SECRET SCIENCE CLUB @ THE DISCOVERY TANK ON PIER 57, Thursday, February 6 @ 6:30 PM, $10

THE INVISIBLE REVEALED! Secret Science Club teams up with Hudson River Park's "Ask a Scientist" in Manhattan to present the hidden world of microbes

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

Secret Science Club flows into Hudson River Park's “Discovery Tank” on gorgeous Pier 57 to explore little-known microscopic organisms and their outsized impact on our city, waterways, and world.

While it may seem too early for spring in NYC, one of the first signs of the season is the late-winter “plankton bloom” in the Hudson River. As more sunlight reaches the water, photosynthesizing microorganisms—such as diatoms and dinoflagellates—begin to “blossom,” forming the base of the aquatic food chain and turning the river just a bit green.

On a global scale, phytoplankton produce half the world’s oxygen—and blooms can get so large that they can be seen from space. Of course, sometimes there’s too much of a good thing, and harmful plankton blooms can overwhelm local ecosystems or even be dangerous to people. Environmental scientists closely monitor how these mighty microorganisms interact with changing conditions.

Join us with Brooklyn College’s Theodore Muth and Joaquim Goes from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory as we explore the wild world of microbes—in our estuary and around the globe!

Before & After the Talks
--Check out the cool microscopes and interactive exhibits at the Discovery Tank

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

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

--Imbibe tasty beers & soft drinks

--Ask a scientist (or two!) about our local microbiome, DNA barcoding, the “FlowCam,” what we can do to protect our waterways, and more!

Get $10 tickets here (drinks included!)

Joaquim Goes is a Lamont Research Professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. His research focuses on the physiology and productivity of marine phytoplankton, carbon cycling in the sea, how ocean ecosystems and plankton are responding to climate change, and microplastics in aquatic ecosystems. He works with NASA’s PACE satellite which is deployed to study ocean health and identify types of phytoplankton blooming in the world’s oceans. Dr. Goes works to “sea truth” the satellite’s findings by conducting research cruises and deploying new technologies in waters from the Bay of Bengal to Long Island Sound.

Theodore Muth is a biologist and professor at CUNY’s Brooklyn College, where he researches urban microbes and microbiomes in our soils, waterways and even on subways. He and his lab are currently diving deep into the waters of the lower Hudson River estuary, unlocking the hidden stories of its bacterial communities. By sequencing these microbial populations, they are not only tracking water quality but also uncovering a fascinating connection between microplastics and the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs). Their research sheds light on the unseen impacts of pollution and offers crucial insights into the health of our waterways.

This program meets Thursday, February 6, 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!

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, January 22 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club presents Social Psychologist & Author Kurt Gray on "OUTRAGED”

Secret Science Club Online presents Social Psychologist & Author Kurt Gray on polarization, outrage, and the science of finding common ground, FREE!

Join us live via ZOOM on WEDNESDAY, January 22 @ 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)

These are polarizing times, and it’s easy to assume that people with different beliefs and political leanings have different moral foundations.

However, in his timely new book—Outraged, Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground—social psychologist Kurt Gray argues that, when it comes to the brain, we all have the same moral minds. Our positions on big issues may be radically opposed, but our moral judgments stem from the same instinct, a desire to protect ourselves and those we care about from harm.

So why can’t we all just get along? Conflict and outrage arise when we have different perceptions about who needs to be protected (i.e. who the “real” victim is), whether we’re talking about political issues, fights with our in-laws, or arguments on the playground.

In this fascinating and insightful tour of our moral minds, Kurt Gray unpacks strategies for bridging social and personal divides, understanding how social media is fueling the era of outrage, and dealing with stress in these polarizing times.

Before & After
-- Mix up our cocktail & mocktail of the evening, the "Group Hug"… (recipe below!)
--Groove to synapse-stimulating tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Kurt Gray's critically acclaimed new book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground

KURT GRAY is a Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. With over 120 published scientific papers, he explores the psychology of morality, politics, religion and AI. Gray is the recipient of numerous early-career and best paper awards, and his findings have been featured in the New Yorker, New York Times, Economist, Scientific American, Wired, and Hidden Brain.

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 “Group Hug” (created by the Secret Science Club Experimental Mixology Lab)
Ingredients: 1 cup Whole Milk, 2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1 tbsp Sugar (or more to taste), 2 oz Baileys Irish Cream
- Pour milk into a small saucepan on stovetop over low-to-medium heat
- Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar, and continue whisking until hot (but don’t let it boil)
- Pour hot chocolate into a mug and add Bailey’s
** (For a mocktail version, just skip the Irish cream.)

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