LIVE ONLINE: Tuesday, December 14 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Neuroscientist, Psychologist, and Author Antonio Damasio on “Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious,” FREE!

Consciousness! Secret Science Club presents world-renowned researcher & best-selling author Antonio Damasio

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, December 14 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

At the next Secret Science Club, neuroscientist & author Antonio Damasio unlocks the story of human consciousness.

In recent decades, many philosophers and cognitive scientists have declared the problem of consciousness unsolvable, but Antonio Damasio argues that recent findings in biology, neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence give us a path toward understanding consciousness and its significance for human life.

Join us as we explore the relationship between our minds, bodies, feelings, and emotions—and how our complex human consciousness has evolved throughout the eons.

Before & After
--Mix up our soothing, seasonal cocktail of the night, the "Peace of Mind"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to ever-evolving tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Antonio Damasio’s new book, Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious here

Antonio Damasio is the director of the Brain and Creativity Institute and a professor of neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy at the University of Southern California. Throughout his decades-long career, he has made seminal contributions to the understanding of brain processes underlying emotions, feelings, decision-making, and consciousness. The recipient of numerous scientific awards and prizes, Dr. Damasio is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of Descartes’ Error, The Feeling of What Happens, Looking for Spinoza, Self Comes to Mind, The Strange Order of Things, and most recently Feeling & Knowing.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for the “Peace of Mind” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Bourbon, ½ oz Peach Schnapps, ½ oz Simple Syrup**, Juice of ½ Lemon, 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters, Club Soda, Slice of Lemon (for garnish)
- Fill a rocks glass with ice.
- Add all the ingredients except the club soda and stir well.
- Top off with club soda and garnish with a lemon slice.
**Simple Syrup Recipe
- Mix equal parts sugar and water. Bring to a slow boil in a saucepan and reduce heat, then let simmer for a few minutes and let cool to room temperature. (This mixture will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator.)

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

LIVE ONLINE: Tuesday, November 16 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents the "Dana Foundation Brain Lecture" with Neuroscientist Sridevi Sarma, FREE!

Secret Science Club presents the “Dana Foundation Brain Lecture” with Neuroscientist Sridevi Sarma on “Our Gambling Brains”

Join us live via Zoom on TUESDAY, November 16 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

Could a subtle jolt to your brain change how risky your behavior will be? At the next Secret Science Club, we explore the “wired” brain and how research involving deep brain electrodes tells us what's happening in our brains when we gamble. Prepare to explore the inner workings of the “body electric” with neuroscientist Sridevi Sarma. She asks:

•    Why do some people take more risks than others when faced with uncertainty?
•    Does brain activity differ between risk-seeking and risk-averse gamblers?
•    What can we learn about human decision-making from research involving intracranial electrode recordings, and can we control decisions with deep brain stimulation? What are the implications?

Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the "Brainwave"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to mind-expanding tunes
--Bring your questions for the live audience Q&A
--Take a peek at the Dana Foundation's fact sheets, scientist interviews, and Cerebrum magazine articles, for information about brain science and how it impacts our everyday lives
-- Learn how you can participate in Brain Awareness Week, the global campaign to foster enthusiasm and support for brain science

Sridevi Sarma is a neuroscientist, biomedical engineer, professor, and the associate director of the Institute for Computational Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. There, she develops computational, data-driven, and biological approaches to advance the treatment of diseases of the nervous system, including epilepsy, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, and insomnia. She also conducts research that seeks to understand how our brains manage complex behaviors, such as motor control and decision making. The author of over 150 scientific papers, she is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Last year, Dr. Sarma was the winner of the inaugural “Pitch It On!” competition for her invention EZTrack, which creates a heat map of the brain to help doctors determine the source of seizures in drug-resistant epilepsy patients. She has appeared regularly as a featured scientist on the Emmy-award-winning NatGeo series Brain Games.

