NN25_Poster

On March 12th join us for Nerd Nite 25: The Man, The Myth, The Money where we will discuss the fictitious life of James Bond’s eating habits, cryptozoology and the mythical beasts that surround us, and the story of the bitcoin and other cryptocurrency.

Doors open at Pachamama’s Alton Ballroom at 7 pm and presentations start at 8 pm. $1 cover.

Presentations to include:

“Live and Let Dine: James Bond as an Effete Gourmet Assassin”
By Tom Weiss

Will the real James Bond please stand up! Is he the martini-swilling, car-crazy,womanizing super spy depicted in the movies, or an effete gourmet assassin as suggested in the novels? The answer may lie in the Bond Matrix, a large data base that contains savory details about the 500 dining experiences that the secret agent had or dreamed of having in the Bond novels. This presentation will be the first release of information from this data base. You may never see James Bond in the same light again.

Tom gave up a possibly lucrative career as a professional golfer and turned down a job in Dayton, OH in order to get a PhD in Economics. He taught at KU for nearly 40 years, where he did the usual path-breaking, seminal work that was expected. Perhaps his greatest innovation was the introduction of Powerpoint in the Presidential addresses of the Economic History Association. His research ran the gamut from economic growth in colonial North America, to industrialization in the slave South, the growth of service industries in the 19th century, and – in preparation for retirement – the economic history of tourism. None of these has anything to do with his work on James Bond’s dining history.

“Snipe Hunt: Cryptozoological Creatures and the Stories They Tell”
By Kent Smith and Matthew Lord

Sasquatch. Chupacabra. Nessie. Do these clandestine beasts exist in the physical world, or only in the recesses off our imagination? Though substantial evidence proves lacking, anecdotal accounts about these elusive creatures is available in droves. The mission of SNIPE HUNT, (Society of the Never-ending Inquest to Prove Existence and Hopefully Uncover Non-typical Terrestrials), is to explore the numerous reports of the many enigmatic creatures around the world and the cryptic phenomena that surround them. SNIPE HUNT founders Matthew Lord and Kent Smith will be sharing their knowledge in the field of Cryptozoology and the challenge of finding mystery in an ever-shrinking world.

Kent Smith is an illustrator, designer and all-around artist extraordinaire. A graduate of the University of Kansas with a BFA in illustration and design, Kent gets to spend his time making pictures—something he celebrates daily. Kent’s artwork is chock-full of humor and personality. Kent loves robots, ninjas, super-heroes, monkeys, ray-guns and romance.

Matthew Lord graduated with a BFA in illustration from the University of Kansas and is an illustrator/designer and fine artist. Matt’s artwork tilts toward the absurd, with a healthy dose of pop culture critique. He strives to tell a well-constructed story with his artwork, using the panel as his delivery device. Matt’s influences are drawn from a youth saturated with comic books and toy commercials.

“Cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin: Such money. Very technology. So future. Wow”
By Caleb Chin

Bitcoin, one of the hottest topics in technology and the financial world, is an innovative digital creation that is as fascinating as it is volatile. Whether you hate it, love it, or don’t know anything about it, more and more people across the world are accepting bitcoins. So what exactly is it? How does it work? Is it just a fad or is it the real deal?

Caleb Chin is an undergraduate senior at KU who was first introduced to Bitcoin in 2012 by a techie friend, back when it was considered nothing more than “gold for nerds”. Caleb follows cryptocurrency news and markets to trade Bitcoin with other currencies, both crypto and non-crypto, dollar or Dogecoin. He is the founder and president of the local Bitcoin Club.