Rocket into 2024 with Secret Science Club!

Please join us in celebrating science as a vital part of culture and public life this holiday season.

Donate to our annual pledge drive and help launch Secret Science Club into 2024. (And get some cool pledge rewards, too!)

Thanks to all the amazing scientists who presented (both in-person and online) at Secret Science Club in 2023, and to our fabulous partners, volunteers, and supporters. And thanks to YOU – our wonderful, ever-curious audience members.

To make a donation and support Secret Science Club 2024 and an all-new season of free and low-cost public science events), visit our secure pledge page. You can get fun pledge prizes, too (SSC T-shirts, tote bags, lab notebooks, secret swag, and more!). For those of you who don't want pledge rewards, click here for faster check out.

Happy New Year, everyone! 

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

IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Tuesday, December 5 @ 7:30PM, Secret Science Club & the Dana Foundation present ART & THE BRAIN, with Girija Kaimal & Constantina Theofanopoulou, FREE!

Secret Science Club presents the “Dana Foundation Neuroscience & Society Talk Series” on “ART & THE BRAIN” featuring Artist, Art Therapist & Researcher GIRIJA KAIMAL & Neuroscientist & Dancer CONSTANTINA THEOFANOPOULOU

IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE IN BROOKLYN on Tuesday, December 5, 7:30PM (Doors open at 7PM), Free!

So much about the human brain is still a mystery, and one of its greatest mysteries is the urge for self-expression through art—whether it be visual art, movement, music, literature, acting, design, theater, or something else. Whatever drives us to create art, a growing body of research is revealing that making art (or even just experiencing it) can be therapeutic, soothing, and empowering.

At this edition of Secret Science Club, art therapist Girija Kaimal and neuroscientist Constantina Theofanopoulou explore how art-making affects our brain chemistry, our moods, and our mental health.

Join us in celebrating both science and art at this special end-of-year program!

GIRIJA KAIMAL is a professor in the department of Creative Arts Therapies at Drexel University and directs the Health, Arts, Learning and Evaluation (HALE) lab, where she researches how visual art-making affects our physiological and psychological well-being. She is the current president of the American Art Therapy Association and her most recent book is The Expressive Instinct: How Imagination and Creative Works Help Us Survive and Thrive. In her own art practice, she explores identity and representation of emotion. As an art therapist and mental health researcher, areas of focus include traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and chronic stress among cancer patients and caregivers.

CONSTANTINA THEOFANOPOULOU is a neuroscientist and an award-winning flamenco dancer. She is director of the Neurobiology of Social Communication Lab at Rockefeller University and Visiting Scholar at New York University. She’s using her experience in dance to inform research on the connections between dance and speech—and the possibility that dance therapy might improve deficits in speech, particularly among people coping with Parkinson’s Disease and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Before & After
--Try our arty cocktail of the night, the Creative Juices

--Shimmy to synapse-soothing grooves

-- Draw, sketch & color in our Art Lounge

--Bring your questions for the scintillating Q&A

This mind-blowing edition of Secret Science Club - the “Dana Foundation Neuroscience & Society Talk Series” - is supported by the Dana Foundation as part of its Dana Education program to spark interest in and support education around neuroscience and the many ways it interfaces with our everyday lives. This is one of the Foundation’s three programs working to advance neuroscience that benefits society and reflects the aspirations of all people.

Secret Science Club meets in-person on Tuesday, December 5, 7:30PM @ 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 7PM.

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.

IN-PERSON @ THE DISCOVERY TANK ON PIER 57, Secret Science Club joins forces with Hudson River Park, Thursday, November 30 @ 6:30 PM, $10

SPECIAL EVENT! Secret Science Club teams up with Hudson River Park's "Ask a Scientist" to present an all-aquatic evening in Lower Manhattan

Thursday, November 30 @ 6:30PM, $10. (Reserve your tickets.)

Secret Science Club flows into Hudson River Park's “Discovery Tank” on beautiful Pier 57 to explore what happens when “Urban Meets Wild”

Environmental scientists Dianne Greenfield and Chester Zarnoch plunge into the wild waters of the Hudson River Estuary to investigate how the health & diversity of NYC’s biggest ecosystem is impacted (in both good ways and bad) by human activities. And they look at how some of the smallest & most unsung species can turn estuaries into some of the wildest ecosystems on the planet.

