It’s a new year and everything is changing. Here’s one thing you can count on: Nerd Nite. We’re still here, still nerdy, and still cost one wee dollar. See you soon. Doors at 7. Presentations start at 8.

Wednesday JAN 11 at 8 PM Doors open at 7 PM
Maceli’s Banquet Hall & Catering
1031 New Hampshire St, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

The presentations:

“The 1933-34 Plot to Oust FDR and Install a Fascist Dictator” by Earl Schweppe
In 1933-34, General Smedley Butler was involved in an attempted fascist putsch known as the ‘Business Plot’, which he went along with to collect evidence and then exposed to the press and a congressional commitee. The group of wealthy financiers and industrialists were planning a military coup to overthrow Franklin D. Roosevelt, with Butler selected to lead a march of veterans to become a dictator, similar to other fascist regimes at that time. The individuals involved all denied the existence of a plot and some related media also ridiculed the allegations. A final report by a special House of Representatives Committee confirmed Butler’s testimony and the plot failed.

“Change Your Life While Sitting On Your Butt and Going Backwards. (AKA the Sport of Rowing)” by Heather Moore.
A brief introduction to the sport of rowing – a quick history, features of the modern sport, terminology and a how-to demonstration on a rowing machine.
“Baby, I Was Born To Run…and Sleep” by Erin Schramm.
One of the original dog breeds and the only one mentioned in the Bible, greyhounds have long been revered for their speed, grace, loyal companionship, and lovable personalities by both royalty and commoners alike. Hear about the history of this extremely unique animal and their incredible speed, what makes them so different from most other breeds of dogs, and why they are such amazing companions. Also, get ready to have one of the biggest myths about greyhounds dispelled (hint: there’s a reason they make good apartment dogs).

The presenters:

Heather Moore: Nineteen years ago, Heather Moore happened to be walking by the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, as a rowing regatta was being held. Intrigued, she soon joined her local rowing club and not only learned to row, but also raced competitively and eventually coached juniors teams in Ohio and Texas. When she’s not on the river rowing, Heather can often be found walking alongside it with her three beagles.

Erin Schramm:  Erin Schramm has been a lifelong bibliophile, pickle fiend, and dog lover. She currently works as the school librarian at Prairie Park Elementary School, where her favorite thing is cracking up her elementary school kids. Erin has a soft spot in her heart for rescue/shelter dogs, which led her to adopting her retired racing greyhound Atticus in 2015. When not competing with Atticus for the title of Best Napper, Erin enjoys reading (of course), playing Settlers of Catan, seeing tons of movies, and trying to find the best pickle in LFK (right now it’s between Limestone and Merchants).

Earl Schweppe:

At 12 Vacuum Tubes, Radio, and Morris Code
At 14 Started taking math courses by mail
At 16 Graduated HS to MO Valley College
At 17 Joined the Navy V5 Program. In 16 mo
At 20 Earned BS in Math. Wed Mary Woolston.
At 21 Was Plumbing and Heating Salesman
At 22 To Illinois for Math + much on computers.
Joined USNR Security Group (NSA)
At 26 Programmed Illiac during last graduate year
At 27 PhD in Math. Taught Math 10 years total
At > MVC, Illinois, Nebraska, ISU, Maryland
At 31 In charge of Programming ISU Cyclone
At 33 Moved to Maryland to work at NSA
At 35 To U. MD to discern what Computer Science would be
At 40 To KU to create CS Department
At 60 Retired USNR. 18 with Security Group
At 73 Retired from KU EECS after 32 years.
*At 89 Became oldest presenter in Nerd Nite Lawrence history!
Lost wife in 2013. One daughter and two sons.
Three grandsons.
(*editors note)

From friendly competitions to fitness, we’re bringing you games, gaming, and personal training this December. Join us! Doors are at 7 and admission is, as ever, one dollar.

