Live Online! Wednesday, September 23 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club & the Lasker Foundation present the “2020 Lasker Public Lecture” with Immunologist Arturo Casadevall

Secret Science Club & the Lasker Foundation present the 2020 Lasker Public Lecture with Immunologist Arturo Casadevall
 
Join us live via Zoom, WEDNESDAY, September 23 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA). "Doors" to the Zoom Room open at 7:30PM

To join our mailing list or request the Zoom link, send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com).

Since the start of this pandemic, Arturo Casadevall and his colleagues have been working 24/7 on researching antibody-rich convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19. Their efforts (and those of plasma donors) have been hailed by many as heroic. Yet in recent weeks, convalescent plasma has become alarmingly politicized.
 
At the next Secret Science Club, we cut through the noise with Dr. Casadevall, as he explores why the investigation of convalescent plasma and antibody-based therapies is important - no matter the outcome - and how it may help in the search for other treatments and preventions. 

Dr. Casadevall asks:
•    How does the SARS-CoV-2 virus attack the human body? How does the body fight back?
•    What is the theory behind using convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 and how are studies being conducted? What does the data show? What other antibody-based therapies are being investigated?
•    What can we learn from research and experiences fighting the coronavirus in other countries? Is there an end to the pandemic in sight?

Arturo Casadevall is a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University, and chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The author of more than 746 scientific papers, he aims to protect people from harm caused by new pathogens, resistant organisms, and compromised immune systems. His groundbreaking contributions to the field of infectious disease have been recognized with multiple awards and honors, including the American Society for Microbiology Founders Distinguished Service Award, the National Institutes of Health Merit Award, the Rhoda Benham Award from the Medical Mycological Society of the Americas, and his election to both the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is currently the chair of the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project, a consortium of physicians and scientists from 57 hospitals, universities, and blood banks who are investigating the use of convalescent plasma in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before & After: Mix up our cocktail of the night, the Cuba Libre in honor of Dr. Casadevall's birthplace (recipe below); groove to our emergency-approved playlist; and stick around for the live audience Q&A.  
 
This edition of the Secret Science Club, the 2020 Lasker Public Lecture in honor of Al Sommer, is sponsored by the Lasker Foundation. The Foundation works to foster the prevention and treatment of disease and disabilities by honoring excellence in basic and clinical science, educating the public, and advocating for support of medical research.
 
This is a FREE event!
 
You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:
Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox  
Cash App: $SecretScienceClub
Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for the “(Bloody) Cuba Libre” (created by mixologist Joe Cacciola)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Rum, 3½ oz Tomato Juice, Juice of ½ Lemon, 3 Pinches of Salt, 3 Pinches of Ground Black Pepper, 3 Dashes of Hot Sauce (preferably chipotle), 1 Teaspoon Honey, ¼ Teaspoon Sugar, ¼ Apple (diced), 3 Mint Leaves
- In a bar shaker, combine honey, sugar, 2 mint leaves, diced apple, and a couple of drops of water; then muddle well
- Add tomato juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and hot sauce
- Pour drink back and forth between two shaker glasses (or stir gently)
- Pour into a wine glass, and add 4 or 5 ice cubes
- Garnish with a mint leaf and a slice of lemon

Live Online! Wednesday, September 9 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Physicist & Author Leonard Mlodinow on "Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics"

Stephen Hawking seems to encapsulate genius. Not since Albert Einstein has a scientific figure held such a position in popular consciousness. Writer and physicist Leonard Mlodinow tells the story of his friend and their long-time collaboration, offering an intimate account of this giant of science, his courageous battle with ALS, and his groundbreaking theories about the cosmos.

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, September 9 at 8PM with Leonard Mlodinow, author of Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics

"Doors" to the Zoom Room will open at 7:30PM (Eastern Time USA)

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  (To join the Secret Science Club mailing list, send us an email.)

In the meantime...  
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the Theory of Everything… (recipe below!)

