Cosmology and Unsolvable Mysteries

Union Hall’s “Secret Science Club” is back with more mind-bending lectures, chemical libations, and star-gazing sounds!! Wednesday, February 7th @ 7:30 pm Union Hall’s “Secret Science Club” presents:

Infinite Questions with physicist/astronomer Janna Levin and the music of Jane LeCroy and Transmitting
Buckle up, and journey into the cosmos with author and physicist Janna Levin, as she explores mathematics, literature, and the secrets of the universe. A professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College, Levin delves into the issues of madness and genius, transfinite arithmetic, chaos and curved spacetime, time warps, invisible strings, and naked singularities.

The author of A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines and How the Universe Got Its Spots, Levin asks: Is the universe infinite or just really big? Can there be a Theory of Everything? How do scientists of the past (notably logician Kurt Godel and code-breaker Alan Turing) help us understand key questions in physics? What is knowable? Don’t miss this brain-bending ride to the edge of human knowledge!

Then .... TRANSMITTING: The Words and Beat of the Universe
With songs about deep space and biology, TRANSMITTING was recently the band in residence at the Liberty Science Center. Led by poet and lead singer Jane LeCroy, TRANSMITTING features multi-instrumentalist Tom Abbs (upright bass, didgeridoo, firecrackers, tuba, and percussion toys) and the human beatboxer, Kid Lucky. TRANSMITTING’s funky and cosmic sound is complemented by a half set of improvisation, which incorporates questions and words from the audience.

--Before and in the Tweens: Groove to tunes inspired by the Cosmic Ballet!

--Imbibe the Libation of the Night, the “Time Warp,” and travel to another dimension.…

The “Secret Science Club” meets February 7th at 7:30 p.m. (and the first Wednesday night of every month) in the basement @ Union Hall.

Union Hall is at 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

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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.

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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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