This mind-blowing edition of Secret Science Club - featuring Sridevi Sarma - is supported by the Dana Foundation. The Dana Foundation is dedicated to advancing neuroscience within society by supporting cross-disciplinary intersections such as neuroscience and ethics, law, policy, humanities, and arts.

This is a FREE event.

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for neuroscientist Antonio Damasio on Tuesday, December 14.

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for the “Brainwave” (created by the Secret Science Club mixology lab)
Ingredients: 2 oz Green Tea (brewed strong & cooled), ½ cup Apple Cider, 1½ oz Vodka, 1 tbsp Maple Syrup, Apple Slices
- Pour liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake
- Strain into a martini glass
- Garnish with thinly cut apple slices

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

LIVE ONLINE: Wednesday, October 20 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club & the Lasker Foundation present the “2021 Lasker Public Lecture” with Psychiatrist, Bioengineer & Author Karl Deisseroth, FREE!

Secret Science Club & the Lasker Foundation present the 2021 Lasker Public Lecture with Psychiatrist, Bioengineer & Author Karl Deisseroth

Join us live via Zoom on WEDNESDAY, October 20 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

Karl Deisseroth has spent his life pursuing truths about the human mind, both as a clinical psychiatrist and as a researcher creating and developing the revolutionary field of optogenetics, which uses light to help decipher the brain's workings. At the next Secret Science Club, Dr. Deisseroth probes the connections between optogenetics, human emotions, and mental health.

He asks:
•    Why do we have emotions? How have they evolved? Why do our emotional responses sometimes seem so unhelpful, or so poorly adapted to our circumstances?
•    What is the technology of optogenetics? What light can optogenetics shine on the origin of emotions, the pathways in the brain that create our inner worlds, and the processes that go wrong in psychiatric disease?
•    How has the pandemic affected mental health? Why are “connections” (both neuronal and social) so important to emotional well-being?

Karl Deisseroth is a professor of bioengineering and psychiatry. In his lab at Stanford University, he explores how individual cells, working together, give rise to the mysterious and wonderful properties of the brain—from basic drives such as thirst to complex cognitive processes such as social interactions. This year, he received the 2021 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for his groundbreaking contributions in optogenetics—using light-triggered systems to study neurons and their role in healthy brains and mental illness. In addition to his lab work, Dr. Deisseroth treats patients with mood disorders and autism in both out-patient and emergency room settings. In 2021, he published his first book, Projections: A Story of Human Emotions, which The Guardian describes as “revelatory… breaking apart any crude arts-science dichotomies.” He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Engineering.

Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the "Bright Idea"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to our sparkling playlist
--Bring your questions for the live audience Q&A
--Snag a copy of Karl Deisseroth’s illuminating & empathic new book, Projections: A Story of Human Emotions here

This edition of the Secret Science Club, the 2021 Lasker Public Lecture in honor of Al Sommer, is sponsored by the 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.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for brain scientist & biomedical engineer Sridevi Sarma on Tuesday, November 16.

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for the “Bright Idea” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 4 oz White Wine (preferably a dry), 2 oz Pineapple Juice, 1 tsp Limoncello, Sparkling Water, 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters, Lemon Wedge for garnish
- Mix the first 3 ingredients in a bar shaker with ice
- Pour into a rocks glass filled with ice
- Top off with sparkling water
- Add bitters and garnish with lemon

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

LIVE ONLINE: Wednesday, October 6 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Ecologist, Author & Explorer Meg Lowman on “The Arbornaut: A Life Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees Above Us,” FREE!

Into the woods! Secret Science Club presents ecologist & explorer Meg Lowman

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, October 6 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

At the next Secret Science Club, we ascend into the treetops of the world’s jungles and mountains with pioneering ecologist & author Meg Lowman. In forests from Australia to Ethiopia to California’s redwoods, she explores the stunning riot of creatures that thrive in the leaves above, as well as the stars of the forest show—the trees themselves.

