Nerd Nite London is a monthly event where three speakers give 18-21 minute fun-yet-informative talks across all disciplines, while the audience drinks along.
In February we'll be learning about "Poundland James Bond"-style, legalised breaking and entering, Sicilian-Norman Architecture (that's the people, not a guy known as "Sicilian Norman"), and who's watching us from above the clouds!
Be there and be square.
Address: The Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL / also online*
Details: Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Doors open at 7PM, event starts at 7.30PM.
The online stream* will go live at 7:15PM, with the speakers starting at 7.30PM and will be available for around 24 hours.
PICK-AND-MIX ARCHITECTURE: THE NORMANS IN SICILY
At the same time the Normans were conquering England, another contingent of Normans were already decades into their conquest of Southern Italy, including the island of Sicily. Claire will show you the various stylistic elements the Normans adopted from the Arab and Byzantine cultures they conquered on the island, and how they incorporated them into their new buildings in order to create what they believed would be a more inclusive environment for worship. But was this just a passive aggressive way of proclaiming their control?
Claire Gayle started her studies in architecture and quickly realised how much she loved historic buildings and the how and why of their construction. This basis in design and architectural history pointed her in the direction of the UK to study a Master’s degree in building conservation and eventually to another degree in archaeology. She has now worked in the historic environment (principally in relation to planning and development) for over 10 years, but also/still spends most of her free time gawking at old buildings.
OI, WHAT YOU DOIN' IN MY TOILET, MATE?
You might have heard of "social engineering" - the part of information security where we manipulate people into performing actions or releasing information they shouldn't. I work in a very specific area of social engineering called "physical access" where we use these skills to gain access to physical sites. It might be a corporate headquarters, a trading floor, or the control room of a power station. It's kind of a cross between breaking and entering and being James Bond from Wish.com. What techniques can be used to enter these sites? Is there anything you can do to stop me? Do you really need to worry about this vector?
Andrew Tierney (aka @Cybergibbons) has spent most of his life gaining access to buildings that he shouldn't be in, but it's only been the last 7 years that he's been paid to do it. Despite being able to pick locks, clone RFID access cards, and bypass burglar alarms, he's never had to use any of these skills to gain access to a site.
SPIES IN THE SKIES
After the Chinese spy balloon burst into our lives, it floats the question, what kind of James Bond-stuff is really going on over our heads!? This will be an overly brief, definitely declassified, probably mostly accurate and not at all comprehensive history of America’s secret space programme since the 1950s.
Mike Lucibella (@MikeLucibella)is a professional science communicator and all around space nerd. A press officer at UCL's Media Relations Office and formerly journalist for the U.S. Antarctic Program, he's been writing about a range of science for more than a decade. Hobbies include: Staring into the sky, filing Freedom of Information requests, and unhelpfully adding "...or that's what they want you to think!" to conversations.
Due to the unfolding situation in South Eastern Turkey, the planned talk on delivering international aid by Christine Colburn is postponed. We're grateful to Nerd Nite Alumnus Mike Lucibella for stepping in with a talk about who's watching us!
All proceeds from Nerd Nite London go to charity. this year we are partnering with The Shine Trust to help foster a new generation of nerds.