In the fall of 2006, three colleagues launched the first Secret Science Club meeting at a popular Brooklyn bar to sate curious minds with booze and science. Despite its name, the meetings were never a covert operation. Thanks to favorable word-of-mouth, and people who relish the idea of using your brain while having a beer, the event has now grown out of Union Hall and into The Bell House.
From neurobiologists to Mars experts to the most recent educator and planetary geoscientist, Dr. James Head from Brown University, professionals at the top of their field have been invited to address the eclectic but good-natured crowds who congregate amid alcoholic beverages to learn from the specialists. Upon observing the tidy single-file procession leading to the bar at a recent meeting, bartender Dave Hill remarked, “It’s a well-behaved crowd,” one that does not tend to linger long on a weeknight. But for those who stay, music performances and a “cocktail of the night”—April’s Mars Express concoction featured a saccharine blend of tequila, grenadine and orange juice—make for good reasons to extend the evening that requires no cover charge.
“The Secret Science Club started out as a taxidermy contest,” said Margaret Mittelbach, who along with Michael Crewdson wrote Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger, a chronicle of the duo’s pursuit of the flesh-eating marsupial. Though it began as a casual creature competition between friends (mainly to promote their book), the event planted the seeds for a more public forum that would mimic the camaraderie of informal scientific settings. In their endeavor, the two natural history writers joined forces with radio show host Dorian Devins (WFMU, 91.1 FM’s The Speakeasy) to draw in their brainiac peers for this social experiment.
Today, The Bell House hosts the monthly Secret Science Club sessions on the warehouse-laden streets of Gowanus. Starting in May, meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month. After the presentation, which runs for about an hour, audience members have the chance to question the great mind on stage. (Tip: Remember to think before you drink and raise your hand.)
How to get there: Take the F or R train to 9th St. and 4th Ave. or take the F or G to 9th St. and Smith St. Starts at 8 p.m. No cover charge. (Secret Science Club at The Bell House, 149 7th St., Brooklyn, 718. 643.6510, secretscienceclub.blogspot.com)
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
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Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram