The Science café
Houston, TX
Organized by: Emmanuelle Schuler, Rice University
What intrigued me the most when I first started the Science café in Copenhagen and more recently in Houston, Texas was to create a regular series of public discussions where science, art, and culture meet on the same stage. To my great pleasure (and surprise), it worked very well. To me, the Science café in Houston is before all a cultural event, not a science lecture, where science is challenged by the arts and humanities and openly discussed in terms that matter to the public. We reach a broad audience (college students to retirees) from all walks of life.
Public discussions are held on the last Tuesday of the month from September to May at Salento, a local and cozy coffee shop that serves great beers and wines, located in the cultural part of town. The ambience is intimate and inviting. Panelists sit in close proximity to the audience. People move around and refill as the evening progresses.
Events are free and start at 7:30 pm. We take a twenty minute-break and end at about 9:15 pm. The Science café is about the power of words (PowerPoint presentations are forbidden), about exchanging points of views, and appreciating differences. The moderator introduces each panelist (there is always a scientist, the other two or three panelists being humanists, artists, ethicists, writers, civil servants, executives, etc) and allows each of them to present their perspective on the topic for seven minutes. It gives some food for thought to the audience. The rest of the evening is dedicated to answering questions from the audience. We occasionally circulate a cowboy hat where people can drop questions, in case they feel uncomfortable asking their questions in public. We cover all kinds of topics, such as the smell of love, doping in sports, eating disorders, space exploration, stem cell therapies, Internet privacy, hurricane preparedness; anything that is timely and intriguing. Through these wonderful seven years of Science café I have learnt that what attendees really enjoy is to grasp the passion that underlies each expert's dedication for their work and life.