--Prepare to groove to our cosmic playlist

--Bring your questions for the live Q&A

--Snag a copy of Leonard Mlodinow's enthralling new book, STEPHEN HAWKING: A Memoir of Physics and Friendship here or wherever you buy books!

Leonard Mlodinow is a physicist and best-selling author. He received his PhD in theoretical physics from Berkeley, was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Max Planck Institute, and was on the faculty at the California Institute of Technology. His previous books include The Grand Design and A Briefer History of Time (both with Stephen Hawking), Subliminal (winner of the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award), and War of the Worldviews (with Deepak Chopra), as well as Elastic, Euclid’s Window, Feynman’s Rainbow, and The Upright Thinkers.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox https://donorbox.org/secret-science-club

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for the 2020 Lasker Public Lecture with Immunologist Arturo Casadevall on September 23!

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Photo credit: Martin Haburaj

Cocktail Recipe for “The Theory of Everything” (created by Joe Cacciola)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Gin, ½ oz Midori**, 3 oz Tonic Water, 2 Peeled Cucumber Slices, 3 Mint Leaves, 1 Lemon-Rind Twist
- In a cocktail shaker, combine 1 cucumber slice, 2 mint leaves, and Midori, then muddle until the cucumber is well crushed
- Add ice and gin, and stir well
- Add tonic water
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a rocks glass with ice
- Garnish with a slice of cucumber, mint leaf, and a lemon-rind twist
**(If you don’t have Midori, you can substitute a piece of honeydew muddled with a pinch of sugar.)

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Live Online! Tuesday, August 25 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Neuroscientist & Author David Eagleman on "Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain"

Secret Science Club gets into your head …

The magic of the brain is not found in its parts, but in the way those parts unceasingly reweave themselves in an electric, living fabric. At the next Secret Science Club, neuroscientist David Eagleman explores the brain’s marvelous neuroplasticity. Jumping off from his new book Livewired, Dr. Eagleman shares his research on synesthesia, dreaming, wearable devices, and revolutionary ways to think about the five human senses.

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, August 25 @ 8PM with David Eagleman, author of Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain

"Doors" to the Zoom Room will open at 7:30PM (Eastern Time USA)

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  (To join the Secret Science Club mailing list, send us an email.)

In the meantime...  
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the Synapse Sling… (recipe below!)

--Prepare to groove to our ever-changing playlist

--Bring your questions for the live Q&A

--Snag a copy of David Eagleman's mind-blowing new book, LIVEWIRED here or wherever you buy books!

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and best-selling author. He teaches brain plasticity at Stanford University and is co-founder & CEO of Neosensory, a company that makes wearable devices that enable people to “listen” with their skin. He is the author of eight books, including Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain and SUM, a best-selling work of fiction that was turned into two operas. He and his research have been featured in the New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, The Verge, Smithsonian, The Guardian, and on NPR and the BBC. He was the creator and host of the Emmy-nominated PBS series The Brain with David Eagleman.

This is a FREE event.

You can support the Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox https://donorbox.org/secret-science-club

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for “Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics” with physicist & author Leonard Mlodinow on September 9!

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Photo credit: Mark Clark

Cocktail Recipe for the “Synapse Sling” (created by Joe Cacciola)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Dark Rum, 3½ oz Hibiscus Tea Syrup**, ½ oz Club Soda, 3 Sliced Strawberries, 8 Blueberries
- In a wine glass, pour rum over ice
- Add hibiscus tea syrup and stir well
- Add a splash of club soda
- Garnish with sliced strawberries and blueberries
Makes one cocktail.

** Hibiscus Tea Syrup recipe:
Ingredients: ½ inch piece ginger (peeled and chopped), ¼ cup sugar, 3 cups water, ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers or 6 hibiscus tea bags
- Bring the water and ginger to a boil in a small pot.
- Add sugar, stir until dissolved.
- Remove from heat, add the hibiscus flowers or tea bags.
- Let the tea seep for 10 minutes.
- Then strain through a fine mesh strainer.
- Let cool (mixture will last in the refrigerator for 2 weeks).

