Secret Science Club

02/02/2026

LIVE ON ZOOM! Secret Science Club and the Lasker Foundation present Lasker Award Winner & Pioneering Biomedical Researcher Michael J. Welsh, FREE!

Join us on TUESDAY, February 3 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM

For sign-up info, visit our website: https://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com/

Come celebrate curiosity, scientific endeavor, and transformational discoveries with Michael J. Welsh, winner of the 2025 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award.

As a medical student, Welsh encountered a young girl suffering from cystic fibrosis—struggling for every breath and unlikely to survive beyond her teens. Ever since, he has worked to uncover the cellular and molecular causes of the disease and find treatments.

His research has helped transform cystic fibrosis from a terminal illness into a highly treatable condition for most patients, allowing them to breathe easier, live longer, and enjoy a better quality of life. But challenges remain. With a cure still elusive and a percentage of CF patients still not benefiting from new targeted drugs, Dr. Welsh and his colleagues continue to seek novel and better therapies for all cystic fibrosis patients.

Get the Zoom link for this special program, and come learn first-hand from this trailblazing researcher!

BEFORE & AFTER
- Mix up our libation of the night, the “Breathe Easy” (recipes will be on our website)
- Groove to our highly therapeutic playlist
- Zoom in for a chance to win cool prizes!
- Stick around for the live audience Q&A

MICHAEL J. WELSH is professor of internal medicine, molecular physiology and biophysics, neurology, and neurosurgery at the University of Iowa, as well as director of the Pappajohn Medical Institute at Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine. He served as president of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and president of the Association of American Physicians, and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Sciences. For his groundbreaking research leading to life-saving treatments for cystic fibrosis, he has been awarded numerous prestigious prizes, including the 2025 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, 2025 Yergin-New International Prize for Biomedical Research, 2025 Canada Gairdner International Award, 2023 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences, and the 2022 Shaw Prize in Life Sciences and Medicine.

This edition of the Secret Science Club, the 2026 Lasker Public Lecture in honor of Al Sommer, is sponsored by the Lasker Foundation. The Foundation works to foster the prevention and treatment of disease and disabilities by honoring excellence in basic and clinical science, educating the public, and advocating for support of medical research.

This is a FREE event!

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)

11/11/2025

Secret Science Club is flowing into Hudson River Park with ecologists Chris Bowser and Judith Weis. Join us on THU 11/13 for "Ask a Scientist" as we explore the amazing migration of eels and “global weirding.” 🪸🪼🌎 We’ll be at the Discovery Tank on Manhattan’s beautiful Pier 57 with sweet & salty grooves, amazing views, microscopes, and refreshing libations. 🎟 Tickets $10 (drinks included) https://events.humanitix.com/ask-a-scientist-at-the-pier-57-discovery-tank-november-13

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)

10/22/2025

LIVE ON ONLINE! Secret Science Club presents “SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE” with Vaccine Researcher Peter Hotez and Climate Scientist Michael Mann, FREE!

Join us on ZOOM on TUESDAY, October 28 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM. For sign-up, visit our website: https://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com/

Michael E. Mann and Peter J. Hotez are two of the world’s most respected and well-known scientists, and they have spent the last twenty years on the front lines of the battle to convey accurate, reliable, and trustworthy information about science in the face of determined, ideologically motivated, and growing opposition.

At the next Secret Science Club Online, they discuss their new book—“SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces That Threaten Our World.” It’s a road map for dismantling the forces of anti-science. Sign up at the link above, and bring your questions!

PETER JAY HOTEZ is a research scientist, pediatrician, and advocate in the fields of global health, vaccinology, and neglected tropical disease control. He is dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he is also Director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Endowed Chair in Tropical Pediatrics. In 2022, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on a low-cost, patent-free COVID-19 vaccine. He is a frequent guest on CNN, PBS, NPR, MSNBC, Fox, CBS, and NBC news.

