IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, December 12 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club & the Dana Foundation present Neuroscientist Xiaosi Gu on “The Social Brain,” FREE!

Secret Science Club & the Dana Foundation present the “Dana Foundation Neuroscience & Society Lecture” with Neuroscientist Xiaosi Gu

IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, December 12, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

Should I ask him out? Is my boss mad at me? Can my frenemies be trusted? Managing social interactions is hard work for our brains—and it’s probably our social natures that make the human brain so complex. It’s also what makes a lack of positive social interactions potentially damaging to our mental health.

At the next Secret Science Club, neuroscientist Xiaosi Gu explores the mysteries of the social brain. She asks:

-- How do our social lives and social interactions impact our moods and well-being—in both good ways and bad?

-- How do our brains adapt to shifting social situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, or changes in social norms? How can that be studied?

-- How do social norms, pressures, and expectations affect decision-making?

-- How can computational methods be used in psychiatry to improve mental health treatment?

Dr. Xiaosi Gu is a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience and the director of the Center for Computational Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her research examines the neural and computational mechanisms underlying human beliefs, emotions, decision making, and social interactions—in both health and disease—through a synthesis of neuroscience, cognitive science, and behavioral economics. She uses a variety of technologies, including brain imaging and machine learning, to study the brain’s processes, with the goal of improving general knowledge about the brain as well as psychiatric treatments. She is the co-developer of the Social Brain app, which uses games and participatory narratives to measure the relationship between social behaviors and mental health.

Before & After
--Imbibe our specially made cocktail of the night, the Social Hour
--Shimmy to synapse-soothing grooves
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This mind-blowing edition of Secret Science Club - the “Dana Foundation Neuroscience & Society Lecture” featuring Xiaosi Gu - is supported by the Dana Foundation as part of its Dana Education program, which includes the coordination of Brain Awareness Week in mid-March. The Dana Foundation is dedicated to advancing neuroscience and society by supporting cross-disciplinary intersections such as neuroscience and ethics, law, policy, humanities, and arts.

Secret Science Club meets in-person on Monday, December 12, 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 to the performance space open at 7:30PM. Please bring ID: 21+.

No cover. Just bring your smart self.

*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.*

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: Thursday, December 1 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Karen Bakker & the Smart Earth Project, FREE!

Sounds of Life! Secret Science Club Online presents Karen Bakker & the Smart Earth Project

Join us live via Zoom on Thursday, December 1 @ 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 natural world teems with remarkable conversations, many beyond the range of human hearing. Prairie dogs and dolphins whistle to each other by “name.” Elephants share their whereabouts with far-off relatives, using low-frequency rumbles. Even coral reefs are filled with a symphony of ultrasonic sounds.

At the next Secret Science Club, Karen Bakker jumps off from her new book The Sounds of Life to explore the ways scientists are using groundbreaking digital technologies to eavesdrop on Earth’s animals and ecosystems, from the Arctic to the Amazon.

Karen Bakker is a professor of geography at the University of British Columbia, focusing on the environment, sustainability, freshwater issues, natural sounds, and bioacoustics. The recipient of numerous awards, she was recently named a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow and a 2022-2023 Radcliffe Fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies, where she is currently working on the Smart Earth Project. The author of over 100 academic publications, she has written seven books, including her most recent The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology Is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants.

Before & After
--Mix up our murmuring cocktail of the night, the "Sonic Tonic"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to wild tunes & natural soundscapes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Karen Bakker’s fascinating new book, The Sounds of Life here or wherever you buy books!

This is a FREE event.

What’s next at Secret Science Club?
We will be back in-person at the Bell House on December 12 with neuroscientist Xiaosi Gu on the "Social Brain." Stay tuned for details!

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 “Sonic Tonic” (created by the Secret Science Club Experimental Mixology Lab)
Ingredients: 2 oz Fresh-squeezed Blood Orange Juice, 1 oz Cranberry Juice, 2 oz Gin, 4 oz Tonic Water, Slices of Blood Orange and Fresh Cranberries (for garnish), Ice
- Pour juices and gin into a rocks glass filled with ice
- Slowly add tonic water, and stir
- Top off with a slice or two of blood orange and a few cranberries
** (For a mocktail version, skip the gin, double the amount of juice, and add a splash of lime.)

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 @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, November 21 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist Nora Eisner, FREE!

We're Blasting Off to Other Worlds…

LIVE & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, November 21, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist and Planet Hunter Nora Eisner

Astrophysicist Nora Eisner is hunting for the most complex, the most unusual and the most exciting planetary systems in our Galaxy.

The drastic improvement in telescopes over the last 50 years has led to the discovery of thousands of exoplanets. While many exoplanets resemble planets in our own solar system, there are also strange systems including gigantic exoplanets (called “hot Jupiters”) and even exoplanets that orbit multiple stars.

At the next Secret Science Club, Dr. Eisner describes her work with citizen scientists to detect some of the most elusive exoplanets in the Milky Way.

NORA EISNER is an astrophysicist at the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute in New York City. She scans the galaxy with the help of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and she is the project leader for Planet Hunters TESS, a citizen science project involving over 35,000 people around the globe. Her research focuses on studying unique planetary and stellar systems that are missed by automated searches. As an advocate for making science more accessible to the public, she collaborates with a team at NASA Ames to develop tools on how to conduct exoplanet science from the comfort of your own home. Dr. Eisner and her research have been featured in New Scientist, Astronomy, CNN and Forbes.

Before & After
--Imbibe our otherworldly cocktail of the night, the “Thrilling Atmosphere”
--Groove to interstellar tunes
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, November 21, 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 to the performance space open at 7:30PM.

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

*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.*

What’s next at Secret Science Club Online?
On December 1, join us on Zoom with Karen Bakker of the Smart Earth Project with The Sounds of Life. Stay tuned for details!

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

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, October 25 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club & the Lasker Foundation present the “2022 Lasker Public Lecture” with Molecular Geneticist & Medical Pioneer Yuk Ming Dennis Lo, FREE!

Secret Science Club & the Lasker Foundation present the 2022 Lasker Public Lecture with Molecular Geneticist & Medical Pioneer Yuk Ming Dennis Lo

Join us live via Zoom on TUESDAY, October 25 @ 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)

A pioneering medical researcher, Dennis Lo has spent his life uncovering & deciphering microscopic clues hidden in our bloodstreams. At the next Secret Science Club, he shines a light on DNA fragments circulating in our blood that can indicate signs of disease and offer a new window into human health. He asks:

•    What is circulating DNA and how was it discovered?
•    What diseases and health conditions can be detected in circulating DNA with a simple blood test?
•    What is the impact of using this type of non-invasive genetic testing on treatment options and outcomes?

Dennis Lo is a molecular geneticist, professor of medicine, and director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. This year, he received the 2022 Lasker-Debakey Clinical Medical Research Award for his groundbreaking discovery of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal blood and the development of non-invasive prenatal tests for Down syndrome. Using similar techniques, he and other researchers are developing non-invasive blood tests that can detect early signs of cancer and other diseases & conditions. For his research, Dr. Lo has received numerous other awards and honors, including the 2016 Future Science Prize & the 2021 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. He is a founding member of the Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong, a fellow of the UK Royal Society, and an international member of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the "Clinical Investigator"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to our ever-evolving playlist
--Bring your questions for the live audience Q&A

This edition of the Secret Science Club, the 2022 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

(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 “Clinical Investigator” (created by the Secret Science Club Experimental Mixology Lab)
Ingredients: 1 Cup Crushed Ice, 1 Lime (cut in half), 4 oz Cranberry Juice Cocktail, 2 oz Vodka, 4 oz Ginger Beer, Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
- Place crushed ice in a large highball glass, and squeeze the juice of ½ lime over the ice
- Pour in cranberry juice cocktail, vodka, and ginger beer
- Gently stir and garnish with cranberries and lime wedge
** (For a mocktail version, simply skip the vodka.)

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

Are you ready for outer space? LIVE & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Tuesday, October 4 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Geneticist, NASA Researcher & Author Christopher Mason, FREE!

LIVE & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Tuesday, October 4, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

Secret Science Club presents Geneticist, NASA Researcher & Author Christopher Mason

Christopher Mason is a geneticist and computational biologist, who works with NASA to study what happens to astronauts’ bodies when they go into space. It turns out life is tough in zero-G. Our bones start leaching calcium. Our bodies kinda stretch. Our genes mutate a bit. Even on short trips, it’s not exactly healthy. So what is a species hell-bent on colonizing Mars to do?

Christopher Mason has a plan that just might transport humanity into the next galaxy. Jumping off from his recent book—The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds—he takes Secret Science Club on a wild ride through the world of human genetics and space travel. Prepare to have your mind blown! (And to survive off-Earth when the Sun blinks out.)

Before & After
--Imbibe our intergalactic cocktail of the night, the Asteroid Belt
--Groove to out-of-this-world tunes
--Munch on pepperoni, mushroom truffle oil, and Margherita pizza
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A
-- Snag a copy of Christopher Mason’s amazing new book, The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds at our pop-up book shop!

Christopher Mason has been a Principal Investigator and Co-investigator for eleven NASA missions and projects. He is Professor of Genomics, Physiology, and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Director of the WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction. He also holds affiliate appointments at the New York Genome Center, Yale Law School, and the Consortium for Space Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He and his research have been featured in the Washington Post, Wired, and Scientific American, and on NPR, the BBC and CNN.

This space-age edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, October 4, 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 to the performance space open at 7:30PM.

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

**Proof of full vaccination required for entry to the Bell House** 

*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.*

What’s next at Secret Science Club?
We will be back with a Zoom event on Tuesday, October 25. Stay tuned for details about all our upcoming programs!

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

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 & IN-PERSON @ THE WETLAB ON PIER 40, Secret Science Club joins forces with Hudson River Park, Tuesday, September 20 @ 7PM, $10

We’re flowing into Manhattan for another special event!

Secret Science Club joins forces with Hudson River Park to present a wet & wild evening in Lower Manhattan

Tuesday, September 20 @ 7PM, $10. (Click here to reserve your tickets.)

Secret Science Club flows into the park’s River Project Wetlab on beautiful Pier 40 to explore the city's wild side. What amazing animals live in NYC’s wildest & wettest ecosystems?

Biologists Jennifer Zhu and Myles Davis dive into the mysterious lives of NYC’s most cryptic creatures (oysters! coyotes!) at this special Ask a Scientist event.

Before & After the Talks

--Get up close and personal with wildlife from NYC’s liquid wilderness. Check out the exhibits & aquariums in the River Project Wetlab, filled with creatures that live right under our noses alongside Wall Street, Tribeca, the West Village, and Chelsea.

 --Groove to sea-salty tunes in our “Ebb Tide Lounge”

--Imbibe thirst-quenching complementary beer and soft drinks

--Watch a live demo

--Ask a scientist (or two!) about your favorite Hudson River species

Get $10 tickets here!

Jennifer Zhu is a native New Yorker with a passion for bivalves, coastal restoration, and sustainability. Her love for bivalves started when she was conducting undergraduate research on eastern oysters at Cornell University. Her research expanded to ribbed mussels and salt marsh restoration when she moved back to the city to pursue her graduate degree. She earned her Biology PhD at the Graduate Center City University of New York and Baruch College and recently joined the Billion Oyster Project as their Marine Habitat Resource Specialist. In her new role, she is working on identifying solutions to the challenges of growing, restoring, and monitoring oysters in New York Harbor.

