Nerd Nite SF #4: Old SF, Synthetic Bio, and Sex Mishaps! August 11, 2010

Aug 11, 7:30pm

Come all ye nerds, grab some booze and get comfy, for Nerd Nite SF returns. SEE the lost wonders of old San Francisco! MARVEL at the potential of synthetic biology! CRINGE at sex gone awry!

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"Tales of Old San Francisco" by Laureano Faedi

Local designer & history enthusiast Laureano Faedi, of gangsofsanfrancisco.com, takes us on a tour of old San Francisco in all its sinful and spectacular glory, back when a giant water slide bestrode Haight St, there was a neighborhood called "Beer Town," lifeguards patrolled the largest swimming pool in the US by boat, and teenagers could fly over the city in homemade biplanes. Wow, what happened to you, San Francisco? You used to be cool!

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"Biofuel, Medicine, and Colored Poo: The Potential of Synthetic Biology" by Felix Moser

As genome sequencing and DNA synthesis get cheaper, genetic engineering continues to be redefined. Now bioengineers are creating microorganisms that can produce fuels, medicine, and other wonders - like colored poo! Researcher Felix Moser will explain the potential of this scaled-up genetic manipulation and how scientists hope to be able to rework, re-engineer, and rebuild life from the bottom up.

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"The Worst Case Scenario Guide to Sex" by Dani Behonick, Ph.D

Sex is a normal, natural human activity - what could possibly go wrong? According to the medical literature, plenty. Physiology professor and sex educator Dr. Dani will be your tour guide through the wild world of sexual mishaps - including ways to tell whether you are in the middle of an actual sexual emergency (and how to avoid one in the first place). Aftercare not included.

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And DJ Alpha Bravo returns, spinning an eclectic array of nerdy tunes. Alpha Bravo is VP of left-field pop label Radio Khartoum and was one of the forces behind legendary SF pop club nights Anisette and Schokolade.

Nerd Nite - "It's like the Discovery Channel... with beer!"

Official Website: http://sf.nerdnite.com