Before & After the Talks
--Check out the cool interactive exhibits on Hudson River wildlife

--Stop by the pier’s fantastic new food court “Market 57” with vendors curated by the James Beard Foundation!

--Groove to wet & wild tunes in our “Ebb Tide Lounge”

--Imbibe thirst-quenching cocktails & mocktails

--Ask a scientist (or two!) about Manhattan’s newsworthy new beach (and less-well-known new wetlands), how the city’s antiquated sewage/rainwater system affects aquatic species, whether newly planted wetlands are helping to clean up pollution, and what we can all do to protect NYC’s estuary and its wildlife

Get $10 tickets here!

Dianne Greenfield is an associate professor at the Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center, CUNY. As a visiting researcher at Hudson River Park, she is studying how wet weather (rainfall, storms) combined with sewer overflow discharge (eek) influences the diversity & ecological function of the Lower Hudson River Estuary.

Chester Zarnoch is a professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at Baruch College, CUNY, where he runs the Benthic Ecology Lab. He is also a visiting researcher at Hudson River Park. He studies restored marshlands in urban environments (such as NYC's Hudson River Estuary) and measures their ability to remove nitrogen (a pollutant from human activities) and sequester carbon.

This program meets Thursday, November 30, 6:30PM at the Discovery Tank on Hudson River Park’s Pier 57. (The entrance to the pier is at the intersection of W. 15th St and 11th Ave in Manhattan.) Subway: A, C, E, L to 14th St/8th Ave; 1, 2, 3 to 14th St

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

What's next at Secret Science Club?
We will be in-person at the Bell House in Brooklyn on December 5. Stay tuned for details!

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, November 15 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Extreme Animal Researcher Kenneth Catania, FREE!

Biological Wonders!

Secret Science Club presents Biological Detective, Neuro-ecologist & Author Kenneth Catania on Amazing Animal Abilities

Join us live via Zoom on Wednesday, November 15 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Here's how to sign up: 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)

Biological detective Kenneth Catania unlocks the secrets behind some of the world’s strangest & most intriguing animals.

Join us as we explore animal brains, senses, and abilities that are far outside the realm of human experience. Such animal superpowers include: detecting & producing electrical fields, “sniffing in stereo,” feeling microscopic textures, “speed eating,” and (yes) turning other creatures into zombies.

The award-winning author of Great Adaptations, Dr. Catania studies wunderkinds of evolution, such as electric eels, naked mole rats, jeweled wasps, tentacled snakes, and star-nosed moles. He shows not only how studying these unusual, extreme animals & uncovering their hidden abilities can provide deep insights into how life evolved, but also how scientific discovery can be filled with adventure and fun.

Before & After
-- Mix up our cocktail of the evening, the "Choose Your Own Superpower"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to wild & wonderful tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Kenneth Catania’s engrossing, critically acclaimed book, Great Adaptations

Kenneth Catania is Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. He is a MacArthur Genius Grant winner, Guggenheim Fellow, and recipient of the National Academy of Science’s Pradel Research Award. He studies sensory systems, brain evolution, predator-prey interactions, and the behavior of “outlier” animals. He, his research, and his writing have been featured in the New York Times, National Geographic, Scientific American, and Atlantic, as well as on NPR and the BBC.

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 “Choose Your Own Superpower” (created by the Secret Science Club experimental mixology lab)
Ingredients: 1½ oz Vodka, Tequila, or Gin (you choose); 2½ oz Chilled Cranberry Juice; 2½ oz Chilled Grapefruit Juice; 1 Lime; Pomegranate Seeds; Fresh Sprigs of Rosemary
- Pour your choice of spirits plus the two chilled juices into a highball glass filled with ice, and stir with a bar spoon
- Garnish with a wheel of lime, pomegranate seeds, and/or rosemary
For a mocktail version:
Ingredients: 5 oz of Chilled Cranberry, Grapefruit, Pomegranate, Orange, or Unfiltered Apple Juice (or any combination thereof!); 1½ oz Sparkling Apple Cider, Lemon-Lime Soda, or Seltzer (you pick); 1 Lime; Pomegranate Seeds; Fresh Sprigs of Rosemary
- Pour your choice of juices into a highball glass filled with ice, and gently stir with a bar spoon
- Slowly pour in your choice of carbonated beverage and stir again
- Garnish with a wheel of lime, pomegranate seeds, and/or rosemary

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 10 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Naturalist & Author Adam Welz on “The End of Eden,” FREE!

