Kick off the Nerd Year in the nerdiest of ways on Wednesday, January 22, 6 p.m. at Wilmington Brew Works.
About this month’s talks:
The One Piece is Real by Andrew Simpson
Breakdown of the progress so far of the One Piece anime/manga while avoiding major spoilers but still spoiling some minor elements. Includes talks of themes, character development, the evolution of the anime, and why now is a good time for newcomers to start. Andrew Simpson is a nerd among nerds with a social life. He programs games and redraws manga for fan translations. Andrew got into One Piece around 2001 when the first manga volumes were released in the U.S.
“c” for Yourself (Why a speed limit?) by David Colasante
While physics is certain that finite, universal and invariant speed limit c exists, it remains at a loss as to why. Consider these recent declarations:
- “Why is the speed of light the same in all reference frames? I don’t know the answer to that question, and I don’t even know how to approach it. … The constancy [invariance] of the speed of light is unexplained.” – D.F. Styer, Relativity for the Questioning Mind p.21
- “There is no real way of justifying for this postulate [2]: it is simply a truth of our universe…” – N. Gray, A Student’s Guide to Special Relativity p.28
As Einstein postulated the limit, any argument using special relativity (such as unbounded increase in mass-energy) to justify c is circular. Maxwell’s derivation of c, though an ingenious characterization of light as an EM wave, was based upon the measured electric (εₒ) and magnet (μₒ) constants, which is tantamount to measuring c. Nor do these explain the adherence of any massless communication (e.g. gravity) to the limit. David aims to propose a novel and satisfying explanation for c, in a brief illustrated talk.
Hidden Canyons off the East Coast: Deep, Dark and Full of Life by Liz Shea
Join Dr. Liz Shea, Director of Collections and Curator of Mollusks at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, as she shares highlights from her 14-day expedition aboard the NOAA Ship Henry Bigelow. From bubble gum coral to glass squid, discover the extraordinary ecosystems of the Atlantic Canyons and Gulf of Maine and the groundbreaking collaboration between U.S. and Canadian scientists uncovering the mysteries of the deep. Dr. Shea joined the Collections and Research division as Curator of Mollusks in 2006 and was promoted to Director of Collections in 2022. She is interested in all aspects of cephalopod biology, especially their ecology, taxonomy and systematics.
$5 for museum members and Wilmington Brew Works members, $10 for non-members
About Nerd Nite Wilmington
We all know learning is more fun when you’re drinking with friends. Thus, Nerd Nite is a monthly event held in 100+ cities (like Tokyo, Miami, London, Fargo, and New York) during which folks give 20-minute fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along! There are often bands, trivia, and other shenanigans as well. Must be 21 or older to attend this event.
There is free parking on site and the 025 bus stops right out front of Wilmington Brew Works.
Nerd Nite Wilmington takes place at 6 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month at Wilmington Brew Works. Wilmington Brew Works is located at 3129 Miller Rd, Wilmington, DE 19802.
All ticket proceeds benefit the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, helping the museum achieve their mission of inspiring a passion for science learning.