Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Announces First Friday Schedule on Fandom and Fantasy

The Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History has announced the line-up for their First Fridays, the Museum’s annual series held once a month after hours with a mix of science, live music, DJs, signature cocktails and more.

This year’s theme looks amazing: Fandoms and Fantasy. The first event will be held on Friday, February 3 and will be an in-depth discussion about Dragons, Lore, and more. It will be featured Doctor Yewande Pearsehost of the Sound Science podcast, e Rebecca C Thompsonauthor of Fire, Ice and Physics: The Science of Game of Thrones, which will talk about the science behind fantasy worlds and the creation of creatures. Here is the breakdown of the event:

• DISCUSSION – 18:30-19:30 (Level 2, North American Mammals Hall)

  • Dragons, Lore and more with Dr. Rebecca C. Thompson and moderator Dr. Yewande Pearse

  • What do invented science, the whimsical creatures and imaginative environments of the fantasy world look like to the scientist who peers? How can the entertaining fantasy science of our beloved books, shows, and movies be a gateway to an appreciation and understanding of fascinating real science? Join the discussion with our guest Rebecca C. Thompson, author of Fire, Ice, and Physics; The Science of Game of Thrones and our moderator Dr. Yewande Pearse.

  • Rebecca C. Thompson, PhD, is a physicist and author of the popular Spectra comic book series on physics. She heads the Office of Education and Public Outreach at Fermilab, the particle physics research facility near Chicago. From 2008 to 2019 she served as director of public engagement for the American Physical Society.

  • Moderator Dr. Yewande Pearse is a neuroscientist and science communicator. He has devoted over ten years of research to understanding rare genetic brain diseases at both King’s College London and the Lundquist Institute at Harbour-UCLA. His communications work includes hosting Sound Science on Dublab Radio and Inside Biotech, a Biotech Connection Los Angeles podcast. He has also worked with Headspace, Seed, Deem Journal, NAVEL, Fathomers, Massive Science, TEDMED and others.

• DJ ROOM – 17:00-20:00 (DJ Stage, Nature Gardens)

  • Chulita Vinyl Club / Linda Nuves, Que Madre, Trankis – 5pm-10pm

  • The Chulita Vinyl Club is made up of women, non-conforming, non-binary, LGBTQ+ and self-identified people of color. CVC was launched with the aim of providing a safe space for empowerment, unity and to use music and vinyl as a form of resistance against the erasure of culture. Each Chulita identifies with their own identity. They are not to be classified as a nationality or culture. The unifying denominator is that they unite on the belief that EL DISCO ES CULTURA and believe that it is worth preserving and perpetuating.

• LIVE MUSIC – 8pm-10pm (Level 1, North American Mammal Hall)

  • Headliner: Eagle Scout Black Belt

  • Black Belt Eagle Scout’s next album, The Land, The Water, The Sky, rises and falls, in darkness and in light, but even in its most melancholy moments it is never hopeless. That’s the beauty of coming home. When you’re on ancestral lands it’s impossible to be alone. Feel the arms and hands holding you up, reluctant to let you fall into pain or abandonment. In her songs Katherine Paul channeled that feeling of being held back. In each note she wrote a love letter to Indigenous strength and healing.

  • Open: Ari Rivera

  • Ari Rivera is a 20-year-old multimedia artist who grew up overseas and lives in Los Angeles. A songwriter/producer who writes emo music with a pop sensibility, Ari released his debut EP “Leaving Flowers Out” in the new year, a six-track project about teenage affection and the processing of loss. He is currently working on a follow-up project to be released later this year and building the foundations for Harcourt Paloma, a creative studio/collective of artists and close friends.

• POP UP EXPERIENCE – 17:00-22:00

  • Cosplay for Science (Ground Floor, Otis Booth Pavilion)

  • The Cosplay for Science initiative brings together scientists, educators, and cosplayers to bridge the gap between science and pop culture. Brought to you by the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology.

  • Golden Apple Comics and Art Foundation (Foyer, Next to the Dueling Dinos)

  • The Golden Apple Comic and Art Foundation was founded by Kendra and Ryan Liebowitz, owner of the famous Golden Apple Comics on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. The purpose of the foundation is to preserve, safeguard and showcase private collections and ensure that comics, books, artwork and collectibles are guaranteed to be enjoyed by future generations.

It seems like an extraordinary event. I wish the discussion part could be streamed somewhere because I would totally watch it since I don’t live in the Los Angeles area. Tickets are $20 for non-members and the event is free for members with tickets available now. If dragons somehow aren’t your thing, here’s the lineup for the rest of the year’s events:

• February 3: Dragons, Lore and more

• March 3: witches, wizards and magical powers

• April 7: space, time and beyond

• May 5th: giant monsters/giant robots

• June 2: Superheroes

They all look super fun to me and really make me wish I lived closer. But if you make it, it would be a lot of fun to participate in any of these. Which interests you more?