What's the nerdiest thing you do/ have done?

[SweetZombieJesus]

Sometimes when I watch MST3K episodes, I write down references I don't get to look them up later.

[leftofthedial]

1. respond to threads on DU

with "nerd" in the Subject.

[laissez_unfaire]

2. I collect quotations

from the books I read. I type them into my text editor. I think it's great fun.

[newyawker99]

34. Hi laissez_unfaire!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[GAspnes]

3. playing "write that code!" at lunch

One person posed a computational problem. Then we would go around the table, estimating how few lines we could write a solution in. "I can write that code in 15 lines," "I can write that code in 12 lines," &tc.

Sooner or later, someone would say "I can write that code in 5 lines," (or 4 or 3), and then the challenge would be shouted out -- Write That Code!

If he could do it, he got a buck from everyone at the table. If he couldn't, or his solution was flawed, he paid a buck to everyone at the table.

We played it like speed chess, no time to ponder, just answer as quickly as you could.

[Shakeydave]

4. I memorize dance sequences from movies................

and re-enact them for my shweetie in the buff! Did you say nudie or nerdy?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. Wrote down duration statistics for my kids' wind-up toys.

...during a power failure one thunderstormy afternoon.

[HEyHEY]

6. Spend time on DU!

hehe

[salin]

7. In high school... when we were reading Crime and Punishment

I had just discovered Cliff Notes. Started the real book, then started using the cliff notes, and after about two chapters in the Cliff Notes thought I was "missing too much" (not about how I would do on a test - just didn't like "missing stuff") threw away the Cliff Notes and went back to the book.

It was just a precursor of things to come.

[Robb]

8. When I set up my surround sound

When I adjusted my milliseconds of delay for the rear speakers in my surround sound stuff, I not only measured the distance between the speakers and a simulated head (where my ears would be, once totally relaxed on the old couch), I made a correction from the manual's suggestions -- to account for the fact that sound travels at a marginally different speed here at altitude (~8000 feet) than at sea level.

[GOPisEvil]

12. OK - that is damned nerdy...

Sounds like something I would think about doing, but decide against because I want to get to watching the damned movies! :P

[Robb]

30. Why, thank you

...I seem to have a propensity for doing things that most folks think are a waste of time, but incredibly impress about five people.

Where's that sighing smiley??

[GOPisEvil]

31. Here.

[demnan]

9. Edited the Windows registry of a friend's computer

while on vacation.


Automatically going to "View Source" when I see a website I like.

[ProfessorGAC]

10. Build Economic Models

I have a series of econometric models that use nonlinear multidimenstional mathematics to determine causation of economic leverage variables vs. several econmic effects.

This isn't part of my job, although i use them for some of the classes i teach. But, if i didn't do them, it wouldn't really affect the classes either.

I just do them for my own satisfaction.

Now, that's pretty nerdy.
The Professor

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. say

I have a series of econometric models that use nonlinear multidimenstional mathematics to determine causation of economic leverage variables vs. several econmic effects.

My grandma used to do the same thing!

:evilgrin:

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Then Your Grandma Was Nerdy, Like Me

The Professor

[Iris]

stayed in the most "happening" hotel during Spring Break - and

went to a movie on a Saturday night!

[Iris]

14. stayed in the most "happening" hotel during Spring Break - and

went to a movie on a Saturday night!

[Iris]

32. oh, yeah - and kept on hitting the send button so

my nerdiness would live on forever.

[TrogL]

15. Slide rule wars

See who could buy the biggest sliderule. Mine eventually had 24 tracks - almost all of them useless. And it was a screaming yellow that was hard on the eyes.

[Love Bug]

16. I help plan and run a science fiction convention!

Like to see any of y'all top that for geekitude! :silly:

[Kamika]

17. Discussed startrek

And way too serious.

[curse10]

18. I was drum major of the marching band

and vice president of the band and orchestra counsel.

But, I loved it. :-)

[VelmaD]

19. I collect...

the noveliazations of cheesy scifi and fantasy movies.

