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.

Dive Inside the Human Body! Secret Science Club presents Structural Biologist Kevin Gardner, TUESDAY, January 21, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

The human body is made of trillions of cells. Inside each cell, it’s as busy as the subway system with a dismaying array of routes, signals, and ever-moving parts. Exploring these teeny-tiny living labyrinths is the mission of modern-day micronauts like Kevin Gardner.

A biochemist and biophysicist, Kevin Gardner has been unlocking the secrets inside cells for over two decades. As he dives into this microscopic world, he visualizes how all-important cellular proteins look in three dimensions and studies how they react to different stimuli—all with the goal of learning how the human body works and finding new cures for diseases.

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

--How do cells—bacteria, plant, and human—sense what is going on in the world around them?

--What role does light play in the world of cells? What are “optogenetic tools”? How do they turn genes on and off?

--How can understanding a cell’s reaction to stimuli, such as light and oxygen levels, be used to discover new biotech tools and cancer treatments?

BEFORE & AFTER

--Imbibe our macroscopic cocktail of the night, the Inner Space

--Sway to bio-themed tunes and feel the grooves at the cellular level

--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

Kevin Gardner is the Einstein Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the City College of New York, and he is the Director of the Structural Biology Initiative at CUNY’s Advanced Science Research Center. Dr. Gardner uses combinations of structural biology methods, including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, to probe how cellular proteins perceive and react to changes in the environments around them. He and his research team have discovered that a diverse group of proteins use similar mechanisms of signaling and regulation despite sensing radically different stimuli. His lab is exploring how these processes can be artificially controlled, leading to the development of new anti-cancer therapies and research tools.

This molecular edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, January 21, 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.

For more information, contact secretscienceclub@gmail.com Or visit us on the Web at http://secretscienceclub.blogspot.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.

Your Support Is Our Rocket Fuel!

Donate to Secret Science Club's holiday pledge drive and help launch us into 2020.

At Secret Science Club this year, we've taken an amazing, curiosity-inspired ride, with public talks on brain science, virus hunting, human & animal emotions, climate science, quantum physics, artificial intelligence, ocean science, and more. We want 2020 to be just as mind-blowing and science-filled!

Please join us in celebrating science as a vital part of culture and public life and standing up for science as we head into a new decade. 

To make a donation and support Secret Science Club 2020 (and an all-new season of free and low-cost public science events), visit our secure pledge page. You can get fun pledge prizes, too (SSC T-shirts, lab notebooks, secret swag, and more!). For those of you who don't want pledge rewards, click here for faster check out.

Thanks to all the brilliant scientists who presented at SSC this year, to the awesome staff at the Bell House & Symphony Space, and to our fabulous partners, volunteers, and supporters. And thanks to YOU - our wonderful, ever-curious audience members.

Cheers to everyone for supporting SSC's mission! Science for All! Happy holidays! 

Secret Science Club is a program of Science Live Productions, Inc, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and your donations are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law.

For more information, contact secretscienceclub[at]gmail.com

Make a Splash! Secret Science Club presents Marine Biologist & Explorer David Gruber, MONDAY, December 16, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

We’re getting wet and wild for the holidays!

Take the plunge at the next Secret Science Club with ocean explorer and marine biologist David Gruber.

Just returned from an expedition exploring the frigid waters underneath the ice in Greenland, David Gruber typically spends about two months of the year conducting undersea research—scuba diving or riding in tiny submersible vehicles that allow him to spend hours below the surface.

He’s curious about unsung, strange ocean creatures, such as deep-sea jellyfish and sponges, and how they live in diverse environments—from coral reefs to the Arctic. He’s invented techniques—such as “soft” robotic arms—to interact with delicate marine organisms. And he’s fascinated by biofluorescence, with his research leading to the discovery of the first biofluorescent sea turtle and over 200 other “glowing” sea animals.

Dr. Gruber tries to see the ocean through the eyes of sea creatures and lately, he’s particularly interested in how these animals communicate. He asks: Can we learn how to talk to whales using artificial intelligence? What are fish “saying” with biofluoresence and bioluminescence? How can we use new technology to understand undersea species?

