Superstar-of-Science Lecture on Wednesday, September 5 at 8 pm

NOBEL-PRIZE-WINNING BIOLOGICAL WARRIOR HAROLD VARMUS @ THE SECRET SCIENCE CLUB's 1st ANNIVERSARY
The co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking research on the genetic origins of cancer, Dr. Harold Varmus lectures on:

• why he left the study of literature to become a doctor
• the future of cancer research
• making the world’s scientific literature more easily available through public digital libraries and open access journals. (Check out the Public Library of Science at http://www.plos.org/ !)

As current president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, and long-time professor of microbiology, biochemistry, and biophysics, Dr. Varmus has advanced fundamental scientific knowledge and grappled with one of medicine's most formidable challenges.

Referring to Beowulf, Dr. Varmus has said of his scientific journey: "In our adventures, we have . . . seen our monster more clearly and described his scales and fangs in new ways—ways that reveal a cancer cell to be, like Grendel, a distorted version of our normal selves."

Want to find out what Charles Dickens and Lives of a Cell have in common? Or what causes cancers and how the search for answers can lead to treatments? Don't miss this special anniversary lecture!

BEFORE AND AFTER
Groove to science-inspired tunes, check out the self-replicating bio-video, stick around for the Q&A, and don't forget to sample the Secret Science Club's Libation of the Night: the Scientific Method . . .

The "Secret Science Club" meets Wed., September 5th at 8 p.m. (and the first Wednesday night of every month) in the basement @ Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, p: 718.638.4400 Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic

No cover charge. Just bring your smart self.

Doors open at 7:30. LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE.

It’s Hot, Hot, Hot at the Secret Science Club on Wednesday, August 1

GLOBAL WARMING EXPERT WILLIAM SCHLESINGER HEATS UP THE JOINT AT 8 PM
One of the nation’s most prominent scientists on the subject of climate change and the new president of the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, biogeochemist William Schlesinger lectures on the “role and response of forests in a future warmer world.”

The author or co-author of over 180 scientific papers, Dr. Schlesinger has been investigating the link between environmental chemistry and global climate change for over 30 years.

Dr. Schlesinger asks: Is the human species on a collision course with Earth? How does global warming affect different ecosystems? How much CO2 can the world’s forests actually hold? And what can we do to reduce our impact on the environment?

BEFORE AND AFTER
Groove to low-impact tunes, check out environmental video, stick around for the Q&A, and don’t forget to sample the Secret Science Club’s Eco-Cocktail of the Night: the Climate Cooler . . .

The “Secret Science Club” meets Wed., August 1st at 8 p.m. (and the first Wednesday night of every month) in the basement @ Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, p: 718.638.4400 Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic

No cover charge. Just bring your smart self.

Doors open at 7:30. Come early to get a seat!

Wednesday, July 11, The Secret Science Club Presents "And Just Remember This . . ."

NOBEL-PRIZE-WINNING NEUROSCIENTIST ERIC KANDEL AT 8 PM
Learning—the act of creating new memories and new synaptic connections—changes the very nature of our brains. Every conversation alters brain chemistry. So what will happen after an evening with Eric Kandel, one of the living icons of neuroscience? Your mind will be BLOWN!

Professor at Columbia University, senior investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the author of In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind, Eric Kandel received his Nobel Prize in 2000 for helping to “crack open the secrets of the neuron” and radically improving our understanding of the brain.

He discusses: Do memories make us who we are? How is our psychology linked to our biology? How do you study self-awareness? What mechanism causes memories to last a lifetime? How can we overcome diseases that affect the human mind? And why is the humble sea slug, Aplysia, his mascot?

Strengthen those synapses! Don’t miss this brain-boggling night . . .

POST-LECTURE BOOK SIGNING, SILENT SCI-FI, AND SCIENCE MINGLE
There’s more! Purchase Dr. Kandel’s unforgettable new book—and have him sign it! Stick around for brain food, memorable tunes, and neurally inspired video.

--Cocktail alert! Enjoy the Brainy Libation of the Night—“Amnesiac Punch”—an experimental potion that will realign your neural architecture . . .

The “Secret Science Club” meets July 11th at 8 p.m. in the basement @ Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, p: 718.638.4400 Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic
No cover charge. Just bring your smart self.

Doors open at 7:30 pm!

Note: The Secret Science Club is meeting the SECOND Wednesday of this month.

