Reading Geek Night – Tuesday 9th July 2019

rdggeeknight

You can find us upstairs: The Walkabout: Wiston Terrace (off Friar Street) Reading RG1 1DG **NB The venue is licensed for 18 and over **  http://www.walkaboutbars.co.uk/venues/reading/details

  • 8:00pm Welcome and Introductions
  • 8:05pm Social Media, Smartphones and Relationships (Martin Graff – University of South Wales)
  • 8:35pm Networking & beers
  • 9:00pm Short announcements/updates*
  • 9:05pm The Story of Carbon Arc Lamps Part II (John Holden)
  • 9:35pm End (Networking and beers downstairs)

Backgrounders:

Social Media, Smartphones and Relationships (Martin Graff – University of South Wales)

More and more people now meet through dating apps, although it is possible that relationships that start this way will differ to relationships that are initiated face-to-face. Furthermore, social media allows people to keep in close contact with relationship partners and even engage in partner surveillance behaviour arousing jealousy and suspicion. Additionally, social media has a function in validating romantic relationships and allowing people to communicate romantic love in ways not possible before. This talk will explain how smartphones and social media have changed the way in which people conduct their romantic relationships, and present data outlining the types of people more likely to conduct their relationships in this way.

The Story of Carbon Arc Lamps Part II (John Holden)

In the later Victorian period the carbon arc lamp had become a well established common electric light source. The Victorians developed surprisingly sensitive automatic controls for these lamps and this talk will explain some of the later Victorian developments. Illustrated with examples of public lighting as well as applications in the theatre, photography, military and lighthouses. The increasing use of these lights is linked to the developments of electric sources of sufficient power and economical costs so there will be a brief outline of the generators from this period.

Usual format is to gather from 7:30pm and commence the talks at 8:00pm. Talks are ~20mins + Q&A with a break of 20mins for networking and beer.

*Before the second session there is an opportunity for any short announcements so please let us know on the night if you would like a slot or 1-2mins.

FYI: BCS (Berkshire) Social Tech Group meet up (7PM) before our talks. Its a great opportunity for food, drinks, networking and discussions about IT technology, business and advice.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you are interested in giving a talk at an upcoming event please contact us via twitter: @RDGGeekNight, Facebook or email us: talks [at] rdggeek

Reading Geek Night – Tuesday 11th June 2019

rdggeeknight

You can find us upstairs: The Walkabout: Wiston Terrace (off Friar Street) Reading RG1 1DG **NB The venue is licensed for 18 and over **  http://www.walkaboutbars.co.uk/venues/reading/details

Due to a speaker sickness the first part of the evening the floor will be open for ‘open mic – chalk & talk’. So if you want to share your geekery for ~5/10mins please feel free to grab the mic 🙂 We will be kicking off with some cool subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics…) … For the second part of the evening Dan Cope will be giving a great talk on Data Ethics. Come along for networking, beers and get involved with the geekery  🙂

Theme: Open Format & Data Ethics

  • 8:00pm Welcome and Introductions
  • 8:05pm Open Mic – Chalk & Talk 
  • 8:35pm Networking & beers
  • 9:00pm Short announcements/updates*
  • 9:05pm Data Ethics beyond compliance and ensuring customer centricity (Dan Cope – BCS)
  • 9:35pm End (Networking and beers downstairs)

Backgrounders:

Data Ethics beyond compliance and ensuring customer centricity (Dan Cope – BCS)

Dan’s talk looks to focus the minds of individuals and business on the customer, looking at the ethical side of the law and providing practical takeaways to drive your compliance journey forward.

 

Usual format is to gather from 7:30pm and commence the talks at 8:00pm. Talks are ~20mins + Q&A with a break of 20mins for networking and beer.

*Before the second session there is an opportunity for any short announcements so please let us know on the night if you would like a slot or 1-2mins.

FYI: BCS (Berkshire) Social Tech Group meet up (7PM) before our talks. Its a great opportunity for food, drinks, networking and discussions about IT technology, business and advice.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you are interested in giving a talk at an upcoming event please contact us via twitter: @RDGGeekNight, Facebook or email us: talks [at] rdggeek

Reading Geek Night – Tuesday 14th May 2019

rdggeeknight

You can find us upstairs: The Walkabout: Wiston Terrace (off Friar Street) Reading RG1 1DG **NB The venue is licensed for 18 and over **  http://www.walkaboutbars.co.uk/venues/reading/details

  • 8:00pm Welcome and Introductions
  • 8:05pm The Story of Carbon Arc Lights (John Holden)
  • 8:35pm Networking & beers
  • 9:00pm Short announcements/updates*
  • 9:05pm Privacy Challenges with modern social media (Pawel Krawczyk)
  • 9:35pm End (Networking and beers downstairs)

Backgrounders:

The Story of Carbon Arc Lights (John Holden)

In the eighteenth century natural philosophers discovered more about the mysterious electrical phenomena. Who were these early scientists and what are their most significant findings? Some are familiar and some are lesser known names. Who were the engineers that exploited the science to develop the first practical source of electrical light of the early Victorian era. A technology that lasted as late as 1967. The filament light bulb invented in 1879 found widespread use in the home but could not match the efficiency or brightness of this earlier technology. Using gears, coils, levers, springs and waste from town gasworks the Victorians developed an efficient, bright light source developing controls of surprising precision. This true story is more steampunk than steampunk. The lamps themselves have all but disappeared and the nearest one found in a museum is sixty miles from Reading. Thankfully Victorian books, engravings and photographs are used to reveal the story in this lavishly illustrated talk.

