The Secret Science Club Goes Ape at the Bell House!‏

When:Tuesday October 12, 2010
Time:8pm
Where:The Bell House
149 7th St.
between 2nd and 3rd avenues
Brooklyn,NY
718.643.6510
Cost:Free

From the site:
The Secret Science Club presents. . .Evolutionary Anthropologist Todd Disotell on Human and Primate Evolution. No monkeying around this month . . . The Secret Science Club goes ape!

The order Primates represents more than 400 living species, including the Pig-Tailed Macaque, the Golden Lion Tamarin, the Mountain Gorilla—and yours truly, Homo sapiens. We primates all share certain characteristics, but humans are the only ones that live on all seven continents, question the meaning of life, and conduct DNA analysis.

Dr. Todd Disotell of NYU’s Center for Human Origins is an anthropologist and molecular primatologist who uses DNA to study the evolution of Homo sapiens. He also uses DNA analysis to throw a monkey wrench into “evidence” of cryptozoological primates, such as Bigfoot, and has appeared on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, National Geographic’s Naked Science, and Monster Quest. The author of scores of scientific papers and recipient of numerous grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, Dr. Disotell asks:

–When did our first primate ancestors evolve?

–How did Homo sapiens emerge—and diverge—from other primates, such as our closest relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos?

–How do genomics help elucidate the fossil record?

–What happened to the other species of Homo—erectus, habilis, and neanderthalis?

–And what exactly is a Chumanzee?

Before and After

–Groove to ever-evolving tunes

–Try our Halloween-inspired simian cocktail of the night, the Monkey’s Paw. (You’ll never “wish” for another . . .  wah-ha-ha . . . )

–Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

Doors open at 7:15 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self.