Secret Science Club presents Conservationist, Author, and Photographer Adam Welz on The End of Eden

Join us live via ZOOM on TUESDAY, October 10 @ 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)

When it comes to climate change, human beings tend to focus on how it affects us. But how is global warming impacting the wild world? At the next Secret Science Club, Adam Welz jumps off from his new book, The End of Eden, to examine the unexpected stories of animals across the globe and the ways they are coping—or not—with the “climate breakdown” and “global weirding.”

Combining firsthand reportage and insights from cutting-edge research, Adam Welz takes us from the Mojave Desert in California to the kelp forests of the Australian coastline… and brings us up close to creatures like parrots in Puerto Rico, cheetahs in Namibia, and moose in Maine as they struggle to survive changes to the environments in which they have evolved.

Before & After
--Mix up our Shock-tober cocktail & mocktail of the night, the "Creature Feature"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to wild & wonderful tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Adam Welz’s exquisitely written new book, The End of Eden: Wild Nature in the Age of Climate Breakdown

Adam Welz is a naturalist, conservation consultant, writer, photographer, and filmmaker whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Atlantic, Yale Environment 360, Time, and many other publications. He's a recipient of a Middlebury Fellowship in Environmental Journalism and currently lives in Cape Town with his wife, Sarah, and triplet daughters.

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 “Creature Feature” (created by the Secret Science Club experimental mixology lab)
Ingredients: 3 oz Apple Cider, 1½ - 2 oz Dark Rum, 2 oz Ginger Beer, 1 Slice Apple, 1 Cinnamon Stick
- Combine the apple cider and rum in a highball glass filled with ice cubes; stir
- Slowly add the ginger beer; stir again gently
- Garnish with a crisp, tart slice of apple and top off with a cinnamon stick
For a mocktail version: Skip the rum and change the measurements, using 4 oz of apple cider and 4 oz of ginger beer.

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

IN-PERSON @ THE DISCOVERY TANK ON PIER 57, Secret Science Club joins forces with Hudson River Park, Thursday, September 21 @ 6:30 PM, $10

We’re taking the plunge & heading into Manhattan!

SPECIAL EVENT! Secret Science Club teams up with Hudson River Park's "Ask a Scientist" to present an evening of hot-and-cold science

Thursday, September 21 @ 6:30PM, $10. (Reserve your tickets.)

Secret Science Club flows into Hudson River Park's brand-new Discovery Tank on beautiful Pier 57 for Climate Week NYC.

Atmospheric scientists Róisín Commane and Lauren Smalls-Mantey explore the strange weather & climate events we’ve been experiencing, how they are affecting NYC, as well as what we can do to protect ourselves, our urban environment, and our planet.

Before & After the Talks
--Check out the cool interactive exhibits & microscopes at the Discovery Tank!
--Stop by the pier’s blazin’ new food court “Market 57” with vendors curated by the James Beard Foundation!
--Groove to red-hot tunes in our “Ebb Tide Lounge”
--Imbibe thirst-quenching cocktails & mocktails
--Ask a scientist (or two!) about urban heat islands, wildfire smoke, intense rains & flooding, rising temperatures, the impact of green spaces and more!

Get $10 tickets here!

Róisín Commane is an assistant professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University and at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. She’s currently measuring greenhouse gases around New York City (and the Arctic) to understand more about the sources of emissions and their effect on air quality. Her most recent research explored how the city’s trees and greenery absorb a portion of NYC’s carbon emissions. Dr. Commane and her work have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Scientific American, and on the Weather Channel.