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Live Online! Thursday, August 13 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Evolutionary Biologist & Author Barbara Natterson-Horowitz on "Wildhood: The Astounding Connections Between Human and Animal Adolescents"

Secret Science Club returns with a WILD summer event! 

At the next Secret Science Club, evolutionary biologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz dives into the adolescent world of humans, penguins, whales, and hyenas—and shares eye-opening insights into the brains, bodies, and behaviors of young adults. 

Join us live via Zoom on Thursday, August 13 @ 8PM with Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, author of Wildhood: The Astounding Connections Between Human and Animal Adolescents

"Doors" to the Zoom Room will open at 7:30PM (Eastern Time USA).

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  (To join the Secret Science Club mailing list, send us an email.)

In the meantime...

--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the Wild Child... Recipe below! 

--Prepare to groove to our untamed playlist

--Bring your questions for the live Q&A!  

--Snag a copy of Barbara Natterson-Horowitz's fascinating new book, WILDHOOD here or wherever you buy books!

Barbara Natterson-Horowitz is an evolutionary biologist and cardiologist whose patients include gorillas, lions, wallabies, and humans. A visiting professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and professor of medicine in the UCLA Division of Cardiology, she is president of the International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. Her previous book, Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health, was a New York Times best-seller.

This is a FREE event.

To support Secret Science Club's online programming, you can make a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox:

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What's next at Secret Science Club?
Stay tuned for “Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain” with neuroscientist & author David Eagleman on August 25!

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us ) 

Cocktail Recipe for the “The Wild Child” (created by Joe Cacciola)
Ingredients: 1 oz Tequila, 1 oz Agave Syrup (preferably blue or light), 9 oz of a Lager-type Beer, ¾ oz Lime Juice, Wheel of a Lime for garnish
- Combine the tequila, agave syrup and lime juice in a shaker glass
- Add ice and shake well
- Strain into a chilled mason jar
- Add 9 oz of beer
- Stir gently
- Garnish with a lime wheel

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Live Online! Sunday, July 19 @ 2PM, Secret Science Club presents Epidemiologist & Author Adam Kucharski on "The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread—and Why They Stop"

Secret Science Club returns with a brunch-time event!

Join us live via Zoom on Sunday, July 19 @ 2PM with epidemiologist Adam Kucharski, author of "The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread—and Why They Stop"

Outbreaks. Infections. Virality. Hello, 2020! We’ve got COVID-19 hotspots breaking out like wildfires, while misinformation about the coronavirus rips through social media at Mach speed. But you know what? Maybe… just maybe… smart ideas are catching, too. At the next Secret Science Club, Adam Kucharski breaks down the science of epidemiology and explores how we can all get better at predicting & managing outbreaks.

"Doors" to the Zoom Room will open at 1:30pm (Eastern Time USA).

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  (To join the Secret Science Club mailing list, send us an email.)

In the meantime...

--Mix up our boozy brunch-time cocktail, the Vaccini (pronounced vax-ee-nee)... Recipe below! 

--Prepare to groove to our infectious playlist

--Bring your questions for the live Q&A!  

--Snag a copy of Adam Kucharski's “utterly timely” new book, THE RULES OF CONTAGION at Bookshop. 

Adam Kucharski is an associate professor and Sir Henry Dale fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he works on analysis of infectious disease outbreaks, including COVID-19. His writing and research have appeared in Wired, Scientific American, the New York Times, and the Guardian. The author of The Rules of Contagion and The Perfect Bet, he lives in London.

This is a FREE event.

