Entertaining Science

 A cabaret in New York City's Greenwich Village. Can you spot one of the world's great mathematicians in the crowd?

 Every first Sunday of a month at 5:45 PM, the Cornelia Street Café (in the Village, at 29 Cornelia St., between Bleecker and W. 4th Christopher St.) presented a cabaret evening, Entertaining Science. What went on in it? Well, science and entertainment Or… most anything and everything – readings, music, dialogues between people or with audience, pieces of theatre, magic, poetry, arguments on controversial issues – all having to do in one way or another with science… Definitely not in the formal setting of a lecture or a symposium, but in the company of friends and interested strangers, having fun. There was a theme for each session, and several participants. Dave Sulzer came to run the series with Roald.

 As an example, in the “pilot” for this series we had a theme absolutely everyone can identify with, namely “Nothing.” K.C. Cole read from her recent book on physicists (and others) exploration of the vacuum, Oliver Sacks read from his “A Leg to Stand On,” and Roald Hoffmann read some poems about nothings and somethings.

 We were the hottest cheap ticket in town. But… rapacious landlords drove the Cornelia Street Café out of business in 2019. And so the program ceased. We had a great time!