David Gruber is a marine biologist and professor at Baruch College at the City University of New York and CUNY Graduate Center. He is an Explorer for National Geographic and a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History. His research & writing have appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times, National Geographic, and The Best American Science Writing. This year, Dr. Gruber was awarded the 2019 Lagrange Prize, the greatest international recognition for complex systems science, for his research “focused on the conservation of biodiversity, protection of resources and the safeguarding of ecosystems."

Before & After

--Dive into the holidays with our cocktail of the night, the Jingle Shell!
--Groove to sea shanties, surf music, and whale song 

--Plunge into the sea-salty Q&A

This deep-sea edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, December 16, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. in Brooklyn (between 2nd and 3rd avenues). 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 credits: David Gruber by Elias Carlson; Comb Jelly by David Gruber

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 (North) presents Astronaut & Author Kathryn Sullivan, Tuesday, December 3, 8PM @ Symphony Space, $25

Grab your space boots! Secret Science Club is rocketing into Manhattan for a special edition!

Secret Science Club (North) presents Handprints on Hubble with Astronaut & Author Kathryn Sullivan, Tuesday, December 3, 8PM @ Symphony Space, (Use code SECRET20 to get $20 tickets.)

A scientist with a PhD in geology and oceanography, Kathryn Sullivan is the first American woman to walk in space. A veteran of three NASA missions, Dr. Sullivan was on the crew of the Discovery shuttle that launched the Hubble Space Telescope. Celebrating 30 years in orbit, the Hubble today continues to transmit revelatory images and data to scientists back here on Earth.

Jumping off from her new book Handprints on Hubble, Kathryn Sullivan is here to tell the epic tale of the Hubble, her own pioneering space missions, and how the world's most iconic telescope has revolutionized our understanding of the Universe.

Kathryn Sullivan is a former NASA astronaut who has spent over 500 hours in space. Until 2017, she served as the Administrator of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), overseeing a network of satellites, ships, and airplanes that monitor Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. Handprints on Hubble is her first book.

Before & After 

--Try our space-shuttle-inspired cocktail of the night, the Atlantis

--Groove to the cosmic ballet

--Stick around for the far-out Q&A 

--Hot off the presses! Snag a signed copy of Kathryn Sullivan’s new book, Handprints on Hubble: An Astronaut’s Story of Invention

Get $20 tickets for Kathryn Sullivan here with code SECRET20 and enter the code at checkout. You can also use the code at the Symphony Space box office (call 212.864.5400 or visit in person).

This rocket-fueled edition of Secret Science Club North meets Tuesday, December 3, 8PM @ Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway @ 95th St in Manhattan. Subway: 1, 2, or 3 to 96th Street. Doors open at 7:30pm. This is an all-ages event!

Secret Science Club & the Dana Foundation present the Dana Foundation Brain Lecture with Neuroscientist Nim Tottenham, TUESDAY, November 12, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

When we are born, our brains don’t have much hard-wiring. But newborn neurons are exquisitely primed to make brain circuits as a baby learns new things. Compared to the minds of other species, young human brains are remarkably plastic and adaptable: Over the course of our prolonged childhoods, over 1 million new neural connections form every second, as we acquire language, play, and interact with parents and caregivers.

At the next Secret Science Club, neuroscientist Nim Tottenham explores human brain development and its relationship to emotional behavior, stress, and well-being. She asks:

--How are early-life experiences linked to emotional functioning in adulthood? Why do some early experiences matter so much?

--How is brain development affected by relationships with parents and primary caregivers.

--Can childhood stress rewire our brains?

--How does brain plasticity in childhood relate to psychological resilience and vulnerability?

Nim Tottenham is a neuroscientist, professor of psychology, and director of the Developmental Affective Neuroscience Lab at Columbia University. Her research examines brain development underlying emotional behavior in humans. She uses brain imaging, behavioral, and physiological methods to examine the development of brain circuitry in children, teens, and their parents, and she is the author of more than 80 scientific papers. A recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health Biobehavioral Research Awards for Innovative New Scientists (BRAINS) award and the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology, Dr. Tottenham has been a featured scientist on CNN and NBC news and in the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

BEFORE & AFTER
--Sample our cocktail of the night, the Smartini
--Shimmy to mind-blowing grooves
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This edition of Secret Science Club—the Dana Foundation Brain Lecture featuring Nim Tottenham, 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.

This Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, November 12, 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.

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 presents Atmospheric Scientist Sonali McDermid, SUNDAY, October 20, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Something in the Air! Secret Science Club presents Climate Scientist Sonali McDermid, SUNDAY, October 20, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

When Sonali McDermid first began studying the atmosphere, she was drawn in by the sheer power and dynamism of Earth’s oceans of air. Compared to our planet’s massive size, our atmosphere is thin and insubstantial. Yet, the amount of energy being transported through the system and the resulting storms, wind currents, temperature shifts, and climate zones are phenomenal and fascinating. Changes in the atmosphere can make or break us. 

At the next Secret Science Club, Dr. McDermid explores Earth's phenomenal atmosphere, its relationship to Earth's ecosystems and agriculture systems, and the perils of climate change. She asks:

--Does the way we grow food impact local and global climate? How?

--How do wild ecosystems influence weather and climate—and vice versa?

--What impact will climate change have on the world’s ability to feed itself?

--Can soil help solve the climate crisis?

Sonali McDermid is an atmospheric scientist, climatologist, and professor of environmental studies at NYU. Her research focuses on understanding interactions between climate change and variability, land-use, and agriculture, with an eye towards identifying and quantifying important feedbacks and uncertainties. She employs a variety of tools and datasets, primarily global climate models, but also observed and remote-sensing datasets, and process-based crop models. She has been a featured scientist on Vice News, NPR’s Morning Edition, and ScienceLine.

BEFORE & AFTER

--Imbibe our jazz-infused seasonal cocktail of the night: Autumn in New York (It’ll warm you up as the city cools down.)

--Groove to tunes that blow hot and cold

--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This inclement edition of the Secret Science Club meets Sunday, October 20, 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.

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

UPCOMING SECRET SCIENCE CLUB EVENTS!

Happy fall, everyone! Check out our upcoming events at the Bell House in Brooklyn—and beyond!

--Sun Oct 20, 8pm @ the Bell House, Atmospheric Scientist & Climatologist Sonali McDermid, FREE

--Tues Nov 12, 8pm @ the Bell House, The Dana Foundation Lecture featuring Neuroscientist Nim Tottenham, FREE

--Mon Dec 16, 8pm @ the Bell House, Marine Biologist & Explorer David Gruber, FREE

Psssssst! We will be at Symphony Space in Manhattan on Tuesday, December 3 for a special event: “Handprints on Hubble” with Astronaut & Author Kathryn Sullivan. (Get tickets here and use code SECRET20 to get $20 tickets.)

One more thing! If you missed seeing Sean Carroll's talk about quantum physics and “Something Deeply Hidden” last month at our Secret Science Club North event, you can now watch the entire talk (with an intro by physicist Brian Greene) on C-SPAN’s Book TV.

SPECIAL EVENT! Secret Science Club (North) presents Physicist & Bestselling Author Sean Carroll, Tuesday, September 10, 8PM @ Symphony Space, $25

Adjust your trajectory! Secret Science Club is blasting off to Symphony Space for a special edition!

 
Secret Science Club (North) presents SOMETHING DEEPLY HIDDEN with Physicist & Bestselling Author Sean Carroll, Tuesday, September 10, 8PM @ Symphony Space (Use code SECRET20 to get $20 tickets.)

The quantum world is strange. Now theoretical physicist Sean Carroll is here to tell you it’s not just strange, but gob-smackingly wondrous.

Jumping off from his brilliant new book Something Deeply Hidden, Sean Carroll explores the current theories that describe the quantum realm. Taking these theories to their limits leads to mind-bending questions that could utterly transform how we think about space, time, and the Universe:

--Are we living in a multiverse?

--As you read these words, are multiple copies of you being created?

--Can Einstein’s theory of relativity be reconciled with quantum mechanics?

--Are there multiple pasts and multiple futures?