Lauren Smalls-Mantey is a senior environmental systems scientist for the Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy at NYC’s Department of Health, where she studies extreme heat and works on urban climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies that connect equity, green infrastructure, and human health. Previously Dr. Smalls-Mantey was the Urban Heat Resilience Project Manager for the NYC Parks Department’s “Cool Neighborhoods Initiative.” She and her work have been featured in the New York Times and Amsterdam News.

This program meets Thursday, September 21, 6:30PM at the Discovery Tank on Hudson River Park’s Pier 57. (The entrance to the pier is at the intersection of W. 15th St and 11th Ave in Manhattan.) Subway: A, C, E, L to 14th St/8th Ave; 1, 2, 3 to 14th St

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

NYC skyline image: NASA/Emma Howells

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

IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE, Secret Science Club presents Biologist Daniel Kronauer on Tuesday, July 25 @ 8PM, FREE!

Wild and wonderful…

Secret Science Club BUGS OUT with Biologist DANIEL KRONAUER

IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Tuesday, July 25, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

We humans are a ubiquitous, abundant, and social species. But there is one animal that has us beat. Scientists estimate that there are 20 quadrillion ants on Earth, or about 2.5 million ants for every human. And they are extremely gregarious little beasties, with social lives oddly reminiscent of our own. Strange, intriguing, and wildly successful, ants have been known to raise livestock and crops, wage war, and design architecturally stunning homes. And they’re very chatty.

At the next Secret Science Club, award-winning biologist & ant whisperer Daniel Kronauer explores the sophisticated social lives of ants. He asks:

-- Why are some animals social and others are not? What are the pros and cons of being a social species?

-- How are pheromones used by ants to communicate? (Imagine if, instead of speaking, humans exuded nuanced scents: a sniff of violet for “danger” or a whiff of vanilla for “dinnertime.”)

-- How do sisters in a colony divide up work and take on new roles, so that one turns into a diminutive caregiver, another grows the huge mandibles of a soldier, and another becomes an enormous queen?

-- Are ants in a colony like neurons in one big brain? How do ants make collective decisions?

-- How are social rules enforced in the ant world? Can ant society tell us anything about the human condition?

DANIEL KRONAUER is Stanley S. and Sydney R. Shuman Associate Professor and head of the Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior at The Rockefeller University. He is the recipient of numerous research awards, and his insect photography was recognized in the 2019 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. He is the author of the book, Army Ants: Nature’s Ultimate Social Hunters. The Kronauer lab has been in the news several times over the past year for a slew of new findings, including discovering that ants secrete and share a form of “ant milk” and the creation of the world’s first transgenic ants (with neurons that flash fluorescent green). The lab—which has over 100,000 ants in all stages of development in different colonies—is highly interdisciplinary, combining research in ecology, ethology, genetics, epigenetics, and neurobiology.

Before & After
-- Raise your glass (and your antennae) to “the little things that run the world” with our cocktail of the night, the Love Bug!
--Groove to six-legged tunes
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This ultra-social edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, July 25, 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!

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

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

Image credits: Daniel Kronauer: The Rockefeller University; Clonal raider ants tagged for individual behavioral tracking--the ants form a main "nest" cluster around larvae: (c) Daniel Kronauer

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 12 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents “STARSTRUCK” with astrophysicist & author Sarafina El-Badry Nance in conversation with Moiya McTier, FREE!

Prepare to Embrace the Unknown!

Secret Science Club Online presents STARSTRUCK with astrophysicist & author Sarafina El-Badry Nance in conversation with Moiya McTier

Join us live via ZOOM on WEDNESDAY, July 12 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

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

Sarafina El-Badry Nance is an astrophysicist and analog astronaut. She studies exploding stars at Berkeley and recently flew to "Mars,” to live in a Red Planet simulation on Mauna Loa.

Her passion is investigating outer space—but personal challenges have meant diving deep into what she calls the universe within herself.

In her early 20s, she discovered she had the BRCA genetic mutation, which carries an 87 percent chance of getting breast cancer. After researching her options, she made the decision to have a preventative double mastectomy.

While navigating the unknowns of outer space and her own inner universe, she has publicly shared her journey, becoming a powerful science communicator and women’s health advocate.

At the next Secret Science Club, Sarafina El-Badry Nance discusses her science-packed, inspirational new book, Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark with fellow astrophysicist Moiya McTier.

