The Secret Science Club presents Molecular Biologist Gregory Hannon, Tuesday, February 9th, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Put on your lab coats and prepare to enter the world of inner space . . .

Molecular biologist Gregory Hannon of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is one of the world’s foremost genetic researchers, deciphering the mechanisms used by cells to fight invaders and that soon may be used to create treatments for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Dr. Hannon is a pioneer in the field of RNA interference (RNAi), a powerful new tool for gene analysis. Hannon and his colleagues have harnessed RNAi, a naturally occurring process of gene regulation, to selectively turn off genes in living cells. Hannon uses the technique to study cancer development and to probe the mechanisms that make this method of gene control so effective.

The author of over 200 scientific papers, Dr. Hannon was recently in the news with groundbreaking research on the origins of a mysterious communicable cancer that is attacking the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian Devil. He is the recipient of the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology, the Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research, and the American Association for Cancer Research Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research.

Plus!

Scientist-and-rhymer Zach Charlop-Powers performs the PCR rap!

Before & After
--Groove to genetically engineered tunes
--Imbibe our scientifically inspired cocktail, the Cell-o-bration!
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

The “Secret Science Club” meets @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. FREE! Just bring your smart self.

The Secret Science Club presents Computer Scientist Christoph Bregler, Tuesday, January 12, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

He's Got the Moves: Computer Scientist Christoph Bregler lectures on "Virtual You"

Don't move a muscle . . . Every human being has a unique body signature. Your hand gestures. Your facial expressions. The way you walk. Computer scientist Christoph Bregler of NYU's Courant Institute is a master of analyzing and recreating such subtleties--designing systems to track human movement and train computers to recognize and animate all that "you-ness." Jumping off from recent collaborations with dancers, animators, film producers, and game designers, Dr. Bregler discusses:

--motion capture in science and entertainment
--massive multiplayer "Mocap" games and flying "Squidballs"
--"Obama-ness" versus "Palin-ness"
--his "GreenDot" iPhone app, an experiment in community video and nonverbal expression

Before & After
--Groove to animated tunes
--Try our machine-coded cocktail of the night, the Wet Wire
--Stick around for the fast-moving Q&A

The "Secret Science Club" meets Tuesday, January 12, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self.

SPECIAL EVENT! The Secret Science Club presents Climatologist James Hansen, Tuesday, December 15 @ 8 PM, $4

Global warming expert James Hansen rips the roof off the climate crisis
Too hot to miss . . .

James Hansen, climatologist, Columbia University professor, advisor to Al Gore, and longtime director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has been researching human-caused climate change for more than three decades, and he was the first scientist to testify before Congress on the threat of growing carbon emissions. Now, as world leaders meet in Copenhagen to negotiate a global emissions treaty, Dr. Hansen warns the Earth’s climate may be approaching one of three “tipping points” from which there is no return.

In his first book, Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity, Dr. Hansen raises concerns that current proposals would do too little to reduce heat-causing emissions and offers bold new strategies for solving the global warming dilemma.

Before & After
--Groove to earthy, low-impact tunes
--Try the sultry cocktail of the night, the Dark and Stormy
--Stick around for the sizzling Q&A
--Pick up a signed copy of Dr. Hansen's new book—it's hot off the presses.

This special edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, December 15 @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

$4 cover charge. Come early to snag a seat!

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+

The Secret Science Club presents Visual Neuroscientist Ben Backus, Tuesday, December 8 at the Bell House

Tuesday, December 8 at 8 pm, FREE!
Open the doors of perception with visual neuroscientist Ben Backus
You won’t believe your eyes. . .

At the back of the human eye, the retina is smaller than a penny and tissue thin. Yet it contains 100 million neurons. When the eye is open, the retina constantly transmits information on edges, angles, motion, and light intensity to more than 30 areas of the cerebral cortex. How does the brain process and interpret all this visual stimuli—and are our perceptions reliable?

Cutting-edge vision scientist Ben Backus of SUNY discusses how our brains learn to “see,” whether perception is linked to emotions, and optical illusions that are both illuminating and trippy.

