The Secret Science Club recommends . . .

Check out this cerebral event: The Neuroscience of the Groove!

Neuroscientists Dave Sulzer (a.k.a. composer Dave Soldier) and John Krakauer discuss the brain activity that makes us groove to music. Krakauer co-directs Columbia University's Motor Performance Laboratory and Sulzer/Soldier investigates synaptic connections that underlie memory, learning, and behavior. This event features the premiere of Soldier's "Quartet for percussion and brain waves," a live performance/experiment with drummers and electroencephalographs. (And its sponsored by our pals at CUNY’s Science & the Arts program.)

When: Monday, March 24 at 6:30 pm

Where: CUNY Grad Center, 365 Fifth Avenue (at 34th Street), NYC

FREE!

Pre-registering holds your seat until 15 minutes before curtain; then seating is first come, first served. Pre-register by phone or email: 212-817-8215 or continuinged@gc.cuny.edu

March Madness! Union Hall's "Secret Science Club" Presents TWO Extraordinary Events

Nobel Prize-Winning Biologist Paul Nurse lectures on Wednesday, March 5 @ 8 pm.

British biochemist Paul Nurse has it ALL going on.
--Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his service to humanity
--Co-host of the science series on PBS’s Charlie Rose Show
-- Winner of the Nobel Prize for illuminating the process by which cells copy themselves—and furthering our understanding of growth, development, and cancer.
-- And to top everything off, Sir Paul is now officially a New Yorker! (He’s president of NYC’s prestigious Rockefeller University.)

Break out your test tubes and get ready to bust out of the winter doldrums, as Paul Nurse takes us on a whirlwind tour of life’s most basic unit: the cell.

Before and After
--Screen the special bio-video by scientist/film-maker Alexis Gambis: A Fruit Fly in New York
--Groove to science-inspired tunes
--Stick around for the Q&A
--Sample the cocktail of the night—the Night Nurse. It will fluff your pillow!

The “Secret Science Club” meets @ 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 Ave.

No cover charge. Doors open at 7:30. LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE. PLEASE BRING ID: 21 and over only. Pocket protectors suggested.

Then . . .

Your Brain on Music at BAM on Saturday, March 8 @ 6:30 pm

A mind-blowing performance of John Adams’ 21st-century masterpiece, Dharma at Big Sur, 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 brew and a chance to “Ask the Neuroscientist.”

Pre-concert cerebral soirée at 6:30 pm, sponsored by The Onion and Peak Organic Brewing Company
Grab yourself a complimentary pale ale, and ask our resident neuroscientist “Why does music influence our emotions? and “Can harmony transform my brain chemistry?” Free drinks! Door prizes!

Alter Your Perceptions at 7:30 pm with the Brooklyn Philharmonic
Prepare to be saturated by pleasurable neurotransmitters as John Adams’ concerto for electric violin—Dharma at Big Sur—fills the opera house. Also on the bill: Musicians seated throughout the auditorium perform Toro Takemitsu’s Signals from Heaven and create a sound sensation that will rewire your temporal lobe. Plus Takemitsu’s Three Film Scores and Béla Bartók’s Divertimento.

Price: $25 includes a ticket to the concert in the opera house’s best available seats, entrance to the pre-concert soiree with FREE libations, and the opportunity to display your “geek chic” badge of honor. LIMITED AVAILABILITY.

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

Where: This special edition of the Secret Science Club meets at 6:30 p.m. in the Natman Room—BAM’s private lounge—in the Peter J. Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Howard Gilman Opera House in the Peter J. Sharp Building.

Getting to BAM: Via subway: 2,3,4,5, B, D, M, N, R, Q to Atlantic/Pacific; or the G to Fulton. Click here for a neighborhood map and driving directions

The Secret Science Club Presents "GO CELLULAR!" on Wednesday, February 6 @ 8 PM

DNA Sleuth Bruce Stillman Lectures on the Future of Molecular Medicine @ 8 pm

President of New York’s prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Dr. Bruce Stillman take us to the frontlines of cancer and disease research.

Get ready to go cellular as Dr. Stillman asks: Where will the latest discoveries in genetics take us? Will it be possible to live with cancer one day? What are the most promising new technologies for biomedical researchers? How can we employ the latest breakthroughs in science to benefit public health?

A recipient of the Curtin Medal for Excellence in Medical Research, a Fellow of the Royal Society, and a Member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Stillman focuses his research on DNA replication. In addition to serving as Cold Spring Harbor's president, he is the director of the laboratory's cancer center.

BEFORE AND AFTER
--Groove to science-inspired tunes and self-replicating bio-video

--stick around for the Q&A

--sample the cocktail of the night—the Double (Make That a Triple) Helix.

The “Secret Science Club” meets February 6 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 Ave.

No cover charge. Just bring your smart self.

Doors open at 7:30. LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE.

Special Event on Tuesday, January 15: Public Discussion on Global Warming

Hear ye! Hear ye! Yo! Yo! Union Hall’s Secret Science Club is partnering with Public Agenda to confront the problem of global warming. And we’re having a town meeting—with a twist (of lime). You must RSVP for this special event!