Sarafina El-Badry Nance is an Egyptian-American astrophysicist and author. She has been awarded fellowships by the National Science Foundation, and she and her work have been featured in the Discovery Channel’s How the Universe Works, National Geographic, San Francisco Chronicle, Refinery29, NPR’s Short Wave, and the BBC. She was named one of Forbes’ “30 Inspirational Women” and was on Forbes’ list of “30 Under 30” and the Arab American Foundation’s “40 Under 40.” She lives in Berkeley, California, with her partner and her dog, Comet.

Moiya McTier is an astrophysicist, folklorist, author, and science communicator. She is the author of The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy, and the host and producer of “Exolore,” a podcast that explores fictional world-building through the lens of science. Dr. McTier has consulted with companies like Disney and PBS on their fictional worlds, helped design exhibits for the New York Hall of Science, and given hundreds of talks about science around the globe (including features on MSNBC and NPR). When she's not researching space or imagining new worlds, she can likely be found at home in New York City, watching trashy reality TV with her cat, Kosmo.

Before & After
--Mix up our starry-eyed cocktail & mocktail, the "Sublime Universe"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to out-of-this-world tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Sarafina El-Badry Nance’s amazing new book Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark

This is a FREE event.

What's next at Secret Science Club?
We will be in-person at the Bell House in Brooklyn on Tuesday, July 25, with biologist Daniel Kronauer. 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 “Sublime Universe” (created by Joe Cacciola/Mixologist)
Ingredients: 3 oz White Wine (Pinot Grigio), ½ oz Simple Syrup**, ¼-inch Slice of a Peeled Cucumber, Juice of ½ Lime, 1 Mint Leaf, and a Sprig of Mint (for garnish)
- In a bar glass, add the slice of cucumber, mint leaf, and lime juice; then with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, muddle well (until completely combined)
- Add the wine and stir well
- Double strain (to catch all the cucumber seeds) into a wine glass filled with ice
- Garnish with a sprig of mint
** Quick Simple Syrup Recipe
- Put 1 part water and 1 part sugar in a bar shaker, shake for one minute, let settle, and then shake again to a slow count of ten.
*** (For a mocktail version, substitute white grape juice for the wine and the simple syrup is 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: Tuesday, June 13 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Biologist & Author Danna Staaf on “Nursery Earth: The Wondrous Lives of Baby Animals & the Extraordinary Ways They Shape Our World,” FREE!

Oh, baby! Secret Science Club Online presents Danna Staaf & Nursery Earth

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, June 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)

Puppies, kittens, chicks—they’re frankly irresistible. But baby animals can be bizarre too. Some developing creatures go through radical metamorphoses on the way to adulthood. A few baby species are comparatively huge, much larger than their adult selves. Other babies are carnivorous, yet become vegetarians as grown-ups.

At the next Secret Science Club, biologist Danna Staaf jumps off from her new book Nursery Earth to explore the myriad, mysterious, and fascinating ways young animals survive and develop. From cygnet to swan, puggle to platypus, caterpillar to moth, tadpole to frog—she celebrates the strange, wondrous world of baby animals.

Before & After
--Mix up our honking-good cocktail & mocktail of the night, the "Gosling"… (recipe is below!)
--Groove to wild tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Danna Staaf’s awesome new book, Nursery Earth: The Wondrous Lives of Baby Animals & the Extraordinary Ways They Shape Our World

Danna Staaf earned a PhD in invertebrate biology from Stanford University and has been studying marine animals for decades. Her first book, Monarchs of the Sea: The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods, was named one of the best science books of 2017 by NPR’s Science Friday. Her writing has been featured in Science, Atlas Obscura, and Nautilus, and her research has appeared in the Journal of Experimental Biology, Aquaculture, as well as in numerous textbooks. She lives with her family in Northern California.

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 “Gosling” (created by the Secret Science Club experimental mixology lab)
Ingredients: 4 oz Ginger Beer, 2 oz Dark Rum, Juice of ½ Lime, 3 Dashes of Angostura Bitters, Slice of Candied Ginger, and Luxardo Cherry
- Pour the ginger beer into a highball glass filled with ice cubes
- Slowly add the rum, followed by a good squeeze of lime and the bitters
- Stir gently and top off with a slice of candied ginger and a Luxardo cherry
For a mocktail version: Replace the rum with pineapple or passion fruit juice and skip the bitters.

