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Secret Science Club goes wild with crocodile expert Evon Hekkala
Evolutionary biologist Evon Hekkala of FordhamUniversity has searched for man-eatingcrocodiles inMadagascar, mined museum collections for DNAlocked in ancient animal mummies, and discovered “extinct” creaturessurviving right under our noses. Her goal? Finding rare, hidden, and endangered species and saving them from oblivion. At the April edition of the Secret Science Club, Dr. Hekkala discusses: --genetic sleuthing and the evolutionary origins of rare species --the sacred crocodile, named for the ancient Egyptian practice of venerating, bejeweling, and mummifying crocs --DNA and wildlife conservation --the Nile crocodile, one of the most lethal predatorson the planet
Before & After --Groove to untamable tunes --Sink your teethinto the Q&A --Sample the Crocodile Tears, our cold-blooded cocktailof the night. It’ll grab you…
This edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, April 16, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (…

What do Jonah Lehrer and Sheryl Sandberg have in common?

I think it's productive to see their separate moments in the sun through a shared lens. The way they've been received recently tells us something interesting about the way ideas of structure and agency play out in the popular press, and specifically how science fits into that picture.
In Lehrer's plagiarism and Sandberg's "Leaning In," critics have fixated on the relative emphasis the two give to structure and agency. Where Lehrer didn't take enough responsibility for his own agency, Sandberg made too much of hers (or any woman's), at the cost of structural inequalities. Below, I explore how (and why) the two account for structure and agency the way they do, with special emphasis on the role of science in their accounts.
Let's start with Lehrer.
Once the boy wonder of popular science, Lehrer's world fell apart late last summer amidst allegations (and confessions) that he had both plagiarized…