Coming to New York...from Brooklyn
As founder and owner of the world-renowned comedy nightclub that bears her name, and as the reigning queen of the New York comedy scene for the past twenty-five years, Caroline Hirsch has consistently proven herself as an entrepreneur, visionary and innovator in the entertainment industry. As one of the country’s most popular destinations for live entertainment, Carolines on Broadway stands as the crowning achievement of Hirsch’s illustrious career.
Hirsch’s storied career in comedy began in 1982 when she opened a small cabaret club in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. With the popularity of stand-up comedy on the rise, she began booking comedians – including such then-unknowns as Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Sandra Bernhard, Pee Wee Herman, Billy Crystal, and, later, Chris Rock -- to perform at her club.
In 1987, Caroline moved the club to the South Street Seaport where it became a full-fledged comedy nightclub, the first of its genre to offer high-quality entertainment and equally excellent food in a sophisticated, upscale environment. In order to meet the growing demand for business, Hirsch moved her club uptown where it has played an integral part in the revitalization of Times Square.
In November 2004, Hirsch launched the New York Comedy Festival (www.nycomedyfestival.com), a weeklong comedy festival that features comedy’s biggest stars performing in New York’s most prestigious venues.
Hirsch serves as a board member of The Creative Coalition and implemented the highly successful Stand-Up for Class program in both the New York City and Los Angeles public school systems. She is also a board member of the Times Square Alliance (formerly the Times Business Improvement District); NYC & Company, the city’s official tourism marketing organization; the board of The Association for the Help of Retarded Children; and the national advisory board of Count Me In, a micro lending organization for women. Additionally, she formerly sat on the board of the Ms. Foundation. During her tenure with the organization Hirsch was instrumental in launching the Take Our Daughters To Work program.
Hirsch also just stepped from behind the scenes and into the spotlight to co-host a new weekly segment on ABC’s “Good Morning America NOW,” which can be seen on ABC Online and on its cable network ABC News NOW. The segment, called “Carolines on Good Morning America NOW” features lively discussions with many of the top comedians who perform at her club.
The doyenne of New York comedy describes the pull of big city lights.)
Neuroprosthetics and deep brain stimulation: Two big neuroscience breakthroughs
Neuroscience is working to conquer some of the human body's cruelest conditions: Paralysis, brain disease, and schizophrenia.
- Neuroscience and engineering are uniting in mind-blowing ways that will drastically improve the quality of life for people with conditions like epilepsy, paralysis or schizophrenia.
- Researchers have developed a brain-computer interface the size of a baby aspirin that can restore mobility to people with paralysis or amputated limbs. It rewires neural messages from the brain's motor cortex to a robotic arm, or reroutes it to the person's own muscles.
- Deep brain stimulation is another wonder of neuroscience that can effectively manage brain conditions like epilepsy, Parkinson's, and may one day mitigate schizophrenia so people can live normal, independent lives.
Why the south of Westeros is the north of Ireland
As Game of Thrones ends, a revealing resolution to its perplexing geography.
- The fantasy world of Game of Thrones was inspired by real places and events.
- But the map of Westeros is a good example of the perplexing relation between fantasy and reality.
- Like Britain, it has a Wall in the North, but the map only really clicks into place if you add Ireland.
Why it’s hard to tell when high-class people are incompetent
A recent study gives new meaning to the saying "fake it 'til you make it."
- The study involves four experiments that measured individuals' socioeconomic status, overconfidence and actual performance.
- Results consistently showed that high-class people tend to overestimate their abilities.
- However, this overconfidence was misinterpreted as genuine competence in one study, suggesting overestimating your abilities can have social advantages.
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