Before and After
--Groove to synesthetic tunes
--Try our cockeyed cocktail of the night, the Parallax View (You’ll see the world in a whole different way . . . )
--Participate in the laser-sharp Q&A

--PLUS, stick around for a live set of holiday melodies with the band LA STRADA

The Secret Science Club meets @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. Pocket protectors suggested.

And the Winners Are . . .

Thanks to everyone for bringing their creatures, bones, skins, and stories to the 4th-annual Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest. The competition was red in tooth and claw as judges Melissa Milgrom, Dorian Devins, and Robert Marbury viewed dozens of specimens, all vying to be the most beastly of them all. Many were worthy, but these--the fiercest--prevailed.

The Order of Carnivorous Knights Grand Prize (Best in Show) went to Ryan Matthew for Felis dancicus fighticus

Ian Maher took the Secret Science Club Prize for Best in Bones
with his goat-skull-and-crystal chandelier, "Halal."

The Rump Ape Prize for Best Hybrid Creature went to Natalie Stevens and her pal, Ralph.



Mike Zohn of Obscura Antiques (and 2007 Grand Champion) took the Rogue Taxidermy Prize, presented by the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists (MART), for his automatons--two 19th-century caged taxidermy birds that moved and sang. Check out the amazing video here.

The Most Twisted Prize, presented by MART, went to artist and 2006 Grand Champion of Taxidermy Takeshi Yamada for his stunning showmanship, sneaky sea rabbit, and collection of freakshow babies crafted from his own skin!

The Cabinet of Curiosities Prize went to Ronni Ascagni and Chrissie for their collection of weird wonders, including a cat princess and a charming double-bodied rat. Rata-two-ie?

The Best Buddy audience prize went to Daisy Tainton for a group of delicate insect dioramas.

The Norman Bates Prize for Best Taxidermy went to Brooklyn-based taxidermist Melissa Dixson for her puppy on a pillow, little Chloe.

Photo credits: Felis dancicus fighticus, Goat Skull Chandelier, Automaton Birds, Takeshi Yamada, and Beast in a Box (Rats) by Tenebrous Kate; Natalie Stevens with Ralph, and Cat Princess with Friends by Jessica Elias; Insect Diorama by Daisy Tainton; and Puppy on Tuft by Eric Harvey Brown for Time Out.
Read more about the contest @ Love Train for the Tenebrous Empire!

The Secret Science Club presents the 4th-annual Carnivorous Nights TAXIDERMY CONTEST at the Bell House, Sunday, November 15 @ 8 pm, $4

Announcing the most beastly event of the year . . .

• Calling all science geeks, nature freaks, and rogue geniuses

• Your stuffed squirrel got game? Got a beaver in your brownstone? Then enter it to win in the Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest!

• Show off your beloved moose head, jarred sea cucumber, snake skeleton, raven remains, and other specimens. Compete for prizes and glory!

• Eligible for prizes:
--Taxidermy (bought, found, or homemade)
--Biological oddities (articulated skeletons, skulls—and beyond)

• The contest will be judged by our panel of savage taxidermy enthusiasts, including Robert Marbury, co-founder of the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists, and Dorian Devins, WFMU DJ and Secret Science Club co-curator

• Don’t miss the feral taxidermy talk by beast mistress Melissa Milgrom, author of the forth-coming book, Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy

• Plus!
--Groove to taxidermy-inspired tunes and video
--Imbibe ferocious specialty drinks!
--Meet and try to beat Grand Master of Taxidermy, Takeshi Yamada of the Museum of World Wonders

• Where: the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues), Gowanus, Brooklyn

• When: Sunday, November 15. Doors and pre-show at 7:30 pm. Taxidermy talk at 8 pm. Contest at 8:30 pm!

• Cover charge: $4

• Entrants: Contact secretscienceclub@gmail.com to pre-register. Share your taxidermy (and its tale) with the world!

• Spectators are invited to cheer their favorite specimens.

