Ned Shaw
Imagine an entertaining evening out on the town and talking science. Sound unlikely? Not to attendees of science cafés in Europe, North America, and Australia. Perhaps these comments, collected from Australian audiences, will sway naysayers to look more closely: "I love the exchange of ideas." "Provocative and fun." "I like seeing the 'techos' come out of the closet."
Science cafés aspire to promote discussion of science in a community setting. Held in venues ranging from cafés to pubs, museums to nightclubs, the atmosphere is emphatically informal and, yes, entertaining. The concept came to life in the late 1990's with the first "café scientifique" in the United Kingdom and "bars des sciences" in France. Dozens more have cropped up across the globe, and organizers report success in terms of community response and personal rewards. Here's their advice for starting a science café in your town.
A typical evening begins ...