Myles Davis is a graduate student at Columbia University’s Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Biology program, where he researches NYC’s mammals (including possums, coyotes, raccoons, groundhogs, and skunks), using camera traps to assess local populations. He is a recipient of the 2022 Research Award in Environmental Science from Brooklyn’s Green-wood Cemetery, and his work has been featured on CNN and in New Scientist magazine. Before returning to graduate school in his hometown of NYC, he worked with researchers studying crocodiles in Florida, monkeys in Zanzibar, birds & frogs in Costa Rica, and king cobras & elephants in Thailand.

This program meets Tuesday, September 20, 7PM at the River Project Wetlab on Hudson River Park’s Pier 40. (The entrance to the pier is at the intersection of W. Houston St and West St in Manhattan.) Subway: 1 to Houston St; C or E to Spring St.

Tickets are $10. Click here to reserve your spot!

What's next at Secret Science Club? We will be back in-person at the Bell House on October 4. Stay tuned for more info!

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

Unfortunately, tonight's scheduled event at the Bell House is cancelled. Apologies for any confusion!

LIVE & IN-PERSON @ THE WETLAB ON PIER 40, Secret Science Club joins forces with Hudson River Park, Tuesday, July 26 @ 7PM, $10

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!

We’re taking the plunge & heading into Manhattan!

SPECIAL EVENT! Secret Science Club joins forces with Hudson River Park to present an all-aquatic evening in Lower Manhattan

Tuesday, July 26 @ 7PM, $10. (Reserve your tickets.)

This July Secret Science Club flows into the park’s River Project Wetlab on beautiful Pier 40 to explore mysterious marine minds. What amazing animals live in NYC’s wildest & wettest ecosystem? And what are they thinking?

Biologists Diana Li and Kelsey Hom dive into the brains & bodies of NYC’s aquatic creatures (squid! toadfish!) at this special Ask a Scientist event.

Before & After the Talks
--Get up close and personal with wildlife from NYC’s liquid wilderness. Check out the exhibits & aquariums in the River Project Wetlab, filled with creatures that live right under our noses alongside Wall Street, Tribeca, the West Village, and Chelsea.
--Groove to sea-salty tunes in our “Ebb Tide Lounge”
--Imbibe thirst-quenching drinks
--Watch a live dissection
--Ask a scientist (or two!) about your favorite Hudson River species

Get $10 tickets here!

Diana Li is a scientist & educator based at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute where she leads public engagement programs about brain science. She earned her Ph.D. at Stanford University where she studied the neurophysiology and biomechanics of swimming squid. Dr. Li has appeared on “Science Friday” and the “Facts Machine” podcast at Caveat, and in local classrooms, aquariums, and museums.

Kelsey Hom teaches biology at Brooklyn College and is working on her Ph.D. at the CUNY Graduate Center, where she researches the neural adaptations of vocal fish living in a noisy environment. She uses a local toadfish species, the oyster toadfish, to understand how these fish are able to find mates with acoustic calls, despite living beside NYC. She collaborates with Hudson River Park’s River Project to collect specimens and conduct experiments.

This program meets Tuesday, July 26, 7PM at the River Project Wetlab on Hudson River Park’s Pier 40. (The entrance to the pier is at the intersection of W. Houston St and West St in Manhattan.) Subway: 1 to Houston St; C or E to Spring St.

Tickets are $10. Click here to reserve your spot!

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 & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Wednesday, July 13 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist Jackie Faherty & First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope, FREE!

We're heading to the ends of the Universe!

LIVE & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Wednesday, July 13, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist Jackie Faherty

After decades of planning, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope successfully launched and reached its final orbit—nearly 1 million miles from Earth. Now, the first images from the Space Telescope have been unveiled!

At the next Secret Science Club, astrophysicist Jackie Faherty dives into the glorious new pictures of the cosmos and shares what astronomers are on the verge of discovering.

