Nerd Nite #79 Light, Lasers, and Psychedelics

March is here. The ice is melting (again?) and we’re looking forward to listening to three nerds nerding out about their passions! We’ve got a potpourri of topics from a homogenous white male lineup of speakers ready to entertain you!

When: Thursday, March 28, 2024, at 7:30 pm

(Doors & bar open at 7:00 pm with drinks available all night!)

Where: Backstage Theatre at Fringe Theatre Adventures

Fringe Theatre Arts Barn, 10330 84 Ave NW, Edmonton

How much: $25

Chris Robson: Revealing the Invisible – Hyperspectral Imaging From Space

There is a hidden world of light that we don’t perceive with our eyes. Using hyperspectral images from Space, Chris Robson, the CEO of Wyvern, is making it possible to reveal the invisible. Walk through how hyperspectral imagery can help us see methane leaks, identify different plant species, or figure out where to mine.

Chris Robson is the CEO and co-founder of Wyvern Inc, a space data company located in Edmonton Alberta capturing the highest resolution hyperspectral images of Earth from space. Before he was a space entrepreneur, Chris was an engineering and project leader with AlbertaSat. There he helped build and launch Alberta’s first satellite – Ex-Alta 1 which was deployed from the International Space Station in May 2017. While working on Ex-Alta 1 in his free time, Chris earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta.

LinkedIn: Christopher Robson

Zac Erickson: Healing Journeys – Psychedelics and Modern Mental Health

Embark on an enlightening journey with Zac Erickson as we navigate the colourful past, dynamic present, and promising future of psychedelics in mental health. From their roots in ancient ceremonies to their resurgence as cutting-edge therapeutic tools, discover how these substances are unlocking new pathways to healing. This talk promises a deep dive into the science, safety, and societal implications of psychedelics like magic mushrooms and LSD, all while breaking down complex concepts into accessible, engaging insights for everyone.

Zac Erickson is a Registered Psychologist and the founder of Recharge Psychology. He has particular expertise in working with ADHD, mood disorders, and trauma, and enjoys bringing a blend of the practical and spiritual to his therapy practice, including mindfulness, breathwork, acceptance and commitment therapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy. With Masters degrees in both Neuroscience and Counselling Psychology, Zac is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to educate and inspire others, through therapy, podcasting, or public speaking.

Instagram: @rechargepsych
LinkedIn: Zac Erickson

Marc MacKenzie: Frickin’ Laser Beams – Fighting Cancer with Physics

Advances in physics knowledge and the applied technologies have been in lock step with improvements in outcomes for cancer patients. This talk will be an overview of advancements over the last 130 years, and our continuing evolution of understanding of diagnosing, imaging, and treating cancer, all from a physicist’s perspective.

Dr. Marc MacKenzie, PhD, is a physicist whose specialty is radiation oncology physics. He’s been a practicing clinical physicist for almost 25 years, partly at the Cross Cancer Institute, and more recently as Director of Medical Physics for Community Oncology.

Twitter: @marcmack
Instagram: @marcmack3k

Nerd Nite Edmonton #78: Rocks ‘n Roll

Robin Woywitka and the Super 92

It’s not every year that February 29th rolls around, so we’re doing something special for Nerd Nite #78. Roll on down to the Fringe Theatre to hear some talks that rock from geologists who are also poets and musicians, and rock out to some live music played by the very same speakers!

When: Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 7:30 pm

(Doors & bar open at 7:00 pm with drinks available all night!)

Where: Backstage Theatre at Fringe Theatre Adventures

Fringe Theatre Arts Barn, 10330 84 Ave NW, Edmonton

How much: $25

David Martin: Geologic Poetry

In his second book of poems, David Martin digs deep into an examination of the world using the lens of geology. With lyrically experimental poems expanding and retracting, this collection finds sonic and conceptual energy from the perspective of deep time and the geological forces that have shaped and continue to shape the Earth. Enacting seismic shifts, catastrophes, and erosions throughout the natural and cultural worlds, Martin’s poetic practice pushes forward to contend with the contemporary environmental changes and the structure of the Anthropocene that affect how we live in the twenty-first century. The collection veers from the Rocky Mountains and explorations of “fossilized” towns to family histories and myth-soaked theories, all while seeking a balance between disruptive poetic techniques and the centred lyrical voice.

David Martin works as a literacy instructor in Calgary and as an organizer for the Single Onion Poetry Series. His first collection, Tar Swan (NeWest Press, 2018), was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award and the City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize. David’s work has been awarded the CBC Poetry Prize, and has been shortlisted for prizes from FreeFall, Vallum, PRISM international, and the Alberta Magazine Awards. As well, he was named a “Writer to Watch” in 2023 by CBC Books. His latest collection, Kink Bands, was published by NeWest Press in September of 2023.

