Expanding beyond the usual short Nerd Nite talks, Annie Rauwerda, creator of @DepthsofWikipedia on Instagram, will guide us through the deepest, strangest, and silliest Wikipedia pages out there. Revel at the strangeness, laugh, maybe learn a bit and DEFINITELY have fun.

Join Dr Natalie Tronson, Associate Professor of Psychology, for a presentation on her research using animal models to learn more about the long-term neurological effects of inflammation and viral illness and how this can be equated to COVID-19.  Dr Tronson will discuss COVID-related risks for dementias including Alzheimer's disease, and long-COVID.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, this event has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

Join Aaron Todd, OneHackerBand, for a presentation that will be part musical performance, part techie talk, and perfect for all ages. OneHackerBand is a one-person band with hacked instruments mixed with other techie shenanigans. Animatronics, music, electronic creations/experiments and assorted geek stuff!

Characters have to talk to each other, so why is fictional dialogue often so flat on the page? In this workshop, Bethany Neal and Alex Kourvo will help you add life to your characters’ words and hone the point of view so those words are distinctly their own.

Rick Meints, president of Chaosium, gives his unique perspective on the state of gaming and publishing today.

This event is part of the Game Designer Expo. For more information visit here. 

Mehreen Kakwan, speech pathologist and author of Billy Gets Talking, will discuss early childhood language development and issues that could prompt a parent to seek out a specialist for a speech-language evaluation. She will focus on early speech and language milestones for children between the ages of 1 to 4 years old, sharing techniques for encouraging receptive and expressive language development. She will also touch on bilingualism and certain disorders such as childhood apraxia and autism as they relate to language.

Takatoshi Hayashi, a traditional kokeshi doll maker, will lead a hands-on workshop on painting kokeshi dolls.

MLK declared there were three issues that adversely influence American Culture: Racism, Extreme Materialism and Militarism. Bob Krzewinski and Bill Shea of local Veterans For Peace chapter 93 will discuss MLK's point of view on Militarism and suggest what he might say about new international militarism and current events. 

Join Professor Thore Bergman, Professor of Psychology and Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan for a presentation on the origins of language.

This program is in partnership with The University of Michigan Department of Psychology.

Craig Rodriguez-Seijas, Assistant Professor of Psychology, will present some of his latest research.