Let's Light It Up! Secret Science Club is on a Mission

You can help launch science out of the darkness and into the light. Donate to SSC's end-of-year pledge drive and support Secret Science Club 2018.

In the wee hours before dawn on the longest night of the year (14 hours, 44 minutes, 42 seconds in NYC), we were reflecting on 2017 while preparing to launch Secret Science Club's 2018 season.  

At this year's SSCs, we've gone on an amazing ride from the farthest galaxies to the nanoscale - and into the depths of the human mind. We've plumbed the deep structure of the Earth and taken data-driven dives into the world of ants, viruses, biomechanics, black holes, and the nature of time.

 

No matter the season, Secret Science Club remains a place where science steps out into the night and shines.

You can help light it up in 2018!  

SSC people, you are our rocket fuel. From the energy you put into coming to our live science events to the engaged listening and incredible questions, we are awed by you every month. When we see you coming out - braving all weather - to hear a talk on astrophysics, microbes, or ocean life, it inspires us to keep going and do more.  

Please join us in celebrating science as a vital part of culture and public life and standing up for science as SSC heads into the future.

To make a donation and support Secret Science Club 2018, visit our secure pledge page. You can get cool pledge prizes, too (T-shirts, totes, secret SSC 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, the amazing people at the Bell House, our talented friends at Symphony Space, our kind & dedicated volunteers and advisors, and our wise partners at both the Albert & Mary Lasker Foundation and EST/Sloan. And thanks to our indomitable, wonderful, curious audience members.

Cheers to everyone for supporting SSC's mission!

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

SUNDAY, December 10, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE! Secret Science Club presents OCEANS OF WONDER with Marine Biologist Ed DeLong

SINK INTO THE HOLIDAYS . . . Dissolve into the ocean’s vastness and explore its multitudes of unsung, unseen life. Just a liter of water from the surface of the sea contains 10 billion microbes and as many as 20,000 species—all invisible to the human eye and unknown to science until recent decades.

Marine biologist Ed DeLong pioneered research on these "microscopic forests of the sea," unveiling new species with remarkable abilities and elucidating their genomes. Despite their vanishingly small size, ocean microbes are the engines of an enormous food chain. They produce a significant portion of the world’s oxygen and are the largest source of genetic diversity on Earth. Learning how microbes interact with ocean ecosystems—and each other—is leading to discoveries, not only about the nature of the planet, but also new ways of making fuels, treating disease, and predicting the impacts of climate change.

A professor of oceanography at the University of Hawaii Manoa, Ed DeLong researches the ocean microbiome and its metagenomics. He is the author of over 200 scientific papers, and his fieldwork has taken him to Antarctica, the Sargasso Sea, and the Drake Passage. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science, the American Academy of Microbiology, the U. S. National Academy of Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the European Molecular Biology Association. Dr. DeLong is co-director of the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology (SCOPE) and president-elect of the International Society for Microbial Ecology.

BEFORE & AFTER

--Try our holiday cocktail of the night, the Ebb & Flow

--Sink into benthic grooves

--Stick around for the free-floating Q&A!

This deep-diving holiday edition of the Secret Science Club meets Sunday, December 10, 8PM @ 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 7:30PM. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self.

Secret Science Club presents ILLUSIONS OF MIND with Neuroscientists & Authors Susana Martinez-Conde & Stephen Macknik, Monday, November 20, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE! (This month’s SSC is sponsored by our pal Gerry!)

Is your mind playing tricks on you? Only all the time. False motion. Tricks of perspective. Shifting colors. Such perceptual hiccups (and the beguiling illusions they inspire) are more than just trippy. They offer a window into the inner workings of our brains and their evolution.

So what’s going on in our brains when our eyes deceive us?

In this synapse-stretching talk, coinciding with the release of their new book, Champions of Illusion, brain scientists Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik explore the “cognitive wonderland” of visual perception—where what we “see” is not always what it seems.

Professors at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik study the brain using illusions and magic. They are the authors of Sleights of Mind and write the “Illusion Chasers” column for Scientific American: Mind. Their scientific research has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Wired, and on NPR and NOVA. They are the founders of the Best Illusion of the Year Contest, which invites visual scientists, artists, mathematicians, and magicians to create new, astonishing illusions.

