The Secret Science Club Presents Genomics Expert Rob DeSalle on Wednesday, June 4 @ 8 pm

At the molecular level, Homo sapiens shares a common genetic heritage with all animals. Even a fly has more than one-third the same genes as a human being. Want to know more? Step into our miraculous shrinking machine and explore inner space as micronaut and genetic sleuth Rob DeSalle lectures on the incredible diversity of life, what molecular evolution tells us about disease, and how DNA research is helping save endangered species.

Curator at the American Museum of Natural History and research scientist at the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, Dr. DeSalle leads an international group of scientists working on molecular systematics, molecular evolution, population and conservation genetics, and evolutionary genomics of a wide array of life forms ranging from viruses, bacteria, corals, and plants to insects, reptiles, and mammals.

PLUS!
--Don’t miss our special screening of Dr. Funque and His Petri Dish, directed by scientist/filmmaker Alexis Gambis of IMAGINAL DISC (Science and Film Productions) and the Imagine Science Film Festival

--Stick around for the Q&A

--Sample the genetically altered cocktail of the night, the Gene Fizz!

--Groove to self-replicating tunes beneath the taxidermy in Union Hall's mysterious, subterranean grotto

The “Secret Science Club” meets June 4 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.

PLEASE BRING ID: 21+. Pocket protectors suggested.

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The Secret Science Club presents Molecular Biologist Lee Silver & the DNA Time Machine, Tuesday, June 8 @ the Bell House, 8 pm, FREE!

When the future meets the past, get ready for a whole new you . . .

For a few hundred dollars and a tube of your own spit, you can now obtain a read-out of millions of secret histories embedded in your DNA. Thanks to a growing volume of data on the genetics of human populations, the budding field of “deep ancestry” promises to take your family tree to a whole new level. Could a quick peek at your personal genome reveal that you’re a descendant of Marie Antoinette? Genghis Khan? Charles Darwin? Turn the clock back even further, and you might be able to learn what path your ancient ancestors took as Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa.

Molecular biologist and biotechnology expert Lee Silver reveals the surprising tales hidden in his own genome. (For example, did his maternal ancestor really get hot and heavy with a man from another species? Shwing!) And he explores the ethics and anxieties society faces as science makes increasingly dramatic advances in personal genomics.

A professor of molecular biology and public policy at Princeton University, Lee Silver is the author of over 180 scientific papers and two popular books, Challenging Nature and Remaking Eden. The recipient of the MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health for outstanding research in genetics, he has appeared as a featured scientist on the Colbert Report, Charlie Rose, 60 Minutes, NPR, and Nightline. His research focuses on cloning, advanced reproductive technologies, genetic testing, human stem cells, and genetic engineering.

Before & After
--Groove to genetically altered tunes, plus Zach Charlop-Powers performs his latest science rap LIVE!
--Imbibe our past-life-regenerating cocktail, the Wayback Machine
--Stick around for the mind-blowing Q&A

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, June 8 @ 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 7:15 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self.

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It’s a Planet of Sound! The Secret Science Club presents Sensory Neuroscientist Jim Hudspeth, Thursday, June 9, 8 pm @ the Bell House, FREE

FEAST YOUR EARS . . . Waves of sound travel through the air at about 760 mph. But what happens when they reach the human ear? Our ears process information 1,000 times faster than our eyes, and our sense of hearing is so discriminating we can distinguish more than 300,000 sounds. In fact, if our ears were any more sensitive, we would hear the random motion of air molecules bumping against our eardrums.

World-renowned sensory neuroscientist Jim Hudspeth has revolutionized our understanding of how biological and neural networks process auditory inputs. Over the last three decades, his research has demonstrated how thousands of microscopic cells in the inner ear sway with vibrations, starting a cascade of neurotransmissions to the brain—translating sound waves into everything from Beethoven to Lady Gaga.

Dr. Hudspeth asks: What do we know about the sense of hearing, and how did it evolve? How is hearing different among different species? Is there such a thing as a bionic ear? Can sound-sensitive cells be repaired, regenerated, or even built to aid the deaf and hearing impaired?

