There’s no doubt that we are now living in a geeky golden age, one in which comic book movies rule the box office, tech billionaires are our business heroes and being able to drop serious science knowledge is actually cool.
You can consider Nerd Nites an exemplification of that phenomenon. Started in Boston in 2003, Nerd Nite has grown into a global event series that takes place in over 90 cities across the world, including Jakarta.
Each Nerd Nite mainly consists of about 2-3 folks giving fun-yet-informative 18-21-minute presentations about all manners of intriguing topics. But it’s not just about listening to the talks – it’s also about meeting other folks with similar interests and bonding over your shared geekery (think of it as Ted Talks with networking and beer added to the mix).
Here’s the lineup for the first in the new Nerd Nite Jakarta series, which is taking place this Thursday night at Hause Rooftop in Setiabudi, South Jakarta:
Natural Resource Management, Indigenous RIghts, and Not Getting Lost in the Guyanese Amazon
by Dr. Jeffrey Luzar
Amazonia contains the largest remaining tropical forest in the world, more than 20% of which is considered indigenous lands, thus making indigenous people key stakeholders in the preservation of this globally-important ecosystem. During this presentation, I will talk about our research in the Guyanese Amazon, and how our experience showed that partnering with indigenous communities not only ensured that the project produced scientific findings, but also benefited local communities by helping them secure and sustainably manage their ancestral lands. My own personal experience also showed that getting lost in the middle of the Amazon is a terrifying experience!
Bio: Jeff Luzar is the Forestry Management Advisor for USAID at the US Embassy in Indonesia. Before joining USAID, Jeff worked at the US Department of State on international environmental issues, and prior to that he was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, where he researched natural resource management on indigenous lands in the northern Amazon. He’s almost been bitten by deadly snakes countless times, but thanks to observant local field assistants, he’s still alive to give this talk at Nerd Nite Jakarta!
https://www.facebook.com/NNJKT/posts/389011068122144
Materials Science Can Save Your Life, and Maybe Make You Iron Man Too
by Dr. Yoda Patta
Once upon a time, the only artificial things we found in human bodies were braces…then pacemakers…then artificial hips. Today’s materials science takes things farther, like using specialized materials to target cancer drugs at areas of incidence, or even using nano-robots to perform surgery! In this talk I’ll tell you about my own experiences working on one type of targeted, localized cancer treatment. I’ll describe other targeted treatment modules being used for treatment of various diseases, and finish off with a tour of how – thanks to materials science – the things we see in Iron Man or Star Trek are starting to become reality.
Bio: Yoda Patta is dean of the faculty of science and technology at Sampoerna University in Jakarta. While a proud Jakarta resident, she grew up both in the United States and Indonesia. Her PhD work from MIT was on implantable biomedical devices to treat diseases such as cancer. She’s a materials scientist and engineer by training, loves relating science to (almost) everything, and dreams of someday using her skills for building her own snuggle-able mechanical corgi.
https://www.facebook.com/NNJKT/posts/390239041332680
A Somewhat Complete History of Video Games
by Mr. Andra Maulana
Video games first emerged on the scene in the 1940s when a scientist introduced a very basic gaming mechanism at a science fair. From their humble beginnings, technology helped video games pack more computing capabilities into ever smaller boxes or into ever more complicated platforms. First there was Magnavox, then Atari, then arcade games, then came multiplayer gaming, and eventually everyone’s favorite…Mario. This talk will take you through the technological advances, in-game violence of gaming, the ups and downs of the industry, and the cultural and social implications of games for us and our future.
Bio: Andra Mualana is a managing partner of Definite!, a Jakarta-based digital marketing company that uses both traditional and innovative approaches to build brands and solve social challenges. Aside from being a digital entrepreneur, Andra is a video game enthusiast (to use the word lightly); he used to be an X-Box fanboy but is now totally a Playstation convert. He’s also a World War history enthusiast, a breakfast connoisseur, and likes his eggs sunny side up.
https://www.facebook.com/NNJKT/posts/390005791356005
As the tagline for Nerd Nite says, “Be there and be square!”
Nerd Nite Jakarta
Thursday, March 23, 6pm
Tickets at the door are Rp 100,000 (and includes two free drinks)
Hause Rooftop
MD Place Tower 2 6th floor, No.7, Jl. Setia Budi Selatan [Map]
For more info and to RSVP head to the Facebook event page
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