Their official motto is: “Underground, shrouded in mystery, and chock-full of brainiacs.” They are the “Secret Science Club,” and on the first Wednesday of every month they gather in a Brooklyn bar to listen to lectures about the latest in astrophysics, paleontology, marine biology—and anything else that most of us would pay to avoid, not attend. Last month, the featured speaker was Dr. Dickson Despommier, a Columbia University professor who wowed the crowd with his views on vertical farming within skyscrapers to create sustainable ecocities. Beat that, Club 54. “Here at the Secret Science Club, all scientists are rock stars,” says Margaret Mittelbach, one of the group’s founders. “Our goal is to make science fun and vibrant and part of the culture of the city.” It’s working. The monthly gathering has become so popular that people are actually turned away at the door.