The Secret Science Club presents the 5th-annual Carnivorous Nights TAXIDERMY CONTEST, Tuesday, December 7, 8 pm @ the Bell House, $5

The beasts are back! Calling all science geeks, nature freaks, and rogue geniuses!

Your stuffed squirrel got game? Got a beaver in your brownstone? Bring your beloved beast to the Bell House and enter it to win! 

Eligible for prizes: Taxidermy (bought, found, or homemade), biological oddities, articulated skeletons, skulls, jarred specimens—and beyond, way beyond.

The contest will be judged by our panel of savage taxidermy enthusiasts, including Robert Marbury of the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists; Dorian Devins, co-founder and curator of the Secret Science Club; and beast mistress Melissa Milgrom, author of Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy.

SPECIAL GUEST: Purveyor of scientific wonders and star of the inimitable new show Oddities on the Discovery Channel, Mike Zohn joins the judging panel and presents an illustrated lecture on (yes!) taxidermy.

Plus!
 --Groove to wildlife-inspired tunes
--Imbibe ferocious specialty drinks!

--More secrets and surprises

Entrants: Contact secretscienceclub@gmail.com to pre-register. Share your taxidermy (and its tale) with the world!

Spectators: Don't miss a beastly second of this wild night!

--Doors and pre-show at 7:30 pm

--Taxidermy Lecture at 8 pm

--TAXIDERMY CONTEST at 8:30 pm

This special edition of the Secret Science Club meets on Tuesday, December 7, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

$5 cover charge. Doors open at 7:15 pm. Please bring ID: 21+



Aya Kakeda for the New Yorker



The Secret Science Club Gets Wet and Wild! Melanie Stiassny Explores the Mysterious Depths of the Congo River, Tuesday, November 9, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Step into liquid with ichthyologist and explorer Melanie Stiassny as she plunges into the heart of darkness. Described by Joseph Conrad as an “immense snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea . . . and its tail lost in the depths of the land,” the Congo is the deepest river on Earth, home to raging rapids, and hidden submarine canyons. Such mysterious depths shelter astonishingly strange creatures, ranging from blind fishes to truly monstrous needle-toothed carnivores.

Axelrod Research Curator of Fishes at the American Museum of Natural History, a New York Times blogger, and featured scientist on The Colbert Report, Dr. Stiassny researches the evolutionary biology of fishes, focusing on freshwater conservation and Old World tropical systems. She discusses her recent fish-finding expeditions to the Congo and plumbs the river’s amazing biodiversity. Prepare to go deep . . .

Before & After
--Groove to siren song and the murmurs of mermaids
--Imbibe the wet and wild cocktail of the night, the Stiassny Stinger
--Immerse yourself in the fishy Q&A

The Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, November 9 @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th.

Doors open at 7:15 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. Free!

The Secret Science Club hosts the Imagine Science Film Festival and A NIGHT OF AVANT-GARDE FILMS @ the Bell House, Mon, Oct 18, 8pm FREE!

SPECIAL EVENT: The Secret Science Club is teaming up with the Imagine Science Film Festival to present a selection of science-inspired short films, plus “Dance Your Ph.D.” and live music by neuroscientist rockers, the Amygdaloids, and Balún.

Techno noir. Music Video. Animation. Don’t miss some of the festival’s quirkiest and coolest entries, featuring subjects like murder and meteorites, particles and prescription drugs, and the dark nature of fear. Check out the following films from the USA, Australia, France, Thailand, Canada, Portugal, and the Future: Mind Over Matter, Velvet Cell, Origin of Mass, Breu, Skhizein, and more!

When: Monday, October 18, 8 pm
Where: The Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn.

FREE! Just bring your smart self. Doors open at 7:30 PM. 21 and over.

The Imagine Science Film Festival runs from October 15 to 22 at a whole host of venues around the city. Visit here for a complete listing of events.

The Secret Science Club presents Evolutionary Anthropologist Todd Disotell on Human and Primate Origins, Tuesday, October 12 @ the Bell House, 8 pm, FREE!

No more monkeying around . . . The Secret Science Club goes ape!

The order Primates represents more than 400 living species, including the Pig-Tailed Macaque, the Golden Lion Tamarin, the Mountain Gorilla—and yours truly, Homo sapiens. We primates all share certain characteristics, but humans are the only ones that live on all seven continents, question the meaning of life, and conduct DNA analysis.