MICHAEL E. MANN is a climatologist, geophysicist, and advocate for the use of scientific research in steering climate policy. He is presidential distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and the director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media. He has made significant contributions to the scientific understanding of climate change and contributed to the award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He is the author of more than 200 scientific papers, numerous op-eds, and five books. His work has been featured across the media, from the PBS News Hour to the Guardian.

BEFORE & AFTER THE TALK
--Mix up our cocktail & mocktail, the "STEMinator"… (recipes will be on our website!)
--Groove to science-inspired tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Mann and Hotez’s powerful new book “Science Under Siege” https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/michael-e-mann/science-under-siege/9781541705494/

THIS IS A FREE PROGRAM!

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)

07/28/2025

New brain-computer interfaces hold the promise of treating a plethora of ailments, but they also present new challenges and risks. Neuroscientist De-Shaine Murray and bioethicist Matthew Liao explore the rapidly transforming world of neuro-engineering and artificial intelligence in the Neuroscience & Society Talk Series from Secret Science Club and the Dana Foundation.

Watch the full lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3I6CKJQFd4

06/28/2025

Join us on Zoom for Tea, Poison, and Murder at this afternoon program!

Secret Science Club presents Chemist & Best-selling Author Kathryn Harkup on “V IS FOR VENOM: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death,” FREE!

Live on ZOOM on SUNDAY, June 29 @ 2PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 1:30PM. For sign-up, visit our website: https://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com/

At the next Secret Science Club, we dive into poison, Agatha Christie's murder mysteries, chemical science, and true crime.

Jumping off from her new book “V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death,” chemist-turned-author Kathryn Harkup investigates the science behind deadly substances, the history of their use in real-life murder cases, and how feasible it was to administer and detect these poisons in Agatha Christie's time and today.

The Queen of Crime, Christie perfected the use of poisons in her plots. But why are some compounds so lethal, and in such tiny amounts? Come explore all things poison with us on Sunday. It would be a crime to miss it!

BEFORE & AFTER
--Brew up a pot of your favorite tea, and settle in for a compelling “howdunnit”

--Groove to suspenseful tunes and crime jazz

--Bring your questions for the live Q&A

--Snag a copy of Kathryn Harkup’s delicious new book V IS FOR VENOM https://bookshop.org/p/books/v-is-for-venom-chemicals-of-death-in-the-novels-of-agatha-christie-kathryn-harkup/21736136

KATHRYN HARKUP is a chemist turned author. She writes on the crossover between science, literature, and pop culture. Her first book was the international best-seller A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, which was shortlisted for a Mystery Readers International Macavity Award and a BMA Book Award. Her subsequent books include "V is for Venom," "Making the Monster: The Science of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein," and "Death by Shakespeare." Kathryn also loves talking about the geeky and gory side of science—and she is happy to help anyone develop their plots to take over the world, or advise them on how to protect themselves from poisoners or the undead.

THIS IS A FREE PROGRAM

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)

06/25/2025

Join us by the water on Thursday night! Secret Science Club is heading to the "Wetlab" on Pier 40 in Hudson River Park, THU 6/26 6:30PM. Come hear environmental scientists Alejandro Prieto and Becca Franks, plus check out the aquariums full of creatures from our local waters. Tickets $10 (drinks included!) https://events.humanitix.com/ask-a-scientist-june-26

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)

05/18/2025

LIVE ON ONLINE! Secret Science Club presents “MORE EVERYTHING FOREVER: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity,” FREE!

Join us via ZOOM on TUESDAY, May 20 @ 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM. For sign-up, visit our website: https://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com/

The giants of Silicon Valley have some bold ideas for the future. In their concept of what lies ahead, trillions of humans will live in space colonies, we will defy mortality to live as long as we desire, and super-smart AI servants will do all the hard work and thinking for us.