Wednesday at 8 PM  Doors open at 7 PM
Maceli’s Banquet Hall & Catering
1031 New Hampshire St, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

The presentations:

“Pie’ing the Friendly Skies: How a failed dessert item gave rise to a global family of sports, games, and competition” by Justin Atwater-Taylor.
From the long-defunct Frisbie’s Pie Company to the burgeoning multitude of disc sports disciplines uniting cultures globally, we’ll fly through the life of the Frisbee beginning with a throw-away pie tin that floated magically between friends along to the present day and beyond where the toy of the future is starting to realize its destiny.

“Game On” by Scott Barber
A brief overview of the history of tabletop games, and the recent boom in game design.

“Manias, Mobility, and the Martial Arts” by Thomas Thatcher.
In this presentation, Former USMC Scout Sniper and Professional Cage Fighter Thomas Thatcher will explain how he uses a few simple tips, tricks, and a little “VooDoo” to help himself and his clients improve their qualities of life, both physically and mentally.

The presenters:

Justin Atwater-Taylor is a yoooge Frisbee nerd. Part thinker, part do’er, he turned his Industrial Design thesis at KU into Grip Equipment – a Lawrence-based brand of disc golf backpacks and gear distributed locally across 4 continents and 9 time zones which earned a 2014 Emerging Business of the Year award from the Kansas Legislature. Having competed in ultimate frisbee a bit and heavily in disc golf he’s spent the last 15 years learning, meeting, and playing with the history and culture of the magical flying toy that’s brought together millions as one family and provided the basis for a multitude of professional (and not-so-professional) sports and competitions whirled-wide.

Scott Barber is a shiftless layabout that has aspirations of one day being an adult. Like with an actual career and stuff. He knows a lot about teaching art to kids and even more about drinking beer.

After receiving an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Thomas Thatcher started a functional fitness facility with his younger brother Kyle out of his back yard in the fall of 2010. This adult playground, which has since grown into a 6000 sf facility, allowed Thomas to observe human movement in a way few have seen. Over the years, Thomas has developed a deep passion for helping himself and others develop a sense of continuous self improvement through consistent training and self experimentation.

Imagine the future – November 9th. The election will be over. Survivors will be welcome. Our theme for the evening will be epic showdowns. Yes, it’s Nerds vs the World! Dollar cover. Doors at 7.

Presentations:

“Ms. Pac-man vs the Patriarchy” by Paul DeGeorge
Ms. Pac-man vs the Patriarchy explores the creation and legacy of the greatest game of the arcade age. Discussed: female protagonists, video game enhancement kits, the Bozeman Think Tank, gameplay tips, bluetime, and The Pretzel.

Paul DeGeorge is an artist, activist, entrepreneur and wizard. He plays in the pioneering wizard rock band Harry and the Potters and co-founded the Harry Potter Alliance, a non-profit organization that connects fans to social justice movements. Paul co-owns Wonder Fair, where he helps to run Lawrence’s best-promoted secret society, the Secret Order of the Black Diamond. He also created a Twitter bot to remind you that it’s time to visit the dentist at 2:30 each day.

“Man vs. Machine: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work” by Kris Adair
For 11,000 year humans have toiled and labored to build the future. We are now entering an era where machines are capable of doing repetitive and labor intensive jobs faster, better and cheaper than human beings. This presentation will talk about the implications of automation on labor and the future of work.

Kris Adair is a long-time Lawrence resident, USD 497 School Board member, and co-founder of Mycroft AI, an open-source artificial intelligence company. In addition to running several companies with her husband she is also a military spouse and fantastic mother.

“People vs. Profits: The Political Ecology of Water and Oil in South America” by David Cooper
The activities of oil and mining companies in South America displace and disrupt the lives of those who live near extraction sites, while destroying local biodiversity and natural systems. Yet, despite these costs, the extraction industry continues unabated; and, in fact, is expanding. This presentation discusses recent events in Ecuador that culminated in the opening of new oil wells in the Yasuni National Park, one of the most biodiverse regions of the world and home to two of the last tribes living in isolation.