The Secret Science Club presents "Moon Madness & Martian Mayhem" on Wednesday, June 6

SPACE SCIENTIST ED BELBRUNO LAUNCHES INTO ORBIT AT 8 PM
Don’t miss this wild trip . . . get into your rocket and ride!

In 1990, astrophysicist Ed Belbruno was fired from the prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He and his ideas—unstable chaos, low-fuel space travel, and “fuzzy boundary theory”—just seemed too far out. But then a JPL colleague unexpectedly came knocking on Belbruno’s door. A lunar spacecraft named Hiten had gone off course. It had barely any fuel left. Could Belbruno help? His “far out” theory was then used to guide Hiten safely to the Moon and rescue the entire mission.

Today, Belbruno is planning new routes into the cosmos. A visiting research collaborator in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University, the president of Innovative Orbital Design, and the author of Fly Me to the Moon: An Insider’s Guide to the New Science of Space Travel, Dr. Belbruno will discuss the future of space flight, Lagrangian points, and how painting a picture in the style of Van Gogh helped him find a new way to reach the moon.

POST-LECTURE MIXER AND SCIENCE SOIREE
But wait . . . there’s more! Stick around for a book signing, space-age videos, Moon and Martian snacks, and groovy tunes inspired by Sputnik and moon rocks!

--Enjoy the Lunar Libation of the Night, the Moonraker, a dangerous little cocktail that will have you counting down for mercy . . .

The “Secret Science Club” meets June 6th at 8 p.m. in the basement @ Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, p: 718.638.4400 Web: unionhallny.com
Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic

No cover charge. Just bring your smart self.

Wednesday, May 2, The Secret Science Club Presents "Aural Reports: Frogs That Rap and Glass That Sings"

BIOLOGIST DARCY KELLEY LECTURES ON FUNKY FROG CALLS AND ANIMAL COMMUNICATION, 8 PM
Birds do it, bees do it—even frogs with claws in South Africa do it! Take a wild tour of brain science with Columbia University neurobiologist Darcy Kelley as she probes the courtship songs of Xenopus frogs—including “rapping.”

Have you ever wondered how male and female animals find each other, and what pick-up lines they use? Kelley’s research examines sexual strategies and the fascinating (and feisty!) world of animal communication.

SOUND ARTIST KATIE DOWN AND HER GLASS MENAGERIE, 9:15 PM
Composer and improviser Katie Down creates a sight-and-sound sensation. Echoing, ringing, buzzing, and tinkling, her silica-based instruments include a crystallophone made of wine goblets, glass tubes and bells, fish bowls, and an all-glass glockenspiel. Katie Down will be joined by artists Caleb Burhans on viola and voice, Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, and dancer Rachel Bernsen.

--Before: Groove to tunes inspired by bullfrogs and peepers!

--Imbibe the Libation of the Night, the Croak-a-rita, a little green cocktail that will have you contacting your mate via frog song …

The “Secret Science Club” meets May 2nd at 8 p.m. (and the first Wednesday night of every month) in the basement @ Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, p: 718.638.4400
Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic

** Secret Science Club Goes BAM! on Saturday, April 21 **

Union Hall’s Secret Science Club is
Blasting off to the Brooklyn Academy of Music [BAM] for a science soirée and concert of INTERGALACTIC dimensions.

Saturday, April 21
Union Hall’s “Secret Science Club,” the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and The Onion present:
A Night of Cosmic Delights

A performance of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” — accompanied by the New York premiere of exclusive NASA footage—is launched in BAM’s mothership of an opera house by the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The Secret Science Club is onboard with a pre-concert soirée, featuring free cosmic brew and a chance to “Ask the Astrophysicist.” Price: $25. Call (718) 488-5913 for tickets--and don't forget to use the "Secret Science Club" password!

Pre-concert astronomy soirée, sponsored by The Onion, at 7 p.m.
Grab yourself a rocket-fueled libation, and ask our resident astrophysicist questions like “What is dark matter?” and “Why is Pluto no longer a planet.” Impress your friends and rub elbows with the stars.. Free "Moonshot" and "Edison" beers, courtesy of The Onion and New Century Brewing! Spacey door prizes will be awarded . . .

Ride into Symphonic Space with the Brooklyn Philharmonic at 8 p.m.
Strap on your jetpack and head into orbit with Gustav Holst’s symphonic suite “The Planets”—accompanied by exclusive, big-screen images of space provided by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. An astronomer narrates your celestial trip. The inter-planetary itinerary includes: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and beyond!