Dr. Todd Disotell of NYU’s Center for Human Origins is an anthropologist and molecular primatologist who uses DNA to study the evolution of Homo sapiens. He also uses DNA analysis to throw a monkey wrench into “evidence” of cryptozoological primates, such as Bigfoot, and has appeared on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, National Geographic’s Naked Science, and Monster Quest. The author of scores of scientific papers and recipient of numerous grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, Dr. Disotell asks:
--When did our first primate ancestors evolve?
--How did humans emerge—and diverge—from other primates, such as our closest relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos?
--How do genomics help elucidate and recalibrate the fossil record?
--What happened to the other species of Homo—erectus, habilis, and neanderthalis?
--And what exactly is a Chumanzee?

Before and After

--Groove to ever-evolving tunes
--Try our Halloween-inspired simian cocktail of the night, the Monkey’s Paw. (You’ll never “wish” for another . . . wah-ha-ha . . . )
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, October 12 @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th.

Doors open at 7:15 pm. Please bring ID: 21+.
No cover. Just bring your smart self. Pocket protectors suggested.

PLUS! COMING SOON . . .
Monday, October 18 @ the Bell House, 8 pm

The Secret Science Club teams up with the Imagine Science Film Festival for an evening of new science-themed short films, plus Dance Your Ph.D. and live music by neuroscientist rockers, the Amygdaloids, and Balun. Stay tuned for more info!

The Secret Science Club presents a mind-blowing screening of "Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives," Tuesday, August 24 @ the Bell House, 8 pm, FREE!

Can time move backwards? Is the future different on different worlds? Are meetings of the Secret Science Club forbidden in a parallel universe?

Singer-songwriter Mark Everett of the band Eels grew up not knowing that his father, Hugh Everett, was a genius—to him, his dad was the chain-smoking guy who didn’t say much at the dinner table. The fact that Hugh Everett was one of the world’s pre-eminent quantum mechanics, the physicist who came up with the Theory of Parallel Universes was just one more thing they didn’t discuss.

Sadly, Hugh Everett’s theory was so revolutionary—so trippy in fact—that its elegance and importance were not recognized until well after his death. (Mark Everett was just 18 when he found his father lying dead at age 51 on the family’s couch.) Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives chronicles the journey of the musical-but-math-challenged son to learn more about his father’s profound contributions to science and the “Many Worlds” in which we all—for better or worse—may play out different versions of ourselves.

Mind-boggling and moving, this original BBC cut of the documentary features physicist Max Tegmark of MIT, plus a guest appearance by Schrodinger’s Cat.

Before & After
--Groove to tunes from other dimensions (wha-ha-ha!)
--Launch into the Time Warp, a tessalating cocktail that will give you multi-vision
--Immerse yourself in the quantum Q&A

The Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, August 24 at 8 p.m. @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 W: http://thebellhouseny.com Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

Free. Just bring your smart self!
Doors open at 7:15 pm. Please bring ID: 21+

The Secret Science Club presents "A Sexy & Cerebral Evening" with Psychologist Paul Bloom, Tuesday, July 13 @ the Bell House, 8 pm, FREE!

The world of pleasure is mysterious and murky. Seafood lovers glory in devouring raw oysters. People slow their cars to look at gory accidents, and enjoy going to movies that make them cry. Abstract art can sell for millions of dollars. Countless men and women like being spanked.

Yale psychologist and cognitive scientist Paul Bloom delves into the remakable realm of desire, discussing how new research shows that simple pleasures like sex and food are far more complex than scientists ever imagined. The author of How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like, Dr. Bloom challenges longstanding explanations of human pleasure as a simple sensory response, arguing that pleasure is linked to our beliefs about the "true nature," or essence of things. He asks:

--What is at the root of our attachment to sentimental objects?
--Why do people pay top dollar for items owned by celebrities?
--Why would most people rather be kissed by a movie star than by his or her identical twin?
--Does wine taste better the more we pay more for it?
--How do humans derive enjoyment from art, music, and stories?

Before & After
--Groove to ecstasy-inducing tunes
--Stick around for bacchanalian Q&A
--Snag a signed copy of Dr. Bloom’s new book, How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like
--Try our dopamine-spiked cocktail of the night, the “Pleasure Dome.” (It'll tickle your fancy . . .)

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, July 13 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510. Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

Doors open at 7:15 pm.  Please bring ID: 21+
No cover. Just bring your smart self!

