Lectures on Tap -"The Art Science and History of the Public Experiment"

📍 Location: Exact address given in confirmation email

🧠 Lecture: "The Art Science and History of the Public Experiment"

🎤 Speaker: Dr. Julian R. Silverman

Step right up and prepare to see the invisible made visible! In this immersive Lecture on Tap, Dr. Julian R. Silverman will trace the evolution of the “public experiment,” revealing how science leapt from the secret chambers of alchemists to the dazzling stages of Victorian lecture halls.

Through live demonstrations with swirling inks, delicate bubbles, and evocative fragrances, you’ll experience the same sensory wonders that first ignited public curiosity centuries ago. Along the way, Dr. Silverman will connect these historical spectacles to today’s most engaging approaches to science communication, showing how performance, story, and surprise can turn abstract concepts into unforgettable experiences.

Dr. Julian R. Silverman is an Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where he teaches cosmetic chemistry and materials science. His work focuses on how best to share science with the public, from classrooms to bars to vibrant public displays. As a 2025 Linda Hall fellow, he follows in the footsteps of past scientific demonstrators to better understand the history—and shape the future—of science education.

Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌

Agenda

6:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line—arriving early is key.

6:55 PM – Host introduction

7:00 PM – Lecture begins

7:45 PM – Audience Q&A

8:00 PM – Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round

8:30 PM – Wrap up.