Nerd Nite SF #56: Reinventing Satellites, Underwater Archaeology, and the Illusion of Bodily Perfection!Wednesday, 1/21/2015
Doors at 7 pm, show at 8
Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St @Van Ness
$8, all ages
Tickets available here

What’s way up in the sky, way down deep in the ocean, and standing right here? We’re everywhere and we’re square! Wait, is that right? Anyway, come to the Rickshaw and follow through on your resolution to get taught (no, not taut!) while getting tipsy. A space architect, an underwater archaeologist, a technical writer with a fake butt fixation, a DJ, some bartenders, SFPL’s finest, and a grilled cheese scientist will lead the way. Happy new year, indeed!

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“Reinventing the Satellite” by Ben Haldeman

Picture the largest ever fleet of imaging satellites, designed from the ground up as an agile response to space access. Now picture the pictures these satellites provide: fresh daily images of the Earth to help transform the science and markets that rely on observational data. How did a company go from a garage in Cupertino (natch) to sending a flock of Doves up to the skies in only 2 years? By taking advantage of improvements in miniaturization, off-the-shelf components, and agile practices in manufacturing, design and deployment. The way we design for space is changing.

Ben is a lead design architect at Planet Labs. He’s also worked on Mars rover instrumentation and for the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network.

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“I Can Ex-Plane! Underwater Archaeology of WWII Aircraft” by Sam Bell

We tend to think of archaeologists as digging in the dirt, but vast amounts of cultural material lies beneath the waves. Dive deep into the study of underwater WWII aircraft in Saipan (located in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands) and find out what archaeology can teach us about these sites.

Sam has a Masters of Maritime Archaeology from Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, and now works at Chabot Space and Science Center. She is passionate about teaching history and science to youth.

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“The Illusion of Perfection: Fake Boobs, Fake Butts and Our Unending Struggle with Human Inadequacy” by Laura Rubin

(NOTE: This is a placeholder description written by your humble organizers. The actual talk may deviate somewhat from this.)

For centuries, fashion has been used to alter the appearance our proportions. Through a bewildering array of pads, scaffolds, bindings, or props we’ve wanted to make our butts and boobs look bigger or smaller, as dictated by the times. In this talk we’ll explore some fashion history, and our inability to be content with our “natural” selves.

Laura Rubin is a technical writer by trade, but is fascinated by the history of textiles and fashion, and is an Odd Salon fellow.

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With: Alpha Bravo, who’ll be spinning tunes specially selected to match the presenters’ themes. Follow the setlist on Twitter @djalphabravo.

And: Our scientist of the cheese, the bread, and the brick, Grilled Cheese Guy!

Plus: The librarians will be here! SFPL’s finest will dole out library cards, reading lists, and the hottest branch gossip.