When: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 7 pm
What: A Public Dialogue on the Challenges of Climate Change
Where: Union Hall’s subterranean grotto, 702 Union St., Brooklyn, NY

We all know global warming is real. But what are we doing about it? Come meet your neighbors. We’ll work in groups to share ideas and brainstorm—and then get together to raise the roof.

Special guests! Radley Horton, climatologist at Columbia University’s Center for Climate Systems Research and NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies + Ben Jervey, author of The Big Green Apple: Your Guide to Eco-Friendly Living in New York City will be on hand to answer your questions.

What impact will global warming have on New York City and the world? How should we deal with it? You be the judge!

Plus!
--Groove to low-impact tunes
--Sample the Eco-Cocktail of the Night: the Climate Cooler.
--Enjoy Earthy snacks gratis!

Please RSVP to secure your spot—only 50 seats are available! No cover change.

This special event meets Tuesday, January 15th at 7 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

For more information or to RSVP, contact secretscienceclub@gmail.com

The Union Hall Secret Science Club is a free event and lecture series, dedicated to exploring scientific discoveries and the public understanding of science.

Public Agenda is a New York City-based nonpartisan opinion research and civic engagement organization that has been working to help Americans explore and understand critical issues since 1975.

SPACE IS THE PLACE

Counting down to the New Year?

BLAST INTO 2008 on Wednesday, January 9, at 8 pm with Princeton astrophysicist David Spergel! And prepare to delve into Dark Matter . . .

The “Secret Science Club” meets January 9 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. LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE.

The Secret Science Club presents "Evolve!" on Wednesday, December 5 @ 8 pm

AMNH Paleontologist Michael Novacek lectures on Evolution, Biodiversity, and Mass Extinction @ 8 pm
Earth to humans, Earth to humans . . . is anybody there?

Michael Novacek of the American Museum of Natural History discusses how biodiversity and ecosystems evolved from the Age of the Dinosaurs onward to create an ideal environment for a novel new species--Homo sapiens. And now, Dr. Novacek warns, Homo sapiens is transforming that environment so rapidly that Earth may not be habitable in future.

In fact, Earth is experiencing what scientists call the Sixth Extinction as thousands of plant and animal species are pushed into oblivion by habitat destruction, overfishing and overhunting, the introduction of invasive species, pollution and climate change.

The provost of science at the American Museum of Natural History, a world-renowned dinosaur hunter, and the author of Terra: Our 100-Million-Year-Old Ecosystem—and the Threats That Now Put It at Risk, Dr. Novacek takes the long view and asks: Why are ecosystems essential to human survival? How did Homo sapiens co-evolve with other species? Can we change our ways and save the planet?

Don’t miss this (r)evolutionary tour of Earth’s history! And tumultuous future . . .

Plus!
--Groove to naturally selected tunes, and check out the apocalyptic video by scientist/filmmaker Alexis Gambis.

--Imbibe the "Hungry Hyena" a ferocious cocktail that will determine the survival of the fittest.

--Buy and have Dr. Novacek’s sign his awesome new book, Terra: Our 100-Million-Year-Old Ecosystem—and the Threats That Now Put It at Risk

The “Secret Science Club” meets December 5th 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. LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE.

Beastly Video from the Taxidermy Contest

If you missed our taxidermy contest, take a peek at this feral video courtesy of New York magazine.

Long Live Taxidermy!

The 3rd-annual Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest--held at Union Hall on the Day of the Dead--was a beastly success! Check out all the photos on Flickr taken by Robert Marbury, Marco Repola, and Eric Harvey Brown. The Rump Ape--patron saint of the taxidermy contest--(pictured above with Union Hall co-owner Andy Templar) congratulates the winners!

The winners are:

Mike Zohn of Obscura Antiques received the Order of Carnivorous Knights Grand Prize for his "shadowbox mise en scene" of albino weasels posing as miniature polar bears:

Takeshi Yamada (last year's Grand Champion of Taxidermy) defended his title and received the Rump Ape Prize for Best Hybrid Creature:

Ryan Toth of the Evolution store in SoHo brought down the house with his two-faced cat skeleton, Frank & Louie, and won the Secret Science Club Prize for Best in Bones. Pictured below is Darrin Lunde of the American Museum of Natural History inspecting the cat(s):

For his skull--lovingly encrusted with rhinestones--William Graef won the special "Long Pig" Prize awarded by the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists:

The Norman Bates Prize for Best Taxidermy went to Linda Darling for her exquisite bird of paradise:

Doug Klein received the Cabinet of Curiosities Prize for Most Interesting Biological Oddity for this tricky armadillo:

And the Most Twisted Prize sponsored by the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists was shared by J. McGrath for his mysterious specimen (left) and Nate Hill for the A.D.A.M. Project (right). That's Adam's head--in case you were wondering.

And thanks to everyone who contributed their loose change to the Tasmanian Devil Research Fund.

Photos of arctic weasels, Takeshi Yamada, bifurcated cat, and bling skull via Dogseat's flickr; bird of paradise, armadillo, and unknown specimen via istolethetv's flickr; and Nate Hill via Robert Marbury's flickr.

