I'm sitting in a café enjoying a hot cup of Tanzanian Peaberry (coffee snobs, unite!) The coffee is keeping me warm on this 60-degree August day. It is downright chilly out there. Speaking of cafés...have you embraced the Science Café phenomenon yet? These face-to-face chats are typically held at an informal location (café, restaurant, pub, etc.), include a brief presentation by a scientist sharing current research, and are followed by an interactive discussion. Science cafés are open to the public and can be found all over the world. There may be a café right in your own backyard: "Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain: Dude, where's my car?"
- September 14, 2010 | 7:00 P.M.
- Periodic Tables: Durham's Science Café (NC)
"Uncovering the Unseen: Science Café with Dan Goods"
- Date TBD | 6:45pm
- Koshland Science Museum (DC)
"Urbanization and Flyways of Songbirds"
- September 21, 2010 | 7:00 PM
- Rockville Science Center Science Cafés (MD)
Consider attending, speaking at - or even starting - your own science café. If you attend an upcoming café, use it an opportunity to network with people across a wide variety of backgrounds, experiential levels, and occupations. If you contact local organizers to serve as a speaker or choose to create your own café, you can lecture briefly on a topic of your choice, translating your work for a lay audience. This opportunity represents a powerful résumé/CV builder if you seek to move into science education of any kind. For more information on science cafés, visit the Science Café website produced by NOVA ScienceNOW, in association with the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society. Cheers!