To support Secret Science Club's online programming, you can make a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox:

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us ) 

Cocktail Recipe for the “Vaccini” (created by Joe Cacciola)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Gin, ½ oz Simple Syrup** (or a splash to taste), ½ oz Lime Juice, 4 Mint Leaves, 3 oz Watermelon Juice (seed the watermelon, cut into pieces and put in a juicer; or if using a blender, put a few pieces of ice with the seeded watermelon chunks, blend and strain)
- In a cocktail shaker glass, muddle the mint and simple syrup well
-Add gin, watermelon juice, lime juice and 4 cubes of ice
-Shake well, then strain into a rocks glass over ice
-Garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of lime
Makes one cocktail.

**Simple syrup recipe:
Ingredients: ½ cup water, 3 tbs sugar
-Put water and sugar in a small pot and simmer for 5 minutes.
-Let cool.
This mixture will last in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Live Online! Secret Science Club & the Dana Foundation present the "Dana Foundation Brain Lecture" featuring Neuroscientist Daphna Shohamy

Join us live via Zoom on Thursday, June 18 @ 8PM with neuroscientist Daphna Shohamy

At the Secret Science Club's online edition, neuroscientist Daphna Shohamy will dive deep into the human brain to explore the links between memories, decision-making, and motivation.  

"Doors" to the Zoom Room will open at 7:30pm (Eastern Time USA).

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  (To join the Secret Science Club mailing list, send us an email.)

In the meantime...   

--Put this brain-bending event on your calendar 

--Get ready to mix your own cocktail (let's make it a Memory Palace!) and shimmy to mind-blowing tunes 

--Bring your questions for the live Q&A

--Take a peek at the Dana Foundation's awesome digital magazine, Cerebrum, for news, podcasts, and analysis on emerging ideas in brain science  

Daphna Shohamy is a neuroscientist, professor of psychology at Columbia University, director of the Learning Lab at Columbia University, and a member of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. She uses behavioral research and neuroimaging studies to explore the neural processes by which memory, learning, and decision-making interact. She is the recipient of the McKnight Foundation Memory and Cognitive Disorders Award, the Cognitive Neuroscience Society's Young Investigator Award, and the Association for Psychological Science Janet Spence Award. Her research has been featured in Psychology Today, Vulture, The Verge, Time, and Popular Science, and she served as a scientific advisor to the Oscar-winning animated film Inside Out.

This edition of Secret Science Club - featuring Daphna Shohamy - is sponsored by the Dana Foundation in celebration of Brain Awareness Week (postponed from March). The Dana Foundation is dedicated to advancing understanding about the brain in health and disease through research grants and public outreach. 

This is a FREE event.

Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us

To support Secret Science Club's online programming, you can make a donation via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox:

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

Cocktail Recipe for the “Memory Palace” (created by Joe Cacciola)
Ingredients: Handful of Blueberries (at least 6), 2 Mint Leaves (and more for garnish), 1½ oz of Gin, Splash of Club Soda, ¼ oz Quick Simple Syrup**, Juice of ½ Lime, Ice
-Combine in a rocks glass: a handful of blueberries, 2 mint leaves, ¼ oz simple syrup, and juice of ½ lime.
-Muddle to a slow count of 10 until blueberries are crushed and mint leaves are torn
-Fill the glass with ice
-Add gin and stir well
-Add splash of club soda to taste
-Garnish with a sprig of mint

**Quick simple syrup recipe:
Ingredients: ½ Cup Water, ½ Cup Sugar
-Put water and sugar in a shaker and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Let settle, then shake again to a slow count of 10.
This mixture will last in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Live Online! Thursday, June 11 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Biomedical Scientist & Author Muhammad H. Zaman on the "Biography of Resistance: The Epic Battle Between People and Pathogens”

Join us live via Zoom on Thursday, June 11 @ 8PM with Muhammad H. Zaman, author of “Biography of Resistance: The Epic Battle Between People and Pathogens”

You thought viruses were dastardly? Bacteria are breaking bad too, as a growing number of infections become resistant to antibiotics. At the next Secret Science Club, biomedical scientist & author Muhammad H. Zaman investigates the next pandemic.

