We have lots of free/not-free-yet-awesome things coming your way this week! 

First, on Tuesday, come on up to Public Assembly for our the next installment of our Masters of Social Gastronomy lectures. They're free monthly talks on all things food history and science, presented by Sarah Lohman of Four Pounds Flour and our very own Jonathan Soma. 

This month, we're taking on imitation ingredients, and, best of all, there'll be a sample-filled showdown between natural and artificial, so you can finally decide whether real vanilla is really worth the price. 

On Tuesday at the Brainery, we're also kicking off a two-session class on The Secret Lives of Bacteria. There're just a couple spots left, and it'll take you on a whirlwind tour of the ways these little tiny things affect humans. We'll even do some hands-on experiments to test the efficacy of anti-bacterial products. Science, yes. 

Then on Wednesday, take things a bit more slowly with our Intermediate Calligraphy class. It's two hours of uber-relaxation, and at the end, you'll have a whole new way to write. 

Finally, if you're around during the day, we have an afternoon session of our new Cursive class on Thursday.