Meg Lowman has spent her life climbing in forest canopies—conducting innovative & adventurous research in the treetops. A biologist, ecologist, and author, Dr. Lowman is the executive director of the TREE Foundation and a professor at the National University of Singapore, Arizona State University, and Universiti Sains Malaysia. Nicknamed the “Real-Life Lorax” by National Geographic and “Einstein of the Treetops” by the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Lowman is the author of over 150 scientific papers, and her most recent book is The Arbornaut: A Life Discovering the Eighth Continent in the Trees Above Us.

Before & After
--Mix up our woodsy cocktail of the night, the "Green Giant"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to sylvan tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Meg Lowman’s new book, The Arbornaut here

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for bioengineer & psychiatrist Karl Deisseroth on Wednesday, October 20. (He just received the 2021 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research!)

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for the “Green Giant” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 1 oz Vodka, 1 oz Midori, ¾ oz Fresh-squeezed Lemon Juice, a pinch of salt, a splash of Club Soda, Lemon Wedge for garnish
- Shake the first 4 ingredients in a bar shaker
- Pour into a rocks glass filled with ice
- Add the splash of club soda
- Garnish with a lemon

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

LIVE ONLINE: Monday, September 13 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Geophysicist, Author & World Water Expert Giulio Boccaletti on “Water: A Biography,” FREE!

Secret Science Club presents geophysicist & author Giulio Boccaletti

Join us live via Zoom on Monday, September 13 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

At the next Secret Science Club, physicist and world water expert Giulio Boccaletti gives us the lowdown on that shape-shifting, life-giving, and sometimes treacherous substance (H2O) and the story behind unending hurricanes, floods, and droughts.

Dr. Boccaletti asks: How has our stormy relationship with H2O shaped our destiny? What’s in our future as we face an increasingly thirsty world?

Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the "Dry Spell"… (recipe below!)
--Ebb & flow to wet-and-wild grooves
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Giulio Boccaletti’s epic new book, Water: A Biography here

Giulio Boccaletti is a geophysicist, author, and expert on natural resource security and environmental sustainability. Previously, he has worked as a NASA Earth Systems Science fellow at Princeton, a research scientist at MIT, and the chief strategy officer at The Nature Conservancy. Currently, Dr. Boccaletti is an Honorary Research Associate at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University. His work has been featured in the award-winning PBS documentary series H2O: The Molecule That Made Us, and he was series consultant on PBS’s The Age of Nature.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for tree canopy ecologist & explorer Meg Lowman on Wednesday, October 6!

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Photo of Giulio Boccaletti: Courtesy of GBH

Cocktail Recipe for the “Dry Spell” (created by the Secret Science Club mixology lab)
Ingredients: 2½ oz Gin, ½ oz Dry Vermouth,1 small strip of Nori/Seaweed
- Pour gin and vermouth over ice into a mixing glass and stir well
- Strain into a chilled martini glass
- Quickly dip a small strip of nori into the mixture
- Then roll the nori into the shape of a small cone, and use as garnish

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

LIVE ONLINE: Wednesday, August 25 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Neuroscientist David Sulzer with "Music, Math, and Mind," FREE!

Secret Science Club presents brain researcher, musician, and author David Sulzer on Music, Math, and Mind: The Physics and Neuroscience of Music

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, August 25 (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

At the next Secret Science Club, neuroscientist and co-founder of the Thai Elephant Orchestra David Sulzer artfully investigates the science behind music, hearing, and sound. He asks:

--How are emotions carried by music?
--Why are there musical scales?
--What does it mean when something is out-of-tune?
--Do other animals hear differently than we do?
--Why are sounds different from each other, and how do we know it?

Before & After
--Mix up our finely tuned cocktail of the night, the Vibrato… (recipe below!)
--Groove to wild instrumentals
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of David Sulzer’s new book, Music, Math, and Mind: The Physics and Neuroscience of Music here. Use code CUP20 for 20% off when you order on the Columbia University Press website.