--Do we need to reboot our view of reality?

Sean Carroll is a theoretical physicist at Caltech, specializing in cosmology, gravitation, field theory, and quantum mechanics. The recipient of prizes and fellowships from the National Science Foundation, NASA, Guggenheim Foundation, American Institute of Physics, and Royal Society, Dr. Carroll has been a featured scientist on PBS’s NOVA, StarTalk, and Through the Wormhole, and hosts the Mindscape podcast. He has served as a science advisor on films such as Avengers: Endgame and Thor. A bestselling author, he has written four popular science books, The Particle at the End of the Universe, From Eternity to Here, The Big Picture, and most recently, Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime.

Before & After 

--Contemplate the Universe with quantum cocktails at our Space Station bar  

--Groove to the cosmic ballet & interstellar tunes

--Stick around for the far-out Q&A 

--Smoking-hot off the presses! Snag a signed copy of Sean Carroll’s new book, Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime.

Get $20 tickets for Sean Carroll here with code SECRET20 and enter the code at checkout. You can also use the code at the Symphony Space box office (call 212.864.5400 or visit in person).

This special edition of Secret Science Club (North) meets Tuesday, September 10, 8PM @ Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway @ 95th St in Manhattan. Subway: 1, 2, or 3 to 96th Street. Doors open at 7:30pm.

Secret Science Club & IFC Films present a sneak preview of THE SOUND OF SILENCE, Tuesday September 3, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

We've got a special event at the Bell House right after Labor Day!  

It's a free sneak peek of The Sound of Silence before it comes out in theaters. The film received accolades at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and has a cool science-y theme.

This event is free, but please RSVP!

  

Secret Science Club & IFC Films present a sneak preview of THE SOUND OF SILENCE, Tuesday, September 3, 8pm @ the Bell House, FREE with RSVP!

THE SOUND OF SILENCE follows a self-taught scientist, Peter (Peter Sarsgaard), working in New York City as a "house tuner"—a unique, highly specialized profession he's invented. His clients approach him with troubles like depression, anxiety, or fatigue. After extensive analysis of their homes' acoustic characteristics, he identifies some sonic combination that's altering their mood—a radiator mixed with a kitchen appliance, for instance—and is able to calibrate it. But following a routine house call where he meets Ellen (Rashida Jones), who is experiencing exhaustion, Peter obsessively searches for the fault in his practice after his initial conclusion proves incorrect. 

THE SOUND OF SILENCE is a serene contemplation of people living in their modern environment—and their desire to understand and even control it. 

Join us for a sneak preview followed by a post-screening Q&A with co-writer Ben Nabors and neuroscientist Bianca Jones Marlin, moderated by SSC host Dorian Devins.

BEFORE & AFTER:

--Groove to ambient beats and dulcet tunes

--Sample our special cocktail of the night, the Ultrasonic

Reserve your free ticket here.  

This cinematic edition of Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, September 3, 8PM @ the Bell House, 149 7th St, Brooklyn (between 2nd and 3rd aves). Subway: F or G to 4th Ave, R to 9th St 

Doors open at 7:30PM. Ages 21 and up.  

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

Beautiful Beasties! Secret Science Club presents Entomologist Jessica Ware, TUESDAY August 20, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Secret Science Club BUGS OUT with Entomologist & Evolutionary Biologist JESSICA WARE on Tuesday, August 20, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

 

Strange, beautiful, overlooked, and essential—insects are the foundation of Earth’s ecosystems, representing 80 percent of all animal species. At the next Secret Science Club, we explore the “creepy, crawly residents of nature’s demi-monde.”

Entomologist Jessica Ware studies the amazing modern-day behaviors of insects, as well as their deep evolutionary origins. Ancestors of the wee beasties that Dr. Ware specializes in—dragonflies—were the first creatures on Earth to take to the air over 400 million years ago. Flash forward: Today there are more than 80 species of dragonflies in NYC alone. They can fly up, down, forwards, backwards—and migrate thousands of miles.

What can’t insects do? According to Dr. Ware not much: “Whatever people do, insects did it first. They waged war, they took slaves, they learned to work cooperatively, they flew, they farmed.”