"Doors" to the Zoom Room will open at 7:30PM.

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  (To join the Secret Science Club mailing list, send us an email.)

In the meantime...   

--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the Perfect Placebo… it’ll cure what ails you (recipe below)

--Prepare to dance in your PJs to our science-inspired playlist before the talk 

--Bring your questions for the live Q&A

--Snag a hot-off-the-presses copy of Dr. Zaman’s new book, BIOGRAPHY OF RESISTANCE and support independent booksellers at Bookshop.

Muhammad H. Zaman is the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor of Biomedical Engineering and International Health at Boston University. The author of over 100 scientific papers, he and his work have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Express Tribune, NPR, and Popular Science. His new book “Biography of Resistance: The Epic Battle Between People and Pathogens” is the result of hundreds of interviews and travel to labs, jungles, urban centers, and archives on multiple continents.

This is a FREE event.

But... you can help keep Secret Science Club's online programming going by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox:

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What's next?

Stay tuned for the Dana Foundation Brain Lecture with neuroscientist Daphna Shohamy on June 18!

Note: If you don’t already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us

Cocktail Recipe for the “Perfect Placebo” (created by Joe Cacciola)
Ingredients: 1 oz Pomegranate Juice, 3 Basil Leaves, Lime, Prosecco
-Pour into a shaker: 1 oz pomegranate juice, 2 basil leaves, and juice of ¼ of a lime
-Muddle until basil leaves are well broken down
-Add four ice cubes and shake well
-Strain into a flute glass, top off with Prosecco, and garnish with a slightly torn basil leaf
Enjoy!

Photo credit: Jackie Ricciardi/Boston University

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Live Online! Wednesday, May 13, Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist Priya Natarajan, FREE on Zoom

Secret Science Club’s new online edition is about to blast off!

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, May 13, 8pm with astrophysicist Priya Natarajan. 

“Doors” to the Zoom Room will open at 7:30pm. 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.

In the meantime… 
--Put it on your calendar
--Get ready to mix your own cosmic cocktails & groove to interstellar tunes
--Prepare to take a deep dive into the nearest black hole, as we set off to explore our expanding Universe
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A!

Priyamvada Natarajan is a professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University, specializing in dark matter, dark energy, and supermassive black holes. The author of over 100 scientific papers, Dr. Natarajan and her work have been featured in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, and New York Times, as well as on PBS’s NOVA, NPR, CNN, StarTalk, and the BBC. She is the author of the award-winning book Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas that Reveal the Cosmos. 

This is a FREE event! 

Note: If you don’t already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us

To support Secret Science Club's online programming, you can make a donation via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox:

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Secret Science Club Videos!

Secret Science Club's live in-person events are on hiatus as we all practice social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Stay well... and stay tuned for updates as we work to bring our live science programming online! 

In the meantime, please "SSC and chill" at home with these recent videos. 

Check out our Dana Foundation Brain Lecture with Neuroscientist Nim Tottenham. She spoke at Secret Science Club about human brain development, emotional behavior, stress, and well-being.  

If you missed seeing Sean Carroll's talk about quantum physics and "Something Deeply Hidden" at our Secret Science Club North event last fall, you can see the entire talk (with an intro by physicist Brian Greene) on C-SPAN's BookTV.

At last December's SSC North event at Symphony Space, astronaut Kathryn Sullivan talked about her life in outer space and her book Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut's Story of Invention. Watch it here. 

***POSTPONED*** Secret Science Club & the Dana Foundation present the Dana Foundation Brain Lecture with Neuroscientist Daphna Shohamy (in honor of Brain Awareness Week!) MONDAY, March 16, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE

Folks, we are sorry to announce that our March 16 Secret Science Club event at the Bell House is being postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Dana Foundation Brain Lecture with Neuroscientist Daphna Shohamy will be rescheduled at a future date.

