Of Schemes and Memes Blog

Science festivals – part 12: The Moth – Dark Night: Stories of Stars Aligned

The recipe for a perfect Saturday night-out may include laughter, meeting interesting people, and, for some, a few alcoholic beverages. Add to this mix some of the world’s esteemed scientists, writers and artists and you certainly have a formula for success. Last Saturday night, these ingredients were all on offer at the Dark Night: Stories of Stars Aligned, another of the unique World Science Festival’s events on the menu.

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An enthusiastic crowd gathered at the antiquated Players Club off Gramercy Park, most known for its traditional, unique spirit. The packed audience was primed for a jovial night overflowing with scientific comedy…

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Hosted by The Moth, a non-profit organisation renowned for its pioneering live storytelling events, the evening’s programme promised to be an enjoyable, unpredictable, hilarious gathering and it certainly lived up to these expectations.

The premise

Renowned scientists, writers and artists tell their on-stage stories about their personal relationship with science. In line with Moth tradition, each story must be genuine and told within ten minutes and here’s the hard bit, without notes.

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Presented by Mike Daisey, the ultimate “master storyteller”, most noted for his inventive monologues, the night began with a philosophical question:

If the laws of science could be suspended for one night what would you do?

Bursts of laughter echoed through the club as Mike revealed that remarkably none of their answers were pornographic! Responses ranged from the comical, such as requesting “never-ending buckets of KFC,” to the sensible, “I would take the day off.”

A summary from a few of the prestigious raconteurs

First on stage was Janna Levin, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University, whose work focuses on the early universe, chaos and black holes.

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We are immediately propelled into a world cloaked in doubt and improbability as Janna takes us on a journey in a straight line from San Francisco to London – or as she puts it – a straight line that makes a full circle.

“Once upon a time a story-line became a circle.”

Her compelling monologue reveals the improbable nature of her science work, in parallel to her unlikely personal relationship with Warren, an un-educated musician from Manchester. She eloquently describes the twists and turns she encounters whilst battling with the emotional labyrinth of love, in stark contrast to her battles with mathematics and science. She explains the terrors she has faced; fighting the divide between the unknown and the impossible. Throughout her ten minutes in the spotlight, we were immersed in a world full of improbability and science.

Next up was Kodi Azari, an internationally renowned plastic surgeon and hand surgeon.

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He has the honour of being one of the leading surgeons on five hand transplant operations, including the first ever double-hand transplantation. Throughout Kodi’s compelling story we get an unprecedented glimpse into the exhilarating world of a hand surgeon. In a captivating, emotional monologue he reveals why the hand is such an important organ:

“It is an organ of grasp, precision, strength, sight, it is a sexual organ, and it’s an organ of expression.”

He emphasises that hand transplantation is no easy task and many things must be in place: blood groups must match, they must be the right size, colour, have the correct hair patterns. He recalls the most significant moment in his career, when he received “the call” – they had a hand match. After 26 years of work, he finally gets the opportunity to carry out the first ever hand transplant. Embroiled in his poignant tail, we learn what a truly valuable role he has in society and to think he originally wanted to be a fighter pilot. Instead he can change their lives.

James Fallon is next on stage; he is an acclaimed neurobiologist who has made major scientific breakthroughs in the basic and clinical brain sciences. He lectures worldwide on neurolaw and the brains of psychopathic killers.

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James commences his monologue with a simple, sincere statement, “I’m a normal guy.” His story then takes a bizarre turn as he describes the unusual events which led him to begin work analysing the brains of serial killers. To the delight of the audience, he recalls a remarkable turn of events – how coincidentally, in a sinister twist, he gets caught up in his own research more than he ever expected. He comically discusses the serendipitous events which led to a disturbing revelation – one that would ultimately impact on his own life. Not only that, his discovery makes us all question whether he is that “normal” guy he promised.

See for yourself…

Finally, this is a wonderful opportunity to watch Eric Lander’s monologue for yourself. Eric was one of the principle leaders of the Human Genome Project, which from 1990-2003 mapped the human genetic code. Thanks to the Moth for allowing us to share this memorable talk:

Overall the evening was a beautifully orchestrated event with some engaging science storytellers; a magical opportunity to hear distinguished scientists tell their personal stories of passion, science & teaching. It’s therefore no surprise that the Moth podcast is downloaded more than a million times a month and that the Moth Radio Hour has recently been honoured with a Peabody Award. This is the fourth time The Moth have collaborated with the World Science Festival and hopefully they will be there next year to entertain us with another incredible night.

If you want to read more highlights from the World Science Festival, you can find a summary of all our coverage here.

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