Nerd Nite Austin #168: Technology’s Dark Side

Thursday, March 27st, 7:30pm at Barrel O’ Fun and on Twitch

This month’s talks are all about the not so shiny side of technology.

 

“The History of Jetpacks” by Heather Ringman

Heather will talk about the history of jetpacks, including their invention in the 1960s, the Army being interested and then abandoning them, and then the jetpacks being used for demonstrations at places like state fairs and football games. And then, She’ll talk about the American Rocketbelt Corporation, where three guys started a jetpack company, but it ended with fights, a violent kidnapping, and a murder.
CW: there may be some violent content

Heather Ringman is a mechanical engineer, a former Jeopardy contestant, the boss of Houston Nerd Nite, and a huge nerd.

 

“The Tyranny of Tech” by John Bongaarts

Life nowadays is packed with lists, to-dos, and projects, not to mention a nonstop flow of online news. Because of this, we’ve gotten used to leaning on technology to make things easier and quicker. But at what cost? Let’s chat about how, in 2025, it feels like we can hardly avoid giving up our personal info just to get the tools we rely on to manage our lives. And let’s figure out what we can do to change that!

John Bongaarts is a product strategy leader and responsible AI practitioner in the Austin area for over 17 years, serving as a fractional leader, advisor, and consultant to startups and small businesses in the AI space and here in his role as the Head of Product at Oak, a Maine-based AI Ethics company.

Nerd Nite happens at


the bar inside the
Alamo Drafthouse Mueller

  • Shows are (usually) the last Thursday of every month at 7:30pm.
  • The Barrel opens at 4pm. The show is free, so arrive early to get a good seat.
  • There will be an intermission between the speakers.
  • They have a full bar including beers on tap and a great food menu.
  • There’s parking in the garage behind the Alamo Mueller along McBee street. Barrel O’ Fun will validate parking for up to 4 hours. Look for the QR code at the ticket desk.
  • The Barrel O’ Fun website has menus, map and more.