I own a hardback copy of "Clash of the Titans". *blush*

I have the novel of the 2 hour TV movie that kicked off the Buck Rogers tv show. But it gets wose...I have the novel of Krull.

Also have all the Aliens, Predator and Terminator movies. All the Star Trek and Star Wars movies - including a hardback of "A New Hope" released along with the movie in '77 with production stills in it.

Darth Velma

[chenGOD]

24. Krull was a great book :) NT

nt

[DS1]

20. argued with someone over laser beam-splitters at a HS school dance

of some sort.

[short bus president]

21. In college, for one of my aesthetics courses,

for the final paper, I handed in a 3 page poem instead of a 20 page essay. Got a call to come visit the prof. the next day, who asked me why I'd done that, and I coughed up some excuse about how I'd been inspired by the reading (which I hadn't done), and he gave me the choice between taking the gentleman's C on the poem, or writing a 5-6 page explanation of why I was compelled to do that instead of following the assignment. I chose the latter, and came away with a B+. Guess my poetry was better than my explanation.

Does that even qualify as "nerdy?"

[TrogL]

22. Built a computer out of razor blades

...perfboard, nails with telephone wire wrapped around them, some mismatched switches and light bulbs and a model train transformer. I built it as a physics project, including a 40 page technical manual. It took binary input and converted it to decimal.

Teacher said "I'm going you an A because I have no idea what you're talking about."

Next year he did the same thing with my project consisting of four blurry photographs and 15 pages of calculus.

(fixed spelling. I've had 2 hours sleep - gimme a break)

[NightTrain]

23. As an ongoing project...

...I catalogue the individual tracks on the hundreds and hundreds of various-artists comps I have on CD. That way, if I'm looking for a specific song and I can't recall what disc it's on, all I have to do is consult my database!

[thom1102]

25. Okay this is sort of a tie...

1) I took the day off from work so that I could see Star Wars Episodes I and II on they day they opened.

2) Tried to sew my own Star Trek uniform for a Halloween Costume, because I thought there weren't any out there that were any good (It should be noted, that I had never previously sewn anything before in my life, had never operated a sewing machine, and had no pattern to work from, nor did I own a sewing machine.) So I bought the sewing machine, spent hours trying to figure out how to operate the thing, then gave up using the machine and stayed up all night to sew it by hand. It should also be noted that I was doing all this the night before Halloween. The end result was, shall we say, unique. So much so that my mother kept it, and has threatened to use it as blackmail material if I ever become famous and try to put her in a home. After months of driving around with it in the trunk of my car, I finally returned the sewing machine to Caldor's (after, like, 6 months) with no receipt.

[DemNoir]

26. I take the train into NYC

only visit museums, then go home.

[Nikia]

27. I read encyclopedias

In elementary school, that's what I did with my free time.

[dolo amber]

35. I still do that

If I'm particularly bored and unmotivated to go to the library. I also
had a 2 week ongoing email argument with a British guy over the correct spelling of "Ian Curtis' Corpse" (a movie title). He insisted it was "Ian Curtis's Corpse"...we both did research and sent flaming emails back and forth trying to prove our point...we finally concluded it was just one of those British English vs. American English things. Shortly thereafter, we got into an argument over "spelled vs spelt". :D

edit: I spelt something wrong.

[geniph]

28. Been to two Star Trek conventions...

regular attendance at NorWesCon (NorthWest Science Fiction Convention) and renaissance faires...

got Patrick Stewart's autograph...

took the nerd test online, then went back and changed some of my answers to get a "better" score...

fixed a friend's computer during a party...

joined Mensa, and even went to a couple of meetings...

...it gets worse, those are only the ones I'm willing to admit to.

[dback]

29. I have the soundtrack to "TRON"--on vinyl!!

Composed by moog synth god(dess) Wendy Carlos. The score was very ahead of it's time. (He said, weakly trying to defend himself.)

[SmileyBoy]

33. I once manually fragmented my disk drive...

...but I was pretty much forced to, because the program that did it automatically was unaccessible for some reason. Also, tech support had to talk me through on how to do it, anyway.