Nerd Nite Future

Nerd Nite is a monthly event that strives for an inebriated, salacious, yet deeply academic vibe. We aim to entertain, educate, elucidate, enlighten, and other things that start with “e.” Be there and be square.

Here is what’s going on at future events:

January 2014

When: Tuesday, January 7, 2014, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm
Where: Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Portland
Cost: $8.00 suggested cover at the door, or available online

This Nerd Nite will feature two speakers on one topic:

Ocean Acidification: From Shellfish to Science, Salmon to Solutions

If you’ve heard of the term ocean acidification, it’s likely been in the context of some future threat. Corals disappearing, fish populations harmed, island nations that depend on fish suffering. But ocean acidification is already impacting people and places today – particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Julia Roberson, director of Ocean Conservancy’s ocean acidification program, and George Waldbusser from the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at OSU, will take us on a journey of those already experiencing this problem – including local oyster growers, clownfish (yes, Nemo!) and what the future might look like for our beloved salmon. But while ocean acidification is a major challenge for those of us that rely on and love the ocean, there are reasons for optimism. This is not a story of despair, but a story of action, collaboration and ultimately, hope.

Julia Roberson directs Ocean Conservancy’s ocean acidification program. Her passion is taking complex issues that affect our ocean and figuring out how to make them real and relevant to people. Her favorite sea creatures? On any given day it could be oysters, fishermen or manta rays. Follow her on Twitter @juliaroberson.

George Waldbusser, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at OSU, and he studies Ocean Ecology and Biogeochemistry.

_______________

 

February 2014

When: Tuesday, February 4, 2014, doors at 6:00pm, event at 7:00pm
Where: Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan, Portland
Cost: $8.00* suggested cover at the door

This Nerd Nite will feature two excellent talks:

The Willamette River: A History of Sediment and Change

The Willamette River is one of the most important geological features of this area. With no river, no port. And with no port, no Portland. The river has undergone huge changes since the arrival of settlers and cities. Yet throughout the taming the river by building sea walls, the dredging and channeling to facilitate shipping, and the 100+ years of dumping toxins and waste, the Willamette is still a living river with birds and fish and people who dependent on it. Keith Johnson, Manager of the DEQ Northwest Region Cleanup Program, and Kevin Parrett, NWR Cleanup Section Manager at the DEQ, will give us a visual history of the Willamette and how the river and the city have changed each other.

The Subsurface History of Portland

People have been moving the earth around in the Portland Metro area to suit our needs since the earliest days of urban habitation, and this history of cutting and filling impacts many aspects of living and working in the city. Engineer Stuart Albright from Apex Companies will present historic maps and photos of Portland that he uses to evaluate the location and extent of the earthwork and landfilling that has shaped this area. He will also share the history of the locations of some of the largest historic fills, such as Asylum Creek, Guilds Lake, Tanner Creek, and Marquam Gulch, and how those landscapes affect us today.

_______________

*A note on the suggested cover: Nerd Nite is completely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering education opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $8 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.