Tipsy Night School is Kolkata’s very own lecture-in-a-bar experience, launched by Out In Kolkata. We invite academics to deliver talks in bars and restaurants, and audiences listen, ask questions, and make observations — all with a drink in hand. 

About the lecture: 

Monsters Among Us: The Terrifying Science Behind Zombies, Werewolves and Vampires by Dr Poulami Mukherjee

For centuries, tales of bloodthirsty vampires, shape-shifting werewolves and the living dead have captivated and terrified humanity. From ancient folklore and Gothic literature to modern horror films, these creatures embody our deepest fears of death, disease and the loss of control over our own bodies and minds. But beneath these supernatural stories lies a fascinating question: could nature itself have inspired our most enduring monsters?

Join a medical microbiologist on a journey into the unsettling world where science meets the supernatural. Discover how viruses, parasites and other infectious agents can alter host behaviour, sometimes in extraordinary ways, and how certain infections, genetic conditions and neurological disorders can produce physical changes or disturbances in perception once attributed to supernatural forces.

Explore the intriguing connections between bats, blood-borne diseases and vampire mythology, and investigate the medical mysteries that challenge our understanding of reality, consciousness and the boundaries between life and death. Along the way, we will uncover how fear, misunderstanding and limited medical knowledge may have transformed real human experiences into legendary monsters. And because knowledge could be your greatest weapon when the monsters come knocking, we will even investigate some science-informed survival strategies for a zombie apocalypse!

About the speaker:

Dr. Poulami Mukherjee is a clinical microbiologist associated with Bellevue Clinic and Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratisthan(RKMSP), Kolkata. Alongside her clinical practice, she teaches medical microbiology at RKMSP and serves as guest faculty in the Department of Medical Biotechnology at RKMVERI University. She completed her MBBS at NRS Medical College and her MD in Microbiology at IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata. Before establishing herself as a clinical consultant and educator, she worked as a clinical researcher at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani; and ICMR-NIRBI, Kolkata.

Event details: 

Date: 29th October, Thursday

Time: 7 PM to 8.30 PM

Venue: Olive Cafe & Bar  

The ticket price includes a redeemable F&B voucher by Olive Café & Bar included for the value of INR 500.

About Tipsy Night School: 

Tipsy Night School is a flagship lecure-in-a-bar series launched by Out In Kolkata on 31st May. Multiple editions have taken place across the city’s top bars, featuring experts from various disciplines. 

Out in Kolkata, founded by Proiti and Analina, is an initiative aiming to dispel the myth of Kolkata as a ‘boring city where nothing interesting ever happens.’ They promote curated lists of events taking place across the city, and design fun but meaningful experiences for engaged audiences.