nerd nite melbourne

We have three fabulous speakers ready to titillate your brain mush. Fun, games, three interesting talks, and of course, beer. Be there and be square.

Our friends at Howler will be hosting us with an awesome $15 burger/pot deal to fill your belly as we get into the nerdy learning.

Monday, 20 August 2018
at Howler 7-11 Dawson Street, Brunswick
Doors 7pm
Tickets: $10 (online)

Behind the Curtain
Cessalee Stovall

Going to the theatre is a special form of entertainment. You enter the theatre, sit in a probably tiny seat, and prepare to be stimulated for two to three hours. But have you ever thought about what happens on the other side of the curtain? From stage right to stage fights, from physio to fire curtains, Cessalee will give you insight to what really goes on before and after the curtain goes up. With a career that spans several decades and two continents, learn a bit more about life under the bright lights in the world of musical theatre. Make sure to brush up on your jazz hands!

Cessalee Stovall is a musical theatre actress who came to Australia as a cast member in The Book of Mormon after being a cast member in the US production since 2012. Originally from Indiana (it’s ok, no one knows where that is) she’s travelled around the US performing in such exciting places as Quakertown, PA, Rome, GA, and St. George, UT – although she has spent most of her performing career in Chicago and New York City. She’s currently working on a passion project, Stage A Change, to create more performance opportunities for aspiring theatre artists of colour throughout Australia!

Youth Causing Pain
Melanie Simmons

While it may not be on the radar of many, abusive behaviour to parents by their children is surprisingly common. What is particularly challenging however is defining what constitutes abuse by youth directed at their parents. Is it name calling? The threat of violence? Does there have to be physical violence to meet the threshold of abuse? In order to address a problem like this, we need to be able to measure it consistently. This presentation will look at how researchers are beginning to understand and measure abusive behaviour by youth directed at their parents, so that both severe acts of physical violence and more subtle patterns psychological aggression are accounted for.

Dr Melanie Simmons is a psychologist and researcher in forensic psychology. With a fascination of what drives people to commit crimes and a provisional diagnosis of “workaholic”, Melanie has worked across the criminal justice and forensic mental health system in both Victoria and New Zealand.

Making Dirty Water Clean (again)
Joel Segal

Have you ever looked down at the bowl after a flush and asked yourself: what happens next? In this talk you will learn about the weird and wonderful world of sewage, guest starring a cast of microscopic characters who work their magic to purify waste water and turn it into metaphoric gold. We’ll journey through history, from the residents of 19th century Smellbourne who just wanted the problem to go away, to today, where sewage fuels a high-tech resources industry and holds promises of a circular economy.

Joel is a process engineer who specialises in making dirty water clean again and turning trash into treasure. With degrees in chemical engineering and maths, and experience in water and wastewater treatment, Joel has now broadened his work into renewable energy, climate change mitigation and resource recovery – all with sewage at its core. In his spare time, Joel is a keen sourdough baker and blue moon clarinet player.