Party: Nerd Nite Vancouver v11

Party: Nerd Nite Vancouver v11

Foxes. We have a fascination with them. We query over the sounds they make; we amaze at their hunting prowess; we imagine their bizarre and beautiful friendships; and we can't deny that they are strangely sexy. It's for all of these reasons that we both love and respect the fox. As such, we are pleased to announce that our next event will be held at the foxiest joint in town - The Fox Cabaret! We're ready to bring the nerd to this ummm "reformed" theatre.

Where: The Fox Cabaret
When: Tuesday April 7th
Doors @ 7; Talks @ 7:30
Tickets: $6.30 online; $8 at the door

# 1 Better the Devil You Know? Benefits, Limits and Ethics of Predictive Genetic Testing

Kimberly Girling

With the increased availability of human genome sequencing and genetic testing, more options are available for predictive testing for disease than ever before. This means many exciting options for early disease treatment, lifestyle choices and advances in "personalized medicine". However, this knowledge can also lead to ethical challenges and may have limitations. How can predictive testing help improve disease outcomes? Are new "personalized" medical treatments really advancing heath?

Bio: Kimberly Girling is a Ph.D. Candidate in Neuroscience at UBC, developing novel, preventative therapies for Huntington’s Disease, an inherited, genetic neurodegenerative disease.

#2 #DesignNerd

Mitra Mansour

The story of one Design Nerd’s journey.

Bio: Mitra Mansour is a Vancouver-based Interdisciplinary Designer, Researcher, Facilitator and Project Coordinator with a background in Art, Communication, Architecture and Urban Design. She is the founder of Creative Room, a collaborative interdisciplinary design studio and on-going research laboratory for cooperative creative studio business. Currently she is the Director of Community Engagement and Facilitator with the Vancouver Design Nerds, Co-director and curator of Civic Renewal Lab, and a member of the City of Vancouver Public Art Committee.

#3 Anything Except My Ship, My Sword, or My Wife: Swords in Medieval Literature

Dr. Siân Echard

A visitor arrives at Arthur’s court, seeking a boon. The King, noted for his generosity and adventurous spirit, promises that he will give the visitor absolutely anything, with a short list of exceptions. The King’s sword (and his ship, and his knife, and his cloak) all come before his wife in that list, suggesting just how important Arthur’s weapons are to him. Arthur’s sword (or swords) is only the most famous example of the centrality of a hero’s weapon to his reputation in medieval literature. This lavishly-illustrated talk will look at how swords are presented in medieval hero narratives, looking at weapons as symbols of rule, agents of destiny, and objects of magic and mysticism. We’ll finish up with a brief look at how the idea of the named weapon makes its way into modern fantasy and gaming.

Bio: Siân Echard is a Professor of English at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests include Anglo Latin literature, Arthurian literature, John Gower, and manuscript studies and book history. She is particularly interested in how the presentation of text—on the page, in the archive, in the digital world—affects how text is received and discussed. Dr. Echard holds a UBC Killam Research Prize for 1998, a UBC Killam Teaching Prize for 2001, and was named a Distinguished University Scholar in 2004.

Invited: Allison Brennan, Mana Mansour, Jess Abells, Ron Boaz, Quinn Omori, Courtney Kohnen, Gosia Juszkiewicz, Kimberly Girling, Sam Elgar, Kathleen Elizabeth, Geoff Webb, Tom Hill, Alex Smith, Visnja Milidragovic, Antony Mbugua, Geneviève Leduc-Robert, Daniel Wong, Rachel Smith, Sean Naman, Sarah Paschall, Leela Steiner, Htebazile J. Hsur, Whitney Diana, Andrea Jones, Zsuzsi Fodor, Andrew Phillips, Daniel J Pierce, Brent Vatne, Heather H, Ronnie Teja, Yashar Nijati, Jessica Parsons, Kaylee Byers, Colin Alexander, Nicole Balsdon, Kate Flan, Grant Francis Minor, Rach El, Erin Leckie, Mark Huvenaars, Vincent Pants, Marko Champ de Mars, Celine Benipayo, Devin Salem O'Brien, Jesse M. Brown, Danielle LP, Darcy Mercer, J-Ray ʎɐɹ-ɾ, Rachel Fox, Karen Hefford, Dave Cotton, Chirag Naik, Britleaf Carpenter, Jüs Alexandra Percy, Alannah Wright, Thomas Affolter, Adele Noronha, Alex Zabori, Rebecca Gray, Sandy Beach, Jules Andre-Brown, I-Rock Coopa Troop, Brittney Rand, Julia Jean, Ryan Supeene, Daniel Edward, Kar Harvey, Nima Gholamipour, Damon Calderwood, Dianne Evelyn, Shadi Maceac, Joshua Welsh, Gen Why, Pip Stanaway, Tim Dai, Kyle NorthVander, Brenna Holler, Ritika Rakshit, Alissa M. Bregg, Alison Lesley, Nicholas Eames, Chris Hobbs, Shawn Du Blavé, Mauricio Lozano Gendreau, C.G. Seaman, Beau Skinner, Chris Ferguson, Breanna Walker, Fiona Rayher, Kristin Basnett, Kevin Pearce, Tony Dallas, Leslie Ma, Lux Meow, Chris De Eyre, Rob Davis, Ma Ko, Chacha Chant, Brad MacNeil, Jenna Briscoe show more »