Get ready to look deeper into the Universe than ever before…

JACKIE FAHERTY is an astrophysicist and senior educator at the American Museum of Natural History. She is one of a small group of astronomers selected to be among the first to use the James Webb Space Telescope for scientific observation. She co-runs a dynamic research group at AMNH entitled Brown Dwarfs in New York City (BDNYC) and is a regular presenter and host of the Astronomy Live programs at AMNH’s Hayden Planetarium. The author of over 100 scientific papers, Dr. Faherty and her research have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Scientific American, and on StarTalk, NPR, and the BBC.

Before & After
--Imbibe our intergalactic cocktail of the night, the “First Light”
--Groove to out-of-this-world tunes
--Munch on pepperoni, mushroom truffle oil, and Margherita pizza
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This edition of the Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, July 13, 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 to the performance space open at 7:30PM.

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

**Proof of full vaccination required for entry to the Bell House** 

*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.*

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

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 29 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Molecular Biologist Salvador Almagro-Moreno, FREE!

Can we predict & stop the next pandemic?

Secret Science Club presents Molecular Biologist Salvador Almagro-Moreno

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, June 29 @ 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 emergence of new, disease-causing microbes is one of the most serious challenges facing humanity. What can be done? Scientists are now working on ways to predict where dangerous pathogens will arise before they cause future outbreaks.

At the next Secret Science Club Online, molecular biologist Salvador Almagro-Moreno asks:

- How do harmless microbes transform into dangerous bacteria?

- What can we learn from past outbreaks and pandemics?

- Are there ways to predict outbreaks before they occur?

- Can better disease surveillance lead to improved therapeutic treatments and new cures?

Salvador Almagro-Moreno is an assistant professor of medicine at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Florida. His research focuses on the emergence and evolution of bacterial pathogens. His lab is multidisciplinary, combining insights from molecular biology, genomics, phylogenetics, pathogenesis, and ecology. Dr. Almagro-Moreno has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease.

Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the "Micronaut"… (recipe is below!)
--Groove to itty-bitty, ever-evolving tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A

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 “Micronaut” (created by the Secret Science Club Experimental Mixology Lab)
Ingredients: 3 oz Red Wine, 3 oz San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa (blood orange soda), 1 Lemon Slice, 1 Strawberry (cut in half), 3 Ice Cubes
- Pour red wine and soda into a large wine glass
- Add ice cubes
- Top off with a slice of lemon and strawberry halves
** (For a mocktail version, substitute cranberry juice for the wine.)

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 & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Wednesday, June 22 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Experimental Psychologist Michael Slepian, FREE!

Yesss! It’s finally happening. We’re having a Secret Science Club about…. SECRETS. Join us at the Bell House in Brooklyn with experimental psychologist Michael Slepian, author of The Secret Life of Secrets.

LIVE & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Wednesday, June 22, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

Secret Science Club presents Social Psychologist & Author Michael Slepian

According to Michael Slepian, the average person has as many as 13 secrets at any given time. Secrets we keep can be big or small, including lies we've told, a secret lover, money trouble, shrouded aspects of our personalities or backgrounds—or even hidden identities.

Our secrets can weigh heavily on our minds. At the next SSC, Dr. Slepian explores the psychological costs of hiding our inner worlds. He asks: At what age do children develop the cognitive capacity for secrecy? How can we reconcile our secrets with the human desire to relate, connect, and be known? When should we confess our secrets? Who makes for the ideal confidant? Can certain types of secrets actually enhance our well-being?

Michael Slepian is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia University. A recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, he studies the psychology of secrecy and trust, including how keeping secrets changes our behavior, judgments, and actions. His research has been covered by the New York Times, Atlantic, New Yorker, Economist, Wall Street Journal, BBC, NPR, and more. He is the author of The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-being, Relationships and Who We Are.

Before & After
--Imbibe our cocktail of the night, the “Stealth Operation”
--Groove to mysterious tunes
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A
-- Snag a copy of Michael Slepian’s new book, The Secret Life of Secrets at Bookshop or wherever you buy books!

This clandestine edition of the Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, June 22, 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 to the performance space open at 7:30PM.

