SOLD OUT! Thurs, Feb 11, 7:30PM, Secret Science Club (North) presents Neuroscientist and Smell-ologist Leslie Vosshall @ Symphony Space

Sniff out new discoveries! Secret Science Club is heading over to Symphony Space in Manhattan for a special event ...

Thursday, February 11, 7:30pm, Secret Science Club (North) presents Neuroscientist Leslie Vosshall @ Symphony Space, $20 (Shh… use code SECRET15 to get $15 tickets.)

Baking cookies. Smoke. Salty skin. The world is filled with smells suggesting danger, the presence of food—and mating opportunities. How many aromas can we detect? According to groundbreaking research by neuroscientist (and smell-ologist) Leslie Vosshall, humans can distinguish more than 1 trillion scents—far more than previously thought. 

Dr. Vosshall has a passion for the sense of smell. As head of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior at Rockefeller University, she probes the brains, olfactory pathways, and DNA of creatures from fruit flies to Homo sapiens. She asks: Is love in the eye of the beholder—or in the schnoz? How do different animals detect smell and how do scents influence behavior? 

Before & After

--Imbibe our seductively perfumed specialty cocktails

--Sway to sweet-smelling tunes

--(If you dare) inhale (and attempt to identify) our mysterious scent samples

--Be nosy! Hang out for the post-talk Q&A

Snag tickets for $15 here with code SECRET15, by phone at 212.864.5400, or in person at the box office. 

This edition of Secret Science Club (North) meets Thursday, February 11, 7:30pm @ Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway @ 95th St in Manhattan. Subway: 1, 2, or 3 to 96th Street. 

Doors open at 7pm. This is an all-ages event!

Monday, January 25, 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Cognitive Psychologist & Dolphin Researcher Diana Reiss at the Bell House, FREE!

Ever wonder what it would be like to encounter an alien intelligence? Psychologist and marine mammal researcher Diana Reiss knows how it feels. Dr. Reiss has been researching dolphins for over 30 years, and while she has experienced moments of interspecies understanding, the mind of the dolphin remains as mysterious and exciting as ever.

Dolphin brains are large and their social lives are complex, but how far does dolphin intelligence go? Using clicks, whistles, and body motions, dolphins clearly communicate among themselves. So far though, scientists have little idea what they might be saying. To investigate, Dr. Reiss designed a pioneering underwater keyboard for dolphins to facilitate communication with human researchers. Dr. Reiss asks:

--How do we study the mind of an animal so different than us?

--Can new technology help us crack the code of dolphin communication?

--What role do scientists play in the protection of dolphins and their habitats?

Diana Reiss is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Hunter College and the Biopsychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Program at the CUNY Graduate Center. Dr. Reiss's research focuses on cetacean cognition, communication, and the evolution of intelligence. Much of her work focuses on vocal communication and vocal learning in dolphins using observational and experimental approaches. Dr. Reiss was scientific advisor for the Oscar-winning film The Cove, and author of the book, The Dolphin in the Mirror.

Before & After

--Try our chatty cocktail of the night, the Click & Whistle

--Groove to sounds of the surf, sea shanties, and whale song

--Stick around for the ebb & flow of Q&A

This deep-diving edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, January 25, 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 Street.

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover.