November Nerd Nite on the Rocks
by Andrew and Melissa Grosberg
Join mead maker Andrew Grosberg as he discusses mead, the oldest alcoholic beverage known to man. He will discuss the history of mead from its advent over 12,000 years ago to its rise, fall, and rise again in popularity. Learn what makes for different flavors of mead, from the honey that is used to the flavoring added.
October 6th Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Matt Love, Fire Chief
Firefighting has changed a little since the days of “Johnny and Roy”! Specifically, “what is burning”, “what’s it burning in”, and the science-based strategies and tactics employed by fire professionals have come a long way. Using real-life depictions and video from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, St. Cloud Fire Chief Matthew Love will identify key change aspects, fire dynamics involved in this change, and flow path considerations for the modern firefighter.
September Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Jade Harveland
We’ve put them on pedestals and looked to them in our time of need. But when they’re not in their capes, they are still people with emotions and faults. But when those character flaws shine through the cracks of corruption, the statement, “Never meet your heroes,” never hit so hard!
September Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Mary Jordan
If all you know about libraries is that they have crabby old ladies who shush people, they charge tons of money in fines, they all work with kids, and they only have dusty paper books – then you need an update! Today’s libraries are keeping up with the times. They serve a vast spectrum of people with different needs, provide all sorts of materials, and offer a wide variety of services. But, like any good story, there are a few villains. Publishers, ebook vendors, book banners – all of them work in different ways to get between the service mission of libraries and their patrons. Join us to hear about all the different ways that libraries have adapted to serve your information needs!
June Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Steven Dorsher
Several weeks ago, the W Boson made the news when CERN, a world-famous particle physics laboratory, replicated an experiment at Fermi Lab, but with better data. The results showed that the W Boson’s mass was much different than theoretically expected. Steven will explain in greater detail what the W Boson is, the significance of the finding in the context of the field, the relationship to the Higgs Boson, and the more speculative and exciting implications of the result for other areas of physics such as supersymmetry or dark matter.
June Nerd Nite on the Rocks
Kevin Hanson
Pole jumping originated long ago as a way for people to navigate natural barriers. Pole vaulting developed as an athletic event to challenge gravity and see who could jump the highest using sticks of various materials. In his presentation, Kevin will discuss modern techniques and the science that now allows men to jump over 20 feet and women almost 17 feet in perhaps the most difficult single event in athletics.