Before & After

--Sample our cocktail of the night, the Sleight of Mind—conjured by the Bell House mixologists

--Groove to cunning tunes and stick around for the crafty Q&A

--Snag a signed copy of Susan Martinez-Conde & Stephen Macknik’s magical new book, Champions of Illusion: The Science Behind Mind-Boggling Images and Mystifying Brain Puzzles

This eye-popping edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, November 20, 2017, 8pm @ 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! 

Wednesday, October 25, Secret Science Club & the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation present the "2017 Lasker Public Lecture" with Evolutionary Biologist & Virologist Paul Turner at the Bell House, FREE!

Viruses are “mysterious quasi-living things.” Their powers are legendary and fearsome. One ultra-tiny virus goes into a cell, takes it over, and thousands of replicas come out. In the world’s worst pandemics, viruses have burned through human populations, sickening and killing millions. Compared to other life-forms, their ability to mutate and evolve is unsurpassed. 

And yet… viruses underpin all of life on Earth. They are the most diverse biological entities on the planet. They’re also the most numerous. The truth is, while we may fear them, we can’t live without them. As scientific research on viruses ramps up—particularly on viruses that attack bacteria—it may turn out that someday a virus saves your life. 

At our 2017 Lasker Public Lecture, evolutionary biologist Paul Turner explores the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to viruses.  He asks:

--Are viruses “alive”? Were they the first organisms on Earth?

--How, when, and why do viruses jump to new species and what are the implications for human health?

--Can viruses be harnessed as cures for dangerous bacterial infections and other diseases?

--What is new research revealing about the nature of viruses and their genomes?

Paul Turner is the Elihu Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University’s combined program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences and Yale’s acting Dean of Science. The author of nearly 100 scientific papers, his research interests include evolutionary biology, evolutionary medicine, experimental evolution, infectious disease, microbiology, phage therapy, and virology.  

Because microorganisms allow experiments on the order of hundreds (or even thousands) of generations, microbes provide a uniquely powerful system to study evolution in action. Dr. Turner’s laboratory uses microorganisms (RNA viruses, DNA viruses, bacteria) as model systems to address how viruses evolutionarily adapt, how viruses interact with the cells of their host species, and how microbes can be used to solve human problems.  

Dr. Turner and his research have been featured in the New York Times, Independent, STAT, and Scientific American, and on iBiology and Science Friday.

BEFORE & AFTER
-- Imbibe our cocktail of the night, the Strange Symptom
-- Groove to infectious beats 
-- Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This viral edition of the Secret Science Club, the 2017 Lasker Public Lecture in honor of Al Sommer, is sponsored by the Albert and Mary 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.

The Secret Science Club featuring Paul Turner meets Wednesday, October 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 St.

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

Secret Science Club North presents Astronaut & Best-selling Author Mike Massimino, Monday, October 23, 8PM @ Symphony Space

Secret Science Club rockets into Symphony Space with another special edition!

Monday, October 23, 8PM, Secret Science Club North presents Astronaut & Spaceman Author Mike Massimino @ Symphony Space (Shh... use code SECRET15 to get $15 tickets.)

Blast into the stratosphere with astronaut and best-selling author Mike Massimino. Ever wonder what it would be like to travel 17,500 mph? How would it feel to spacewalk and see Earth 350 miles below? Find out as Astro Mike takes us on a wild ride through outer space, microgravity, astronaut dining, and the future of space travel!  

Mike Massimino shot into orbit on two NASA shuttle missions on which he spent over 30 hours spacewalking, did repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope, and became the first human to tweet from space. Now a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University and a public advocate for space exploration and education, he hosts the Science Channel series The Planets, has a recurring role as himself on The Big Bang Theory, and regularly appears on StarTalk, CNN, and NOVA. “Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe” is his first book.

“Every generation of astronauts needs a storyteller—a person with wit, humor, and passion who has lived our collective dreams of space exploration and returned to tell us all about it. Mike Massimino is that person. He's that astronaut.”—Neil deGrasse Tyson

Before & After

--Prepare for launch with cosmic cocktails at our Space Station bar

--Sway to starry-eyed tunes

--Take our NASA-inspired quiz for a chance to win out-of-this-world prizes

--Stick around for the Q&A and snag a signed copy of Mike Massimino’s awe-inspiring book, Spaceman

Get $15 tickets for Mike Massimino here with code SECRET15 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 Monday, October 23, 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.

MONDAY, September 18, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE! Secret Science Club presents BLACK HOLES with Physicists & Authors Steven Gubser & Frans Pretorius

Once they grab you, they won’t let go!