David Cooper is a sociology PhD student at KU. His research focuses on Indigenous movements in South America – specifically in the Andes – and the links between natural systems and social systems. He also has an interest in organizing and is the acting president of the graduate teaching assistants’ labor union at KU.

Fall comes to Lawrence.
Change is in the air.
The leaves will soon turn.
The ground shakes.
Nerd Nite Lawrence returns.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 Maceli’s 1031 New Hampshire St.
Door at 7:00 pm Presentations at 8:00 pm $1.00 Cover
With drinks and nerdy mini-menu.  

NN52:
Semi Semiotics

Ahh, semiotics, the study of signs and symbols. This month we’ll do that, basically. We will have presentations on Chinese characters and their efficacy as tattoos, the mysterious symbols employed by secret societies, and art that takes the form of a postage stamp. C U in September! Dollar cover. Doors at 7.

Presentations:

Chinese for Tattoos
by Kevin Liu

If you’re going to ink something permanent, don’t you want to make sure it a) looks good, b) looks right, and c) makes sense? This is not as simple as a heart and MOM, but it can be. Learn what makes up a Chinese character, including how they’re categorized, how a well-written character looks, and some basic translations you can put permanently on your body.

Perforate Strangers: Postage stamps as art
by Andrea Repinsky and Boog Highberger

An international community of artists is linked by their mailboxes as they create and share postage stamps as art. Large enjoyment comes from tiny stamps via self-expression, juxtaposition, personal relationships, microphilia, and mailbox hijinks.

’Does this apron make my junk look big?’ Secret Society Symbols
by Meredith Moore

Explore and decode the mysterious symbols utilized by groups such as the Masons, the Fabian Society, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Presenter bios:

Kevin Liu is the Associate Director of the Confucius Institute of KU where he works with Chinese language programming. He was an educator in an earlier lifetime and now helps train Chinese language teachers. Kevin grew up listening to the Cantonese dialect of Chinese but is now learning Mandarin with a horrible Spanish accent. Kevin first attended NNLFK #42 and was hooked by the passion to learn and share. When he’s not at Nerd Nite or work, he’s running, creating either ceramics or crochet, and spending time with his family and pet menagerie.

Andrea Repinsky lives in the Brook Creek neighborhood with two chickens, a perforator, and a few skinks. Andrea is an urban planner and prairie enthusiast, serving as President of Grassland Heritage Foundation. She makes a lot of maps, stamps, squirrel habitat, and giant tacos on wheels.

Boog Highberger has lived in Lawrence since Jimmy Carter was president. He has served as mayor and city commissioner in Lawrence and is currently represents the east side of Lawrence in the Kansas House of Representatives. Boog is an occasional maker of artistamps and has what must be one of the world’s largest collections of rubber stamp lips.

Meredith Moore runs Wonder Fair, the awesomest lil’ gallery/shoppe in LFK. She got married on a roller coaster, owns a video store’s stock of Bollywood movies on VHS, and has organized her own secret society.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
Maceli’s 1031 New Hampshire St.
Door at 7:00 pm Presentations at 8:00 pm
$1.00 Cover
Drinks and a mini-menu available.  

NN51:

Summer Shorts

A Nerd Nite Lawrence original, Summer Shorts, returns in July! Join us for these numerous short presentations in the same nerdy atmosphere you’ve grown to love.

A lightning round-type format this month, with newcomers and several popular Nerd Nite alumni.

Wear your shorts and get a sticker!

 Some of the topics and presenters:

“Owens Lane, a brief history of the 1st midcentury cul-de-sac in Lawrence,” by Tom Harper. Harper is the Founder of Lawrence Modern, a Realtor with Stephens Real Estate & happens to live on Owens Lane.

“Yankee Doodle Came to Town Upon a Naval Convoy: The “American Invasion” and Perceptions of the New Zealand Mainstream, Abridged,” by Eric Sader. Eric is an attorney-social worker, presently serving Lawrence-Douglas County as a director at the Housing Authority. He also teaches through Johnson County Community College when not occupied by Sader Advocacy, Sader Mediation, and SaderWedding and Funeral. Present Board memberships include the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, Hilltop Child Development Center, and the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition.

