Lectures On Tap is all the rage, offering bite-sized learning at local bars in New York City
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- An exciting and unique lecture series is taking off at bars around New York City, allowing attendees to sip on a cocktail, beer or wine while they learn about all kinds of topics.
"This is catered towards people who are doing a 9-to-5 or they have a busy schedule but they really miss that curiosity that school brought," said Lectures On Tap event manager Amna Bajwa.
It feels like you're in a class, learning about topics like the Milky Way, psychopaths or A.I., but you're in a bar.
"Just this last month we released more than 30 lectures, and in less than two hours, everything was sold out," Bajwa said.
The now viral Lectures On Tap was started by Ty and Felecia Freely, who wanted to go beyond bar trivia. They brought in charismatic lecturers like NYU Data Science professor Pascal Wallisch, who embraces the change of scene from the world of academia.
"It's very siloed, it's very sheltered, so here you're like, in the wild," Wallisch said.
Tuesday's topic was "Death, Debt and Data: Learning from History," with lots of examples from the failures of the Roman Empire, and World War II.
It's easy to digest bites of knowledge paired with beer and pub food. It's not like school at all.
"You can do it now just because you want to, and you can choose the things that you're interested in," said attendee Jake Castanha.
"I feel like he made it really relatable, too," said attendee Grace Nelson. "Kind of like throwing in little things about what's going on today but also touching on a lot of huge things throughout history."
The lectures pack people into event rooms in bars like the Gin Mill on Amsterdam. They are popular for dates or weeknight outings, with a commitment of only an hour. It allows for 45 minutes to dive into the topic, and then another 15 minutes are reserved to geek out with a Q and A.
"It's nice to like, exercise your brain, after work or even after hours," said attendee Jordan Groth.
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