nerd nite melbourne

We have another excellent 3-speaker lineup for you in April where speakers will be discussing your memory, how to make a theme song and the dark web. Come and secure your seat when doors open at 7pm and enjoy a $14 burger/pot Howler special whilst we get into the nerdy learning.

Monday, 16 April 2018
at Howler 7-11 Dawson Street, Brunswick
Doors 7pm
Tickets: THIS SHOW IS NOW SOLD OUT

*Presentation 1
The science of forgetting
by Dr Jee Hyun Kim
Description: Forgetting has a bad reputation, but it is a necessary process in our lives that may be just as valuable as remembering. How we forget undergoes transformation across our lifetime, and Dr Kim will unravel what we do know about forgetting and what role it plays in anxiety and addiction disorders.
Bio: Dr. Jee Hyun Kim is the Head of Developmental Psychobiology Laboratory at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. Her laboratory studies the biology of forgetting and how forgetting is dysfunctional in anxiety and addiction, especially in childhood and adolescence. She has won numerous national and international awards for her ground-breaking work. Kim completed her undergraduate degree at the University of New South Wales graduating with the prestigious University Medal in Psychology, followed by a PhD from the University of New South Wales. After obtaining her PhD, Kim worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan before her appointment at the Florey. Kim is an active science communicator, and has given public lectures at TEDx Melbourne (670,000+ views), Australian Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Victorian Science Week, and City of Melbourne as well as interviews for radio and television.

*Presentation 2
Music and mythology, Einstein and Astrology
by Phil Paschke
Description: Now, this is the story all about how Nerd Nite got flipped-turned upside down and I’d like to take twenty minutes – just sit right there – I’ll tell you how I came up with a theme that’s so square. In a presentation that’s half music history, half music theory, and half pop culture revelry (and one third math), I’ll show you how the Nerd Nite Melbourne Theme Song might just be one of the nerdiest tunes out there. From Dr. Who to Doogie Howser, M.D., learn about the subtle and not-so-subtle geek references in this piece through an exploration of TV Themes that have been stuck in your head since the 80s. For a walk down memory lane, check out this Apple Music playlist for a sampling of some of the themes referenced in my presentation: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/playlist/nerd-nite/pl.u-Vpxpsdg8Rr
Bio: Phil Paschke has a Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition from the University of Alberta and once took a two-week film scoring course from the guy who scored Robin Hood: Men in Tights. While his job as Research Assistant at Swinburne University of Technology keeps him busy during the day, you can otherwise find him enjoying all the culture that Melbourne has to offer (when he’s not watching TV).

*Presentation 3
Could drug dealing on the darknet actually be a good thing? Click here* to find out!
by Assoc Prof James Martin
Description: Over the past 8 years, illicit drugs have increasingly been bought and sold on the encrypted ‘darknet’. This has alarmed many, particularly in the news media, who regularly describe the cryptomarkets through which these drugs are sold as the internet’s version of the ‘Wild West’ or the digital equivalent of Mos Eisley Spaceport. But is the hype true? Are drugs sold on the darknet as big a threat to public safety as we are led to believe? Interestingly, research in this area increasingly says ‘no’. This presentation looks at the reasons why and explores how darknet drug dealing may actually be a good thing.
Bio: Associate Professor James Martin is Criminology Convener at Swinburne University and one of the world’s leading authorities on the darknet drugs trade. His book Drugs on the Darknet: How Cryptomarkets are Transforming the Global Trade in Illicit Drugs was cited in the trial of Ross Ulbrict (aka Dread Pirate Roberts), the guy who ran the world’s biggest online drugs site,Silk Road. In addition to teaching criminology at Swinburne, James continues to do a bunch of research in this area, including for the Australian Institute of Criminology and the National Health and Medical Research Council.