November 26, 2012

ALERT! SANDY BENEFIT FOR NY AQUARIUM STAFF DEVASTATED BY STORM. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27.

Hey, science friends. As many of you know, the NY Aquarium was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy. Many aquarium staff also lost their homes and belongings to the storm, while they tirelessly protected the sea animals in their care. One of them was shark researcher Hans Walters who gave an amazing talk at the Secret Science Club during Shark Week in August. You can help him and his colleagues recover—and thank them for defending the aquarium—at a super-fintastic fundraiser Tuesday, November 27, 6:30 to 9:30 pm at Irish Exit in Manhattan, 978 2nd Ave (between 51st and 52nd). A $15 cover gets you half-price drinks and $5 appetizers. Zookeeper James Gottlieb of the Prospect Park Zoo will be guest bartending—and he’s donating all his tips to the cause! 

Find out more or make a donation here: http://nyaqfundraiser.wordpress.com/

November 15, 2012

Tuesday, November 20, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE! The Secret Science Club presents
the "Science of Sandy and Extreme Weather"
with Atmospheric Scientist Adam Sobel

On October 29, Hurricane Sandy morphed into an epic Frankenstorm that annihilated coastal neighborhoods in New York and New Jersey and sent the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson and East rivers, and Gowanus Canal pouring into our homes, businesses, and critical urban infrastructure.

Climate scientist and physicist Adam Sobel of Columbia University and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory joins the Secret Science Club to discuss the science of Sandy and extreme weather. He asks: 
--How did Sandy evolve into a superstorm and why was it so devastating? Are more powerful hurricanes and megastorms the new norm?
--What meteorological models and techniques were used to project Sandy’s destructive path? What do we need to know in order to be better prepared?
--How will climate change affect forecasting, sea levels, urban storm surge models, and future weather events?

Dr. Sobel is an atmospheric scientist and professor at Columbia University in the departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics. He specializes in the dynamics of climate and weather, particularly in the tropics, on time scales of days to decades. He is author or co-author of more than 85 peer-reviewed articles and has received the Meisinger Award from the American Meteorological Society and the Excellence in Mentoring Award from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. He is a featured scientist on this week’s PBS NOVA Special Presentation: Inside the Megastorm, airing Sun, Nov 18 at 7 pm and Wed, Nov 21 at 9 pm.

Before & After
--Try our balmy cocktail of the night, the Gentle Breeze
--Sway to temperate tunes
--Don’t miss the clement Q&A!

This edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, November 20, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Subway: F or G to 4th Ave.

No cover. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+

November 7, 2012

The Secret Science Club hosts the Imagine Science Film Festival and a NIGHT OF SCI-TASTIC CINEMA @ the Bell House, Wed., Nov. 14, 8PM, FREE!

The Secret Science Club is teaming up with the Imagine Science Film Festival for “Controlled Experiments,” a night of science-inspired short films!

Animation. Documentary. Music Video. Live Experiments! Don’t miss some of the Imagine Science Film Festival’s trippiest, coolest, most futuristic entries from around the Universe including Locus Solus, Flutter, Insane in the Chromatophores, The Whiskey Water Trick, SpacePart12, Microscopic Opera, and much more!

Before & After
--Try our animated cocktail of the night, the Zoetrope
--Groove to cinematic sounds
--Board the BioBus outside the Bell House, talk to researchers, and peer into microscopes
--Plus! A live experiment/performance by filmmaker/provocateur Luis Nieto… science meets the surreal.

The Secret Science Club hosts the Imagine Science Film Festival on Wednesday, November 14, 8 pm @ 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.

FREE! Doors open at 7:30 PM. Please bring ID: 21+

The Imagine Science Film Festival runs from November 8 to 16 at venues all over NYC. Visit here for a complete schedule of films.

ALERT: VOLUNTEERS/DONATIONS STILL NEEDED FOR
POST-SANDY EMERGENCY RELIEF
Hey, science peeps, help is still urgently needed to get supplies and services to folks stranded in shelters, unheated homes, and high-rise buildings without electricity or running water. Here are two awesome local groups that are mobilizing volunteers, making meals, accepting and transporting supplies, and posting immediate needs on their sites. Check them out! And thanks...