Jessica Ware is an evolutionary biologist and entomologist at Rutgers University. She has conducted fieldwork around the globe in Guyana, Peru, Ecuador, Namibia, Canada, and good ol’ New Jersey. Earlier this year, she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government to outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent research careers and showing exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology. Her research has been featured in the Atlantic, Guardian, and New York Magazine.

Before & After

--Raise your glass (and your antennae) to incredible insects with our cocktail of the night, the Love Bug!

--Groove to six-legged tunes

--Stick around for the buzzin’ Q&A

This buggy edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, August 20, 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!

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 presents Ocean Researcher Vicki Ferrini, TUESDAY July 16, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Dive! Dive! Secret Science Club takes the plunge with Ocean Researcher Vicki Ferrini, TUESDAY July 16, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Mountain ranges longer than the Andes. Trenches alive with extreme animals. Tectonic plates that grind and pull, creating earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. The seafloor never fails to surprise and amaze. Yet 80 percent of our ocean floor is still terra incognita. Indeed, there are better maps available of Mars. Vicki Ferrini wants to change that.

 

Dr. Ferrini studies and explores the ocean - from its darkest depths to the emergence of new volcanic islands. Her goal? Creating a map of the entire ocean floor and understanding the geological processes that create its mind-blowing features. Through ocean expeditions, underwater robotics, data analysis, and visualization, Vicki Ferrini is uncovering a never-before-seen blue world.  

 

Before & After  

--Dive into the Deep Blue Sea, a beguiling cocktail from Davy Jones' Locker 

--Groove to sea shanties, surf music, and whale song

--Plunge into the sea-salty Q&A

 

Vicki Ferrini is an ocean researcher at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and an affiliate professor at the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping. Her research focuses on using mapping techniques to understand the volcanic and tectonic processes that shape the seafloor. She has been on more than 20 ocean expeditions mapping everything from coastal waters to deep-sea environments. Her research has been featured in the BBC News, Popular Science, Newsweek, and Atlas Obscura.  

 

This undersea edition of Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, July 16, 8PM @ the Bell House, 149 7th St, Brooklyn (between 2nd and 3rd avenues). Subway: F or G to 4th Ave, R to 9th St.

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

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

SPECIAL EVENT! Secret Science Club presents a rare & riveting screening of "The Cleaners," PLUS Internet Law Professor Kate Klonick, SUNDAY, June 30, 2PM @ the Bell House, $10

“A neon-lit documentary shot like a noir thriller”

Secret Science Club presents a special screening of THE CLEANERS, with Social Media Researcher Kate Klonick (live!), SUNDAY, June 30, 2PM @ the Bell House, $10

Delete ... Ignore ... Delete … Ignore… Someone is out there censoring your social media feed.

THE CLEANERS enters the shadowy world of human content moderators, hired by tech giants like Facebook and Google to do “digital cleaning.” They sift through and remove what they deem as inappropriate content on the internet, thereby influencing what people see and think all over the world. But who are they? Who makes the rules the digital cleaners enforce, and what are the consequences? The Cleaners charts social media’s evolution from a shared vision of a global village (and LOLcats) to today’s dangerous stew of fake news, online extremism, and outrage. “A movie of the moment.”—The Verge

KATE KLONICK starts us off with a mini-lecture on the perils of policing social media.. Dr. Klonick is an assistant professor at St. John’s University School of Law, and an affiliated fellow at Data & Society, New America, and the Information Society Project at Yale Law School. Her research focuses on law and technology, as seen through the lens of cognitive and social psychology. Most recently she has been studying and writing about private internet platforms and how they govern online speech. Dr. Klonick’s work has appeared in the Harvard Law Review, Georgetown Law Journal, New York Times, Atlantic, Vox, Slate, and The Guardian.

 

BEFORE & AFTER: Sunday afternoon cocktails (try Klonick's Tonic!), delicious bites, and door prizes!

Tickets: Advance tickets are available for purchase here.

This cinematic edition of the Secret Science Club meets Sunday, June 30 at 2 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 1:30 pm, 18 and over, $10.

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