David Sulzer is a professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Pharmacology at Columbia University Medical Center. His laboratory has made important contributions to the study of brain mechanisms involved in autism, Parkinson’s disease, drug addiction, and learning and memory. He is also a composer and performer under the name Dave Soldier and has worked with many major figures in the classical, jazz, and pop worlds, appearing on over 100 records. Some of his projects bridge music and neuroscience, including the Thai Elephant Orchestra, an orchestra of fourteen elephants in northern Thailand, and the Brainwave Music Project, which uses EEGs of brain activity to create compositions.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

Cocktail Recipe for the “Vibrato 2021” (created by Dale DeGroff, James Beard award winning Mixologist and author of The New Craft of the Cocktail)
Ingredients
¾ oz iichiko saiten shochu**
¾ oz Hendrick’s Gin
1 teaspoon yuzu juice
½ oz fresh lemon juice
¾ oz agave syrup (mix together equal parts of agave nectar and water)
3 oz Roederer Estate Brut Rosé NV
1 longan (buy online Aroy-d longans in syrup, 20 oz can)
1 thin wheel of lime
1 strawberry cored and cut in quarters
Preparation: Assemble the first five ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake to chill. Strain into a chilled white wine goblet over ice. Garnish with the three fruits.
(**Purchase online at www.iichiko.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.

LIVE ONLINE: Tuesday, July 27 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Marine Ecologist Christopher Harley, FREE!

Secret Science Club presents Marine Ecologist & Zoologist Christopher Harley

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, July 27 (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

There’s a killer at the beach—and it isn’t a great white shark. Earlier this month, more than 1 billion sea creatures were wiped out by an unprecedented heat wave in the Pacific Northwest. The coastal devastation was discovered by marine ecologist Christopher Harley, and it became a top news story overnight.

At the next Secret Science Club, Christopher Harley probes the depths of climate change’s impact on our coastlines. He also discusses the fascinating lives of the multitudes of marine animals—sea stars, mussels, hermit crabs, and tiny sea cucumbers—that make their homes along the shore.

Before & After
--Mix up our coastal cocktail of the night, the SSC Surf Rider… (recipe below!)
--Groove to surf music and whale song
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A

Christopher Harley is a marine ecologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He researches why plants and animals live where they do, how they interact, and how their distributions will shift as a result of global climate change. He’s particularly interested in tide pools and the ecosystems of rocky coastlines and how they are affected by warming temperatures, ocean acidification, and changes in salinity and carbon dioxide concentration.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for the “SSC Surf Rider” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Vodka, 3 oz Cucumber Juice (you can make this by putting an UNPEELED cucumber in a juicer or blender), 2 oz Clam Juice, 3 splashes of Worcestershire Sauce, 2 splashes of Tabasco Sauce (or 3 to taste), a pinch of salt, black pepper to taste, juice of ½ of a Lemon, twist of Lemon Peel
- Put all the ingredients into a bar shaker that has a metal cup and a glass cup (or two large glasses) with a good amount of ice
- Roll the mixture from one glass to the other (don’t shake)
- Pour into a glass, using the ice from the shaker
- Garnish with a twist of lemon

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

LIVE ONLINE: Wednesday, July 14 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Mechanical Engineer & Animal Motion Expert David Hu with “How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls,” FREE!

Secret Science Club presents animal motion researcher & author David Hu on How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, July 14 (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

Insects walk on water. Snakes slither over uneven terrain. Moles “swim” through sandy soil. Animals move with mind-blowing versatility, speed, and grace. But how do they do it & what can we learn from them?

At the next Secret Science Club, engineer David Hu—the author of How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls—explores the world of animal motion. Dr. Hu asks:

--How do wet dogs remove as much water from their fur in a fraction of a second (via the “wet-dog shake”) as a laundry machine would in minutes?
--When swarms of fire ants build rafts out of their own bodies, are they behaving like a fluid or a solid?
--Why are mosquitoes able to fly in the rain, when a single crushing raindrop has 50 times their mass? How do they survive these “drops of doom”?
--What are the implications of animal movement research for robotics, materials science, and vehicle design?

