taste of science NYC

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Started in 2013 right here in Brooklyn, Astro on Tap NYC is a free event series that has expanded around the world! NYC monthly events run on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, and feature astronomy researchers, professionals, communicators, and enthusiasts on stage presenting short, engaging talks. Plus games with prizes! Held at Somethin’ Else in the DeKalb Market. Bring your curiosity and join the fun, and drink in the universe with us!

This month, we’re celebrating Earth Day! So we’ll be exploring the Earth in several different ways - from above, from the ground, and of course, astronomically. Our speakers this month are:

• Bridget Ierace (she/her), NYC Astro on Tap, on planetary astronomy
• Dr. Emma Thurau (she/her) , CUNY Lehman/NY Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology on mapping and geography, and her research in ecology
• Sarah Draves, CUNY NYC College of Technology, https://sarahedraves.github.io/, on Earth observations by satellite

Located in the DeKalb Market, Somethin’ Else is the bar next to the Escape Room, across from the Jamaican spot. Grab a bite from the market and bring it on in! Doors open at 7:00pm, event start at 7:15pm. Arrive early to get your seats, grab a drink, and settle in for science talks, trivia, prizes, and fun!

RSVP here (meetup RSVPs are not counted)

RSVP here (meetup RSVPs are not counted)

It’s spring migration and the perfect time to observe some of our feathered friends! Join Taste of Science and a team of guest birding experts in Central Park on Saturday, April 25th at 2pm. Bring your own binoculars if you have them (we will have some loaner pairs available), wear comfortable shoes, and dress for the weather! All skill levels welcome!

A guided walk through Central Park led by Will Harcourt-Smith, Sahid Robles Bello, Ariel Schiff, Santiago Flórez, and Kristen Olson.

We will meet at Engineer's Gate at 2 E 90th Street at 2PM.

A little bit about our guides:

Will Harcourt-Smith
Will is a paleontologist based at the American Museum of Natural History and CUNY, specializing in human evolution. He was an avid birder as a child and picked it up again about ten years ago.

Santiago Flórez
Santiago Florez is a Colombian American journalist, educator, illustrator, and anthropologist based in NYC. He worked in education at the American Museum of Natural History and earned a master’s in bilingual journalism at the Craig Newmark Journalism School. His work has been featured in Audubon, El País, Herchinger Reporter, and beyond.

Kristen Olson
Kristen works in science education and loves birding and spending time in nature.

Event is weather-dependent. An email will be sent to RSVPs if event is cancelled.

Free, all-ages event. RSVP required!

RSVP here (meetup RSVPs are not counted)

Buy your $5 tickets here! (meetup RSVPs are not counted)

There are so many ways to describe New York City, however few would include “clean” in their list. Yet our city has made great strides towards improving the quality of the air we all share – not only compared to the smoggy era of the mid-twentieth century, but also within the past decade. Join us for a night of science surrounding our most precious shared resource – the city air that we breathe every day – and learn about how scientists measure air particulates and the many efforts, including the planting of urban trees, that researchers are undertaking to continue to improve NYC’s air.

Doors open at 7:00PM. Event is 21+ with limited capacity.

Why has the air quality in New York City improved recently?
Roisin Commane, PhD

Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Dr. Roisin Commane's research combines measurements of trace gases in the atmosphere with models to quantify rates of gas emissions into the atmosphere from both natural and human sources, in cities and in remote areas. Her research group operates a greenhouse gas monitoring network in the New York metro area and works with New York State agencies to identify previously unidentified sources of methane and develop pathways to reduce these emissions in urban areas.

Air quality in New York has dramatically improved in recent years. Dr. Commane will explain why it was so bad, how it has improved and what we might want to think about as we develop future plans for the city.

Seeing the city for its trees
Andrew Reinmann, PhD

Associate Professor of Environmental Science at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center and at Hunter College

https://asrc.gc.cuny.edu/reinmann-lab/
Dr. Andrew Reinmann's research focuses on understanding the effects of environmental change (e.g., climate change, urbanization, land cover change, and invasive species) on the terrestrial carbon cycle and ecosystem services across a continuum of human-disturbed ecosystems. He combines a variety of tools in his research including field observations, ecosystem experiments, and laboratory analyses with GIS, remote sensing, and modeling. Dr. Reinmann currently has projects in forested and human dominated landscapes throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S.

