Monday December 9, 2019
Manhattan
7pm $20: Yin-Yang, Stress, and the Western Mind. Join Taoist practitioner, Darryl Aiken-Afam, at The Strand for this Olio event that explores ways to loosen up our western conditioned minds to accept a more fluid, dynamic and hopeful approach to navigating the waters of stress in our lives. More info. [MINDFULNESS]
8pm $15: The Human Swarm: How Our Societies Arise, Thrive, and Fall. How do we manage—by and large—to get along with each other? In this talk, biologist Dr. Mark W. Moffett will discuss how sprawling, highly complex societies have been created and what it takes to sustain them. He will examine the social adaptations that bind the members to their societies and explores how the tension between identity and anonymity defines how those groups work—and sometimes don’t. More info. [GEEK]
Tuesday December 10, 2019
Manhattan
2-3pm Free: Signs & Symbols: The Zodiac (Jewish Museum Behind the Scenes). For centuries Jewish communities have incorporated the symbols of the Zodiac into ceremonial objects, synagogue architecture, and richly decorated works used to mark life cycle events and holidays. Join Senior Curator Claudia Nahson for a gallery talk where she shares her research on Signs and Symbols: The Zodiac. This talk is included with museum admission. More info. [CULTURE]
7pm Free: Film Comment Best of 2019 Countdown. Film Comment Editor-in-Chief Nicolas Rapold and special guests unveil the results of the magazine’s year-end critics’ poll in a real-time countdown. Don’t miss the invigorating live conversation. Appearing in person to discuss—and perhaps debate—the results will be a selection of top critics, including Devika Girish, assistant editor of Film Comment; Michael Koresky, co-editor of Reverse Shot; Soraya Nadia McDonald, culture critic for The Undefeated and contributing editor to Film Comment; and Amy Taubin, contributing editor to Film Comment and Artforum. More info. [FILM]
Wednesday December 11, 2019
Manhattan
6-8pm $10: Andrew Marantz on the Failures of Silicon Valley and the Rise of the Alt-Right. Zuckerberg is just one of the many optimistic entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley who set out to create a free and democratic internet. Yet, this mentality has resulted in many unintended negative consequences, from interference in elections to cyberbullying. Harmful language used online is leading to real-world violence. Are the big tech companies and their investors at fault? Is there any turning back? The New Yorker’s Andrew Marantz will discuss this timely conversation and help us explore what we can do about it. More info. [TECH]
7pm $15: Drug Test: Ayahuasca, the “Everest” of Psychedelics? Come find out about Ayahuasca, the alleged “Everest” of psychedelics. StarTalk comedy writer Sarah Rose Siskind will describe her recent journey, present photos of her before and after, and even show the results on her FitBit! And she’ll also talk about how firefighters busted into the ceremony, mid-trip. She will be joined by an illustrious panel of experts to correct all the facts she got wrong and to answer audience questions! More info. [GEEK]
Brooklyn
7-9pm $30: All About the Fat: Hanukkah at MOFAD. Join The Gefilteria co-founders Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz and seasonal foods expert Amelia Saltsman, along with food writer Devra Ferst, for a lively talk and tasting about all the fats—from olive oil to schmaltz—that make Hanukkah food so special. More info. [FOOD]
Thursday December 12, 2019
Manhattan
All-Day Free: Performing Knowledge: What Does Learning Feel Like? Performing Knowledge is a one-day festival of knowledge performances that accommodate and celebrate contradiction, that find their meaning in specific social contexts, and that may end with a question mark. Prominent scholars and graduate students across disciplines come together to reframe research and knowledge as happy human and intrinsically social occasions. Throughout the day, GC CUNY students and faculty will present their research as 20-30 minute lecture performances. Check website for schedule updates. More info. [GEEK]
6-8pm $10: Film Screening “DNA: The Secret of Photo 51” and Q&A. DNA: The Secret of Photo 51 is a compelling documentary that investigates Dr. Rosalind Franklin’s work on DNA and the crucial, yet largely unacknowledged role she played in one of the most important discoveries in scientific history. Join The New York Academy of Medicine for a screening of this important film, followed by a discussion with Dr. Cecily Cannan Selby and Dr. Robert Ruben. More info. [FILM]
Friday December 13, 2019
Manhattan
11am Free: Mikhal Dekel, the Flight East: WW2 Refugees in Tashkent, Tehran and Tel Aviv. Beginning in September 1941 and throughout the war, Central Asia and Iran became places of refuge to hundreds of thousands of Jewish and Catholic Polish citizens. Mikhal Dekel, whose father was a child refugee in Tehran, will recount the research and writing process of this epic yet relatively unknown Holocaust story, told in her new book Tehran Children: A Holocaust Refugee Odyssey. More info. [HISTORY]
Saturday December 14, 2019
Queens
12-2pm $15: Midcentury Stereopanorama with Eric Drysdale: Look and see the 1950s in 3-D! For the last 20 years, writer and comedian Eric Drysdale has been collecting photographs from the 1950s taken by amateurs with the Stereo Realist 3-dimensional camera system. Think of it as an IMAX View-Master. Eric has narrowed his collection of tens of thousands of these amazing images to about 150 of the best, and you’ll see them the way they were meant to be seen – in fully-restored high-quality vintage stereoscopic viewers. More info. [ART]
Sunday December 15, 2019
Brooklyn
10am-4pm Free: City of Science 2019: Brooklyn. Join the World Science Festival and Con Edison for this larger-than-life, touring event where the wondrous properties of science, technology, engineering, and math collide! Filled with interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities, and enormous exhibitions, this free program unleashes everyone’s inner scientist. More info. [SCIENCE]
6-8pm $22: Winter Wellness: Reiki and Sound Experience. Learn kundalini yoga breath techniques, meditation, and Reiki healing techniques at this winter wellness workshop in Love Only in Brooklyn. More info. [MINDFULNESS]