Also on the bill: the Kronos Quartet joins the Brooklyn Philharmonic for the New York premiere of Julia Wolfe’s My Beautiful Scream. And the philharmonic lifts Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis into the celestial realm! Don’t miss this ultrasonic ride to the edge . . .

Post-Concert Discussion
Brooklyn Philharmonic guest conductor Stefan Asbury, composer Julia Wolfe, and members of the Kronos Quartet join forces to discuss the concert—and take on questions from the audience.

Price: $25, includes a ticket to the concert in the opera house’s best available seats, entrance to the Secret Science Club pre-concert soiree with FREE rocket-fueled brew, and the opportunity to display your “geek chic” badge of honor. LIMITED AVAILABILITY. Don’t let the mothership leave without you.

How to get tickets: Just call the BP Patrons Services line at (718) 488-5913 and identify yourself as a secret science intergalactic party creature!

Where: This special edition of the Secret Science Club meets at 7 p.m. at the BAMCafe in the Peter J. Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. The concert starts at 8 p.m. in the Howard Gilman Opera House in the Peter J. Sharp Building.

Getting to BAM: By Subway: 2,3,4,5, B, D, M, N, R, Q to Atlantic/Pacific; or the G to Fulton.
Visit www.bam.org/visitor/direction.aspx for a neighborhood map, driving directions, parking information, and other ways to get to BAM.

For information: contact BP Patrons Services at (718) 488-5913

The Union Hall Secret Science Club is a free monthly series featuring science lectures and musical guests, held on the first Wednesday of every month at Union Hall—“Brooklyn’s Best Nerd Bar”—at 702 Union St. This special event on April 21 takes the Secret Science Club “up the road and down Flatbush Avenue” to the Brooklyn Academy of Music. For more information about the Secret Science Club, check out our new Myspace page at www.myspace.com/secretscienceclub

One of the nation's premier music ensembles, The Brooklyn Philharmonic continues to celebrate its vital presence in the cultural life of the New York metropolitan area. The Philharmonic is devoted to serving Brooklyn's cultural and educational communities through partnerships with New York City's Department of Education, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn Public Library and Brooklyn Academy of Music, among other organizations. For the past five decades, the Brooklyn Philharmonic has played a leading role in presenting innovative and thematic programming, receiving 21 ASCAP Awards over the last 25 years for "Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music." Since its 1954 inception, audiences have embraced the Brooklyn Philharmonic's commitment to the concept of the orchestra as a contemporary performance ensemble, emphasizing important present-day music, as in the decades of Beethoven and Brahms. The Philharmonic has premiered over 350 works, including 61 commissions.

The Secret Science Club presents "A Nocturnal Garden Party" on Wednesday, April 4

GERRY MOORE LECTURES ON "THE SECRET BOTANICAL LIFE OF NYC" AT 8 P.M.
Ready to photosynthesize? Explore the weird and wonderful world of plants—especially those that thrive in our overbuilt, human-dominated landscape—with Gerry Moore, director of science for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. While other botanists are swinging through the rain forest canopy in Amazonia, Dr. Moore and his colleagues at the BBG’s “New York Metropolitan Flora Project” tromp through abandoned train yards, vacant lots, and traffic islands—on a quest for NYC’s botanical strivers and survivors.

Is this city nothing but steel and pavement? Nein! We’re gushing with biodiversity. Put a nosegay in your buttonhole, and prepare for FLOWER POWER!

GO OUT ON A LIMB WITH SINGER/SONGWRITER LEE FELDMAN AT 9:30 P.M.
“Imagine if Charlie Brown made pop records….” and that he lived in the concrete jungle. That’s the sweet, poignant, and satisfying sound of Lee Feldman. Creative wordplay, walking on the Williamsburg Bridge, cicadas, subways, and two-dimensional superheroes—are all inspirations for Feldman’s subversively catchy melodies.

Lee Feldman’s most recent CD “I’ve Forgotten Everything” has been proclaimed “unlike anything else in contemporary pop.” And Feldman’s rock musical “Starboy” has been called “simple and direct, and smile-inducing…. a trippy experience.” Don’t miss this musical night-bloomer and his florally enhanced digital piano!

--Imbibe the Aromatic Cocktails of the Night: the walloping “Planter’s Punch” and the deadly “Black Dahlia”

--Before: Groove to tunes inspired by pistils and stamens!

The “Secret Science Club” meets April 4th at 8 p.m. (and the first Wednesday night of every month) in the basement @ Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn. p: 718.638.4400. Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic.

