Monday August 19, 2019
Manhattan
12:30-1:45pm Free: Reel Talks: The Man Who Made the Movies: The Meteoric Rise and Tragic Fall of William Fox. Bryant Park’s Reel Talk series continues with Vanda Krefft, author of The Man Who Made the Movies: The Meteoric Rise and Tragic Fall of William Fox. Hosted by Scott Adlerberg, Resident Film Expert, this event is free and open to the public. Books are available for purchase at the event and for signing by the author. Stick around for a Q&A. More info. [FILM]
7-9pm $15: Supersonic: The Design and Lifestyle of Concorde. Join Lawrence Azerrad, Grammy Award-winning author of Supersonic, and Debbie Millman, National Design Award-winning host of Design Matters, at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum for an evening of conversation on the ingenuity and enduring creative legacy of Concorde, the world’s first—and so far only—luxury supersonic airliner. More info. [GEEK]
7-8:30pm Free: Testing Faith: Unpacking Testimonies of Ukrainian Rescue Work. In occupied Ukraine, most non-Jews swiftly divided into collaborators, accomplices to occupying forces, and bystanders. Some, however, turned to rescue work. A small percentage of this minority were people from less prominent denominations of Christianity, themselves in danger of persecution and social exclusion. Join journalist and scholar Raisa Ostapenko at the Museum of Jewish Heritage for a talk on why some marginalized groups across Ukraine were more likely to empathize with persecuted Jews. More info. [HISTORY]
Tuesday August 20, 2019
Manhattan
6:30-8:30pm $10: Dark Matter: A Comedy Show About a Lot of the Universe. Part stand-up comedy, part science, Dark Matter is for anyone who has ever looked at the universe and wondered, “How can I make this about me?” If Mike Birbiglia did a show with Carl Sagan, that show would be Dark Matter. The science is real. The story is true. Matthew Starr brings the audience along with him as he tries to understand getting older, his past relationships, and also, the universe. Featuring performances by Jordan Klepper and Alex Song. More info. [GEEK]
7pm Free [book purchase required]: Chase Darkness with Me: How One True-Crime Writer Started Solving Murders. Barnes and Noble Union Square hosts Billy Jensen for the release of his new book Chase Darkness with Me. This is a discussion, Q&A, photo op, and live signing. More info. [BOOKS]
7-9pm Free: Heading for Extinction (and what to do about it). The planet is in ecological crisis: we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event this planet has experienced. Scientists believe we may have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown. This is an emergency. In this public talk, climate speakers from Extinction Rebellion will share the latest climate science on where our planet is heading, discuss some of the current psychology around climate change, and offer solutions through the study of social movements. Everyone is welcome and there will be time to ask questions and discuss afterwards. More info. [NATURE]
7:30pm $15: The Science of Love in the Time of Online Dating. As more and more of us turn to websites and apps to find our “match,” we are moving into uncharted territory. Where we once had to rely on meeting people in real life (IRL), we can now select boxes, leading to an array of potential partners. Join relationship scientist, author and coach Dr. Marisa Cohen for a discussion about relationship science, basic human needs, as well as factors of interpersonal attraction. You’ll also learn a technique to estimate the size of your dating pool, and get some take-home tips to enhance your existing relationships. More info. [CULTURE]
Brooklyn
7:30pm Free: Secret Science Club Presents Entomologist Jessica Ware. Strange, beautiful, overlooked, and essential—insects are the foundation of Earth’s ecosystems, representing 80 percent of all animal species. The next Secret Science Club lecture will feature entomologist Dr. Jessica Ware and will explore the “creepy, crawly residents of nature’s demi-monde.” Dr. Jessica Ware studies the amazing modern-day behaviors of insects (her speciality: dragonflies), as well as their deep evolutionary origins. More info. [SCIENCE]
Queens
7:30pm $15: Dementia Americana: The Persistence of Forgetting. As the world seems to veer to the political right and is awash in Fake News, Orwell’s dictum about control over history is terrifyingly prophetic. This Olio event, featuring historian Ward Regan, examines the process of the creation, annihilation, and resurrection of different elements of American history. More info. [HISTORY]
Wednesday August 21, 2019
Manhattan
7-8:30pm Free: Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil War. History buff? Join Elizabeth R. Varon, author of Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil War, for a book signing and Q&A event at the Bryant Park Reading Room. More info. [HISTORY]
7pm $15: Transportation Conversations: Sam Schwartz. Open House New York invites you to a presentation by Sam Schwartz on his newest book, No One at the Wheel: Driverless Cars and the Road of the Future, and the potential good, bad, and ugly outcomes of the autonomous vehicle revolution. A conversation with Gregory Wessner, Executive Director of Open House New York will follow. More info. [ECONOMICS]
7:30-9:30pm $15: Moonlight & Movies: Modern Times. Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 masterpiece, Modern Times, marks his final outing as the Little Tramp, this time starring as an inept factory worker caught in the cogs and gears of modern industrialization. From factory floor to hospital to prison, Chaplin dexterously delivers sly commentary on the brutality of work and class struggle amidst a stream of unforgettable gags. This outdoor screening will be introduced by acclaimed historian Joshua Freeman whose most recent book, Behemoth: A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World, offers a sweeping, global history of the rise of the factory and its effects on culture and society. More info. [FILM]
