Nerd Nite Pittsburgh is a lecture series that’s a mix between a comedy show, TED talk, and a social mixer! Speakers present for 15 minutes on a variety of topics related to science and technology, popular culture, history, and other nerdery with a vibe that’s as entertaining as it is academic! Audience members can ask questions, and beforehand, there is an entirely optional social game. Drinks, food, learning new and fascinating things, making friends with other nerds, we've got it all! The speed friending social game starts at 6:30, and then the big nerds hit the stage at 7:30. If you have a topic you are passionate about and you’d like to be a speaker at a later event, get in touch at pittsburgh@nerdnite.com! This event will feature the following presentations:
MEGARAPTORS: The Most Kickass Dinos You’ve Never Heard Of
Carnegie Museum of Natural History curator and senior dinosaur scientist Dr. Matt Lamanna is here to tell you all about some of his favorite dinos: megaraptors, a group of giant-clawed, razor-toothed badasses that ruled the southern continents at the end of the Age of Dinosaurs. Matt’s talk will draw (heavily) on he and his Argentine collaborators’ recent discovery of Joaquinraptor, a crocodile-eating megaraptor from the windswept wilds of Patagonia.
Besides being a professional dino dork, Matt’s passions include football, fishing, beer, and antagonizing his wife’s cat, the aptly named Wild Beast.
Slaying the Utility Dragon: Why Your Power Bill Hates You (and What You Can Do About It
Ever feel like your electricity bill is guarding treasure like a fire-breathing dragon from hell? You're not wrong. From complicated fees to temperature wars and broken thermostats, energy justice expert Dr. Destenie Nock will take you on a nerdy quest to expose the mythical beast behind your utility bill. Along the way, she’ll break down why your grandma uses the oven to heat the house, how smart tech isn’t always that smart, and why dragons (okay, utilities) aren’t the real enemy—but inequity might be.
When she’s not building maps of energy poverty or fighting climate injustice with spreadsheets, Destenie teaches at Carnegie Mellon University, runs Peoples Energy Analytics, and writes fantasy novels where dragons (ok reapers) actually get what’s coming to them.
Historical European Martial Arts: Combining Historical Study and Unarmored Historical Combat to Fight Like the Old Masters
Have you ever been sitting at home watching the Extended Versions of the LOTR trilogy and wondered “People used to fight like Aragorn without heavy armor?? I wonder if I could do this for real”? Well you can! Historical European Martial Arts has been on an upward surge of interest worldwide as new folks every year learn how to fence like the old masters of the medieval to late renaissance eras!
Hilt and Helm Pittsburgh Fencing Club is one of those places where you can learn the noble art of swordsmanship! Founded in 2022 by Pittsburgh’s own Chris Shelton, a multi-medalist in no less than 6 different weapon classes, Hilt and Helm is a HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) club which studies manuals from fencing masters published between the 1300’s and 1600’s to learn how the swordsmanship was taught and practiced during the periods in which it was most in use. Then equipped with modern HEMA gear and specialized steel weapons designed to allow us to safely practice at full speed and intensity, we proceed to stab each other!
When he’s not playing the clarinet in multiple symphony orchestras and pits around the tri-state area, you can find Ryan studying German Longsword and various forms of Rapier, Smallsword and Saber at Hilt and Helm. He and his club mates travel regularly around the country to compete in HEMA tournaments
WTF is Speed Friending?!
Our social game will take place before the show from 6:30-7:30. Similar to ‘Speed Dating’ or ‘Speed Networking’ our game is ‘Speed Friending’! Whether you are new to the city and hoping to make friends or trying to expand your professional network with other nerds, the game is just about meeting new people! We have a system in place to rotate everyone around to meet someone new every 5 minutes, then you can fill out an online form with which conversations you enjoyed, and we’ll email you your matches! You are welcome to join late, but if you want to get the most of it arrive at 6:15 to register and the first round will start at 6:30.
If you haven’t been here before, check what this is about with videos from our YouTube channel,
This event is 21+ and requires ID. The venue has limited space, and there may not be door sales if we sell out, which happens regularly. Be sure to get a ticket before heading over.
in the Hall
6-10pm
$10 | 21+