Nerd Nite Rochester: May
Schedule
Thu May 28 2026 at 06:30 pm to 09:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Boulder Coffee Cafe and Lounge | Rochester, NY
We all know that learning is more fun when you’re hanging with friends. You can find Nerd Nite in 100+ cities around the globe, now including our city - Rochester! Several presenters totally geek out for 20 minutes each. Drink, eat, learn, connect, and talk about fun, interesting stuff with fun, interesting humans. Presentations begin promptly at 7pm. Get there early to grab a seat, something to eat, and a drink.
@boulder coffee, 100 Alexander St, Rochester
Check out this month's speakers:
Mark Hibbins presents – Where's the butt? The wacky world of Earth's earliest animals
When we see animals out in the wild, we're used to them having certain body plans; a head and four limbs, maybe a set of fins or wings, or a segmented body, depending on the species. However; this hasn't always been the case! Hundreds of millions of years ago in Earth's ancient oceans and landmasses, the first complex multicellular life was trying out all kinds of crazy stuff to see what stuck. Come learn about some of the most confusing and amusing fossils of ancient animal life, and what they can tell us about where we come from.
Mark is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Rochester. His lab focuses on the development of new theory and statistical methods to understand the deep evolutionary past, including how species arise, go extinct, and become different from one another. Mark grew up near Ottawa in Canada and learned to love biodiversity after a childhood full of camping and work experiences in outdoor education. When not yelling at math or computer code, Mark enjoys playing World of Warcraft and attending the occasional rave.
Aaron G. Fountain, Jr. presents – FBI Surveillance on Teenagers in the 1960s
The FBI - in conjunction with local police and military intelligence - spied on high school students during the 1960s and 1970s. At least 371 high school student groups, underground newspapers, demonstrations, and incidents of school violence were targeted through intelligence and counterintelligence operations. More importantly, many of these investigations were initiated by school administrators, fellow students, and even parents were enlisted as informants to spy on these students involved in political activism. Come learn what drove these fears and why ordinary people took extraordinary actions against minors.
Aaron G. Fountain, Jr. holds a PhD in history from Indiana University. His book, High School Students Unite!: Teen Activism, Education Reform, and FBI Surveillance in Postwar America became a 2025 LA Times Book Prize finalist for History. He relocated to Rochester, New York on April 1st for a job, making it the 8th state he has lived in.
Emily Oster presents – The Greatest Invention Ever for (Limiting) Humankind.
The first humans quickly realized that sex could lead to pregnancy. Not long after this early "aha!" moment, humans realized they needed a way to prevent it. From weasel testicles, fish bladder condoms, to "The Pill" that changed it all, this talk will explore the history of birth control, the invention of a “magic pill”, and the future innovations for contraception.
Emily Oster has worked in public health for over fifteen years in various fields including sexual and reproductive health care, infectious diseases, and the Covid-19 pandemic. She has lived and worked in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, St. Petersburg, Florida, Guatemala and now here in Rochester, NY. A former co-boss with her big sis in St Pete, Emily’s greatest life achievement is bringing Nerd Nite Rochester to this nerdy city. You're welcome!
Where is it happening?
Boulder Coffee Cafe and Lounge, 106 Alexander St, Rochester, NY 14620-1130, United States
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