Thursday August 22, 2019
Manhattan
7pm $20: Margaret Fuller, Beethoven, and Revolution in the Minds of Women. In this Olio event at The Strand Bookstore, we will listen to musical performances by Groupmuse to both feel and think through what 19th century music critic Margaret Fuller calls the “rapid transition; the spiral and undulatory movement” of music. We will think about how music is linked to an awareness of space, body, and self, and how that awareness translates into self-assertion and even social revolution through conversation, listening, and community organizing. How does music act on the individual and the collective to make one feel a part of something greater? More info. [MUSIC]
Brooklyn
7-9pm Free: In Real Life: An Interactive Dating Experience and Talk. Tired of swiping? Anxious about being set up by your friends? Can’t find the right thing to say to an intriguing stranger? In Real Life is an opportunity to meet wonderful, like-minded others using a matching technique backed by science. Join relationship scientist Dr. Marisa Cohen for an introduction to relationship science, followed by an interactive, bespoke mobile dating game. Singles preferred. People of all genders and sexual orientations are welcome. More info. [CULTURE]
Friday August 23, 2019
Manhattan
6:30-8pm $10: Modern Whitney: A Comedy Panel Show About Art. Did you often find yourself looking at a piece of art and wondering why that stuffy professor in your art history 101 class called it art? Modern Whitney answers this question with a panel of comedians who live on stage will try and breakdown and give meaning to what certain artwork stands for. They’ll then be schooled by an actual art expert who will reveal what the art truly stands for and it’s cultural impact. The audience will also have the opportunity to draw and have their artwork deciphered live on stage. More info. [ART]
Saturday August 24, 2019
Manhattan
9am-5pm Free: One Ocean Symposium. Please join us for thought-provoking presentations and discussions with delegates, academics and policy makers exploring key issues for the United Nations’ proposed treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). Morning symposium: Exploring Key Issues for the BBNJ Treaty Negotiations. Afternoon workshop: ‘Rights of Nature’ Beyond National Jurisdiction. The symposium and workshop are free, but bookings are essential. More info. [NATURE]
1-3pm $25: New Amsterdam Walking Tour. On this walking tour, you’ll discover the life of pirates and prostitutes living in the scrappy Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, long before New York was New York. Step into the wooden shoes of the early settlers and see what life was like being an employee of the Dutch West India Company. Based on exciting new research that has taken place over the last 35 years, you’ll hear a brand new side of this brave new world like you’ve never heard it before. From Native American raids, to the origin of the cookie, to everyone’s least favorite peg-legged governor, you’ll see it all. Tour will start at Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park. More info. [TOUR]
2-3:30pm Free: Ask a Scientist with Dr. Sonali McDermid. What can we do together to support climate science, and science in general, as a public good? Join Dr. Sonali McDermid, Professor of Environmental Studies at NYU, for this “Ask A Scientist” event at Governor’s Island. More info. [SCIENCE]
Bronx
11am Free: Telling the Art Deco Story of Northern Grand Concourse. Did you know that the Grand Concourse has a rich and exciting history told through its beautiful and special Art Deco buildings? Discover the area’s fascinating Art Deco architecture and design of the 1920s and 30s with an expert from the Art Deco Society of New York, Bronx historian Sam Goodman. Sign up today for a free talk that tells the story the Grand Concourse on Saturday, August 24th. This special talk starts at the Bronx Museum of the Arts at 11:00 a.m. A walk will follow. More info. [TOUR]
Sunday August 25, 2019
Brooklyn
11am-1pm $30: Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Tour. This Municipal Art Society tour, with Kate Papacosma, highlights key destinations created by Prospect Park co-designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux commencing in 1866. We’ll follow the Park’s winding watercourse through meadows and woods, discussing how residents of Brooklyn, a thriving independent city from 1834 to 1898, sought to create a park to compete with New York’s Central Park. The Park’s backstory is dramatic and fascinating. More info. [TOUR]
11am-2pm Free: Battle of Brooklyn. The Battle of Brooklyn, fought in 1776 on land that is now a part of Green-Wood, was the first battle of the American Revolution to occur after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Green-Wood hosts a day of commemoration to honor all those who served to defend the young republic. See parades, cannon fire, horses, and re-enactments. This is a great event for kids and families. These events are free, excluding the trolley tour. More info. [HISTORY]
5:30-6:30pm $14: Terrarium Building with Botany Box. Adding a touch of greenery to your apartment can really spruce up the space, but unfortunately not all of us are blessed with green thumbs. Join Botany Box for a hands-on Terrarium Workshop covering the basics of soil, sunlight, and watering. Then you’ll put your new gardening skills to the test by repotting a succulent in a glass terrarium to take home. Tickets include one terrarium, one medium-sized succulent, and 10% off a future purchase from Botany Box. Limited space available. More info. [NATURE]