Background: The Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest is hosted by the Secret Science Club, an organization dedicated to exploring scientific discoveries and potent potables. The contest was started in 2005 by Secret Science Club co-curators Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson to shamelessly promote their taxidermy-inspired book Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger. The event has since taken on a life of its own, with first-year winners Andrew Templar and Jim Carden—co-owners of the Bell House—now providing a permanent home for this beastly annual smack-down. Special thanks to Robert Marbury of the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists, the Rump Ape, and Poe the Crow.

The Secret Science Club presents age-defying biologist Leonard Guarente Monday, Nov 9 @ 8 PM FREE!

According to conventional wisdom, 40 is the new 30. But how about 80 being the new 20? The search for a proverbial fountain of youth has been the subject of legend for centuries, but today the quest for a medical equivalent is the focus of intense research.

Molecular biologist Leonard Guarente pioneered the anti-aging field at MIT with his discovery of genes that control longevity. When activated, these longevity genes cause the body to conserve resources, and they’ve been found to “dramatically boost the life span of yeast, worms, mice and potentially humans.” Specifically, Dr. Guarente studies proteins called sirtuins, which regulate longevity genes and show great promise for developing therapies that slow aging. Dr. Guarente asks:
--Could future drugs decelerate the aging process and allow us to stay young longer?
--Could diseases of aging—cancer, Alzheimer’s, type-2 diabetes, and others—be prevented by prospective anti-aging medications?
--Could we extend not only our life spans, but our “health spans”?

Before & After
--Groove to genetically-altered tunes and video
--Stick around for the Q&A
--Try our cocktail of the night, the “Immortal Skol” (Rhymes with soul, baby!)

The “Secret Science Club” meets Monday, November 9 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

FREE! Just bring your smart self! Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+

Sketchy Science!

Check out these drawings from the Sketchy Science Contest at the October 20 Secret Science Club . . . robots, future evolution, pair bonding, UFOs, and beer . . .

The Secret Science Club hosts the Imagine Science Film Festival and A NIGHT OF QUIRKY SHORT FILMS @ the Bell House, Tues, Oct 20, 8pm FREE!

SPECIAL EVENT: Techno noir. Animation. Documentary. Music Video.

Join us for a selection of short films from the Imagine Science Film Festival. The brainchild of SSC resident scientist/filmmaker, Alexis Gambis, the Imagine Science Film Festival attracted over 300 international entries this year. We’ll be showing some of the quirkiest and best-est entries at the Bell House, featuring subjects like madness & molecules, time travel & trans-species friendships, and the dwarf planet Pluto. Check out the following films from the USA, UK, Israel, France, Canada, and the Kuiper Belt: Naming Pluto, Animated Minds, The Moth and the Firefly, PCR Rap, Lab Waste, The Exquisite Corpse of Science, A Micrometer from Here, Natural Selection, and more!

Alexis Gambis, the festival's founder and artistic director, will be on-hand to answer your brainiest questions and oversee the mixing of the cocktails.

Before & After
--Groove to tunes from our mixology lab
--Participate in our “Sketchy Science” drawing contest. We’ll provide the paper. You draw a scientastic picture. Winners will be selected and prizes will be awarded by our panel of non-judgmental judges.
--Vote for your favorite film as part of the Imagine Science Film Festival’s “People’s Choice” award
--Imbibe the wide-angle cocktail of the night, the Digital Zoom
--Pick up some science swag from the film festival’s generous sponsors

The “Secret Science Club” presents the IMAGINE SCIENCE FILM FESTIVAL on Tuesday, October 20 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

FREE! Just bring your smart self. DOORS OPEN @ 7:30 PM. 21 and over.

The Imagine Science Film Festival runs from October 15 to 24 at a whole host of venues around the city. Visit www.imaginesciencefilms.com for a complete listing of events.

Upcoming events at the Secret Science Club

Mon., November 9—Renowned biologist Leonard Guarente on slowing the aging process

Sun., November 15—The return of the Carnivorous Nights Taxidermy Contest!

Black Holes Sing! The Secret Science Club presents all-star astrophysicist Janna Levin at the Bell House, Tues., Oct. 13 @ 8 pm, FREE!