Before & After
--Mix up our rocking cocktail of the night, the Bulldog Shake… (recipe below!)
--Wriggle and stomp to faunal grooves
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of David Hu’s award-winning book, How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls: Animal Movement and the Robots of the Future here. Use code HU30 for 30% off when you order on the Princeton University Press website. Offer is good through August 30th.

David Hu is professor of mechanical engineering and biology and adjunct professor of physics at Georgia Tech. The author of over 100 scientific papers, he is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award for young scientists and a two-time winner of the Ig Nobel Prize in Physics (which honors “achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think”). His research and discoveries have been featured in The Economist, New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, Popular Science, and Discover and on Saturday Night Live and National Public Radio. He is the author of the book How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls: Animal Movement and the Robots of the Future.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for the “Bulldog Shake” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Chocolate Liqueur, 1 oz Heavy Cream, 3 oz Guinness Stout, and Nutmeg for garnish (optional)
- Pour the chocolate liqueur and cream into a bar shaker with ice, and shake very well
- Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass
- Top off with the Guinness (or more to taste)
- Grate nutmeg over the cocktail (optional)

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

LIVE ONLINE: Wednesday, June 16 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents mathematician and best-selling author Jordan Ellenberg and “Shape,” FREE!

Secret Science Club presents Mathematician & Best-selling Author Jordan Ellenberg on Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, June 16 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

The word “geometry” comes from Ancient Greek and means “measuring the world.” If anything, that’s an undersell. Geometry doesn’t just measure the world—it explains it.

At the next Secret Science Club, mathematician Jordan Ellenberg—the bestselling author of Shape and How Not to Be Wrong—embarks on a far-ranging exploration of the power of geometry, which turns out to help us all think better about practically everything. He asks:

--How should a democracy choose its representatives?
--How can you stop a pandemic from sweeping the world?
--How do computers learn to play Go, and why is Go so much easier for them to learn than learning to read a sentence?
--Can the “golden ratio” predict the stock market? (Sorry, no.)
--What should your kids learn in school if they really want to learn to think?

Before & After
--Mix up our strangely shaped cocktail of the night, the ”Rumboid”… (recipe below!)
--Groove to ever-expanding, multi-dimensional tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Jordan Ellenberg’s new book, Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else here or wherever you buy books!

Jordan Ellenberg is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of How Not to Be Wrong and the just-published book Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else. His writings have appeared in Slate, Wired, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and the Believer.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for the “Rumboid” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 1½ oz White Rum, ¾ oz Honey Cinnamon Syrup**, 3 oz Banana Juice (Loóza brand), and Mint Sprig for garnish
- Pour all ingredients into a shaker glass with ice and shake well
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice
- Garnish with a mint sprig
**Honey Cinnamon Syrup Recipe
- Mix 3 tbsp of honey, 5 oz of water, and ½ tsp of ground cinnamon in a saucepan. Heat until the honey melts and combines with the water. Simmer for 5 minutes while stirring. Let it cool then pour into a jar.(It will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.)

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

LIVE ONLINE: Wednesday, May 19 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein and “The Disordered Cosmos,” FREE!

Reach for the Stars! Secret Science Club presents theoretical physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein and The Disordered Cosmos

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, May 19 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

At the next Secret Science Club, physicist and author Chanda Prescod-Weinstein shares her love for physics, from the Standard Model of Particle Physics and what lies beyond it, to the physics of melanin in skin, to the latest theories of dark matter — all with a new spin informed by history, politics, and the wisdom of Star Trek.

Jumping off from her new book, The Disordered Cosmos, Dr. Prescod-Weinstein asks:

--What do we know about the Early Universe?
--Why is “dark matter” such a misnomer?
--What is the hypothesized axion particle?
--Why should access to the beauty of the dark night sky be a human right?
--How is science shaped by cultural forces, and how can we practice science more ethically and humanely?

Before & After
--Mix up our cosmic cocktail of the night, The Starry Night… (recipe below!)
--Groove to interstellar tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Chanda Prescod-Weinstein’s new book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, & Dreams Deferred here or wherever you buy books!

