Name: Science Café: Brain Night
Start: 2026-03-26T18:00:00-04:00
Location: The Daily Planet Cafe

$Science Caf\u00e9: Brain Night$

Join scientists from NC State University for Brain Night at the Museum! From flies to humans and every animal in between, brains make behavior happen. Come explore the brain/behavior connection at a special Science Café event.
Join us in person at the Daily Planet Cafe or watch the livestream on YouTube at https://youtube.com/live/sYN_9iPJFkY.
Event Schedule
6:00pm: Meet local neuroscientists and interact with hands-on brain- and behavior-themed exhibits suitable for all ages on the first floor of the Nature Research Center. Short, accessible talks by neuroscientists in the Daily Planet Theater will celebrate the brain and tell you what local neuroscientists are discovering.
7:00pm: Science Café - Flies on the Brain: What can the humble fruit fly teach us about brains?
You’ve probably never wondered what’s going on in a fruit fly’s brain as you swat them away from your bananas. Scientists have! This tiny household nuisance doubles as a laboratory powerhouse. In fact, research conducted in fruit flies has won six Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine. At this Science Café, hear how local scientists are using flies to understand how brains detect communication signals. Like many other animals (including us!), flies make sounds to communicate with one another. The results from fruit flies can provide hypotheses for how larger and more complex brains, such as humans’, solve similar sound recognition problems. Join us to learn how fruit flies are delivering answers to long-held questions about brain function.
Dr. Christa Baker, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University. She is the recipient of the C.J. Herrick Award in Neuroanatomy from the American Association of Anatomy. At NC State, Dr. Baker teaches courses on the neural basis of acoustic communication and the interdisciplinary Physics and the Brain. Her lab studies how brains recognize and produce communication signals.
Grab a bite from the Daily Planet Cafe and join host Chris Smith and special guests for our monthly Science Cafe. On the third Thursday of every month at 7pm, gather with other curious minds at this after-hours event for an informal presentation and conversation about current science topics with guest experts. The Daily Planet Cafe is open 5–8pm with a full menu during the Science Cafe.
Image credit: Amy Sterling, FlyWire.ai