Wednesday, February 12, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE! Secret Science Club presents Primatologist and Conservation Biologist Mary Blair

Homo sapiens may be a lonely genus. But just a short climb up the taxonomic ladder, we have plenty of relatives. Worldwide, there are more than 600 species of apes, monkeys, lemurs, and other primates, with most species living in tropical forests. Primatologist Mary Blair explores jungles from Central America to Vietnam to survey rare and endangered primates in their wild homes—and to work for their preservation and survival.

The assistant director for research and strategic planning at the American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, Mary Blair conducts lab- and field-based research on the evolutionary biology of primates and how changes in habitat and human activities affect their populations. On her most recent expedition, she wrote about prowling Vietnamese forests at night in search of slow lorises and waking to the the eerily flutelike calls of gibbons for the New York Times’ “Scientist at Work” column. Dr. Blair teaches at Columbia University and the Richard Gilder Graduate School, and is a recent recipient of a fellowship from the National Science Foundation to study wildlife trade and illegal trafficking. 

Before & After

--Try our cocktail of the night, the Nocturnal Prowler

--Swing by your tail to almost-human grooves

--Stick around for the eye-opening Q&A

This wild edition of the Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, February 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 4th Ave/9th St.

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

Photo Credits: Mary Blair, by Khuong Thang; Pygmy Slow Loris, Courtesy of David Haring/Duke Lemur Center

Blast Off to Planet Earth! Thursday, February 13, Secret Science Club collides with the Crossroads Project @ Symphony Space

Pick up your fervent brain and your wild beating heart . . . Secret Science Club is stepping out for a night of pre-Valentine's revelry and illumination! 

Join us as we head uptown for a one-night-only special event . . . 

Thursday, February 13, 7:30PM, $20 
Physicist Robert Davies and the acclaimed Fry Street Quartet converge at Symphony Space for the NYC debut of the Crossroads Project.

"Transformative . . . impassioned .... a powerful collaboration . . ." 
Fusing art, science, and new music, Dr. Davies and crew take a profound look at the state of the planet in what can only be described as an intensely immersive experience. Davies' scientific presentation is masterfully merged with the music of composer Laura Kaminsky and projected visual artworks in an ever-evolving, explosive exploration of Earth systems and the human condition. 

Join the Secret Science Club at the pre-party at 7 pm and get your drink on with special guests Gavin Schmidt of NASA and biogeochemist William Schelesinger of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, who will be on hand before and after to interact, along with artists, the composer, and musicians. 

Tickets are just $20 with code SCIENCE at symphonyspace.org or 212.864.5400. PLUS! You get a free Lagunitas micro-brewed beer (IPA, PILS, or Lil Sumpin) with your ticket if you use the code (courtesy of the Bar Thalia)! Be still, my beating heart! SOLD OUT!

WHERE: Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway @ 95th St in Manhattan. Subway: 1, 2, or 3 train to 96th Street. 

WHEN: Pre-party 7 pm, Crossroads Project 7:30 pm, Thursday, February 13 

See you there!