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

***POSTPONED*** IN-PERSON @ THE WETLAB ON PIER 40, Secret Science Club joins forces with Hudson River Park, Thursday, June 8 @ 6:30 PM, $10

Folks, we are sorry to announce that our June 8 event at the Hudson River Park Wetlab has been cancelled due to the poor air-quality conditions and smoke from Canadian wildfires that is impacting NYC. We will reschedule at a future date.

We’re taking the plunge & heading into Manhattan!

SPECIAL EVENT! Secret Science Club joins forces with Hudson River Park's "Ask a Scientist" to present an all-aquatic evening in Lower Manhattan

Thursday, June 8 @ 6:30PM, $10. (Reserve your tickets.)

Secret Science Club flows into Hudson River Park's Wetlab on beautiful Pier 40 to explore some of the most mysterious marine animals living in our waters.

Biologists Melina Giakoumis and Lalitha Jayant dive into the strange, fascinating, and spiny lives of echinoderms (sea stars! sea urchins!) 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 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 cocktails & mocktails
--Ask a scientist (or two!) about your favorite Hudson River species

Get $10 tickets here!

Melina Giakoumis is the associate director of the Institute for Comparative Genomics at the American Museum of Natural History. She studies sea stars in the North Atlantic Ocean, and the causes of sea star population declines. She recently earned her PhD in biology, with a focus on Ecology, Evolutionary Biology & Behavior, from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. She uses genomics and field research to understand the evolutionary history, population dynamics and future distributional changes in intertidal communities and is passionate about science communication & education.

Lalitha Jayant is a professor of cell and molecular biology at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. She works with the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus and marine bacteria associated with this species. One of her research projects involves extending the shelf-life of sea urchin eggs for laboratory use using liposomes. Given the limited life span of isolated eggs from L. variegatus, one aim of this work has been to make sea urchin gametes more readily available and useful for developmental research and for class experiments in biology labs.

This program meets Thursday, June 8, 6:30PM at the 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.

IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE, Secret Science Club presents Biologist & Circadian Rhythm Researcher Orie Shafer on Monday, May 15 @ 8PM, FREE!

Synchronize your watches! We’re about to explore the mysteries of circadian rhythms…

Secret Science Club presents Biological Clock Researcher Orie Shafer

IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, May 15, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

We all have biological clocks embedded in our minds & bodies. So how do they work?

At the next Secret Science Club, we’re exploring circadian rhythms with chronobiologist and neuroscientist Orie Shafer. He asks:

-- How do circadian rhythms guide everything from sleep to digestion to daily changes in body temperature?

-- How accurate is our biological clock and what can knock it off-kilter?

-- Where in the body is the biological clock located?

-- Do early birds and night owls have different circadian rhythms? What is social jet lag?

Before & After
--Try our fastidiously measured cocktail of the night, the “Right on Time”
--Groove to syncopated tunes (as we rock around the clock)
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

ORIE SHAFER is a professor of biology at the Advanced Science Research Center at the City University of New York. He studies the neurobiological basis of circadian clocks, the molecular time-keeping mechanisms that orchestrate rhythmic behaviors, such as sleeping and waking. His research employs genetic, physiological, imaging, and behavioral methods to understand how neural networks create a robust yet resettable circadian rhythm, and he is particularly interested in how biological clocks operate when challenged by the unreliability of the modern-day light environment.

This up-to-the-minute edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, May 15, 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!

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

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

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 25 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Sleep Researcher Gina Poe, FREE!

Sweet dreams! Secret Science Club presents Sleep Researcher Gina Poe

Join us live via Zoom on Tuesday, April 25 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM 

Here's how to sign up: 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 Gina Poe uncovers the mysteries of a good night’s sleep. She asks:

- What is the architecture of a good night’s sleep? And what are the purposes of the different phases of sleep?

- What is the brain working on when you’re sleeping? How is sleep involved in learning, memory, and the processing of emotions?