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is a physicist, cosmologist, and feminist theorist at the University of New Hampshire. A monthly columnist for New Scientist magazine, she researches what we know & don’t know about the Universe. She was recently named one of the ten people who most shaped science in 2020 as part of the Nature10. A cofounder of Particles for Justice, she received the 2017 LGBT+ Physicists Acknowledgement of Excellence Award for her contributions to improving conditions for marginalized people in physics and the 2021 American Physical Society Edward A. Bouchet Award for her contributions to particle cosmology. The Disordered Cosmos is her first book.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for “The Starry Night” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 1 oz Applejack, 1 oz Apricot Brandy, 3 oz Pineapple Juice, ½ oz Honey Syrup**, Juice of ½ Lemon, 3 dashes of Orange Bitters, and Mint Sprig (for garnish)
- Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass filled with ice, and stir well
- Garnish with mint
**Honey Syrup Recipe
- Mix 1 part honey and 1 part water in a small pan. Heat until honey dissolves, stir well, then let cool. (It keeps in the refrigerator for two weeks.)

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

LIVE ONLINE! Wednesday, April 28 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club is heading out of this world . . .

Secret Science Club presents geneticist Christopher Mason and bioethicist Matthew Liao in conversation on human bioengineering, space travel, and the future of Earth!

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, April 28 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before. To join SSC's mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

A geneticist and computational biologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, Christopher Mason works with NASA to study the impacts of space travel on the human body. His new book The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds argues that it is our obligation to engineer the human genome to prepare humanity for life on other planets—because life on Earth has an expiration date. He sets forth a bold, futuristic timeline to put this plan in motion.

Matthew Liao is director of the Center for Bioethics at NYU and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Moral Philosophy. He studies the impact of technology and genetic engineering on human rights. As a thought experiment, he has proposed that humans might be biomedically engineered to minimize our environmental impact on Earth—and reduce our carbon footprint. He is the author of The Right to Be Loved, Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights, Moral Brains, and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.

Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the New You… (recipe below!)
--Groove to intergalactic tunes in our zero-gravity lounge
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Christopher Mason’s new book, The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds, here or wherever you buy books!

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for theoretical physicist & cosmologist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein on Wednesday, May 19!

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Cocktail Recipe for “The New You” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Bourbon, 1 tsp Crème de Menthe, ½ oz Honey Syrup**, 3 oz Peach Juice, Juice of ½ Lemon, Mint Sprig (for garnish)
- Pour all ingredients over ice into a rocks glass, and stir well
- Garnish with mint sprig
**Honey Syrup Recipe
- Mix 1 part honey and 1 part water in small pot. Heat until honey is dissolved. Let cool.

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

LIVE ONLINE: Tuesday, April 6 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Bird Researcher & Best-selling Author Scott Weidensaul with “A World on the Wing,” FREE!

Come fly with us! Secret Science Club presents Bird Researcher & Author Scott Weidensaul

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, April 6 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before.  To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

High over our heads, billions of migrating birds perform mind-blowing feats of navigation and endurance each spring. Some species forgo sleep for weeks or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch. Others complete ultra-marathon migrations in record time, winging over 3,000 miles in mere days. To find their flight paths, they use Earth’s magnetic field and a form of quantum entanglement that would make Einstein’s head spin.

At the next Secret Science Club, bird researcher and author Scott Weidensaul jumps off from his new book A World on the Wing to explore the rapidly evolving science behind bird migration and the amazing diversity of birds that make these epic journeys.

Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the Goldfinch… (recipe below!)
--Flit, flutter & fly to grooves that soar
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Scott Weidensaul’s high-flying new book, A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds here or wherever you buy books!

Scott Weidensaul is a writer and active field researcher, specializing in birds and bird migration. He is the author of nearly thirty books, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist Living on the Wind and The Ghost with Trembling Wings. He is co-director of Project Owlnet, a collaboration among nearly 125 banding and research stations across North America studying owl migration, as well as co-founder of Project SNOWstorm, which uses cutting-edge tracking technology to study snowy owls.