With every new discovery, black holes get more bizarre and fascinating. They spin at mind-blowing speeds. They collide, setting off massive shock waves. They devour light and matter, and drool jets of ionized gas. They sit at the center of almost every galaxy, and they may even be responsible for the evolution of galaxies themselves.

Scientists estimate the Milky Way is home to 100 million black holes, ranging from relatively small collapsed stars to supermassive black holes that can distort space-time with their rotation. The announcement of the epic and long-sought-for detection of gravitational waves last year was accompanied by the discovery of stellar black holes more than 20 times the mass of the Sun.

In this intergalactic talk, coinciding with the release of their new book, The Little Book of Black Holes, physicists Steven Scott Gubser and Frans Pretorius explore the far-out science of black holes—from Einstein’s theory of relativity, singularities & event horizons to gravitational waves, wormholes & beyond!

Before & After

--Try our irresistible cocktail of the night, the Event Horizon

--Sway to groovitational tunes and stick around for the supermassive Q&A

--Grab a signed copy of Steve Gubser & Frans Pretorius’s new book, THE LITTLE BOOK OF BLACK HOLES

Steven Scott Gubser is professor of physics at Princeton University. He researches string theory, black holes, heavy ion collisions, condensed matter theory, and cosmology. The author of over 125 research papers in theoretical physics and The Little Book of String Theory, he was the recipient of the 2017 Simons Investigator in Physics Award.

Frans Pretorius is professor of physics at Princeton University. He researches Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravitational wave emission from binary compact object mergers, higher dimensional black holes, and the nature of singularities. The author of over 70 research papers, he was the recipient of the 2017 New Horizons in Physics Prize.

This out-of-this-world edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, September 18, 2017, 8pm @ 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 (black hole): NASA/CXC/M.Weiss

MONDAY, August 14, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE! Secret Science Club presents Biologist Brooke Flammang

Sharks, Robots, Lasers, Locomotion in the Ocean!

Secret Science Club presents biologist, comparative physiologist, and biomechanics expert Brooke Flammang of the Fluid Locomotion Lab.

MONDAY, August 14, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

How do fish sense the fluid dynamics of the ocean around them? Why do fish have different shapes? Explore mysteries of walking cave fish, propulsive shark tails, and why the hitchhiking remora fish sucks (or doesn’t).

Before & After

--Try our cocktail of the night, the Fin & Tonic

--C’mon and swim to undersea grooves

--Stick around for the salty Q&A!

Brooke Flammang is a professor of biological sciences and director of the Fluid Locomotion Lab at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She researches functional morphology, comparative biomechanics, fluid dynamics, bioinspired robots, and cool fish stuff. She has been a featured scientist on the BBC and Discovery Channel and in Wired, Scientific American, Gizmodo and the New York Times.

This fin-tastic edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, August 14, 8PM @ 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 7:30PM. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self.

MONDAY, July 17, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE! Secret Science Club presents Geologist & Geophysicist Maureen Long

Are you standing on solid ground? Beneath the surface, our planet pulses with heat and motion. Processes deep in Earth’s interior shape everything from the magnetic field and plate tectonics to earthquakes and volcanoes. Yet, much of what lies below remains a mystery. At the next Secret Science Club, prepare to go deeper than ever before with Maureen Long as she takes us from the lithosphere to the core-mantle boundary.

Geophysicist Maureen Long uses recordings of earthquakes from all over the world to study the deep structure of the Earth, how Earth’s mantle is like a lava lamp, and how plate tectonics shape the geology of our planet. A professor of geology and geophysics at Yale University and an observational seismologist, she has conducted fieldwork in the Peruvian Andes, the High Lava Plains of Oregon, the Appalachians of West Virginia, and on the Research Vessel Endeavor in the Atlantic Ocean. The author of over 60 scientific papers and winner of the Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union, she also works with Earthscope—a program of the National Science Foundation that has deployed thousands of geophysical instruments to study the deep structure of the North American continent and the causes of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Dr. Long has been a featured scientist on NPR and CBS News, and frequently speaks about seismology, plate tectonics, and natural disasters to the public.

Before & After

--Try our cocktail of the night, the Seismic Wave… We’ll put some temblor in your tumbler

--Shake, rattle, and roll to tunes from Earth’s basement tapes

--Stick around for earthshaking Q&A!

This molten edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, July 17, 8PM @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd aves) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. 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.