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

**Proof of full vaccination required for entry to the Bell House** 

*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.*

What’s next at Secret Science Club Online?
We will be back on Zoom on June 29 with microbiologist Salvador Almagro-Moreno. Stay tuned for details!

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

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, May 31 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist & Author Emily Levesque and “The Last Stargazers,” FREE!

Starry nights! Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist, Author & Supernova Researcher Emily Levesque

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, May 31 @ 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)

As an astronomer who studies the “weirdest stars in the Universe,” Emily Levesque observes the cosmos through some of the most sophisticated telescopes ever built. She’s ascended into the domes of observatories on Andean mountaintops and donned a flight suit to sail through the heavens in a high-altitude “flying telescope.”

At the next Secret Science Club, Dr. Levesque jumps off from her new book The Last Stargazers to explore the evolving science of astronomical observation and the adventures & discoveries of astronomers, both past and present.

Emily Levesque is a professor of astronomy at the University of Washington, where she studies how the most massive stars in the Universe evolve and die (explosively!). She is the author of the popular science book The Last Stargazers, as well as two textbooks on the physics of stars. Dr. Levesque is the recipient of the 2020 Newton Lacy Pierce prize from the American Astronomical Society for outstanding achievement in observational astronomy. She's also a 2019 Cottrell Scholar and a 2017 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Physics. In 2021, she was a finalist for the PEN America/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. This year, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Before & After
--Mix up our interstellar cocktail of the night, the "Supernova"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to out-of-this-world tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Emily Levesque’s critically acclaimed new book, The Last Stargazers 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

(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 “Supernova” (created by the Secret Science Club Experimental Mixology Lab)
Ingredients: 2 oz Vodka, 4 oz Grapefruit Juice, 1 dash Orange Bitters, 1 oz Grenadine, Slice of Lime and Sprig of Rosemary (for garnish)
- Combine vodka, grapefruit juice, and bitters in a highball glass half-filled with ice
- Stir well
- Add grenadine, let it float up, then slowly stir
- Garnish with lime and sprig of rosemary
** (For a mocktail version, skip the bitters and substitute lemon-lime soda for the vodka.)

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 & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, May 9 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Biologist Simon Garnier, FREE!

Feeling antsy? Come join us as we explore brilliant & bizarre beasties at the next Secret Science Club

LIVE & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, May 9, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

Secret Science Club presents Behavioral Biologist & Swarm Intelligence Expert Simon Garnier

Schools of fish, migrating birds, and other animals that move as collectives exhibit uncanny behavior—swarming, murmurating, ebbing & flowing almost like liquids.

Flowing armies of ants can even build bridges and scaffolding with their own bodies. They do it spontaneously, forming themselves into shapes and structures with astonishing efficiency.

At the next Secret Science Club, biologist Simon Garnier explores this “living architecture” and the small minds behind it. How do these brilliant creatures use collective intelligence to perform feats of engineering that put our human efforts to shame?

Simon Garnier is director of the Swarm Lab and professor of biology at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He researches robot swarms, army ants, and socially networked slime molds to learn how intelligent collective behaviors (and not so intelligent ones) emerge in groups. He also considers the question of self-organization in nature—in everything from cells to human crowds. Dr. Garnier has been a featured scientist on Science Friday and the Guardian technology video series, and in National Geographic, Scientific American, Mashable, The Verge, and the New York Times.

Before & After
--Imbibe our streaming cocktail of the night, the “Myrmeration”
--Groove to wild, sinuous, pulsating tunes
--Munch on pepperoni, mushroom truffle oil, and Margherita artisan pizza
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, May 9, 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 to the performance space open at 7:30PM.

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

**Proof of full vaccination required for entry to the Bell House** 

*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.*

What’s next at Secret Science Club?
We will be back online with a Zoom event on May 31. Stay tuned for details about our upcoming online programs!

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

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 & IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Tuesday, April 12 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Primatologist and Best-selling Author Frans de Waal with “Different”

Tuesday, April 12, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM) @ the Bell House, Free!

