The next Nerd Nite event will be held on Tuesday, 14 April. Come listen to speakers talk about why fish in the Antarctic do not freeze, friends with benefits relationships; and what information an aeroplane’s blackbox records that you did not know about.

Our friends at Mr Wow’s Emporium will be hosting us again with cold beers and delicious food from the Vodoo Jerk Truck.  Be there and be square!

Tuesday, 14 April 2015
at Mr Wow’s Emporium
97b Smith Street, Fitzroy
Doors 7pm/$5

Back to the lectures at hand:

*Presentation 1
The story of antifreeze proteins,  or why (some) fish don’t freeze
by Dr Michael Kuiper

Description: Surviving cold environments is especially challenging for life. Most living things contain appreciable amounts of water that can freeze at low temperatures, usually with fatal outcomes. Remarkably, certain species have adapted by producing specialized ‘antifreeze proteins’ that do exactly as their name implies; stop the organism from turning into an ice cube. Come learn how these proteins have evolved and how recent supercomputer simulations have revealed their molecular secrets. Also learn about how not to dig for ice-algae in the Antarctic.

Coming to an ice-cream near you.

Bio: Dr Michael Kuiper is computational molecular researcher for the Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative, who spends his days helping scientists simulating proteins on supercomputers. In a previous life, Michael worked as a field scientist in the Antarctic, fishing for the Antarctic cod and dodging fishy-breath seals. Having done a PhD on antifreeze proteins, Michael has always continued an interest and research into this field, and secretly longs for more skidoo rides.

*Presentation 2
The sexual revolution continues
by Linda Kirkman

Description: Social change in relationships is happening. There is broad awareness of the incidence of young people in friends with benefits relationships (FWBR), yet not so much is known about people in midlife engaging in diverse relationships. In 2014 it was found that 28% of single Australian baby boomers have had a FWBR or booty call  relationship, up from 23% the year before. People in midlife are enjoying the best sex of their lives in diverse relationships including FWBR, polyamory, swinging and multiple partners. This presentation explores what is known about social change in relationships for people in midlife and draws from PhD research on rural baby boomers in FWBR.

Bio: Sexuality educator and researcher Linda Kirkman has investigated sexuality, sexual health, and social change in relationships through teaching, academic research and life experiences. Through teaching and writing she advocates for awareness of and respect for diversity in sexuality, gender and relationships across the life span. She taught secondary school health education for 12 years, and has many years’ experience teaching university subjects related to sexuality, gender, relationships, education, women’s health, public health, and health promotion. Her health science master’s degree examined the effectiveness of sexual health promotion to young people. Linda is waiting for the examiners to finish with her PhD investigating social change in baby boomer relationships focusing on friends-with-benefits. She is the mother of two grown-up children, and gave birth to her niece in 1988 in Australia’s first IVF surrogacy – which shows she has been exploring diverse relationships for a long time, and not just in academia.

*Presentation 3
Title: A brief introduction to flight data
by Lachlan Musicman

Description: What is an aeroplane’s black box? Where is flight MH370? Why don’t they float after crashing? Why don’t they transmit data constantly to the ground? What are they measuring and how is that data analysed? Are airlines any safer than they used to be? What did the first black box look like? This will be a small insight into a complex world of air travel, regulations, statistics and aeroplane desserts.

Bio: Lachlan Musicman works primarily as a computer scientist and systems administrator, specialising in liberation technologies, working with independent civil society through the digital arts across South East Asia. He spent a year volunteering in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati which he does not regret but would never recommend. He is now working with Research Platforms at the University of Melbourne.