Monday September 23, 2019
Manhattan
3-5:30pm Free: Boredom: Behavioral and Clinical Implications. What is boredom? What are its neural mechanisms? And is it really the dark side of curiosity? Join the Research Cluster on Curiosity and three guest scholars to discuss the significance of boredom in behavior and clinical settings. Discussion to follow after speaker presentations. More info. [SCIENCE]
6-7:30pm $22.85: Cyan & The History of German Posters. Acclaimed art historian Paul Stirton will talk about the museum’s exhibition Designing Through The Wall: Cyan in the 1990s as it relates to the larger trajectory of German poster and print-making heritage. Copies of his book Jan Tschichold and the New Typography as well as the Poster House’s companion exhibition booklet which he contributed to will be available for purchase and signing. Ticket includes a complimentary glass of wine. More info. [ART]
6:30-8pm Free: Cheese Mites to Planet Earth: A History of Natural History Films. Join Erin Chapman, the New Media Content Manager at AMNH, for a look back through the cinematic past of natural history films, watching excerpts from some of the genre’s greatest hits and little-known gems, and along the way, meet some of the fascinating personalities behind the camera. More info. [FILM]
7-9pm $30: A Conversation with Scott Shay: In Good Faith. Join the Harmonie Club for a conversation with author Scott Shay whose groundbreaking book, In Good Faith, makes a rational case for the belief in God. More info. [PHILOSOPHY]
7:30-8:30pm $24.95: Long Walk Home: Reflections on Bruce Springsteen Panel. Commemorating the Boss’s seventieth birthday, Long Walk Home explores Bruce Springsteen’s legacy and provides a stirring set of testimonials that illustrate why his music matters. Join the Strand for a discussion and celebration of all things Bruce with editors Jonathan D. Cohen and June Skinner Sawyers, along with contributors Natalie Adler, Paul Muldoon, Deepa Iyer, and A.O. Scott. More info. [BOOKS]
Tuesday September 24, 2019
Manhattan
6:30-8pm Free: Sidney Blumenthal: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln. Sidney Blumenthal, the acclaimed author of two previous volumes on Abraham Lincoln, recounts Lincoln’s astonishing return from the political desert and ascent to the presidency, including his landmark speech at Cooper Union in February 1860. In the talk, Blumenthal discusses his latest book, All the Powers of Earth: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln, 1856-1860, which is the third volume of a projected five-part work. He will be joined in conversation with CNN anchor and senior political analyst John Avlon. More info. [HISTORY]
Brooklyn
8pm $45: Ta-Nehisi Coates Presents The Water Dancer. Ta-Nehisi Coates returns to Kings Theatre to launch his boldly imagined first novel, The Water Dancer. Coates launches his book with an interactive conversation on stage at Kings Theatre. All ticketholders receive a copy of The Water Dancer at the event. More info. [BOOKS]
Wednesday September 25, 2019
Manhattan
6:30-8pm $15: Book Talk: Robert Wilson, Barnum: An American Life. Nearly 125 years after his death, the name P. T. Barnum still inspires wonder. Robert Wilson’s vivid new biography captures the full genius, infamy, and allure of the ebullient showman. More info. [BOOKS]
7-8:30pm Free: Person Place Thing with Randy Cohen and Massimo Pigliucci. Attend a live recording of the podcast Person Place Thing, as host Randy Cohen interviews philosopher Massimo Pigliucci. David Gracia in member musicians will perform. More info. [PHILOSOPHY]
Thursday September 26, 2019
Manhattan
9am Free: Beyond the Headlines: Understanding This Year’s Climate Report. Go beyond the headlines about the August report from the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). Join atmospheric scientist Katharine Hayhoe and Cynthia Scharf, senior strategy director from Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G), at the American Museum of Natural History to dig into what the latest climate research reveals—and what we can do about it. More info. [SCIENCE]
6:30-7:45pm Free: Philosopher A. Parthasarathy on the Law of Karma. In a rare public appearance, 92-year-old Swami A. Parthasarathy will speak on the Law of Karma at The Town Hall September 26. A celebrated Indian philosopher who shares insights from Vedanta, an ancient philosophy that empowers people to achieve true success and happiness, Parthasarathy has devoted his life to teaching people how to find happiness in their lives and success in their work by adhering to simple philosophies. More info. [PHILOSOPHY]
Brooklyn
7:30-9pm Free: ACLU: At Liberty Podcast with Edward Snowden. Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government’s system of mass surveillance, joins ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero (via video call) to discuss his new memoir, Permanent Record, which reveals for the first time the story of his life, including how he helped to build that system and what motivated him to try to bring it down. More info. [TECHNOLOGY]
Friday September 27, 2019
Manhattan
6pm Free: Intrepid Museum’s Spanish Language Education Demos and Talks. Learn about the forces of flight and NASA’s journey to the red planet at our special Spanish-language education demos and tour guide talks taking place throughout the evening. More info. [GEEK]
6:30pm $20: Behind the Scenes: Maurice Sendak’s Designs for Opera. General Director of the Portland Opera Christopher Mattaliano talks about his collaboration with Maurice Sendak and opera director Frank Corsaro in staging Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen, and Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges. The presentation will be illustrated by images of Sendak’s sketches and production scenes. A live performance of select arias from The Magic Flute will end the evening. More info. [ART]
Saturday September 28, 2019
Manhattan
10am Free: Batman LEGO Master Builders at FAO Schwarz. Warner Bros. Consumer Products, in partnership with world-famous FAO Schwarz, continue the yearlong celebration of the 80th anniversary of Batman in New York (Gotham City). Stop by the FAO Schwarz flagship store to purchase and build your own Lego Batmobile. Lego Master Builders will be on hand to help and chat all things Lego and Batman. More info. [GEEK]
1-2pm Free: Forbidden Tales: Censorship and Society. At this Asia Society talk, Xiaoze Xie will discuss his research into the history of censorship in China that inspired the current exhibition “Xiaoze Xie: Objects of Evidence.” The artist will be joined by noted experts on the subject of censorship Martin Heijdra, Princeton University, and James Tager, PEN America, in a panel led by Michelle Yun, Asia Society Museum Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. More info. [CULTURE]
Brooklyn
7-10pm $10: Nerd Nite. This season premiere of Nerd Nite features fun-yet-smart presentations about how we can determine your health and behavior via your DNA, why we really do need a Space Force, and one of Nerd Nite’s all-time classic presentations about the sordid history of Monopoly – you’ll never want to pass Go and collect $200 again! More info. [GEEK]
Sunday September 29, 2019
Brooklyn
3-7pm $30: Mourning In Style: The Victorian Culture of Grieving. Join the Green-Wood Cemetery for an afternoon symposium devoted to exploring the arts and Victorian culture of mourning and its legacy with illustrated talks and show-and-tell presentations of period artifacts. Speakers will include Colin Dickey, Evan Michelson, Jennifer Berman, Karen Bachmann and more! More info. [HISTORY]
4:30-6pm $30: Eric Foner Presents: The Second Founding, with Chris Hayes. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner presents his latest work, The Second Founding. The Declaration of Independence announced equality as an American ideal, but it took the Civil War and the subsequent adoption of three constitutional amendments to establish that ideal as American law. In grafting the principle of equality onto the Constitution, these revolutionary changes marked the second founding of the United States. Foner’s compact, insightful history traces the arc of these pivotal amendments from their dramatic pre-Civil War origins to their virtual nullification in the late nineteenth century. Foner discusses his work with journalist and “All In” host Chris Hayes. More info. [BOOKS]