Nerd Nite East Bay

Last night I attended Nerd Nite East Bay at the New Parkway Theater. What, you may ask, is Nerd Nite? Two to three speakers provide 18 to 20 minute long fun and informative presentations across a wide variety of disciplines. It's a bit like a TED talk, but can be about anything. You eat and drink and listen, and can ask questions at the end. What that doesn't tell you is how fun and interesting it is.

Last night's talks were:

• Great Moments in Pedantry: The Modern Girl's (Or Guy's) Guide to the Seventh Century Easter Controversy by Alice Handley
• How to Fix Climate Change for Free by Dan Miller
• Crazymaking: The History of Mental Illness in the U.S. by Sharon Osterweil

As you can see, a wide variety of disciplines. What they have in common is that they're subjects the speakers are interested in. The results were sometimes funny, sometimes sobering, but in all three cases informative and interesting.

It's well worth the $8 admission price (plus any food and drink you consume). The New Parkway is a great location not just for movies, but watching sports and events like Nerd Nite. Nerd Nite is held the last Monday of every month, so check it out. Who knows? I may be speaking about Oakland history at a future event...