Nerd Nite : Neuroscience and Quantum mechanics for dummies

Nerd Nite is a free monthly event that invites participants to give short, fun, and informative presentations on all kinds of topics while the audience enjoys a drink.

Our passionate speakers will share their expertise and ideas on a variety of topics.Each presentation will last between 20 and 30 minutes, followed by questions. A break between each presentation allows participants to refill their drinks and chat about the presented topics... or something else entirely.

Come meet new nerdy people !

Drinks and snacks will be available at the Shadok's bar.

**Lineup for Friday 26 September : **

🐭How mice uncover the secrets of the growing brain - Elena Brivio, Neurobiologist and science communicator

Neurobiologists like to say that the brain is the most important organ in your body… and unfortunately I’m a neurobiologist! In this short talk, I will guide you through how the brain grows to become the most important organ in your body and how scientists use mice to study how this still mysterious process takes place during pregnancy.

About the presenter : I’m Elena, a neurobiologist studying the mechanisms behind brain development. Born and raised in Italy, I left my home country in 2017 for the wacky adventure of a PhD in Medical Research in Munich, Germany, which brought me also oversee for a short stay in Israel. Since 2023, I moved to France, juggling my life as a expat, my research project, a difficult relationship with French, and fleeting free time for baking and crocheting.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-brivio/

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqg-9Xpk46_49yVYBgHN7eEatdKrFJTQv

⚛️ Quantum Mechanics for dummies - by Stéphane Zaleski professor at Sorbonne Université

From the 16th to the 17th century, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and an anonymous apple tree in Cambridge build Mechanics*, a cathedral of science. The world becomes a perfect clockwork. In the early 20th century Planck, Einstein, de Broglie, Dirac and Schrodinger’s cat bring it down. What stands now is called quantum mechanics.

Under a veil of mystery and incomprehension Guerlain sells a "crême quantique" while semi-mystics derive grand wisdom, but I will try to clarify things (without equations).

🧠Oops, I forgot my GPS, never mind, I’ve got a brain - by Anzal K Shahul post doc reasearcher at CNRS

Have you ever wondered how a homing pigeon finds its way back from hundreds of miles away, or how a squirrel remembers where it hid every single nut? It's not magic; it's because their brains have a built-in GPS. They don't need a map app; their brain creates its own.

In this talk, I will explain to you how this happens. We'll explore the special brain cells called place cells. These are amazing because each cell is connected to a specific spot in the world. When you walk into a room, the place cell for that room turns on, essentially creating a "you are here" signal right inside your head.

But these cells do more than just mark a location. They help us save memories. They work with other cells to store not just the place, but the whole experience, like a mental snapshot of a specific moment.

Join me to discover how your brain maps the world, one location and one memory at a time.

About the presenter : Hi there! I’m Anzal. I’m interested in the network dynamics while animals learn. I primarily utilize my experimental multimodal data and machine vision to understand how animals learn. I develop neuroscience-backed tools that help people achieve their goals more efficiently and reliably.

I'm a Postdoctoral Researcher in CNRS with a PhD in Neuroscience, working at INCI, University of Strasbourg.

------

* the new science was so baptized by Newton. At that time it is not yet “classical mechanics”.

Doors open at 18:30