According to neuroscientist Daphna Shohamy, “memories are fundamental to everything we are and everything we do.” We use memories to learn. We use memories to make decisions. We use memories to form our identities. We use memories consciously, subconsciously, and constantly.

At the next Secret Science Club, Daphna Shohamy dives deep into the human brain to explore the links between memories, decision-making, and motivation. She asks:

--What exactly is memory? And how are memories built?

--What’s going on in the brain when we learn new things and form new habits?

--How do rewards and motivation shape how memories are formed?

--What role does dopamine play in memory and learning?

--How do different parts of the brain work together to use memories to make decisions?

BEFORE & AFTER

--Try our cocktail of the night, the “Memory Palace”

--Shimmy to mind-blowing tunes 

--Stick around for scintillating Q&A

Daphna Shohamy is a neuroscientist, professor of psychology, and director of the Learning Lab at Columbia University. She uses behavioral research and neuroimaging studies to explore the neural processes by which memory, learning, and decision-making interact. She is the recipient of the McKnight Foundation Memory and Cognitive Disorders Award, the Cognitive Neuroscience Society’s Young Investigator Award, and the Association for Psychological Science Janet Spence Award. Her research has been featured in Psychology Today, Vulture, The Verge, Time, and Popular Science, and she served as a scientific advisor to the Oscar-winning animated film Inside Out.

This edition of Secret Science Club—the Brain Awareness Week kickoff lecture featuring Daphna Shohamy—is sponsored by the Dana Foundation. The Dana Foundation is dedicated to advancing understanding about the brain in health and disease through research grants and public outreach.

Brain Awareness Week is the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science. Every March, partners host imaginative activities in their communities that share the wonders of the brain and the impact brain science has on our everyday lives. Search the calendar of events for fun and fascinating events throughout New York City!

Secret Science Club meets Monday, March 16, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Subway: F or G to 4th Ave, R to 9th St.

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self.

Photo credit: Eileen Barroso/Columbia University

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Welcome to the Invisible Universe! Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist Chiara Mingarelli, Tuesday February 18, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Gravitational waves in space-time are like ripples in a pond cause by a pebble thrown in the water—that is, if the pebble’s impact had the energy of, say, our own Sun exploding. Predicted by Einstein in 1916, gravitational waves proved devilishly difficult to detect. It was only in 2015 that scientists were first able to pinpoint the existence of a real-life gravitational wave, echoing across space-time as the result of a collision of two black holes more than a billion miles away.

That discovery ushered in a new “wave” in astronomy: Gravitational waves aren’t just fascinating phenomena—they are a whole new way to study the cosmos. Astrophysicist Chiara Mingarelli is part of a consortium of international scientists, working on new methods to predict and detect gravitational waves in an effort to understand the large portion of the Universe that remains invisible to us.

At the next Secret Science Club, Dr. Mingarelli asks:

--Are there different kinds gravitational waves? Why are some harder to detect than others?

--What might gravitational waves teach us about dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and the Big Bang?

--What role do pulsars (those super-freaky but super-reliable, rotating, radio-wave emitting neutron stars) play in gravitational wave research?

Before & After

--Pulse and flow to grooooovitational tunes

--Contemplate the Universe with Dark Energy, our cocktail of the night

--Stick around for the stellar Q&A

Chiara Mingarelli is an astrophysicist at the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics and an assistant professor of physics at the University of Connecticut. Her core research is focused on using Pulsar Timing Arrays to detect low-frequency gravitational waves. She is a member of NANOGrav (the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves), a consortium of scientists, using an international network of radio telescopes to detect gravitational waves caused by the merger of supermassive black holes. She has written for Scientific American and been a featured scientist on Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, Quartz News, and the Science Channel’s How the Universe Works.

This astronomical edition of Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, February 18, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Subway: F or G to 4th Ave; R to 9th St.

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self!

Image credits: Chiara Mingarelli: Flatiron Institute; Gravitational Waves: NASA/C. Henze

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.