Light Up Your Brain! The Secret Science Club presents Neurobiologist Vincent Pieribone at the Bell House on Wednesday, February 4 @ 8 PM. FREE!

Secret Science Alert: This month, the Secret Science Club meets at the Bell House, the all-new all-awesome venue in Gowanus, Brooklyn, created by the owners of Union Hall (our lovely hosts).

Make like a bathysphere and submerge, because the Secret Science Club is going down. Intrepid neurobiologist (and scuba diver) Vincent Pieribone lures us into the depths—where ocean research and brain science collide. Dr. Pieribone uncovers the secrets of the seas and technicolor reefs in his quest for biofluorescent creatures—and then shows how they can be used to create glowing proteins that make cells and neurons light up in the lab.

A cellular and molecular biologist at Yale University’s School of Medicine and the co-author of Aglow in the Dark: The Revolutionary Science of Biofluorescence, Dr. Pieribone asks:

--What do jellyfish and coral reefs have to do with the human brain and quest for medical cures?

--What makes undersea animals glow?

--How can biofluorescent technology link the human mind with machines?

--What are the latest advances in fluorescent micro-photography?
--And whatever happened to that transgenic, glow-in-the-blacklight rabbit in France?

Plus Special Guest: Marine Biologist and “Aglow” co-author David Gruber on coral reef ecology… DIVE! DIVE!

Before & After
-- Groove to glittering tunes and incandescent video
-- Stick around for the tidal Q&A
-- Try our oceanic cocktail: the Sea Shandy, a phosphorescent libation that will snap your synapses . . .
-- Grab a signed copy of Dr. Pieribone’s and Dr. Gruber's luminous new book: Aglow in the Dark: The Revolutionary Science of Biofluorescence

The “Secret Science Club” meets Wednesday, February 4 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.

FREE! Just bring your smart self.

Doors open at 7:30. PLEASE BRING ID: 21 and over only.

Tip: The Bell House has 2-for-1 drink specials before 7 pm if you want to get your sauce on before the lecture . . .

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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.

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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, 2012 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.

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The Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist Charles Liu, Wednesday, January 19, 2012, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Strap on your rocket pack! The Secret Science Club is heading for the edge of time and space. Astrophysicist Charles Liu of the Hayden Planetarium and CUNY discusses the evolution of galaxies, supermassive black holes, star birth, and the large-scale structure of the cosmos. Don't miss one nanosecond of this far-out talk!

Before & After
--Groove to celestial tunes
--Stick around for the cosmic Q&A
--Try our quantum cocktail of the night. (It'll knock you into another orbit . . .)

This Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, January 19 @ the Bell House, 149 7^th St. (between 2^nd and 3^rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, p: 718.643.6510  Subway: F to 4th Ave; R to 9^th St; F or G to Smith/9^th.

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

Note: This event was originally slated for January 12, 2012, and rescheduled for the 19th due to dastardly weather.

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Snow Cancellation: The Secret Science Club Melts into the New Year

Sorry, folks! Due to the snow forecast, we're cancelling the Secret Science Club for Wednesday, January 12, and rescheduling for Wednesday, January 19, 8 PM @ the Bell House. Stay warm! And see you on the 19th with astrophysicist Charles Liu . . .

Meanwhile, enjoy this massive new video from science rapper Zach Charlop-Powers.

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The Secret Science Club presents "Living Skyscrapers—Ecologist Dickson Despommier Re-Envisions the City" on Tuesday, January 13 @ 8 pm

Step into the great glass elevator . . . the Secret Science Club is heading skyward with microbiologist and ecologist Dickson Despommier, whose ambitious project to create vertical farms in urban skyscrapers could radically re-vision the way we live—and eat.

A professor of environmental science and public health at Columbia University, Dr. Despommier asks:
--How might urban sky farms reduce global warming, and give “eating local” a whole new meaning?
--What technologies and architectural designs are appropriate for vertical farms?
--How did studying parasites in underdeveloped countries lead to his concept for living skyscrapers?

Dr. Despommier’s provocative ideas for re-thinking agriculture and land use have been the subject of recent articles in the New York Times, Time, New York Magazine, and Scientific American. Don’t miss this tall tale . . .

Before & After
-- Groove to towering tunes and vaulting video
-- Stick around for the lofty Q&A
-- And try our stratospheric new cocktail: the Mile Highball (you won’t be vertical for long . . .)

The "Secret Science Club" meets Tuesday, January 13 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 Ave.

No cover charge. Just bring your smart self.
Our venue fills up fast! Come early to get a seat.
Doors open at 7:30. LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE.
PLEASE BRING ID: 21 and over only. Pocket protectors suggested.

Design by Blake Kurasek, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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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.

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The Secret Science Club presents Astrophysicist and Cosmologist David Hogg, Wednesday, January 18, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains at least 200 billion stars and 50 billion planets. It is just one of about 350 billion galaxies in the known Universe.  And astronomers believe that closer observation and mapping of our own stellar neighborhood may help unfold the story behind the Universe’s evolution.

Cosmologist David Hogg peers into the night sky and asks:

--What can new space missions and digital surveys tell us about Dark Matter and Dark Energy?

--What came before the Big Bang?

--How are Black Holes detected? And how do we know the Universe is expanding?

The co-author of over 100 scientific papers, Dr. Hogg is an associate professor at NYU’s Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, and works with the Gaia Space Mission, an international effort to create the largest and most precise ever 3-D chart of the Milky Way, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III, and the citizen science project, Astrometry.net.

Before & After

--Groove to heavenly sounds

--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

--Try our cosmic cocktail of the night, the Red Shift

The Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, January 18 at 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 9^th St. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+

Free! Just bring your smart self!

Hot off the presses: Check us out in this NY Times article, "Continuing Education, at the Bar." Cheers!

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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

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The Secret Science Club Rockets into the New Year, Wednesday, January 12, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

UPDATE: Due to the snow forecast for Wednesday, January 12, this edition of the Secret Science Club has been rescheduled for Wednesday, January 19.

Strap on your rocket pack! The Secret Science Club is heading for the edge of time and space with astrophysicist Charles Liu. Don't miss one nanosecond of this far-out talk!

 Before & After
--Groove to celestial tunes
--Stick around for the cosmic Q&A
--Try our quantum cocktail of the night. (It'll knock you into another orbit . . .)

The Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, January 12 @ 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!

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