There’s (Secret) Science at Symphony Space!
We’re in our second season of importing Brooklyn’s hippest secret to the Upper West Side with our Secret Science Club North. As part of the Fuse Project, we’re hosting a fun event on what’s new in the science of scent with neuroscientist Leslie Vosshall.
This week, I ask curators Dorian Devins and Margaret Mittelbach about the secrets behind Secret Science Club, a hugely successful series that began in Brooklyn a decade ago.
What is the Secret Science Club and how was it conceived?
Margaret: Ten years ago, we (the founders of the Secret Science Club) were all working on a variety of creative projects — literary nonfiction, radio production, and various “happenings.” Through some serendipity and creative collaboration, we became friends with the owners of Union Hall, a venue that was opening in Brooklyn. The owners there gave us carte blanche to develop some creative public programming. That freedom to experiment evolved into the Secret Science Club event series, which invites scientists to step out of their labs, classrooms and auditoriums, and onto the same stages used by musicians, comics, and other performers.
How did each of you become involved in the science field?
Dorian: I was always interested in science and loved reading about it, even as a child. In the late 80’s, I started hosting a talk radio program on WFMU FM. After several years, the show became a science interview program in which I hosted people from all scientific fields. From my radio experience, I started getting hired to do audio and video interviews for institutions like the National Academy of Sciences, NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and others, and also to moderate panels for organizations and institutions like The Rockefeller University.
Margaret: As a kid, I was deeply interested in insects and wanted to be an entomologist. My father was thrilled — he really wanted me to become a scientist. My mother was a librarian and showered me with books about bugs. In the end, I was more interested in words than the lab and pursued a career in journalism with a focus on natural history and the urban environment. For me, the Secret Science Club is like science journalism without the go-between — the audience gets to go straight to the source.
Why did you choose Leslie for the Fuse Project?
Dorian: Scientists are often stereotyped as absent-minded professors and poor communicators, but many are fabulously interesting speakers, and it can be magical watching them connect with the audience. For the Fuse Project, we chose Leslie Vosshall for several reasons: Leslie is a leading researcher in this field, an excellent speaker, and has very creative presentations that often include some audience participation. Her area of research, the neuroscience of smell, is rich with new discoveries. This makes her work a natural fit for the Fuse Project. We’re excited to bring Secret Science Club North to Symphony Space for another season!
Before and after Dr. Vossall’s talk on February 11, we invite you to sample our seductively perfumed specialty cocktails, sway to sweet-smelling tunes, if you dare, inhale (and attempt to identify) our mysterious scent samples, and be nosy and hang out for the post-talk Q&A.