John Holden recently presented a few light bulb examples in the January Geek night meeting and some of his collection is on loan to a display in Reading Museum. He is a member of the historic lighting club open to anyone interested in the history of lighting. They hold regular meetings where members display and exchange information on lamps. Winter meetings tend to be cosy with over thirty oil lamps burning.

Privacy Challenges with modern social media (Pawel Krawczyk)

Pawel will talk about the privacy challenges associated with modern social media looking at the current ecosystem like Facebook, Instagram and some of the alternatives such as Diaspora and Mastodon.

 

Usual format is to gather from 7:30pm and commence the talks at 8:00pm. Talks are ~20mins + Q&A with a break of 20mins for networking and beer.

*Before the second session there is an opportunity for any short announcements so please let us know on the night if you would like a slot or 1-2mins.

FYI: BCS (Berkshire) Social Tech Group meet up (7PM) before our talks. Its a great opportunity for food, drinks, networking and discussions about IT technology, business and advice.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you are interested in giving a talk at an upcoming event please contact us via twitter: @RDGGeekNight, Facebook or email us: talks [at] rdggeeknight.org

Reading Geek Night – Tuesday 16th April 2019

rdggeeknight

You can find us upstairs: The Walkabout: Wiston Terrace (off Friar Street) Reading RG1 1DG **NB The venue is licensed for 18 and over **  http://www.walkaboutbars.co.uk/venues/reading/details

Apologies for the late notice. But for this month only we have moved #rdggeek to Tuesday 16th April. It will be business as usual as we have two fantastic speakers lined up with details to follow Monday/Tuesday. Hope to see you on Tuesday the 16th! 🙂

Theme: Innovation in Reading

  • 8:00pm Welcome and Introductions
  • 8:05pm TRIZ – A process for solving problems (John Bickerton – Reading Buses)
  • 8:35pm Networking & beers
  • 9:00pm Short announcements/updates*
  • 9:05pm Reading Hydro: the old and the news (Sophie Paul – Reading Hydro CBS)
  • 9:35pm End (Networking and beers downstairs)

Backgrounders:

TRIZ – A process for solving problems (John Bickerton – Reading Buses)

John will talk about how to tackle compromise head on in the design process, then give examples of how we’ve used this for developing the specification in our fleet of gas buses.

TRIZ (Teorija Rezhenija Isobretatel’skich Zadac) is a Russian ‘theory of inventive problem solving’  developed by Genrich Altshuller from his time working in the Soviet national patent office. He identified among the patents he was reviewing that there are only a small number of true issues which inventions are trying to resolve, and that these have a finite number of solutions which are likely to be successful. By applying these generic solutions to real-world problems, TRIZ can suggest some likely directions to look for solutions. This talk will look at some ways that these concepts can be applied to develop specifications in the real world.

Reading Hydro: the old and the news (Sophie Paul – Reading Hydro CBS)

Getting the technology and finances right for a micro hydro electricity project is a moving target in the UK. The Reading Hydro Project is riding that unpredictable wave. Hear about the technologies, the successes and the moving goalposts that keep this tenacious community project on its toes.

Usual format is to gather from 7:30pm and commence the talks at 8:00pm. Talks are ~20mins + Q&A with a break of 20mins for networking and beer.

*Before the second session there is an opportunity for any short announcements so please let us know on the night if you would like a slot or 1-2mins.

FYI: BCS (Berkshire) Social Tech Group meet up (7PM) before our talks. Its a great opportunity for food, drinks, networking and discussions about IT technology, business and advice.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you are interested in giving a talk at an upcoming event please contact us via twitter: @RDGGeekNight, Facebook or email us: talks [at] rdggeeknight.org

Reading Geek Night – Tuesday 12th March 2019

rdggeeknight

You can find us upstairs: The Walkabout: Wiston Terrace (off Friar Street) Reading RG1 1DG **NB The venue is licensed for 18 and over **  http://www.walkaboutbars.co.uk/venues/reading/details

This month we are proud to be part of Reading Science Week.