No cover. Just bring your own smart self.

A Night of Cosmic Mayhem with Neil deGrasse Tyson and "Starboy" on Wednesday, March 7

NEIL deGRASSE TYSON LECTURES ON OUR AWESOME (AND SCARY) UNIVERSE AT 8 P.M.
Is the universe cuddly and friendly? NO! It’s full of “monstrous gamma-ray bursts, deadly pulsars, matter-crushing gravitational fields, [and] matter-hungry black holes that flay their bloated stellar neighbors.”

The author of Death By Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson embarks on an interstellar journey to explore quasars, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, AND what will happen if you fly your spaceship too close to a black hole.

Dr. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium, host of PBS’s Nova: scienceNOW, and current chair of the Planetary Society, originally founded by Carl Sagan. He is also the “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive,” according to People magazine,

"STARBOY": AN ANIMATED ROCK MUSICAL AT 9:30 P.M.
In composer/musician Lee Feldman’s “Starboy,” a two-dimensional superhero from a dying outer-space world falls in love with a three-dimensional girl. Starboy zaps monsters, helps old ladies cross the street, and lives in an apartment with his uncle, “the mathematician.” Feldman’s songs are haunting, way past quirky, and strangely catchy. The chunky, colorful animation is by Joe Campbell.

--Before: Groove to tunes inspired by the cosmic ballet.

--Imbibe the Quantum Cocktail of the Night: the Big Bang—it will blow your mind.....

--Purchase copies of "Starboy" and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s best-selling new book.

The “Secret Science Club” meets Wednesday, March 7th at 8 p.m. (and the first Wednesday of every month) in the basement at @ Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn. p: 718.638.4400 Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic

NO COVER. JUST BRING YOUR OWN SMART SELF.

Cosmology and Unsolvable Mysteries

Union Hall’s “Secret Science Club” is back with more mind-bending lectures, chemical libations, and star-gazing sounds!! Wednesday, February 7th @ 7:30 pm Union Hall’s “Secret Science Club” presents:

Infinite Questions with physicist/astronomer Janna Levin and the music of Jane LeCroy and Transmitting
Buckle up, and journey into the cosmos with author and physicist Janna Levin, as she explores mathematics, literature, and the secrets of the universe. A professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College, Levin delves into the issues of madness and genius, transfinite arithmetic, chaos and curved spacetime, time warps, invisible strings, and naked singularities.

The author of A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines and How the Universe Got Its Spots, Levin asks: Is the universe infinite or just really big? Can there be a Theory of Everything? How do scientists of the past (notably logician Kurt Godel and code-breaker Alan Turing) help us understand key questions in physics? What is knowable? Don’t miss this brain-bending ride to the edge of human knowledge!

Then .... TRANSMITTING: The Words and Beat of the Universe
With songs about deep space and biology, TRANSMITTING was recently the band in residence at the Liberty Science Center. Led by poet and lead singer Jane LeCroy, TRANSMITTING features multi-instrumentalist Tom Abbs (upright bass, didgeridoo, firecrackers, tuba, and percussion toys) and the human beatboxer, Kid Lucky. TRANSMITTING’s funky and cosmic sound is complemented by a half set of improvisation, which incorporates questions and words from the audience.

--Before and in the Tweens: Groove to tunes inspired by the Cosmic Ballet!

--Imbibe the Libation of the Night, the “Time Warp,” and travel to another dimension.…

The “Secret Science Club” meets February 7th at 7:30 p.m. (and the first Wednesday night of every month) in the basement @ Union Hall.

Union Hall is at 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn p: 718.638.4400 Web: unionhallny.com Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic

Night of the Doppelganger with David Sulzer

By day, neurobiologist David Sulzer studies the intricate mechanisms of the brain. By night, his alter ego David Soldier composes music, runs his own record label and plumbs previously unexplored musical terrain…. Now for the first time, David Sulzer faces off with himself (David Soldier) on the Secret Science Club’s "Night of the Doppelganger"!

David Sulzer lectures on "The Neuroscience of the Soul"
In 3 lbs of gray matter lodged in our skulls, each of us houses 100 billion brain cells. Every thought, word, and deed is governed by complex electrochemical activities taking place in nanoseconds. But what about the brain makes each of us unique? At his lab at Columbia University, professor and neurobiologist David Sulzer is uncovering processes that have eluded scientists and philosophers alike. Don’t miss one microsecond!