The term “cosmic ballet” has just taken on a whole new meaning. Apparently outer space has a soundtrack. It’s not Tchaikovsky, but … when two spinning black holes orbit each other, engaging in an invisible pas de deux, they create gravitational waves—essentially ripples in the fabric of space-time—that cause the cosmos to “ring like a drum.”

Astrophysicist Janna Levin is in hot pursuit of these orbiting drumbeats—and the information they carry about the distant universe. Predicted by Einstein’s theory of relativity, gravitational waves have never been directly detected. But the interstellar search is on, and two far-reaching space-science experiments—LIGO and LISA—now seek to capture and “hear” the beatbox of the universe for the first time.

A professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University, Janna Levin is the author of two award-winning books A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines and How the Universe Got Its Spots, as well as dozens of scientific papers on chaos, black holes, and the early universe.

Don't miss a single nanosecond of this cosmic talk! Grab your outer space boogie board and catch the groovitational wave . . .

Before & After
--Trip to far-out tunes and video
--Stick around for out-of-this-world Q&A
--Try our quantum cocktail of the night, the “Cosmos-politan” (It will rock you into orbit . . .)

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, October 13 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

No cover charge! Just bring your smart self!

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+

Jungle Love! The Secret Science Club presents botanical explorer Susan Pell at the Bell House, Tuesday, August 11 @ 8 pm, FREE!

Surrounded by the Coral Sea, the Louisiade Archipelago is a volcanic island chain stretching away from the southeastern extremity of Papua New Guinea’s mainland. These tropical islands are home to rare plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.

Earlier this year, Dr. Susan Pell led a five-person botanical expedition to the islands’ remote mountains, rain forests, and wet savannahs. The team’s goal? To locate rare and endemic plants and identify endangered ecosystems.

A molecular plant scientist at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and blogger (who sometimes sends posts via satellite phone), Dr. Pell chronicles her team’s search as they boat from island to island; hike across swollen rivers teeming with freshwater crocodiles; and encounter creatures such as giant spiders, walking “stick” insects the size of small branches, boa constrictors, and flying foxes.

So grab your boots and backpack . . . And don’t miss this hot and steamy, flower-powered adventure!

Before & After
-- Groove to tunes inspired by pistils and stamens

-- Try our cocktail cooler, the Tropitini! It’ll knock you from Cancer to Capricorn . . .

-- Stick around for the floristic Q&A

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, August 11 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510

Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

FREE! Just bring your smart self.

Doors open at 7:30 PM. 21 and over.

Evolution Revolution! The Secret Science Club presents Donald Johanson—the discoverer of Lucy—at the Bell House, Tuesday, July 14 @ 8 pm, FREE!

Make your bones at the Secret Science Club. . .

Our species, Homo sapiens, is a mere 200,000 years old (give or take). Where did humans come from? How did we evolve? And what were our ancestors like? Fossil hunters have been asking these questions ever since Darwin developed the theory of evolution. And in the last few decades, we've been getting some pretty amazing answers. One find revolutionized the world's thinking about early human origins: In 1974 paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson discovered the bones of Lucy—a 3.2-million-year-old early hominid—in the Afar region of Ethiopia. With about 40 percent of Lucy's skeleton intact, she represented a new species, Australopithecus afarensis.

The founding director of the Institute for Human Origins, professor of paleoanthropology at Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and author of the just-published Lucy's Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins, Dr. Johanson joins the Secret Science Club to discuss his historic find and the latest discoveries in human evolution:
--How many hominid species existed prior to humans—or even co-existed with humans? What were their habitats and behaviors?
--When did hominids begin to walk? When did big brains develop?
--Have fossil hunters located the common ancestor of humans and chimps?
--Why is Homo sapiens the only hominid species that survives?

Before & After
--Groove to bone-jangling tunes
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

--Snag a signed copy of Dr. Johanson's new book, Lucy's Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins

--Try our cocktail of the night--the "I Love Lucy!"

(And check this out . . . All of Lucy's lovely bones are on display in a new exhibit in New York City, titled "Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia" and organized by the Houston Museum of Natural Science. You can see Lucy for yourself at the new Discovery Times Square Exposition space in—you guessed it—Times Square.)

