Pioneer Works, a cultural center in Brooklyn, provides fertile ground for interdisciplinary interaction — and free science programming for the public.

Janna Levin’s “Scientific Controversies” series at Pioneer Works, an interdisciplinary cultural center in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, features influential, Nobel Prize–winning scientists discussing some of science’s great answered questions. When Levin conceived of the series, she wasn’t sure an audience would be there. But on more than one occasion, over 1,000 people have shown up.

In this video, hear Levin and Pioneer Works founder Dustin Yellin discuss how they turned an impossible dream — of artists, musicians and scientists working and collaborating in the same space — into a reality. And how they built a community that has allowed the space to become, as Yellin puts it, a “crucible for new ideas.”

Pioneer Works joined the Science Sandbox community of awardees in July 2016.

Stories of Impact highlight the real-world influences of Science Sandbox projects through personal narratives, videos and interviews.

For more on the backstory of Scientific Controversies and Pioneer Works: www.bit.ly/WhatIsPioneerWorks

This film was commissioned and executive produced by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation. It was produced by People's TV and directed by Ian Moubayed.