“Paronomasia: Pun Intended,” by Jason Keezer. Keezer is a lifelong resident of Kansas and has been using language most of his life. He is a licensed clinical social worker and member of the Lawrence Improv Guild.

“How to Make Ugly Maps,” by Andrea Repinsky. Repinsky lives in Brook Creek with a Korean anxiety hound and three chickens. Andrea is an urban planner and prairie enthusiast. She makes a lot of maps, and sometimes forgets to make them ugly.

“Dancing Democracy,” by Kelly Kluthe. Kelly is a high school science teacher and amateur beekeeper.

“1>3>4>2: A Controversial View of the Indiana Jones Quadrilogy,” by Michael Pope. Michael is a local comedian, man-about-town and amateur film buff. He’s a Renaissance man who enjoyed the movie “Renaissance Man.” His opinions are his own, but that doesn’t stop him from sharing them with everyone. Full disclosure: His fiancée, Sally, has given a few Nerd Night talks herself and is much better at this sort of thing.

“Dirty Jane Austen,” by Jon Kaleugher. Jon Fitzgerald Kaleugher II is a longtime member of LFK’s famed PBR Book Club (Shteyngart wrote about us in the New Yorker) and has recently become himself on Twitter (@jfkaleug). He just finished the first year of an MFA in Fiction at UMKC. He is currently revising a novella,Brunch at Hermes, an updating of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, if you wanna read, let him know.

“Vote with your fork? Speak with your mouth! A call to all for food systems planning,” by Helen Schnoes. Schnoes spends way too much time thinking about food, talking about, and reading about food. As Food Systems Coordinator for Douglas County, she wants you to help craft the future vision of our local food system.

“What In Carnation?!” or “Leaf Me Alone: Romance, Friendship, Animosity, and Everything in Between Through the Victorian Language of Flowers,” by Grace D. Chin. Grace Dallae Chin is a printmaker, paper sculptor, and longtime flower enthusiast. Her Korean name is clever wordplay that translates to “azalea,” which in the Victorian language of flowers means “take care of yourself for me” or “fragile passion” and was a staple in break-up bouquets, or, if sent in a black vase, could be a death threat. That’s probably not why her parents named her after azaleas.

“The Six Amendments That Didn’t,” by Steven x Davis. Steven x Davis is a writer and editor with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He is currently running for the Kansas House of Representatives in the 44th District, and constitutional law is one of his many nerdy interests.

“Inside the Con Artist’s Playbook,” by Marie Taylor. After living in 15 cities in 8 states, Marie Taylor finally settled down in Lawrence, Kansas. When not doing her lawyer day job, Marie spends her time tending to her awesome kids, working on her movement practice, knitting socks, and getting in touch with her inner nerd. Her interest in scammers was spurred after falling for a scam or two – okay, maybe three.

“What’s the Matter with Kansas’s Flag?” by Pat Trouba. Trouba voted in the 2015 flag referendum for his favorite podcast, Hello Internet. It remains the only postcard-based British election he’s ever voted in.

“Take a Dip into Wet Specimens” – by Krys Arkeketa

“The Unknown Cultural Significance of the cartoon The Real Ghostbusters” – by Sean Passmore

And more!!!

Doors open at 7:00 PM. Presentations begin at 8:00. $1 Cover.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8
Maceli’s 1031 New Hampshire St.
Door at 7:00 pm Presentations at 8:00 pm
$1.00 Cover
Drinks and a mini-menu available.  

NN50:

Buck, Blow, Bump

Get ready to get down, get funky, and bust a move at Nerd Nite 50! On this historic evening, we’ll bring you three talks about the esoteric histories of commonplace things.

Dance, Dollars and Glass – you won’t want to miss this one!