This is a FREE event.

You can support Secret Science Club's programming by making a DONATION via:

Credit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay on Donorbox

Cash App: $SecretScienceClub

Zelle: scienceliveproductions@gmail.com

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for geneticist Christopher Mason & bioethicist Matthew Liao on Wednesday, April 28!

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Photo credit: Chris DeSorbo

Cocktail Recipe for the “Goldfinch” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: ¾ oz Gin, ¾ oz Crème de Noyaux, dash of Maraschino Liqueur, ¾ oz Fresh-squeezed Lemon Juice, ¾ oz Simple Syrup, 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters (optional), 3 Blueberries and a Lemon Twist (reserve for garnish)
- In a bar shaker half filled with ice, combine all ingredients
- Shake well
- Strain into a coupe glass
- Garnish with 3 blueberries and lemon twist

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

LIVE ONLINE: Tuesday, March 16 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents the "Dana Foundation Brain Lecture" with Neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd, FREE!

Secret Science Club presents the “Dana Foundation Brain Lecture” with Neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd (in honor of Brain Awareness Week) 

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, March 16 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Shhh... everyone on our mailing list will be emailed the Zoom link the night before. To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or just request the Zoom link), send us an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com)

It is one year into the pandemic, and there is no question that the increased stress and social isolation are having a psychological effect on our society—and perhaps even long-term effects on our brains. One area of particular concern is how the pandemic is affecting our use (and abuse) of drugs and alcohol, as well as the impact on people with existing addiction disorders.

At the next Secret Science Club, neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd highlights these critical issues as well as discussing her own groundbreaking research on cannabis and opioids. In her talk, "The Vulnerable Brain: Pathways to and from Addiction," Dr. Hurd asks:

--What is addiction, and how does it affect and even change the brain?
--Why are some brains more vulnerable to substance abuse and addiction? What is the role of stress?
--How does marijuana use impact the developing brain? What’s the story with CBD?
--What are some pathways out of addiction? How might cannabinoids be used to treat opioid dependence?

Yasmin Hurd is a professor of psychiatry, neuroscience and pharmacological sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; director of the Addiction Institute at the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System; Ward-Coleman Chair of Translational Neuroscience at Mount Sinai; and a member of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. She has conducted pioneering research on the neurobiology of opioid abuse, the neurodevelopmental (and cross-generational) effects of cannabis, and potential treatments for opioid addiction. A member of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Hurd and her research have been featured on NPR, ABC, and CNN, and in the New York Times, Time, and Discover.

BEFORE AND AFTER 
--Mix your own “Gray Matter” mocktail… (recipe below!)
--Groove to synapse-soothing tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Take a peek at the Dana Foundation's digital magazine, Cerebrum, for news, podcasts, and analysis on emerging ideas in brain science
--Learn how you can participate in Brain Awareness Week, the global campaign to foster enthusiasm and support for brain science

This edition of Secret Science Club - featuring Yasmin Hurd - is supported by the Dana Foundation in celebration of Brain Awareness Week. 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 around the world!

This is a FREE event.

What’s next at Secret Science Club online?
Stay tuned for naturalist & author Scott Weidensaul on Tuesday, April 6!

(Note: If you don't already have the Zoom meeting app on your computer or mobile device, you can download it for free at zoom.us)

Recipe for “Gray Matter” Mocktail (created by Secret Science Club’s Experimental Mixology Lab)
Ingredients: Homemade Lemonade sweetened to your taste (or good quality store-bought lemonade), ⅓ cup Blueberries, Club Soda
- Reserve a few berries for later, and mash the remaining blueberries in a bowl
- Pour the mashed blueberries into a highball glass
- Add ⅓ glass lemonade
- Muddle all ingredients
- Fill highball glass with ice, and top off with club soda
- Garnish with a few whole berries

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