For six years, an event has been held in San Francisco that caters to the nerd in all of us, whether you're into biology or psychology, mathematics or sewer systems. Called Nerd Nite, this popular (and often sold-out) event is held every third Wednesday of the month at Rickshaw Stop.
Nerd Nite began in Boston in 2003, when dive bar patron Chris Balakrishan would chat up his studies on parasitic ornithology. Boston Nerd Nite spread to New York, and soon a national tour was put together. Nerd Nite first hit San Francisco in 2003, and Bart Bernhardt, a local nerd and marketing analyst, was hooked. Together with partner Lucy Laird, Bart launched Nerd Nite San Francisco. Today, over 75 Nerd Nites operate monthly worldwide, with locations in Australia, Germany, Detroit and many others.
Each month, the topics covered at Nerd Nite's San Francisco chapter vary widely. Bart helps to organizes the events his spare time (when he's not working as a freelancer), recruiting speakers and curating diverse monthly shows. Some speakers are found by referrals, and some are head-hunted for their interesting expertise in a certain field.
Regardless of who is selected to speak, Bart emphasizes the importance of reaching deep into presenters' wells of knowledge. He suggests that they identify the most personally exciting aspect of their work, and help the attendees follow them there. And, in a desire to avoid college course 101-style presentation, Nerd Nite SF takes risks with its speakers.
"I'm okay if we lose half our audience in a complex explanation of something," Bart says. "As long as those who are engaged are finding it fascinating."
Ariel Waldman presenting "The Hacker's Guide to the Galaxy" in 2013. (Photo: Matt Biddulph)
Along with a desire to dive deep into each speaker's knowledge bank, Nerd Nite SF also isn't afraid to mix things up. Actively avoiding themes, Bart chooses to curate shows that represent a wide variety of topics and interests. The most exciting part for him is those audience members who plan on only staying for one or two talks, only to get sucked in to the one they thought they'd be least interested in.
The list of weirdest topics Nerd Nite has covered is a lengthy one. In Nerd Nite SF's early days, Bart dressed up in drag to help a pickup artist demonstrate his coaching skills. Jack Passion, the two-time world champion of the World Beard and Mustache Championships once spoke on “Beards and Bearding: A Pogonology Primer." Another favorite was "The Worst Case Survival Guide To Sex", which included ER visits and STDs.
As for Nerd Nite itself, it has more lofty goals than simply educating the masses on various fascinating topics. Bart also hopes the opportunities for speakers to present their work will encourage science speaking, and fuel early-career scientists to share their work in a safe space, leading them to present to larger audiences later on.
Since its early days, Nerd Nite San Francisco has been held every month at Rickshaw Stop, Hayes Valley's local bar and music venue, which often features local indie bands and smaller groups on tour, with the occasional national headliner selling out shows.
Organizers were initially drawn in to Rickshaw Stop by the price point and location (it's just a short walk from BART), but now it's very much become the home of Nerd Nite. Despite an almost consistent monthly sell-out crowd (it recently broke a 15-month streak of sold-out shows), Nerd Nite isn't planning on moving anywhere soon.
"They're super on it," Bart says about the venue. He reminisces that when they were first starting out it would take hours to set up every show. Now, the venue works like a well-oiled machine.
The next Nerd Nite will take place on Wednesday April 15th. Tickets will go on sale on April 8th—and grab yours quickly, as they most likely will sell out.
Topics have yet to be finalized, but March's show included “Sweet Nothings from Deep in Your Tummy: A Tale of the Pancreas and Diabetes”, “Two Billion iPhones Crossing the Ocean”, and “Meet Your Face Mites: A Story of Discovery, Evolution, and Intrigue”.