Dance Crazes through the Ages

by Katie Sparks

A Concise History of Glass, or why a poor Okie kid winds up blowing glass in his garage

by Bob Gent

If I Had a Million Dollar Coins

by Pat Trouba

Descriptions of Discussions:

Dance Crazes through the Ages

by Katie Sparks

Biography

Katie Sparks has two Master’s degrees, but they have nothing to do with dance, or history, so other than conveying a vague nerd-cred, they’re not important here. Katie got into dance while attending a hippy liberal arts college, and has been taking classes ever since. Through dance, she has learned that you don’t have to be good at something to do it with abandon.

A Concise History of Glass, or why a poor Okie kid winds up blowing glass in his garage

by Bob Gent

Bob will explain the development of glass, and look into the way that glass began to be made in individual studios rather than just large factories, and how this change opened new artistic and technical possibilities.

Biography

Bob Gent has been a studio glass artist since the mid eighties. He learned the craft of glassblowing, and more importantly, studio building, at the university of Tulsa, where his parents thought he was going to learn something that would put him on the path to employment.

He worked almost full time at glass from the late nineties through to the crash of ’08, and has been treating it as a supplemental, and fun means of income since then. He sells in galleries in Lawrence and Kansas City, though an occasional check sometimes arrives from a gallery he had completely forgotten.
As to whether he’d encourage you to pick up a blowpipe, that’s complicated. The learning curve is steep, practice time is expensive and hard to come by, and setting up a studio requires another skill set, plus some capital outlay. Learn design first, he’ll tell you, though he wonders if he’s ever taken such advice himself.
As to whether you could own an artifact of the studio glass movement, that answer is simple. Bob’s work can be found at Phoenix Gallery, or you may contact him by looking in the phone book or at his eponymous web site, bobgent.com

If I Had a Million Dollar Coins

by Pat Trouba

Biography

Doors open at 7:00 PM. Presentations begin at 8:00. $1 Cover.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11
Maceli’s 1031 New Hampshire St.
Door at 7:00 pm Presentations at 8:00 pm
$1.00 Cover
Drinks and a mini-menu available.  

NN49:

GOLDEN GASTRONOMY

Join us for salty talks about fermenting things that aren’t beer, purview the biology of said beer, and raise a beer to the 50th anniversary of Lawrence Nerd Nite!

You might ask “Wait, I’m confused, if it’s NN49 why are you celebrating 50?” Because we’re geeky and freaky and started counting at our favorite smallest non-negative integer, zero (o)!

The Evolutionary Biology of Beer

by Sally Chang

Teach a Man to Ferment

by Savannah Noyes and Sarah Salzman

Salty Talk

by Kim Brook

Descriptions of Discussions, Brewed Fresh and Salty

The Evolutionary Biology of Beer

by Sally Chang

Biography

Sally Chang is a Ph.D. candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas who studies the genomes of jellyfish and their relatives. In her pretty limited time away from research, she dabbles in home-brewing, as it is pretty much the best biology-related hobby.

Teach a Man to Ferment

by Savannah Noyes and Sarah Salzman

Ready to take your dinner plate to a whole new level? Come learn how easy it is to make nutrient-dense, probiotic-rich, and palate enticing fermented foods. Fermented foods are cheap, easy, and full of beneficial bacteria that make your belly happy!

Biographies

Savannah Noyes, KU alum and professional volleyball player is owner/chef at Wild Alive Ferments,owner/community health director of CrossFit Lawrence, blogger at vannacatwellness.blogspot.com, author, wife and new mom!!

Sarah Salzman, KU alum, masters in Occupational Therapy, owner/chef at Wild Alive Ferments, and momma to be!

Salty Talk

by Kim Brook

Biography

Doors open at 7:00 PM. Presentations begin at 8:00. $1 Cover.

Wednesday, APRIL 13
Maceli’s 1031 New Hampshire St.
Door: 7:00 pm Presentations start at 8:00 pm
$1.00 Cover
Drinks and a mini-menu available.  