@tarswanpoems – X

Joseph Shea: Rocks And Roll

Mountains inspire us, challenge us, and confound us. As part of the Rocks and Roll Nerds Night I’ll be talking about my research in the Himalayas, the Canadian Rockies, and the Coast Ranges, and how Indigenous knowledge has helped changed my outlook on how we do science in the mountains.

Joseph Shea is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, Earth, and Environmental Science at the University of Northern British Columbia and a musician with Trundled and The Ebbs. The central theme of his research is mountains, and he incorporates the theories and tools of a wide range of fields (remote sensing, glaciology, meteorology, climatology, hydrology, and geohazards) to investigate how mountains are responding – and will respond in the future – to climate change. These themes creep into his songwriting in surprising and unexpected ways. He is the lead investigator of the Mountain Snow Hydrology Lab (www.moshlab.org), a member of the Hidden Figures team exploring racism and erasure of BIPOC scholars in Canadian academic environments (www.hiddenfigurescanada.org), and a lead author of the recently published Canadian Mountain Assessment, which brought together Indigenous and scientific knowledge in a ground-breaking report on the status of mountain regions in Canada.

@josephshea – X

Robin Woywitka: Flood on the Rocks

Photo Copyright goemon5.com

Floods are powerful events. They erode, move, and deposit massive amounts of sediment. A single event can sculpt landscapes in a matter of hours and repeated events can build entirely new landmasses over millennia. Because of this power, floods leave strong signatures in the geological record. Floods also heavily influence human livelihood. They can rejuvenate agricultural systems just as easily as they can destroy entire communities. Like their geological signatures, floods have left vivid impressions in our archaeological, historical, and artistic records. This talk will trace how floods have been interpreted in western scientific tradition and musical record over the past 2,000 years, with emphasis on the last two centuries. Among other stops, we will visit ice age floods of near biblical proportion near Fort McMurray, Alberta and the deluged Mississippi River valley of 1927.

Robin is an Assistant Professor at MacEwan University in Edmonton. He studies the Quaternary Period, the most recent division of the Geological Timescale (ca. 2.6 million years ago to today). He specializes in geomorphology, geospatial science and geoarchaeology. His research focuses on how processes associated with present day industrialization and climate change affect the preservation of heritage landscapes contained in the geological and archaeological records of western Canada. He has also run a semi-professional roots band called The Super 92 for over a decade.

Nerd Nite #77: Space: The Final Frontier

These are the voyages of the Nerds of Edmonton. Our continuing mission: to explore strange new topics; to seek out inebriation while learning about stuff; to boldly go where no nerd has gone before! Our November show is all about the stars, so put on your thinking caps and Starfleet uniforms (you know you’ve got one somewhere) and come on down.

When: Thursday, November 30, 2023, at 7:30 pm

(Doors & bar open at 7:00 pm with drinks available all night!)

Where: Fringe Theatre Lobby at Fringe Theatre Adventures

Fringe Theatre Arts Barn, 10330 84 Ave NW, Edmonton

How much: $25

Margaret Ridder: The Life and Death of the Sun

headshot of Margaret Ridder

In this talk, explore the world of low-mass stars and their fate in the Galaxy. Although not as spectacular as their larger cousins, our Sun and stars like it share a beautiful evolution that ends in bizarre physics. We will end with their afterlife as stellar remnants.

Margaret is a third-year PhD student in astrophysics at the University of Alberta. She studies compact stars and radio sources in our galaxy. She got her BSc at the University of Washington, Seattle, and her MSc at the University of Alberta. She is always highly caffeinated.

Kati Kovacs: Astronowatch Live!

What’s up? The sky, of course! Kati Kovacs will tell you all about what’s going on in the night sky over the next little while, including any visible planets, some prominent winter constellations, and of course, the aurora.

Kati Kovacs is a communications specialist and science enthusiast with over 20 years experience editing, writing, and disseminating science. During her twenties she wrote for the student newspaper at the U of A, the Gateway, and was best known for her Astronowatch column, the longest running, single-author column in the history of the Gateway. She has seen every episode of Star Trek a few times over, and is ever curious about how “fully functional” Data really is. Her fave part of the month is creating the Nerd Nite quiz.

@astronogirl – Twitter
@astronogirl – Instagram
@astronogirl – Facebook

Peter Klavins: We Are Stardust

headshot of Peter Klavins

For every element within humans, there’s a cosmic origin story. From the Big Bang to explosive stellar deaths, we’ll explore how everything from hydrogen to molybdenum came to make us who we are.

Peter Klavins is a software developer with a Masters degree in astrophysics. He spends his time learning photography (and eventually astrophotography), imagining roleplaying game worlds and “serenading” his neighbours with his violin practice.
@klavinsap – Instagram