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.By Northside Nerds

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 M…

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…

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 Northsi…

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 Ne…

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/northsidenerd…

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 Mar…

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 & Yo…

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 betwee…

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 NER…

This week the nerds hang the mistletoe high for their Christmas special and talk about the capitalistic hellscape that is Christmas, but promise it's better than the Star Wars or Guardians Of The Galaxy Christmas special, but also maybe not as good as any Futurama Christmas specials. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://…

This week the nerds take a look at the dynamics of distopian futures presented in books, games, & other media, and how that is reflected in today's society through government, environment, and dating apps. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Gojira Live - https…

This week the nerds call out our short attention spans by putting a magnifying glass to fads, fifteen minute famers, and people who truly have just faded into obscurity. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Star Wars: Visions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt…

This week the nerds look at the concept of collecting. Why are nerds so mad for having epic collections of weird and wonderful things? Where does this drive come from? And when does it go from collecting to hoarding? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Lord Of …

This week the nerds ask the question, with the rising popularity of the fantasy genre, of tattoos, of heavy music, etc. Are we still considered alternative? How far does one have to go to still be alternative? Where is the invisible line between the mainstream and the alternative? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://lin…

This week the nerds look deep into the various tropes of races throughout the fantasy world. Where do the concepts of orcs, elves, and dwarves come from? Who has done them well? Why do some believe this is tantamount to racism? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing…

This week the nerds are joined by tattooist and film maker Josh Todaro, mastermind behind the horror short Button Man that's currently taking the film festival circut by storm. Josh joins the nerds to discuss the allure of all things macarbe, why are humans so drawn to the things that terrify us? What affect does this have on the human psyche? And …

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 take aim at those who continually flog a horse that's long dead. Why do people continue with things long after their expiry date? When should we t…

This week, the nerds take a look at the ingrained cultures of trolling and online bullying rife in our communities. What is the psychology behind it? What has been their experiences? And how have they learned to push through it? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thin…

This week the nerds look at the representation of nerds and metalheads through pop-culture. They look at the psychology behind stereotyping, healthy and unhealthy tropes, and look at things that absolutely did not age well. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - P…

This week the nerds are joined by shredding extraordinaire Ash Grey, guitarist of celebrated metal act Venom Prison. Together they explore the deep connections between heavy music and nerd culture, at which points they intersect, and why they are so intrinsically linked. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/nor…

This week the nerds take a dive into the concept of fandom, what it means to be a fan, what makes some fans amazing and others so toxic, and who are the best fanbases out there? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Weird Dreams - https://www.psychologistworld.co…

This week the nerds take a look into the history and evolution of video games and ask the question, is there still room for originality, or are we just getting the same games again and again? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Terahertz Spectroscopy - https://…

This week the nerds are joined by Australian special effects and prop creator Tristan Lucas who has worked on such films as The Babadook, Pirates Of The Carribean, and Alien Covenant. Tristan shares his experience of working on films of all budgets and the nerds relentlessly throw questions and knowledge bombs at Tristan to see his response. LINKS …

This episode, Joshua Redbeard, Grant, and Margy look into the present and future possibilities of bionics and bio-engineering and ask the question, how far would we personally go when it comes to modifying our bodies and minds, and how do those modifications affect the human condition? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https:…

This episode, Grant, Margy, and Joshua Redbeard take aim at the understanding of influencers. Looking at the difference of people who wish to be famous, versus those who dive so deeply into their passions that they influence the entire future of a sound, a scene, or an entire industry. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https:…

This episode, Margy, Grant, & Joshua Redbeard take a deep analysis into the concept of magic(k) and how it has been portrayed throughout popular culture, with a look at the past, present, and future concepts of magic and how they intertwine. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING…

This episode, the nerds go deep into the concept of financial gatekeeping within the music and nerd communities and offer suggestions on ways to live the nerd/rockstar life while also living the broke life. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Wheel Of Time - ht…

This episode, the nerds go over all the announcements from San Diego Comicon 2022, what they are excited for, and what is making them nervous. Then they jump into the question of how prepared they are for different forms of apocalypse (zombie, nuclear, or otherwise) and how they feel they will survive the oncoming storm. LINKS Follow Northside Nerd…

This episode, the gang go back through time on their personal journeys of musical discovery, discussing what lead them into music, what keeps them in music, and why it's something they'll hold on to forever. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing -The Kyoshi Novels …

This week Margy, Grant, and Redbeard take aim at the world of remaking movies and ask all the important questions. What makes a good remake? What ruins a remake? What would we love to see remade, and most importantly, what should NEVER be remade? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST …

This episode, the gang shares their early experiences with pop culture and how that has affected different facets of their lives. FOLLOW NORTHSIDE NERDS ON ALL SOCIALS https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING GRANT'S THING - https://fallout4london.com/ MARGY'S THING - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triphenylphosphine REDBEARD'S THING - ht…

This episode, Grant shares a story of the chess playing robot from the 1800's that beat Napoleon Bonaparte, Margy tells the tail of a hitch-hiking robot turned murder victim, and Joshua Redbeard expresses his deep concerns for AI and it's casual nature toward humanity's demise. FOLLOW NORTHSIDE NERDS ON ALL SOCIALS https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds …

Joshua Redbeard, Grant, & Margy discuss their different approaches to playing video, card, and role playing games; and Margy drops some psychological bombs that explain why some people prefer the harder games over the easier ones. LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube here https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING GRANT'S THIN…

Joshua Redbeard, Grant, and Margy take you on a deep dive through various fictional universes and the pros and cons of suddenly finding yourself thrust into such a space. Would they survive? Would you? LINKS Follow Northside Nerds on Socials & YouTube Here - https://linktr.ee/northsidenerds THE NERDIEST THING Margy's Thing - Solar Podcast - https:/…