NN48
It’s Grow Time

In April we turn our attention back to life. This rebirth takes the form of three presentations concerning our favorite photosynthesizing friends – plants.

In Praise of Plants   

by Emily Ryan

From Crisis to Cornucopia: Cuba’s Transition to Sustainable Agriculture

by Ali Brox

The Importance of Being Native

by Courtney Masterson

Descriptions of Discussions in Full Bloom

In Praise of Plants   

by Emily Ryan

Biography

Emily formed her perspective of the world somewhere between the branches of sugar maple trees in eastern Ohio. (She really likes the topography there.) By day, she works at The Commons bringing people together across campus and the community. The rest of the time, she’s covered in dirt, either micro-farming in north Lawrence or playing softball.

From Crisis to Cornucopia: Cuba’s Transition to Sustainable Agriculture

by Ali Brox

Biography

Ali Brox lives in Lawrence and teaches Environmental Studies at KU. Her interest in Cuba was spurred after a trip there in December.

The Importance of Being Native

by Courtney Masterson

What IS a native plant, anyway? There are plants everywhere. How are natives different? Join us as we explore the definition of “native plant,” their infamy, their value, and their beauty.

Biography

Courtney is defending her Master’s Thesis this month (so, be patient with her!). Her research focuses on the effects of deer populations on tallgrass prairie plant communities. She manages the Monarch and Native Plant Programs at Bridging The Gap, which are providing hundreds of free monarch gardens to the citizens of Kansas City. She also runs her own business managing prairies and designing native gardens. Finally, Courtney is also a member of the leadership teams for the Kansas Women’s Environmental Network, the Kaw Valley Native Plant Coalition, and the Kansas City WildLands Seed Team. She’s a plant lunatic. 

Doors open at 7:00 PM. Presentations begin at 8:00. $1 Cover.

Wednesday, MARCH 9
Maceli’s 1031 New Hampshire St.
Door: 7:00 pm Presentations start at 8:00 pm
$1.00 Cover
Drinks and a mini-menu available.

In March we are back at our regular location Maceli’s and humbly present to you, dear audience, a night of mortific magnificence. Our shuddersome theme for the evening is Death, or more precisely our topics will take a look at where our social norms come from concerning funeral rites, dress and exequies . Never fear, sweet friends, this night will be more anthropological than ghoulish. So put pallid hand in hand and take a grim walk with us to Marble Town.  

NN47
Abra Macabre

TOPICS:

“Dead Man’s Party”

by Krys Arkeketa

“Grieving, the Right Way (?)”

by Abby Young

“The Mourning After: Death and Victorian Dress”

by Annette Becker

The Deathly Details:

“Dead Man’s Party”

by Krys Arkeketa

Death is inevitable; every single one of us will die one day. Are you prepared? Fear not if you are unsure! We will be exploring the taboo topic of death and what your options are. Topics that will be covered are:

1. A brief history of embalming and American death culture.

2. What are my options besides burial?

3. “Why can’t I have a viking funeral?” and other myths about death.

Biography

Krys Arkeketa is a mortuary student from the Lawrence, KS area. She began her mortuary journey in 2013 when she realized nursing school was not for her. Involved in oddities and rarities sale and trade, she preserves fetal animals, organs and wet specimens as her hobby and felt becoming a mortician was the next big step. She is Native American and her goal is to specialize in Native American funerals and post-mortem ceremonies.

“Grieving, the Right Way (?)”

by Abby Young

Societal treatment of grief is often one-size-fits all;  sometimes conjuring feelings of shame in the bereaved where sympathy is intended.  In this talk, we’ll be exploring the notion of what it means to grieve “normally” in the western world and the pressures society can put on us: “Shouldn’t I be over it?” “Why am I still sad they died?”  Often the pressure “to get over it” can become overwhelming. With these questions in mind, we will look to see if there truly is a “right” way to grieve. Some of the research will surprise you.

