nerdnite – NYC

Welcome to Nerd Nite NYC, hosted by Matt Wasowski (matt @ nerdnite.com).

How many of you own a greatest hits tape or CD?  Yes, you all do.  But how many of you have been to a Nerd Nite Nerdtacular featuring Nerd Nite’s greatest hits?  None of you.  Well, now you can.

Yes, join us on Friday September 10th at 8pm at the Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO for the 3rd Annual Nerd Nite Nerdtacular featuring many of Nerd Nite’s greatest hits!  If you’re bummed that you missed out on the now famous Godzilla, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Ride, Cancer, and Racism in Role-Playing Games presentations, here’s your chance to redeem yourself.  Or, if you did see these, here’s your chance to bring your friends along to show off your good taste.  But please bring your own duct tape and/or sutures because your sides will be splitting and Nerd Nite doesn’t have any on-call maintenance or surgical staff.

This Nerdtacular will also feature music and mental hygiene videos by indie-rock supergroup Overlord between presentations, and you’ll even have a chance to get the autograph of one of the original 20,000 Leagues crew members.  Seriously.

Oh, and I’m super psyched to announce to that CBS’s The Big Bang Theory is sponsoring the Nerdtacular so you’ll get free stuff and see a funny video clip too.

Tickets for 3rd Annual Nerd Nite Nerdtacular at 8:00pm ($15):  http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showcode=3RD10

Nerd Nite NYC
Galapagos Art Space DUMBO
16 Main Street in DUMBO Brooklyn (F train to York St. or A/C train to High St.)
Friday September 10, 2010 at 8pm
$15 for this special extra-long Nerdtacular (it’ll go back to $10 in October)

Back to the Lectures At Hand:
*Presentation #1
A Journey Through Liquid Space: Disney World’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” Ride
by David Shuff

Description: In 1971 Disney unveiled the greatest theme park attraction ever, the 20K ride. For decades it inspired, delighted, and scared the crap out of anyone with half an imagination. In 1994 the ride was temporarily “closed for maintenance,” but it was a lie, lie, lie. In fact it never sailed again, and after laying fallow for a decade the decrepit ruins were unceremoniously demolished in 2004. But the story—and the dream—doesn’t end there. David Shuff has dedicated himself to keeping the memory and magic of 20K alive; in spite of riding it only once when he was three years old.  Sharing rare photos, video, and actual crew member accounts, he will helm a spine tingling adventure through the rise, fall, and surprising afterlife of the 20K ride—the lost 8th wonder of the world. With brand new materials for this encore presentation!

Bio: A filmmaker, editor, writer, storyteller, and general “Maker” with more projects than he can handle, David Shuff is a well rounded human being with a healthy dislike of most things Disney. Always drawn to the mysteries of the deep, as a child his dream was to be a marine biologist and his nightmares were about giant squids; it only dawned on him recently that he had the 20k ride to thank for both. Beware the plush giant squid behind his couch.

*Presentation #2
If You Live Long Enough, You’re Going to Die: Why People Get Cancer
by Kerry Donny-Clark

Description: Car exhaust, hormone supplements, sunlight, McDonalds: What causes cancer, and why? You all know someone who has had cancer, but do you know how it started? What would a cure for cancer look like? What exactly is cancer, anyways? This presentation will attempt to explain cancer from a molecular perspective, and put news about cancer risks and treatments in context.

Bio: Kerry Donny-Clark holds a PhD in Biology focused on DNA damage and repair from NYU. He is also a circus acrobat, former yo-yo champion, Ninja Warrior participant, 11/12 elven fighter/mage, computer programmer, and more. He is currently employed at Google.

*Presentation #3
Race in Role-Playing Games
by Chris Van Dyke

Description: It is as teenagers that many of us first become aware of the importance of race.  We learn that, depending on the color of your skin, some people will always look at you suspiciously.  We learn that some races are considered “normal” and “good.”  And we learn that if you are an elf you get a +1 bonus to Dexterity and that, when there’s a Halfling around, no one’s wallet is safe. What messages about race, explicit or implied, are encoded in the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons? What does the game say about the role race plays in shaping self-identity?  What makes a race “different” or “evil?”  Grab your Dungeon Master’s Guide, your dice bag, and a stack of character sheets while we deconstruct the racial undertones behind the world’s most popular role-playing game.

Bio: Chris Van Dyke is a 9th level half-elf paladin of lawful neutral alignment.  After losing his parents to orc raiders outside of Waterdeep, he was raised by a human family in Unthalas.  Seven years ago he chose to multi-class as a High School English Teacher and began teaching in the B’ro-nx.  His students ask why they have to re-memorize their spell lists every night, but he just tells them to blame Jack Vance and that they’ll thank him someday.  Despite the release of 3rd and 4th edition, he stubbornly continues to make “saving throw” jokes and insists that his low THAC0 is still relevant, even though he hasn’t actually played an RPG in nearly a decade.

*Presentation #4
Godzilla: History, Biology and Behavior of Hyper-Evolved Theropod Kaiju
by Shyaporn Theerakulstit

Description: Tsunami, earthquake, hurricane and typhoon all rolled in one, Godzilla, “King of the Monsters,” has both plagued and benefited humanity for over half a century. By examining the origins and zoology of this force of nature, people and nations will be better equipped to deal with the awesome destructive power of our radioactive visitor from the Cretaceous.

Bio: Shyaporn Theerakulstit is an actor, writer, director and D-List YouTuber, where he posts 30-second movie summaries, along with videos about drug addicted Easter bunnies, unemployed Superfriends and flying kittens. You can see examples of his internet hackery at http://www.youtube.com/shyaporn

You can contact Nerd Nite NYC Boss Matt Wasowski at matt@nerdnite.com or buy his new book here.