The Evolution Revolution edition of the Secret Science Club featuring Dr. Donald Johanson meets Tuesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510
Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

FREE! Just bring your smart self.

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

Special thanks to the Houston Museum of Natural Science for bringing Dr. Johanson to New York City and making his appearance at the Secret Science Club possible.

Endless Forms Most Freaky . . . The Secret Science Club presents Marine Biologist Jack Costello at the Bell House, Tuesday, June 9 @ 8 pm, FREE!

The Undersea World of Jack Costello

Dive into summer with marine biologist Jack Costello as he lectures on the spineless wonders of the world’s oceans. Cavort with gelatinous and ghostly creatures such as jellyfish (cnidarians) and their comb jelly brethren (ctenophores). Feel the motion of the ocean, and ride the waves with copepods and zooplankton.

A professor of biology at Providence College and featured scientist in the PBS documentary The Shape of Life, Dr. Costello asks:

--Why do sea jellies have such creepy-seeming body forms?
--How do cnidarians and ctenophores kill their prey?
--What causes jellyfish invasions and how do gelatinous sea creatures get around?
-- Why is so little known about undersea invertebrates when they make up such an enormous part of Earth’s biomass?

Before & After
-- Groove to free-floating tunes and video from Davey Jones’ locker

-- Try our aquatic cocktail, the Alien Stinger. Looks like liquid… feels like fire!

-- Stick around for the utra-buoyant Q&A

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, June 9 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

No cover charge! Just bring your smart self.

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

SPECIAL EVENT: The Secret Science Club & Criterion Collection present a NIGHT OF SUBMARINE CINEMA at the Bell House on Sunday, May 17 @ 7 PM, FREE!

Get wet and wild with the surreal underwater films of Jean Painlevé. Sea life has never been this sexy—or strange. Experience The Love Life of the Octopus, The Witches’ Dance, and more—all featuring “The Sounds of Science,” a 21st-century score created specially by indie rockers Yo La Tengo.

Marine scientist J. Rudi Strickler will be your guide to the depths . . .

(Films from “Science Is Fiction: 23 Films of Jean Painlevé” courtesy of the Criterion Collection.)

Before & After
--Groove to siren song and liquid video

--Plunge into the “Painlevé Periscope,” a cinematic cocktail that will give you aqua-vision

--Immerse yourself in the tidal Q&A and soak up some fishy door prizes!

This special edition of the Secret Science Club meets Sunday, May 17 at 7 p.m. @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

No cover charge. Just bring your smart self!

Please bring ID: 21+

Brain and Memory: The Secret Science Club presents Neuroscientist Ottavio Arancio at the Bell House on Tuesday, May 12 @ 7:30 pm

The arithmetic of the brain is staggering. In just 3 lbs. of gray matter, there are 100 billion brain cells—each with branches connecting at 100 trillion synapses. Dozens of chemical neurotransmitters travel through this neural network, creating, storing, and accessing memories—the sum total of our sensations, thoughts, experiences, and knowledge. Currently, the brain’s total capacity for memory-making is beyond calculation.

But what happens when the brain loses its ability to remember new things? In his lab at Columbia University, neuroscientist Ottavio Arancio explores the molecular mechanisms of memory formation. He asks:

--Why do some people stop remembering?
--How does disruption of the brain’s pathways affect our ability to learn?
--Can new drugs slow, stop, or even reverse the process of memory-impairing diseases such as Alzheimer’s?
--What can we learn from forgetful lab mice?
--Can memory be enhanced? Will future medications act as brain boosters?

Dr. Arancio is a cellular neurobiologist at Columbia University’s Department of Pathology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain.

Don’t miss this dopamine-spiked evening . . .

Before & After
-- Groove to brain-bending tunes and video

--Enjoy the Cocktail of the Night—the “Brain Scan”

--Stick around for the mind-altering Q&A

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510 Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9th St; F or G to Smith/9th

No cover charge. Just bring your smart self! Please bring ID: 21+.