The Secret Science Club Presents "Our Chemical Romance" on Wednesday, November 7 at 7:30 PM

WORLD-RENOWNED CHEMIST RONALD BRESLOW LECTURES ON SAHA
H2O, CO2, C6H12O6. All these molecules are naturally occurring—but new ones are being created all the time. “What I do is make new molecules with interesting properties,” says Columbia University chemist and professor Ronald Breslow.

The recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Science and the author of more than 400 scientific papers, Dr. Breslow has been instrumental in creating over 1,000 new chemical compounds—including SAHA, a recently approved cancer-fighting drug with a novel mechanism of action.

A pioneer of biomimetic chemistry and a passionate proponent of the public understanding of science, Dr. Breslow asks: How can we mimic naturally-occurring chemistry to solve problems of human health? Can artificial cells that approximate life be made in the laboratory to propel basic discoveries as well as treatments? What future challenges can chemistry address (e.g., efficient solar power, antibiotics to combat resistant bacteria)?

EXPERIMENTER EXTRAORDINAIRE DAVID MAIULLO
David Maiullo, science specialist and demonstrator from Rutgers University, performs literally hair-raising experiments as part of his “traveling physics road show.”

BEFORE AND AFTER
But wait . . . there’s more! Check out free-radical video by scientist/filmmaker Alexis Gambis + groove to tunes inspired by test tubes and litmus paper!

--Enjoy our C2H5OH of the Night, the “Bunsen burner,” a fiery little cocktail that will re-fuel your love life.

The “Secret Science Club” meets November 7th at 7:45 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 7:15.

Special Event . . . Presenting the third-annual Carnivorous Nights TAXIDERMY CONTEST on November 2 . . .

Don't miss the year’s most beastly Day of the Dead event . . .

The Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest
Friday, November 2, 2007 at 8 PM

@ Union Hall

• Enter your taxidermy to win!
  
  
• Show off your beloved moose head, stuffed albino squirrel, sinuous snake skeletons, jarred sea slugs, and other specimens. Compete for prizes and glory!

• The contest will be judged by a panel of savage taxidermy enthusiasts, including the American Museum of Natural History's collections manager for mammalogy Darrin Lunde; Robert Marbury, co-director of the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists; and Dorian Devins of WFMU and the Secret Science Club!

• Don’t miss the wild taxidermy talk by beast master Brian Wiprud, author of Stuffed, Pipsqueak, and Tailed

• Prizes for best stuffed creature, most interesting biological oddity, and more!

• Meet—and try to beat!—last year’s Grand Champion of taxidermy, Takeshi Yamada of the Museum of World Wonders
  
  
• Plus! Taxidermy-inspired tunes and video . . . and ferocious specialty drinks

CONTEST RULES: The contest is open to taxidermy (homemade, purchased, found), preserved and jarred specimens, skeletons, skulls, gaffs … and beyond. (Note: Wet specimens must remain in their jars.)

ENTRANTS: Please arrive at Union Hall at 7 pm to log in your beast or specimen, and contact secretscienceclub@gmail.com to pre-register. Share your taxidermy (and its tale) with the world!

SPECTATORS: Cheer on your favorite specimens!

No cover charge. Just bring your beastly self. Doors open at 7:30. LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE.

Union Hall, 702 Union St. (at 5th Ave.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn, p: 718.638.4400

For more information, contact secretscienceclub@gmail.com

Joe LeDoux and the Amygdaloids Celebrate the Release of Their CD HEAVY MENTAL at Otto's Shrunken Head on Oct. 22

The Amygdaloids played their first show at Union Hall's Secret Science Club last fall. Since then, the four scientists/rockers have performed at the Cornelia Street Cafe and even Madison Square Garden. Celebrate the release of their new CD, Heavy Mental, and hear new songs about the brain, mind, and emotions at Otto's Shrunken Head on Monday, October 22.

The party starts at 7 pm--and the Amygdaloids play at 8 pm.

Otto's Shrunken Head, 538 East 14th St. (between Aves. A and B), East Village, New York City.

The Secret Science Club Presents an Explosive Evening on Wednesday, October 3

MICHAEL RAMPINO LECTURES ON "MASS EXTINCTIONS AND THE HISTORY OF LIFE" AT 8 PM
As chronicled in the fossil record, the history of life is marked by violent and devastating episodes. Mass extinctions—the eradication of 75 to 95 percent of Earth's species—have repeatedly altered the course of evolution. Michael Rampino has searched six continents for the causes of these ancient mega-events, investigating asteroid impacts and large-scale volcanism.

A biologist and geologist at New York University and research associate at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Dr. Rampino asks: Why was 95 percent of ocean life wiped out 250 million years ago? Was human evolution influenced by the eruption of a super-volcano? Who benefits from mass extinctions? (Answer: Not dinosaurs.)

BEFORE AND AFTER
Groove to earth-shattering tunes and video in Union Hall's subterranean grotto, stick around for the Q&A, and don't forget to sample the Secret Science Club's Shock-tail of the Night: the explosive Magmarita

The Secret Science Club meets October 3rd at 8 pm 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 Ave.

No cover charge. Just bring your smart self.

Doors open at 7:30. LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE.

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.