The Secret Science Club presents Molecular Biologist Lee Silver & the DNA Time Machine, Tuesday, June 8 @ the Bell House, 8 pm, FREE!

When the future meets the past, get ready for a whole new you . . .

For a few hundred dollars and a tube of your own spit, you can now obtain a read-out of millions of secret histories embedded in your DNA. Thanks to a growing volume of data on the genetics of human populations, the budding field of “deep ancestry” promises to take your family tree to a whole new level. Could a quick peek at your personal genome reveal that you’re a descendant of Marie Antoinette? Genghis Khan? Charles Darwin? Turn the clock back even further, and you might be able to learn what path your ancient ancestors took as Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa.

Molecular biologist and biotechnology expert Lee Silver reveals the surprising tales hidden in his own genome. (For example, did his maternal ancestor really get hot and heavy with a man from another species? Shwing!) And he explores the ethics and anxieties society faces as science makes increasingly dramatic advances in personal genomics.

A professor of molecular biology and public policy at Princeton University, Lee Silver is the author of over 180 scientific papers and two popular books, Challenging Nature and Remaking Eden. The recipient of the MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health for outstanding research in genetics, he has appeared as a featured scientist on the Colbert Report, Charlie Rose, 60 Minutes, NPR, and Nightline. His research focuses on cloning, advanced reproductive technologies, genetic testing, human stem cells, and genetic engineering.

Before & After
--Groove to genetically altered tunes, plus Zach Charlop-Powers performs his latest science rap LIVE!
--Imbibe our past-life-regenerating cocktail, the Wayback Machine
--Stick around for the mind-blowing Q&A

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, June 8 @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

Doors open at 7:15 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self.

The Secret Science Club presents “The Perfect Swarm” with Biologist Iain Couzin, Tuesday, May 18 @ the Bell House, 8 pm, FREE!

Dr. Iain Couzin syncs up and goes wild at the Secret Science Club . . .

A predator approaches a school of fish, and—seemingly in one motion—the fish dart to safety. A flock of pigeons wheel over Brooklyn rooftops, their movements orchestrated as if by a conductor’s baton. What’s at the root of these mysterious behaviors?

Biologist and mathematician Iain Couzin of Princeton’s Collective Animal Behavior Lab discusses swarming locusts, marching army ants, and even crowds of bugged-out Homo sapiens. He asks:
--How did collective animal behavior evolve and what are the fundamental principles underlying this behavior?
--What enables groups of animals to move in unison?
--How does individual behavior influence group dynamics?
--Can crowds of species (even humans) undergo dramatic “personality” changes?

Dr. Couzin is Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Adjunct Faculty in the Program of Applied and Computational Mathematics at Princeton University. He is a member of the Faculty of 1000 Biology and the recipient of a Searle Scholar Award in 2008 and the Mohammed Dahleh Award in 2009.

Before and After
--Groove to synchronized tunes
--Stick around for the "orderly" Q&A
--Flock don't run to try our cocktail of the night, the Herd Mentality

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, May 18 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

No cover. Just bring your smart self! Please bring ID: 21+  Doors open at 7:15 pm. Limited seating.

The Secret Science Club presents “A Night of Chemistry and Culinary Experimentation,” Tuesday, April 13 @ the Bell House, 8 pm, FREE!

NYU Chemist Kent Kirshenbaum and Chef Will Goldfarb probe the properties, boundaries, and conventions of food

Food glorious food! Spicy pork tacos. Neopolitan pizza. Chocolate crème brulee. These mouth-watering menu items dazzle and delight the senses. But break them down into their parts and they’re merely ingredients: flour, raw meat, tomatoes, etc. Broken down further, they’re chemical elements of the periodic table, such as carbon, calcium, and nitrogen, forming chains of amino acids and polymers. Chemist Kent Kirshenbaum of NYU examines the interface between science and food so that we can better appreciate and understand what goes into our mouths and tummies. Chef Will Goldfarb explores the creation of futuristic desserts and down-home dishes using innovative, research-driven techniques. Together, Kirshenbaum and Goldfarb are founders of the Experimental Cuisine Collective. They discuss:

--What are kitchen chemistry and molecular gastronomy?
--Are chemicals (gulp) good for us?
--How does a scientific understanding of cooking help the average eater or chef?
--What mysterious concoction can they cook up on stage?