Biography

Abby Young found herself working as a photojournalist in her 20s to only discover that therapy was her main calling. Abby received her masters of social work from the University of Kansas and opened her own practice, Tillery Time Counseling, in Lawrence. She has done work with people in many walks of life including those impacted by cancer, grieving, and surviving domestic violence to mention a few. She brings in an understanding of the mind, brain and body connection in working with people.

“The Mourning After: Death and Victorian Dress”

by Annette Becker

Are you from the nineteenth century? Has your spouse, second cousin, employer, or a beloved politician passed away recently? Well, look no further! Together we’ll explore a century of mourning etiquette and dress and the impact of those traditions on twenty-first century culture.

Biography

Annette Becker is a fashion historian who specializes in nineteenth and twentieth-century British and American dress.  She has lectured and published on clothing’s relationship to the body, political and health reform dress, and first lady fashion.  She has worked at Historic Deerfield, the Speed Art Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Texas Fashion Collection, and is currently at the Spencer Museum of Art.  The highlight of her career thus far has been touching George Bernard Shaw’s woolen underwear a few weeks ago.

Doors open at 7:00 PM. Presentations begin at 8:00. $1 Cover.

Wednesday, February 10
The Cider Gallery  (810 Pennsylvania St)
Doors at 7:00 PM, presentations at 8:00 PM
$1.00 Cover
Drinks will be available for purchase
Wilma’s food truck will be on-site

Please join us for a very special edition of Nerd Nite as we partner with the Lawrence Public Library and KU Libraries to bring you “Mars and Other Curiosities.”

We are presenting three Mars related talks in in conjunction with the Read Across Lawrence selection for 2016, Andy Weir’s book, “The Martian”.

Please note the location for this month will be the Cider Gallery!  

Mars and Other Curiosities

TOPICS:

“The Spiders on Mars and Other Space Oddities”

by Alison Olcott Marshall

“Autonomous Mobile Robots”

by Arvin Agah

“An Explorer’s Guide to Mars (Fiction)”

by the LPL book squad

About the Topics:

“The Spiders on Mars and Other Space Oddities”

by Alison Olcott Marshall

On July 15, 1965, Mariner IV provided the world with the first close-up view of Mars. Just fifty years later an amazing array of flybys, orbiters, landers and rovers has provided us with enough images of the red planet that it is now possible to leisurely tour the planet on Google Mars. These images are not only beautiful and (quite literally!) otherworldly, but they have allowed us to learn so much about our nearest neighbor, a planet that is so similar to and yet so different from Earth. In this talk we will explore what we know about Mars, how we know it, and indulge in some speculation about what we could still learn.

Biography
Alison Olcott Marshall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology, where she uses chemistry to explore fossils of all types, sizes, and ages and tries to apply those lessons to the search for life on other planets. She has a 2 year old and a 4 year old, so she has forgotten what “free time” is, but she is pretty sure she used to enjoy doing things in it.

“Autonomous Mobile Robots”

by Arvin Agah

Description
The only known Martians at this point in time are Curiosity and Opportunity, two Mars rovers by NASA. Mars rovers, Drones, driverless cars, and robotic vacuum cleaners are a few examples of autonomous mobile robots—robots that move on their own. This presentation will cover the history, applications, competitions, trends, and challenges (technical and philosophical) of autonomous mobile robots.

Biography
Dr. Arvin Agah is Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs in the School of Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Kansas, which he joined in 1997, after spending two years in Japan as a researcher in the Bio-Robotics Division of Mechanical Engineering Laboratory. He has edited two books and published over 170 refereed articles in the areas of robotics and artificial intelligence. He has degrees from University of Texas at Austin (Computer Science BA), Purdue University (Computer Science MS), and University of Southern California (Biomedical Engineering MS and Computer Science PhD).

“An Explorer’s Guide to Mars (Fiction)”

by the Lawrence Public Library book squad

This short, spoiler free presentation will cover everything you need to know about Mars related fiction.

Doors open at 7:30 PM. Presentations begin at 8:00. $1 Cover.