“You can be a nerd about anything.”
By Carrie Pinkard
“Turn to the person next to you. Their head is the size of a giant squid’s eyeball.”
This sentence was uttered by Heather Judkins, a USF St. Petersburg biology professor, at Iberian Rooster last week.
Judkins has become a celebrity scientist over the past month, since she and her research team captured the second ever film footage of a giant squid in June.
The footage was captured in the Gulf of Mexico, roughly 250 miles from Tampa.
Judkins shared many facts about cephalopods with the audience, including that most of them “grow fast, have sex, and then die,” which got a “woohoo” from the inebriated crowd.
She said there are over 700 species of cephalopods, including one whose scientific name translates to “vampire squid from hell.”
Judkins was speaking as part of St. Petersburg’s “Nerd Nite” series.
Once a month, “nerds” from around the city gather in the basement of Iberian Rooster to hear experts speak on a variety of topics. The venue features couches and comfortable lounge chairs, giving people the feeling that they never left their living rooms.
St. Petersburg is one of over 100 cities globally that hosts a “Nerd Nite.” The founders of the event describe it as the Discovery Channel – but with cocktails.
August’s “Nerd Nite” featured Judkins’ talk about cephalopods and Ricardo Williams dissecting the Marvel Universe.
“You can be a nerd about anything,” Williams said at the beginning of his talk.
The next “Nerd Nite” will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 6:30 p.m. It will also feature a USF St. Petersburg professor emeritus, Gary Mormino from the history department, who will speak on the future of Florida.
Tickets for Nerd Nite cost $5 and usually sell out in advance.