At the next Secret Science Club Online, astrophysicist & science journalist Adam Becker—author of the new book MORE EVERYTHING FOREVER—appears in conversation with digital media analyst Dave Karpf. Together, they investigate these techno-visions of tomorrow and whether there is any good evidence they will come to pass.

They ask: Are these tech gurus guiding us toward a better future, or steering us off-course? Are their visionary ideas based on fantasy or real science?

ADAM BECKER is a science journalist and astrophysicist. He has written for the New York Times, the BBC, NPR, Scientific American, New Scientist, Quanta, and other publications. His first book, "What Is Real?", was a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice and was long-listed for the PEN Literary Science Writing Award. He has served as a science journalism fellow at the Santa Fe Institute and a science communicator in residence at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing at UC Berkeley.

DAVID KARPF is an associate professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University. His writing has appeared in Wired, The Nation, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

BEFORE & AFTER THE TALK
--Mix up our libation of the night, the "Brave New World"… (recipe will be on our website!)
--Groove to out-of-this-world tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
--Snag a copy of Adam Becker’s awesome new book “More Everything Forever” at your local bookshop. It’s getting amazing reviews!

THIS IS A FREE PROGRAM!

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)

04/13/2025

LIVE ONLINE! Secret Science Club presents “WHAT WE VALUE: THE NEUROSCIENCE OF CHOICE AND CHANGE” Free!

Join us via ZOOM on WEDNESDAY, April 16, 8PM (Eastern Time USA) "Doors" open at 7:30PM. For sign-up, visit our website: https://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com/

Ever felt like you struggled to make the right decision? Or worried that people you care about might be locked into a pattern of poor choices?

At the next Secret Science Club Online, neuroscientist & author Emily Falk appears in conversation with behavioral scientist Vic Strecher to unpack how we make both conscious & unconscious decisions at the neural level.

Whether it’s deciding what to eat for lunch or what to do for a career, whether it’s changing our own habits or other people’s minds, Falk and Strecher explore how we can change what we think and do by changing what we think about, and how connecting with our core values can open pathways to more purposeful, fulfilling choices.

BEFORE & AFTER
--Mix up our cocktail & mocktail, the "Curious Habit"… (recipe will be on our website!)
--Groove to synapse-soothing tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A

THIS IS A FREE PROGRAM!

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)

03/13/2025

What goes on in actors’ brains when they perform a role? 🧠 Do they lose themselves as the character takes over? 🎭 Secret Science Club asked neuroscientist Steven Brown about his groundbreaking “Romeo and Juliet” study as part of our " Dana Foundation Neuroscience & Society Chat" series. We are re-posting in honor of Brain Awareness Week! Watch the full interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziJ8d3m4DIc&t=104s

02/03/2025

Secret Science Club is flowing into Hudson River Park with environmental researchers 🌏 Theodore Muth and Joaquim Goes. Join us on THU 2/6 for "Ask a Scientist" as we explore the wild (and sneakily fascinating) world of microbes 🔬 We’ll be at the Discovery Tank on Manhattan’s beautiful Pier 57. PLUS! Sweet & salty grooves... amazing views… and delicious libations! 🎟Tickets $10 https://events.humanitix.com/ask-a-scientist-at-the-pier-57-discovery-tank-february-6

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)

11/04/2024

Susan Rogers is a cognitive neuroscientist, an award-winning professor at Berklee College of Music, a sound engineer, and a multi-platinum record producer. D...

09/30/2024

Shello! Secret Science Club is heading over to Hudson River Park to explore the efforts of biologists & conservationists to restore millions of oysters to NYC. Join us THU 10/3 for "Ask a Scientist" at the Discovery Tank on Manhattan’s gorgeous Pier 57. PLUS! Sweet & salty grooves... amazing views… and delicious libations! Tickets are $10 https://events.humanitix.com/ask-a-scientist-at-the-discovery-tank-october

A science lecture, arts, and performance series, based at the Bell House in Brooklyn (and now online!)