Now that the Cherry Festival dust has settled, we are ready to emerge back out into to the nerdy social scene of Traverse City! We are looking forward to sharing some really nerdy talks this time around that will make you giggle.
Where: Tank Space (1110 East Eighth Street, Traverse City, MI)
When: Thursday, August 29th from 7 pm to 9:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)
How: Purchase your $10 ticket via THIS LINK or at the door (cashless preferred)
Dirt: What’s Beneath the Surface By Kirk Waterstripe
Picture your favorite plant. Name a creature that lives in soil. Let’s burrow into the world of soil organisms, how they interact with plants, and how this amazing web of life below ground enables and enriches our life above ground. Prepare to learn about fungi, nematodes, and others with hard-to-pronounce names, and the elegant, beautiful process of decomposition.
In 1997, a student in Kirk’s Plant Biology class led him down a path that went, literally, down. Into the dirt. Through Ph.D. studies and working with perhaps the preeminent soil microbiologist at the time, he came to know an unseen world that exists beneath our feet. Since coming back to northern Michigan in 2003, he has spoken, consulted and taught classes on how this world works, how to nurture it, and how to build soil for restoring plant communities and growing incredibly nutritious food.
Working Hard or Hardly Working: An Exploration of the Hardy Boys by Thomas Hole
Mystery novels have been a popular form of entertainment for well over a century. They thrill. They delight. They whisper about things that go “bump” in the night. The Hardy Boys series has been a staple in the genre since its inception in the late 1920s. Aimed at children and adolescents, this series was made to keep readers on the edge of their seats from chapter to chapter. This of course, led to some fantastical situations over the course of the boys’ adventures. But out all of these, what are the most ridiculous? What are the greatest near misses, strangest characters, and the most unbelievable bouts of luck the Hardy Boys have ever encountered?
Thomas is a recent transplant to Traverse City, though his family has roots in the southern part of the state. He studied English and economics at Kalamazoo College where he further developed a life-long love of literature and learning. He enjoys games of all kinds, fencing in its many forms, and tasting whatever interesting cheeses he can find.
How to Make Sword Cake and Other Sword Fighting Strategies by Anthony Buonomo
How do you go from a book with very little guidance and some sometimes pretty whack-a-doodle pictures that aren’t always possible with a human body with bones to actual fighting? This talk will explore how you can look for context clues, solve bio-mechanical problems with modern day movement understanding, and decipher what sword masters of old wanted us to know.
Anthony Buonomo is the founder Historical Weapons Guild, located in both Austin, Texas, and Traverse City. When anyone asks him why he started swordfighting, his answer is simply, “Because I’m a giant nerd.” So you can see why he’s perfect for this event. He started formally training in HEMA back in 2014 and has since then traveled the US as well as internationally to teach and compete even winning a medal or two. When not doing all things swords, you can find him climbing at Elev8 or obsessing over which 40k army is best. (it’s Tyranids)