Co-founder of the journal Neuron and winner of numerous awards in the fields of neuroscience, biophysics, and otolaryngology, Dr. Hudspeth is the F.M. Kirby Professor at Rockefeller University, director of Rockefeller’s Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, and investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

JUST ADDED! Lit-hop artist Baba Brinkman opens the night with an aural report from his smash show, The Rap Guide to Evolution. Darwin got it all going on!

Before & After

--Get drowned in sound at our quadraphonic cabearet

--Sample our supersonic cocktail of the night, the “Mach 5”

--Stick around for the fortissimo Q&A
--Door prizes! Two lucky peeps will win free tix to see The Rap Guide to Evolution live at the SoHo Playhouse

The Secret Science Club meets Thursday, June 9 at 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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+

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The Secret Science Club presents Neuroscientist and IGNORANCE Author Stuart Firestein, Wednesday, May 16, 8 pm @ the Bell House, FREE!

Five hundred years ago, it was possible for one human brain to contain all the world’s scientific knowledge. Since then, the number of scientific papers has been doubling every decade—and it’s barely possible for an individual to master his or her own field of study. In the Information Age—when tens of millions of “answers” are at your fingertips—sometimes it’s the questions that we need to pursue. “Knowledge is a big subject,” says neuroscientist Stuart Firestein. “But ignorance is bigger.” 

Chair of the department of biological sciences at Columbia University, director of the Firestein Lab which researches the vertebrate olfactory system and its role in perception and memory, and author of the new book Ignorance, Stuart Firestein asks: What do humans have absolutely no clue about? How can acknowledging the unknown make us smarter? How will ignorance drive science and exploration forward?

Before & After
 --Saturate yourself in our cerebral grooves 
 --Try our quizzical cocktail of the night, the “WTF?” 
--Revel in the Q&A (emphasis on Q) 
--Snag a signed copy of Ignorance, Dr. Firestein’s brain-boggling new book!

The next brainy edition of the Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, May 16, 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. 

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 “The Perfect Swarm” with Biologist Iain Couzin, Tuesday, May 18 @ the Bell House, 8 pm, FREE!

Dr. Iain Couzin syncs up and goes wild at the Secret Science Club . . .

A predator approaches a school of fish, and—seemingly in one motion—the fish dart to safety. A flock of pigeons wheel over Brooklyn rooftops, their movements orchestrated as if by a conductor’s baton. What’s at the root of these mysterious behaviors?

Biologist and mathematician Iain Couzin of Princeton’s Collective Animal Behavior Lab discusses swarming locusts, marching army ants, and even crowds of bugged-out Homo sapiens. He asks:
--How did collective animal behavior evolve and what are the fundamental principles underlying this behavior?
--What enables groups of animals to move in unison?
--How does individual behavior influence group dynamics?
--Can crowds of species (even humans) undergo dramatic “personality” changes?

Dr. Couzin is Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Adjunct Faculty in the Program of Applied and Computational Mathematics at Princeton University. He is a member of the Faculty of 1000 Biology and the recipient of a Searle Scholar Award in 2012 and the Mohammed Dahleh Award in 2012.

Before and After
--Groove to synchronized tunes
--Stick around for the "orderly" Q&A
--Flock don't run to try our cocktail of the night, the Herd Mentality

The “Secret Science Club” meets Tuesday, May 18 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. Just bring your smart self! Please bring ID: 21+  Doors open at 7:15 pm. Limited seating.

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The Secret Science Club Goes Boom with Experimenter Extraordinaire David Maiullo, Wednesday, May 4, 8 pm @ the Bell House, FREE!

Feel the electricity, the vibrations, the friction! Physics has never been this steamy!

David Maiullo of Rutgers University brings his traveling physics roadshow to the Secret Science Club for a night of wonder and experimentation. Co-host of the National Geographic Channel’s new series Humanly Impossible, Maiullo reveals the mysterious forces of the universe, using beds of nails, glasses of wine, liquid nitrogen, and a lab-made cannon. Who knows what forms of potential energy may be unleashed? Don’t miss this physics phantasmagoria . . .

Before & After
--Groove to the music of the spheres
--Stick around for the quantum Q&A
--Try our cosmic cocktail of the night, the Heavenly Motion

This edition of the Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, May 4, 2012 @ 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.

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