New York City has planted over 1 million trees since 2007 and has lofty goals of achieving 30% tree canopy cover by 2035, making it a global leader in urban tree planting. Dr. Reinmann's talk will cover the numerous ways trees improve the livability, sustainability, and climate resilience of our city and how the life of a city tree differs from that of its rural counterpart.

Located in the DeKalb Market, Somethin’ Else is the bar next to the Escape Room, across from the Jamaican spot. Grab a bite from the market and bring it on in! Doors open at 7:00pm, event start at 7:30pm. Arrive early to get your seats, grab a drink, and settle in for science talks, trivia, prizes, and fun.

Buy your $5 tickets here! (meetup RSVPs are not counted)

Buy $5 tickets here! (meetup RSVPs are not counted)

Forensic science is often what we see in crime shows, but there’s a lot of real science behind how evidence is actually analyzed. From insects to language, scientists use a range of tools to piece together what happened and when.

Join us for an evening exploring how forensic science works in real life practice. We’ll hear from Dr. Jennifer Rosati, a forensic entomologist at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, who studies how insects behave during decomposition and how that can help investigators estimate timelines and, amazingly, detect substances like drugs or toxins. She’ll be joined by Dr. Robert Leonard from Hofstra University, a forensic linguist who examines how patterns in language, whether in writing or speech, can be used as evidence in investigations.

Together, they’ll show how very different fields can help solve real-world cases. Come learn how these scientists turn small details into meaningful evidence, and how science can help bring clarity to even the most complex investigations!
Doors open at 7:00PM. Event is 21+ with limited capacity.

The magic of maggots and the secrets they keep
Jennifer Rosati, PhD

Professor of Forensic Entomology in the Department of Sciences at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Chair for the Department of Sciences, and Coordinator for the Forensic Science Program

Dr. Jennifer Rosati's research interests include the areas of Ecology and Evolution, Taxonomy, Insect Species Identification, Entomotoxicology, Decomposition Ecology and Forensic Entomology. Jennifer is an avid supporter of research and science education at the undergraduate and graduate levels and serves as a mentor to many students in the forensic science program. She is qualified as an expert witness and has been involved in well over 50 cases during her career.

Maggots are often overlooked due to their small size, putrid smell and unappealing appearance. However, they can be a key piece of evidence providing crucial information investigators can use to confirm or break alibis, to determine a post-mortem interval (PMI) estimations, or even to tie a suspect to a victim or crime scene. Learn how valuable maggots can be to a forensic investigation - the secrets they hold and the stories that can be told for those that are brave enough to listen.

Forensic Linguistics Applications to Intelligence, Law Enforcement, Counterterrorism and Threat Assessment, and the one-week FBI intensive Quantico training courses now taught at Hofstra University
Rob Leonard, PhD

Professor of Linguistics and Director of the Hofstra Graduate Program in Linguistics: Forensic Linguistics; the innovative Forensic Linguistics Justice Project, a joint venture with Hofstra Law School; and the Institute for Forensic Linguistics, Threat Assessment and Strategic Analysis

www.robertleonardassociates.com

The New Yorker magazine calls Leonard, “one of the foremost language detectives in the country.” The BBC says, “he's considered one of the best in the world.” Leonard’s clients include the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, British Secret Intelligence Service and MI-5, NYPD Detective Bureau, Apple, Facebook, and the Prime Minister ofCanada. Senior Consultant to the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s Advanced Research “Linguistic Fingerprint” project. TIME magazine deemed Leonard (no kidding) the second smartest rock star in history, behind Brian May, guitarist of Queen, who is an Astrophysicist. (Leonard thinks this is because TIME thinks “Astrophysicist” sounds smarter than “Forensic Linguist.”)

The New Yorker magazine calls Rob Leonard (PhD, Columbia) “One of the foremost language detectives in the country.” The BBC says, “he's considered one of the best in the world.” He has worked over 1500 cases and consulted on organized crime, kidnappings, counterterrorism, trademark, murder, judicial plagiarism, and serial killers, for the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, Joint Terrorism Task Forces, British Intelligence Services, Apple, Facebook, and the Prime Minister of Canada.

Buy $5 tickets here! (meetup RSVPs are not counted)