cells to play games, we can build a future of biocomputing that is more efficient and intelligent than anything made of pure silicon.
Bio: Alon is a scientist at Cortical Labs. He specialises in the crazy field of Synthetic Biological Intelligence and has a PhD from the University of Sydney. Alon is fascinated by how the brain works and even more so by how it fails to work sometimes. He is an avid fan of sci-fi, nature, salsa dancing and burritos.
Socials: @alon.loeffler (IG)
Lukas Meintjes
TBA.. but you may remember them from our last show – they are our resident Jason Statham.