Clare Dygert – AI Learning Systems Architect and fractional Chief Learning Strategist who has been in the workforce since 1978 — same year as the first test-tube baby, Space Invaders, and Grease. She has spent most of the intervening decades designing how people learn at work, from Fortune 500s to municipal government, and now thinks a lot about how humans and machines think together — which is either the most interesting question of our era or a very elaborate excuse to talk to her computer while walking in circles around her house. (She walks 5–10 miles a day, indoors, dictating. The floor has opinions.) She’s the author of the white papers The Space Between and Flow Like the River, and lives in Winston-Salem.
Team Cognition, or: How to Have a Team That Doesn’t Suck:
You’ve been on the good ones. You’ve been on the bad ones. Odds are you blamed the bad ones on the people. But usually the people aren’t the problem — the architecture is. Teams that work share mental models, distribute memory across each other, and build small rituals that let a group actually think together. Teams that don’t, don’t. Clare will show you what cognitive scientists have figured out about how this works, why bad teams fail in predictable ways, and what to do about it before Monday. Plus: what happens when the teammate you’re thinking with isn’t human.
Kaitlin Sands, Ph.D – Psychology researcher and science educator whose work explores how children learn, think, and engage with the world around them. She earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas, where she conducted research on child development, science learning, problem-solving, and early STEM education. Kaitlin has worked in educational program evaluation, research, and informal science education. Currently, Kaitlin develops and facilitates hands-on learning experiences for children at Kaleideum.
Can You Smell the Bullshit?:
An entertaining tour of the science behind bullshit detection, critical thinking, and our lifelong struggle to tell sense from nonsense. This talk will explore what makes nonsense claims sound meaningful, why some people are more susceptible to believing bullshit than others, and give you an opportunity to test your own bullshit-calling skills.
Matt Brady – Your Nerd Nite Co-Boss is here to make science feel a little smarter, a little weirder, and a lot more fun. He has spent nearly three decades blending science, storytelling, and pop culture—basically proving that learning sticks better when it involves superheroes, sci-fi, or the occasional existential cartoon.
The Storyteller’s Superpower
Discover why stories are the oldest technology we have—and still the most powerful tool in our human toolkit. In this talk, we’ll dive into the neuroscience of narrative, the role stories played in shaping our species, and why they remain our superpower in an AI‑driven world that’s trying very hard to out‑story us.
Jeremy Whitson Phd – Assistant Professor Biology at High Point University
The Eye as a Window to Aging: The crystalline lens of the eye is much more than it appears. It represents millions of years of evolution to perfectly focus light and remain transparent. Could this unique ability hold the secrets to understanding how we age?
Jeremy teaches Human Physiology, Medieval and Early Modern Medicine and Science and Misinformation of Public Health Claims.
Caitlyn Avery – Marketing professional by day and Anime and Warrior Cats expert by night.
Anime 101: Anime is not as confusing as the internet would have you believe.
Caitlyn is armed with years of fandom experience and just enough PowerPoint confidence to be dangerous. She’s ready to prove that anime isn’t nearly as complicated as you think.
Michael Morin – Executive Director of RiverRun International Film Festival
Beyond “If you Build It, They Will Come” – Just because you invite them, doesn’t mean your audience will automatically show up.
Michael has over 20 years of experience at the intersection of film, music and live events. Join us for his insight in how to curate an audience by designing human connection.
Mark Chappell PhD – Professor of Hypertension and Surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Snakes, Hypertension and FDR: A Brief History of Cardiovascular Disease
Mark is professor of Surgery and Hypertension at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shares an eye opening talk on the history of cardiovascular disease, new treatments and weird facts.
Alyssa Columbo MD – Resident Physician at Wake Forest University
Evolution Gone Wrong: Weird,Wacky, and Unusual Traits That Make Us Who We Are.
Like any great design, the human body has its flaws. What makes back pain so common? Why do humans menstruate, when most other mammals don’t? And why is it that so many of us need glasses? Believe it or not, many of these flaws helped our ancestors survive. Take a deep dive into human anatomy and evolution and compare how other species solve similar issues – then decide who did it best!
Campbell Thompson – Financial Planner with Edward Jones
It’s Not Space X: Simple Investing Thoughts
Have you ever wondered how to prepare, when you should sell or buy stocks or how to best secure your retirement? Join Campbell for a no nonsense primer on investing 101.
We are Nerd Nite Winston-Salem! Coming to you from the heart of downtown W-S hosted by Kaleideum.
Join us June 5 at 6pm for an entertaining night of science, art and pop culture.
Speaker Line up for June 5, 6 pm
Karri Adams – Leader of Learning Technology and Global Education at Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine
Not That Kind of Doctor:Country Roots, Classroom Creds, and Why I Still Belong
A first-generation Southerner with an Ed.D. (YES. It’s real) shares how teaching, twang, and resilience—not lab skills—carved a place in science, proving belonging isn’t about fitting molds but owning who you are fully.
Dean Wilcox – Professor of Theatre History, Dramatic Literature, and Humanities
Malfunction Junction, What’s Your Function? Ruminating on Glitch and Circuit Bending:
Machines don’t always do what we want them to do, which can be frustrating, but intentionally causing them to malfunction can create all sorts of interesting unpredictable outcomes. This talk will use a brief history of sound mangling to focus on the indeterminacy of glitch (the sound of a misbehaving compact disc) and circuit bending (the deliberate rewiring of toys and other battery-driven noise makers).
Jamie Ryan – High School English Teacher and Pop Culture Maven
Universal Monsters v. Fiction (aka, For the last time: Frankenstein is the Scientist, not the Creation, dammit!):
An in depth look at how the classic Universal marvel films vary from their source materials and why those changes were made.
