EP26: New Year, Same Nerds

The nerds are pressing pause on Balrogs & Blastbeats for just a little moment to focus on some pressing life matters. Hoping to return when the seas are a little calmer. We love you. Stay nerdy.

This week the nerds look at the the science of mind uploading. Where is the current technology at? How far are we away from being able to upload our minds to the digital space? How does pop culture handle this issue? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Sailor Moon One Piece - https://blackmilkclothing.com/collections/pretty-guardian-sailor-moon?page=1 Grant's Thing - John Wick 4 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wick:_Chapter_4 Joshua Redbeard's Thing - LOTS of new commander decks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K9PEeLG_6M&ab_channel=TheCommandZone  

This week the nerds look at the weird and wonderful places we find inspiration for creation. What are the wild stories of ways our staples of popular culture were inspired by less obvious means? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - DnD Character Creators - https://www.wargamer.com/dnd/character-creator Grant's Thing - Coffee - https://www.instagram.com/caffeinemethod Joshua Redbeard's Thing - Shazam! Fury Of The Gods - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shazam!_Fury_of_the_Gods

Northside Nerds presents: Balrogs & Blastbeats. A weekly dive into the larger world of nerd culture, heavy music, science, and psychology. Hosted by Joshua Redbeard, Grant, and Margy. This week the nerds get their heavy metal nerd on as they walk through the history of heavy metal, it's roots, it's inspiration, and it's future. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Dungeons & Daddies - https://open.spotify.com/show/5Sffly5o4mPetmnTR9zsWh?si=6b8550ca2a9f4d44 Grant's Thing -Dungeons & Daddies - https://open.spotify.com/show/5Sffly5o4mPetmnTR9zsWh?si=6b8550ca2a9f4d44 Joshua Redbeard's Thing - Dungeons & Daddies - https://open.spotify.com/show/5Sffly5o4mPetmnTR9zsWh?si=6b8550ca2a9f4d44 OTHER LINKS Knotfest "Fashion" Article - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11901189/Knotfest-revellers-dress-wild-outfits-Slipknot-festival-Centennial-Park-Sydney.html

This week the nerds explore the representation of neurodivergence in media. How far have we come from films like Rainman and What's Eating Gilbert Grape? How does it reflect the real life experience of neurodivergence? Is this generation of TikTok Psychologists diagnosing everyone with ADHD and Autism helping or hindering? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Kafka On The Shore - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4929.Kafka_on_the_Shore Grant's Thing - Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - https://www.trueachievements.com/n53124/wo-long-xbox-first-boss-achievement Joshua Redbeard's Thing - Piccard - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Picard_(season_3) OTHER LINKS "Why Do They Have To Be Brilliant?" Article - https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/15/why-do-they-have-to-be-brilliant-the-problem-of-autism-in-the-movies

This week the nerds take aim at the age old argument that the book is always better than the film. Is that always the case? When did the paradigm shift? What are examples of times the films surpassed the book? And how good is the novelisation of Batman Returns? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - The Seven Wonders Of The World - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonders_of_the_World Grant's Thing - The Mandalorian Season 3 - https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_cameos_in_Star_Wars Joshua Redbeard's Thing - Djunah's new album Femina Furens - https://djunah.bandcamp.com/album/femina-furens

This week the nerds ask the important question, why are humans so drawn to a good conspiracy theory? Where do they come from? What is on the other side of the giant ice wall? And definitely no questions about alien probing because... No. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Númenor is Atlantis https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/N%C3%BAmenor Grant's Thing - Stardew Valley - https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/  Joshua Redbeard's Thing - Johnathan Majors saved Ant-Man Quantumania - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Majors

This week the nerds look at the imagery and representation of animals within pop culture. Looking at where the concept of the animal hybird comes from in human history, why do we find animals so damn cute, and ask the important question, if you could be any animal for 24 hours, what would you be and why? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds  THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction - https://www.librarything.com/work/46828 Grant's Thing - Dark & Darker - https://www.ironmace.com/ Joshua Redbeard's Thing - A Tolkein Bestiary - https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/A_Tolkien_Bestiary OTHER LINKS Puppies win the battle of cute - https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/neuroscience-of-cute/ Concept of virtual population https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/13/using-cute-animals-in-pop-culture-makes-public-think-theyre-not-endangered-study

Northside Nerds presents: Balrogs & Blastbeats. A weekly dive into the larger world of nerd culture, heavy music, science, and psychology. Hosted by Joshua Redbeard, Grant, and Margy. This week the nerds (mainly Margy let's face it) get their science on and dive into the scientific studies behind heavy metal music. Looking at the connections between heavy metal and mental heath issues, self confidence, and banging in the backseat of a car. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Ayden Thomas - www.instagram.com/ayden_thomas Grant's Thing - Snakes On A Train - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqi78frTL2Q&ab_channel=MovieCentral Joshua Redbeard's Thing - Dungeons & Daddies Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5Sffly5o4mPetmnTR9zsWh?si=717e9c602411414b OTHER LINKS  NERD OF THE WEEK - Carmel Majidi - https://www.cmu.edu/bme/People/Faculty/profile/cmajidi.html MAIN ARTICLE ON THE LIQUID ROBOT - https://www.newscientist.com/article/2356076-metal-robot-can-melt-its-way-out-of-tight-spaces-to-escape/ GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT - https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(22)00693-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2590238522006932%3Fshowall%3Dtrue&fbclid=IwAR2MHDESpdqGy8V_Oe9z4UutwpTtdEGZI3WMivHpD0iX82VIjcWSQ09QgeA

The nerds return for 2023 to catch up on their break and talk about what they're excited for in the year ahead from video games set in an alternative future for the glorious U.S.S.R., to a horror movie where Winnie The Pooh has had enough of your shit. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Struggling With The Australian Medical System - https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf Grant's Thing - Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Fortune:_Ruse_de_Guerre Joshua Redbeard's Thing - World Of Warcraft (Not linking to that, so go learn about Leeroy Jenkins) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvXRcwcIJh4 OTHER LINKS DND Shorts' Breakdown Of What's Happening Inside Wizards Of The Coast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4kGMsZSdbY&ab_channel=DnDShorts