Nerd Nite 4/29: Marvel Law, New Elements, CA Hip Hop History

If the Glove Fits: Legal Lessons from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Using Marvel stories to understand how the legal process really works is as easy as snapping your fingers. Yes Dr. Strange is a superhero, but find out how he saved the world using contract law. Was Star-Lord really the rightful owner of the Morag Infinity Stone, do the Sokovia Accords pass the Constitutional test, and how, exactly, do we prosecute Thanos? Get ready for Marvel’s Endgame with a rollicking review of legal issues from the Marvel Universe.

Speaker: Josh Gilliland is the co-creator of The Legal Geeks

Building New Elements Beyond the Periodic Table

Like modern day and much more scientific alchemists, nuclear chemists work to construct elements that don’t exist on earth but may reside on proton-packed Islands of Stability off the far end of the periodic table, where these new heaviest elements could be long lived. Learn how six new elements were added to the periodic table in the last seven years, and the techniques scientists use to construct and deduce the physical and chemical properties of new elements from just a few ephemeral atoms.

Speaker: Jacklyn Gates is the Group Leader of the Heavy Element Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Understanding the History of Hip Hop Culture in California

Learn about the history of Hip Hop in Northern California, separated from the gratuitous depictions presented by modern media. Explore the original music, and find out how a culture rooted in empowerment for communities of color has been quietly co-opted by three corporations that now control 90% of the Hip Hop market. See how the Hip Hop audience has changed over the years, and how Hip Hop can once again be used to support local communities.

Speaker: Khafre Jay is the Executive Director and Founder of Hip Hop for Change