Theme: Reading Science Week

  • 8:00pm Welcome and Introductions
  • 8:05pm Artificial Intelligence: Fact and Fiction (Martin Millmore – Oracle AI)
  • 8:35pm Networking & beers
  • 9:00pm Short announcements/updates*
  • 9:05pm Working to a different beat: the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce (Abi Moorcock)
  • 9:35pm End (Networking and beers downstairs)

Backgrounders:

Artificial Intelligence: Fact and Fiction (Martin Millmore – Oracle AI)

Martin Millmore, head of technology for Oracle’s AI Applications, will talk about the amazing power of artificial intelligence, as well as dispelling some of the myths about what it can and can’t do today. Learn about the latest AI and Machine learning techniques used across the industry. Find out how advertisers use cutting edge Machine Learning to sell to you. And put to rest the question of whether or not your Alexa device is about to take over your house.

Working to a different beat: the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce (Abi Moorcock)

Abi is a Behavioural Science Researcher who realised at the age of 32 that she had been labouring under the misapprehension that she was not cut out for the corporate world. With a recent diagnosis of ADHD she has realised that it’s the corporate world that is not cut out for her. Join Abi as she explains how neurodivergent (those with conditions such as Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia) workers are essential to the future of work; yet undervalued and underrepresented. Find out how to maximise the superpowers of neurodivergent people, by minimising the barriers of the modern, westernised, corporate office environment.

Usual format is to gather from 7:30pm and commence the talks at 8:00pm. Talks are ~20mins + Q&A with a break of 20mins for networking and beer.

*Before the second session there is an opportunity for any short announcements so please let us know on the night if you would like a slot or 1-2mins.

FYI: BCS (Berkshire) Social Tech Group meet up (7PM) before our talks. Its a great opportunity for food, drinks, networking and discussions about IT technology, business and advice.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you are interested in giving a talk at an upcoming event please contact us via twitter: @RDGGeekNight, Facebook or email us: talks [at] rdggeeknight.org

Reading Geek Night – Tuesday 12th February 2019

rdggeeknight

You can find us upstairs: The Walkabout: Wiston Terrace (off Friar Street) Reading RG1 1DG **NB The venue is licensed for 18 and over **  http://www.walkaboutbars.co.uk/venues/reading/details

Theme:TBC

  • 8:00pm Welcome and Introductions
  • 8:05pm I’m a Steminist, hear me roar (Katie Cooper – British Science Association/University of Reading)
  • 8:35pm Networking & beers
  • 9:00pm Short announcements/updates*
  • 9:05pm The Neon Future – Where might we be heading with team structures, practices and cultures? (Stuart Munton)
  • 9:35pm End (Networking and beers downstairs)

Backgrounders:

I’m a Steminist, hear me roar (Katie Cooper – British Science Association/University of Reading)

What on earth is a Steminist? And why do they make so much noise? Katie Cooper will answer explore these questions and more about the experience of being a women in science for over 18 years. Lifting the lid on issues you may never have thought about and delving into the psychology and science behind them. Delivered with her wit and a sprinkling of bad language, this will not be your run of the mill talk and will leave you thinking about these issues in a different light.

The Neon Future – Where might we be heading with team structures, practices and cultures? (Stuart Munton)

In the future teams might be structured differently. In the future teams might work with different practices. In the future teams might have different cultures…

The one thing we know for sure is that we don’t know the future, but we can look at the data, make predictions, and looking for trends. This interactive talk will assess the views of the attendees and compare this with the results and views of a number of external reference points.

 

Usual format is to gather from 7:30pm and commence the talks at 8:00pm. Talks are ~20mins + Q&A with a break of 20mins for networking and beer.

*Before the second session there is an opportunity for any short announcements so please let us know on the night if you would like a slot or 1-2mins.

FYI: BCS (Berkshire) Social Tech Group meet up (7PM) before our talks. Its a great opportunity for food, drinks, networking and discussions about IT technology, business and advice.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you are interested in giving a talk at an upcoming event please contact us via twitter: @RDGGeekNight, Facebook or email us: talks [at] rdggeeknight.org

Reading Geek Night – Tuesday 8th January 2019

rdggeeknight

You can find us upstairs: The Walkabout: Wiston Terrace (off Friar Street) Reading RG1 1DG **NB The venue is licensed for 18 and over **  http://www.walkaboutbars.co.uk/venues/reading/details

This month the floor will be an open mic ‘chalk & talk’ evening. We will be kicking off with some cool subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics…) … Come along for networking, beers and feel free to grab the mic when its free to share your geekery  🙂

Theme: TBC

  • 8:00pm Welcome and Introductions
  • 8:05pm Open Mic – Chalk & Talk 
  • 9:00pm Short announcements/updates
  • 9:35pm End (Networking and beers downstairs)

Usual format is to gather from 7:30pm and commence the talks at 8:00pm. Talks are ~20mins + Q&A with a break of 20mins for networking and beer.

FYI: BCS (Berkshire) Social Tech Group meet up (7PM) before our talks. Its a great opportunity for food, drinks, networking and discussions about IT technology, business and advice.

Look forward to seeing you there!

If you are interested in giving a talk at an upcoming event please contact us via twitter: @RDGGeekNight, Facebook or email us: talks [at] rdggeeknight.org:-)