Science café impacts page

The Impacts of Science cafés and Results From National Surveys

Science cafés obviously provide the opportunity for the public to learn more about a scientific topic. Below are some of the important aspects of cafés that go beyond this goal.

Educational impacts

There are several educational benefits stemming from the informal, casual conversations that cafés create.

Conversations increase understanding. Participating in a discussion gives people the chance to think through new ideas and reformulate them in their own words.
Conversations increase interest. The open-ended nature of a science café enables people to explore whatever aspects of a topic, or the scientific process in general, interest them most.
Conversations lead to more conversations. People enjoy talking about issues at a science café and are therefore likely to discuss the topic outside of the café with friends and family.
Conversations are equalizers. Face to face conversations help to dispel misperceptions and stereotypes of scientists and their work.

Cultural impacts

The adaptability of the science café format allows science topics to be brought to audiences in a wide range of comfortable settings. This challenges traditional assumptions about where "science" belongs.

By taking place in a venue where the audience is accustomed to meeting friends, science cafés present science as a reason to get together and socialize.
Unlike a typical lecture, people leave science cafés feeling like they had a personal interaction with a scientist.
Science cafés can draw in people who normally do not seek out science events, while also providing an event that science enthusiasts are excited to invite friends to.
Musicians can momentarily transfix a crowd. A televised sporting event can make a room erupt with energy. Science cafés can demonstrate that science talk has similar effects on par with these other social gatherings.

2007 national survey results

With the help of science cafés from across the country, Goodman Research Group conducted an evaluation for NOVA scienceNOW that included feedback from science café organizers, scientists, and attendees.

Attendees' favorite aspects of a science café included having the chance to learn new information, getting to interact with a scientist, and the topics presented.
café attendees believed the café had been effective at increasing their interest in science, and over three-quarters have recommended cafés to others.
Science cafés are effective at encouraging attendees to continue engaging with the topics presented, and over three-quarters reported discussing café topics with family, friends, or colleagues.
The majority of presenting scientists reported that they were very or extremely satisfied with their science café experiences, and almost all were interested in presenting at a future café.
Approximately one-third of the scientists surveyed believed that presenting at a science café changed how they think about talking to a general audience about their work.
Open this PDF document to see more information taken from the findings of the report.

Data from a 2005 study

An initial national survey of science café attendees was conducted in June of 2005 by Goodman Research Group for NOVA scienceNOW.

The majority of attendees found out about a café by word of mouth and forwarded e-mails.
Half of attendees were under 35 years of age, and 40% did not currently study or work in a science-related field.
A third of attendees learned about the featured topic for the first time as a result of attending a science café.
Approximately half of the attendees were familiar with the topic before the café, but had not heard a scientist speak about it.
Almost all attendees were likely to attend another science café in the future.
Almost all attendees were likely to recommend a similar event to others.
Two to three months after the event, approximately tw-thirds of respondents had completed at least one activity from a handout of suggestions for becoming more engaged in science.