Nerd Nite Austin 179: Aced It!
Schedule
Thu, 26 Feb, 2026 at 07:30 pm
UTC-06:00Location
1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 120, Austin, TX, United States, Texas 78723 | Austin, TX
Howdy, nerds! Let's get together and learn something new!Join us in person at Barrel O' Fun (the bar in the lobby of the Alamo Drafthouse Mueller), or watch our livestream at https://twitch.tv/nerdniteaustin
The show is always free, so arrive early to get a good seat. Talks may not be given in the order listed. There will be an intermission between the second and third speakers. We will have volunteer ASL student interpreters available.
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This month's event is part of Texas Science Festival 2026. Find out more at https://sciencefest.utexas.edu
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THE TALKS:
"Fifty Shades of A: Exploring the Joy of Asexuality" by Michael Graupmann
In this talk, we will explore the history, significance, benefits and lived reality of asexuality.
Mike Graupmann is an educator, storyteller, host, and show producer for Queer Film Theory 101, Story-Oke, and Mortified Austin.
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"There Are Many Ways To Find A Mate" by Sunishka Thakur
Finding and choosing mates can be complicated. We find many different strategies used by animals to obtain reproductive success, including elaborate courtship and sometimes "sneakier" tactics. In this talk, we will learn about this variation, its causes, and its consequences.
Sunishka Thakur is a final year PhD student in the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior department at UT Austin. She works on reproductive tactics and stress response in live bearing fish.
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"A Practical Guide To Fantasy Sex Toys" by Ash & Alison
Everybody always thinks sex toy making is fun and games. How does anyone even get into this career path? As fantasy toy business owners for nearly a decade, this talk will cover the unexpected queer roots to why someone might decide to become a toy maker, the lengthy production process with close ties to movie propmaking, and maybe even a little bit of wild drama that can happen in the industry.
Self-titled hermits living down in south Austin, Ash and Alison are both queer artists with a lifelong passion for creature design. When not obsessing about the latest videogame or movie monsters on the screen, you'll find them working with nearly 90 snakes as hobby reptile breeders or maybe just chilling out in their plant room with three cats.
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Where is it happening?
1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 120, Austin, TX, United States, Texas 78723
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