We’ve all experienced the wonders of nature through the expert lens of the thoroughly British documentary superstar Sir David Attenborough, but what happens when your average Brooklynite comes face-to-face with the oft’ majestic, and sometimes dangerous, forces of the wilderness?
Find out during the next installment of “Story Collider,” a storytelling series that includes tales about the magic and mystery of science, as experienced by non-scientist New Yorkers.
“Science is everywhere,” said host and co-creator Ben Lillie, a particle physicist who founded the series along with string theorist Brian Wecht in May of 2010. “It happens to all of us; sometimes it’s funny and sometimes it’s heartbreaking.” Lillie may have a PHD in particle physics, but he found his calling outside the realm of research and theories, when he began helping people to discover the role of science in their lives.
“Science is a part of daily life,” said Lillie, “it’s one of the biggest cultural influences on our era, and there are a lot of facts and figures, but not a lot of stories directly from people.”
This particular show features six raconteurs, including Hallie Haglund, a writer for the Daily Show with Jon Stewart; and Kerri Doherty, a humor writer and managing editor of the blog, F****d in Park Slope.
And their respective interests in science are as diverse as the stories they’ll tell.
“I was really bad at math and science all throughout school,” said Doherty, whose “Story Collider” appearance is her first, “Once, I accidentally flung a sheep’s eye off a science lab table while trying to dissect it. Algebra class gave me hives. Getting the opportunity to tell a story on a science-based show makes me think that I’ve somehow beat the system!”
In addition to Doherty’s tale, there’ll be stories about the arctic, the mountains of Colorado, and the cosmos. But not all of the stories are set in remote tracts of untamed wilderness; a few take place in the equally wild — if less remote — concete jungle.
“Some are about pollution and its affects,” said Lillie. “And about apartment hunting in New York, which is a wilderness in and of itself.”
Union Hall [702 Union St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues in Park Slope, (718) 638-4400] Jan. 24, 7:30 pm. Tickets, $10 ($8 in advance). For info, visit www.unionhallny.com
Reach reporter Colin MIxson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.