David Soldier performs with the Spinozas
Composer Dave Soldier's new group, the Spinozas, explores and expands on seminal European pop traditions. Medieval poetry in Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, and ancient Spanish is blended with original music inspired by flamenco guitar, Middle Eastern percussion, salsa, and electronica.

According to the New York Times: "Double lives are usually led by spies and philanderers, not doctors and musicians. But David Sulzer[/Soldier] … is leading so many lives …that you have to wonder where he finds the time to be all the people he is."

Our dopamine-spiked cocktail of the night: the Mind Bender. http://www.sulzerlab.org/ http://mulatta.org/DaveSoldierHomePage.html

David Helfand and David Garland

Wednesday, December 6th @ 7 pm
Union Hall’s "Secret Science Club" Presents: A SPACE ODDITY!
Astronomer (and Earthling) David J. Helfand lectures on:
"Intelligent Life in the Universe??"

"Earth to Space. Earth to Space. Come in please … " So far no one’s answering. But recent advances in astronomy and biology have enhanced the ability of scientists to predict whether—despite the lack of contact—there is intelligent life beyond our own solar system.

Chair of the Department of Astronomy at Columbia University, David J. Helfand peers through a speculative telescope and asks: Are we alone? Or is the universe teeming with extraterrestrials? What kinds of planets might ETs live on? And what are the chances that these space folks are smarter than us Earthlings?

Then ... Blast Off to Art-Pop Planet with David Garland
The host of WNYC’s "Spinning on Air," David Garland rockets out of the broadcasting booth—with a 12-string guitar and a beguiling baritone. Called "a superb, crazily imaginative songwriter" by the Village Voice, Garland croons about cloud formations, birds, damnable dreams, natural history dioramas, love, and loss. Don’t miss this ethereal performance!

--Before and in the ’tweens: Groove to tunes and video inspired by little green men!

--Defy gravity with a "Cosmic-politan"—the Secret Science Club’s Cocktail of the Night.

Joseph LeDoux plus music by The Amygdaloids

A NIGHT OF MENTAL DISORDER

NYU neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux lectures on Fearful Brains in an Anxious World.
Followed by his band, The Amygdaloids, performing songs of mental disorder.
http://www.cns.nyu.edu/corefaculty/LeDoux.php
http://www.cns.nyu.edu/home/ledoux/

The Amygdaloids are:
Tyler Volk, Environmental Scientist (Lead Guitar)
Joe LeDoux, Neuroscientist (Guitar)
Nina Galbraith Curley, Psychologist(Bass)
Daniela Schiller, Neuroscientist (Drums)
http://www.cns.nyu.edu/home/ledoux/Amygdaloids/Amygdaloids.htm

Joseph LeDoux's 2 popular books are:
LeDoux, J.E. (1996) The Emotional Brain. New York, Simon and Schuster.
LeDoux J.E. (2002) Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are. New York, Viking.

Molecular Biologist Lee Silver and Musician Bradford Reed

Wednesday, October 4th @ 7 pm
Union Hall’s “Secret Science Club” Presents: Night of the Chimera

Molecular Biologist Lee Silver lectures on the Mysterious World of Biotechnology

Step into the future. Biologist and Princeton professor, Lee Silver delves into the world of human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and genetically modified organisms—from dinosaur-like creatures to pigs growing human limbs.

The author of Challenging Nature and Remaking Eden, Silver asks: “Does genetic engineering trespass into hallowed zones where mere mortals dare not tread? Are we headed for some freaky Futurama or Brave New World—and if so, what are we afraid of?” Science, religion, pseudoscience, and politics collide!

Then...
Composer Bradford Reed fights and tames a hybrid beast!
The “pencilina” is an electric 10-stringed instrument that arose from the musical mind of Bradford Reed. A cross between the hammer dulcimer, koto, and slide guitar, the pencilina is a true chimera with a whacked-out sonic palette. According to Smithsonian, when Reed plays the pencilina—striking it with sticks, plucking, and bowing—he “sounds like Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Rich playing ‘Dueling Banjos.’” Or Anton Karas meeting Metallica. It’s freaky fantastic.

--Before and in the Tweens: Groove to tunes and video inspired by Deoxyribonucleic Acid!

--Imbibe the Beastly Brew of the Night: the futuristic “Chimera,” a strange blend

The “Secret Science Club” meets the first Wednesday of every month in the basement @ Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn. p: 718.638.4400 Web: unionhallny.com Subway: R to Union St.; F to 4th Ave.; Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic

No cover. Just bring your own smart self.