Nerd Nite Pittsburgh is a lecture series that’s a mix between a comedy show, TED talk, and a social mixer! Speakers present for 15 minutes on a variety of topics related to science and technology, popular culture, history, and other nerdery with a vibe that’s as entertaining as it is academic! Audience members can ask questions, and beforehand, there is an entirely optional social game. Drinks, food, learning new and fascinating things, making friends with other nerds, we’ve got it all!
Our Speed Friending social game starts at 6:30, and then the big nerds hit the stage at 7:30. If you have a topic you are passionate about and you’d like to be a speaker at a later event, get in touch at ! This event will feature the following presentations:
Bug Butts: Party in the Rear
Can you breathe through your butt? Collect food? Find love? Sow deception? Vanquish your enemies? Let entomologist, museum curator, and deeply serious scientist Dr. Ainsley Seago introduce you to a few of the countless insect species who put their caboose to good use.
From Plastic Toys to Rocket Parts
Most people think of 3D printing as little plastic trinkets made on desktop machines. But behind the scenes, the technology has quietly evolved into a serious manufacturing tool used in Defense, aerospace, robotics, medicine, and energy systems.
In this talk, Mike Vindler shares what it’s been like watching the technology evolve over the past two decades. From working with early industrial printers with million-dollar price tags to today’s world of desktop machines and production-scale additive manufacturing, he’ll break down what actually changed and what most people misunderstand about the technology.
Along the way, you’ll learn the surprising difference between hobby 3D printing and industrial additive manufacturing, why the real challenge isn’t the printer but the design, and how emerging AI tools could eventually let you describe a part out loud and have a machine generate and print it automatically. If that sounds like science fiction, it might not be for long.
Mike Vindler is the CEO of Tronix3D, a Pittsburgh-based additive manufacturing company specializing in rapid prototyping and low-volume production for industries including robotics, aerospace, medical devices, and energy systems. Before acquiring Tronix3D, Mike spent years as a development engineer in the energy industry, where he helped introduce additive manufacturing into real-world production environments.
Today, he works with engineers, startups, and product teams to turn digital designs into functional parts using advanced industrial 3D printing technologies. After more than 20 years around additive manufacturing, Mike still spends a lot of time explaining that 3D printers are not magic boxes, and that the real secret to making great parts is good engineering.
Stars over the Federation
Struggling stargazer? Trek yourself before you wreck yourself. We’ll explore the real planets and stars in our night sky that inspired Star Trek stories, uncovering the science behind the fiction and revealing a universe that’s even stranger—and cooler—than any sci-fi script.
Stars over the Federation is presented by Mike Hennessy, who mentored Nerd Nite host Ralph Crewe through a decade of informal science education, especially many astronomically cool years in a planetarium. After a quarter century at a well-known science center in Pittsburgh, Mike now works at the Moonshot Museum, where his infectious sense of wonder and curiosity inspire the next generation of Pittsburghers to engage in science and technology, to dream of exploring the final frontier, and make it so. In his spare time, Mike enjoys weightlifting, knowing the position and momentum of quantum particles simultaneously but keeping it a secret, and playing the clarinet.
WTF is Speed Friending?!
Our social game will take place before the show from 6:30-7:30. It’s kind of like speed dating, but the idea is that you’re trying to make new friends. If you’re trying to get to know more folks in the area, there’s really nothing like it. It’s fun, easy, and moderated by our friendly crew of nerds.
A web application will direct you to a new potential friend in the room every five minutes, and our team can provide you with icebreakers and conversation topics if you’re feeling shy. It’s a fun, low-stakes way to meet new people and connect with the nerds and humans of Pittsburgh.
If you’re late, no problem, you can always join the next round. Similarly, you can sign out of the web app early if you want to stop. Speed friending is a totally optional part of the event, and you can also just hang out and grab a beer or some pizza (Spirit has phenomenal pizza) while other folks are participating in the game.
Important Info
This event is 21+ and requires ID. The venue has limited space, and there may not be door sales if we sell out, which happens regularly. Be sure to get a ticket before heading over.