Secret Science Club presents Primatologist and Best-selling Author Frans de Waal with Different

World-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal draws on decades of observation and studies of animal behavior to explore gender roles in chimpanzees, bonobos, and those strangest of all primates—human beings.

Jumping off from his new book – Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist – Dr. de Waal dissects myths about masculinity and femininity, and common assumptions about authority, leadership, cooperation, competition, and sexual behavior.

In Different, Dr. de Waal discusses alpha (fe)males, same-sex sex, the difference between dominance and power, as well as bonobos that play with dolls, sexy penguins, and, gender non-conforming chimps. He delves into sexual orientation, gender identity, and the limitations of the gender binary, exceptions to which are found throughout the animal kingdom.

With humor, clarity, and compassion, Different seeks to broaden the conversation about human gender dynamics by promoting an inclusive model that embraces differences, rather than dismissing them.

Frans de Waal is C. H. Candler Professor Emeritus of Primate Behavior at Emory University and the former director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, He is the author of numerous best-selling books, including Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, Our Inner Ape, and The Age of Empathy, as well as over 150 scientific papers, and essays in the New York Times, Science, Nature, and Scientific American. In 2020, he received the PEN America/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award for Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves.

Before & After
--Imbibe our specially made cocktail of the night, the Naked Ape
--Groove to wild tunes
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A
--Hot off the presses! Snag a signed copy of Frans de Waal's new book, Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist from our onsite bookseller, Astoria Bookshop.

This edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, April 12, 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 to the performance space open at 7:30PM.

Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. First come, first serve.

**Proof of full vaccination required for entry to the Bell House** 

*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.*

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 29 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents environmentalist Bill McKibben in conversation with author Oliver Milman on "The Insect Crisis," FREE!

Bzzzzzz! Secret Science Club presents Bill McKibben in conversation with Oliver Milman, author of The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires that Run the World

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, March 29 @ 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)

Three out of four species on Earth are insects—yet insects don’t get much love. Sure, people dote on butterflies and ladybugs. But flies? Yech. Wasps? No thank you. Talk about underappreciated…

At the next Secret Science Club, environmentalist Bill McKibben and author Oliver Milman pose the question: What would happen if insects vanished from the Earth? (And just to give you a hint: If there were no flies, there’d be no chocolate, and that’s just the beginning of the end.)

Alarmingly, the prospect of an insect apocalypse is not exclusively a thought exercise. A torrent of new evidence shows that insect populations are plummeting across the world. Milman—author of The Insect Crisis—and McKibben delve into some of the amazing & essential things insects do for our planet, the consequences of losing our insect infrastructure, and what we can do to save our six-legged friends (and perhaps ourselves).

Oliver Milman is the environment correspondent at the Guardian. He covers the climate crisis, as well as issues involving biodiversity and the impacts of air and water pollution. Bill McKibben is an author, environmentalist, activist, and a contributing writer to the New Yorker.

Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail of the night, the "Sweet Nectar"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to sounds of spring
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Oliver Milman’s new book, The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires that Run the World 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?
On April 12, we will be live & in-person at the Bell House in Brooklyn with primatologist & best-selling author Frans de Waal with his new book, Different. Stay tuned for details!

(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 credits: Oliver Milman by Lyndal Stewart; Bill McKibben by Nancie Battaglia

Cocktail Recipe for the “Sweet Nectar” (created by the Secret Science Club mixology lab)
Ingredients: 2 oz Spiced Rum, 1 oz Honey Syrup**, ½ Lime (cut in pieces), and 4 kumquats (quartered) or 2 mandarins (cut in pieces)
- Muddle fruit in a cocktail shaker
- Add ice, rum, and honey syrup—and shake
- Pour the mixture unstrained into a highball glass
- Garnish with your favorite flower
**Honey Syrup Recipe
- Mix 1 part honey with 1 part hot water. Stir until 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.