- Why is it so important to go to bed at the same time every night? We’ve all heard about R.E.M. sleep, but what’s so special about the first 20 minutes of sleep?

- What are the connections between sleep disturbances and mental health? How does sleeping and dreaming rejuvenate our minds, bodies, and memories?

Gina Poe is a neuroscientist, professor in the department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and the Eleanor Leslie Chair in Innovative Brain Research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In her lab, she focuses on the role of sleep in learning and memory consolidation, as well as sleep’s role in mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction recovery, and depression.

Before & After
--Mix up our soothing, sleepy-time cocktail of the night, the "Dream Weaver"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to rock lullabies and other dreamy 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 “Dream Weaver” (suggested by our speaker and created by the Secret Science Club experimental mixology lab)
Ingredients: 6 oz Milk (any kind you like); 1 oz Amaretto, Baileys Irish Cream, or Kahlúa; 1 tsp Honey; 2 to 3 dashes Vanilla Extract; a pinch of Ground Cinnamon
- On the stove, gently warm the milk in a saucepan over low-to-medium heat (but do not let milk simmer or boil)
- Pour the warm milk into your favorite mug
- Add honey, vanilla, and alcohol—and stir until combined
- Top off with a sprinkling of cinnamon
For a mocktail version: Skip the alcohol, and add a little extra warm milk and honey to taste.

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: SUNDAY, April 2 @ 2PM, Secret Science Club presents “Science & the Information Epidemic” with Psychologist Sander van der Linden and Disease Detective Seema Yasmin, FREE!

This Sunday afternoon! Join us for a brunch-time Zoom event…

LIVE ONLINE! Secret Science Club presents "Science & the Information Epidemic" with social psychologist Sander van der Linden and disease detective Seema Yasmin

Join us live via ZOOM on SUNDAY, April 2 @ 2PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 1:30PM 

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

Misinformation campaigns—designed to recruit, sell, influence, manipulate, engage (or enrage)—are not a new phenomenon. But in recent years, content that is false or misleading seems to have metastasized. In an era of information overload, is it possible we are losing the ability to separate fact from fiction?

At the next Secret Science Club, psychologist Sander van der Linden and disease detective Seema Yasmin explain why our brains are so vulnerable to misinformation, how it spreads like a virus across social networks, and what we can do to inoculate ourselves and others.

THE SPEAKERS

Sander van der Linden is professor of social psychology in society at the University of Cambridge and director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab. His research examines how people process (mis)information, how it spreads in online networks, and what behavioral interventions we can design to counter it at-scale. He co-developed the award-winning fake news game, Bad News, which has been played by millions of people around the world, and he regularly advises governments, social media companies, and the World Health Organization on fighting misinformation. He and his research have been featured in the New York Times, Wired, and Rolling Stone and on NPR and the BBC. His new book - Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity - was published in March.

Seema Yasmin is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, medical doctor, professor and author. She is director of the Stanford Health Communication Initiative, clinical assistant professor in Stanford University’s Department of Medicine, and visiting professor at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA where she teaches crisis management and communications. Previously, she served as an officer in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her scholarly work focuses on the spread of health misinformation and disinformation, the growth of medical and news deserts, and the impact on public health. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Scientific American, and Rolling Stone, and she regularly appears on CNN. Her most recent book is What the Fact?! Finding the Truth in All the Noise.

Before & After
--Mix up our sneaky cocktail & mocktail, the "Sweet Persuasion"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to strangely alluring tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag copies of our speakers’ awesome new books! You can order Sander van der Linden's Foolproof here and Seema Yasmin's What the Fact?! 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

(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 “Sweet Persuasion” (created by the Secret Science Club Experimental Mixology Lab)
Ingredients: 2 oz Grapefruit Juice, 2 oz Orange Juice, 4 oz Prosecco or Sparkling Rosé, 1 dash Rose Water, Raspberries (for garnish)
- Combine chilled juices and rose water in a wine glass, and stir
- Slowly top off with well-chilled sparkling wine
- Garnish with raspberries and your favorite spring flower
** (For a mocktail version, substitute lemon-lime seltzer or Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa for the sparkling 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.