Kent Kirshenbaum is a professor of chemistry at NYU where he studies and creates new macromolecules in his lab; Dr. Kirshenbaum was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Career Award for “outstanding achievements in science” and a featured scientist on the Food Network’s “Food Detectives.” Will Goldfarb is an award-winning chef and the founder of WillPowder (a source for experimental pastry products); chef Goldfarb was the subject of a New Yorker magazine profile titled “The Dessert Lab,” and recently squared off on the Food Network Challenge: Ice Cream Clash.

Before & After

--Groove to freshly chopped tunes

--Stick around for the highly nutritional Q&A

--Try our brain-boggling brew of the night (containing elements from the “BEERiodic Table”)

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, April 13 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

No cover. Just bring your smart self! Please bring ID: 21+

Doors open at 7:15 pm. Limited seating.

The Secret Science Club presents “A Mind-blowing Evening,” Tuesday, March 9, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Neuroscientists Joseph LeDoux and Daniela Schiller lecture on fear, memory, and the brain. Then they jam with their "heavy mental" band, the Amygdaloids.

Dr. LeDoux and Dr. Schiller discuss:
--What is fear? What parts of the brain are most involved with emotions?
--How are frightening and traumatic memories stored? Can fearful memories go "out of contol"?

--Are memories subject to revision, like stories? Can bad memories be erased? Should they be?
--What are links between music, brain biology, and our emotions?

Plus! The Amygdaloids perform original songs like “Memory Pill,” “Mind Over Matter,” “Brainstorm,” and “Piece of My Mind”
“They’re not rocket scientists. They’re brain scientists who rock it!”
The Amygdaloids are

-- Joseph LeDoux, guitarist, professor of neuroscience and psychology at NYU, and author of The Emotional Brain and Synaptic Self
-- Daniela Schiller, drummer, NYU neuroscientist, and Moth StorySlam winner
-- Tyler Volk, guitarist, biologist, science director of NYU’s Environmental Studies Program, and author of CO2 Rising and Metapatterns
-- Gerald McCollam, bass player and solutions architect

Before & After
--Groove to dopamine-drenched sounds
--Take your brain on a bender . . . Sample our super-smart cocktail, the Synapse Sling!
--Stick around for the brain-boggling Q&A

FREE! Just bring your smart self.
Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+.

This mind-blowing edition of the “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, March 9 @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

The Secret Science Club presents Molecular Biologist Gregory Hannon, Tuesday, February 9th, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Put on your lab coats and prepare to enter the world of inner space . . .

Molecular biologist Gregory Hannon of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is one of the world’s foremost genetic researchers, deciphering the mechanisms used by cells to fight invaders and that soon may be used to create treatments for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Dr. Hannon is a pioneer in the field of RNA interference (RNAi), a powerful new tool for gene analysis. Hannon and his colleagues have harnessed RNAi, a naturally occurring process of gene regulation, to selectively turn off genes in living cells. Hannon uses the technique to study cancer development and to probe the mechanisms that make this method of gene control so effective.

The author of over 200 scientific papers, Dr. Hannon was recently in the news with groundbreaking research on the origins of a mysterious communicable cancer that is attacking the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian Devil. He is the recipient of the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology, the Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research, and the American Association for Cancer Research Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research.

Plus!

Scientist-and-rhymer Zach Charlop-Powers performs the PCR rap!

Before & After
--Groove to genetically engineered tunes
--Imbibe our scientifically inspired cocktail, the Cell-o-bration!
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

The “Secret Science Club” meets @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. FREE! Just bring your smart self.

The Secret Science Club presents Computer Scientist Christoph Bregler, Tuesday, January 12, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

He's Got the Moves: Computer Scientist Christoph Bregler lectures on "Virtual You"

Don't move a muscle . . . Every human being has a unique body signature. Your hand gestures. Your facial expressions. The way you walk. Computer scientist Christoph Bregler of NYU's Courant Institute is a master of analyzing and recreating such subtleties--designing systems to track human movement and train computers to recognize and animate all that "you-ness." Jumping off from recent collaborations with dancers, animators, film producers, and game designers, Dr. Bregler discusses:

--motion capture in science and entertainment
--massive multiplayer "Mocap" games and flying "Squidballs"
--"Obama-ness" versus "Palin-ness"
--his "GreenDot" iPhone app, an experiment in community video and nonverbal expression

Before & After
--Groove to animated tunes
--Try our machine-coded cocktail of the night, the Wet Wire
--Stick around for the fast-moving Q&A

The "Secret Science Club" meets Tuesday, January 12, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

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