Cafe Scientifique

Duncan Dallas{

Abstract This chapter starts with a description of a Cafe Scientifique and the

importance of it being relaxed, informal, respectful, direct and, in a public venue,

not an academic one. It describes how and why different countries do it in different

forms but keep the equality of dialogue between the scientists and the audience. It

also provides accounts of some cafes in Pacific and Asian countries.

In an article by Duncan Dallas in ‘Nature’ (1999) on ‘Science in Culture’, Cafe

Scientifique was described as a place ‘where, for the price of a cup of coffee or aglass of wine, anyone can come to discuss the scientific ideas and developmentswhich are changing our lives’. So what is important about coffee, alcohol, discus-

sion and nonacademic venues in relation to the importance of scientific facts and

theories?

One answer appeared recently in ‘Science’ (2006), in a review of books about

science communication: ‘The foundation of successful communication is listening

to and respecting your audience’. The reviewer suggests that scientists should be

aware of the wisdom of Nelson Mandela, who was initially vilified by the public.

‘Scientists should learn from Mandela that to win people’s minds you must first getthem to listen, and people will listen only if they feel that they are respected’.

Science communication was traditionally seen as the popularisation of science

through magazines, books, lectures and television – one-way communication. But

cafe communication was started in the last decade of the twentieth century by Marc

Sautet in France. He moved philosophy discussion out of universities and into Cafe

Philosophique, where people met on a Sunday morning in a cafe and decided what

philosophic arguments they would discuss. These events became popular in France,

but in Britain the subject was moved from philosophy to science, and Cafe

D. Dallas{ (Deceased 11 April 2014)

Cafe Scientifique, Leeds, UK

L. Tan Wee Hin and R. Subramaniam (eds.), Communicating Science to the Public,DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-9097-0_16, © Springer Netherlands 2014

261

Scientifique was inspired by Sautet’s innovation. Science communication moved to

a two-way process. There are now more than 500 science cafes round the world.

How Do You Start a Cafe?• Firstly find a cafe, bar or public venue with some space. Usually you are not

charged if the event is on a Monday or Tuesday.

• Think of a topic which would attract an audience – either something controver-

sial, recently in the news, or medical.

• Approach a speaker from a local university or hospital. They can usually be

found on the university website.

• Find an audience via personal friends, emails and advertising in the cafe and

public spaces.

• Request the scientist to talk for about 20 min, and then, after a short break, invite

questions and discussion.

So a key element of Cafe Scientifique is mutual respect between scientists and

the audience. How can you create that respect when the speaker, a scientist,

normally knows more about the discussion topic than the audience? Perhaps it is

because the scientist’s experience and knowledge are focussed and narrow, whereas

the audience has wider experience and different forms of knowledge. The purpose

of the talk given by the scientist is not just to teach the audience the scientist’s

discipline, but to provide sufficient information for the audience to respond with

interesting questions leading to discussion.

How and where is mutual respect achieved, and what does it provide? In the

academic world, the agenda is formed by the curricula and examinations. Most

students feel that a lecture is just part of a journey towards exams, and the

information flow is one way – from the lecturer to the student. However, in a

Cafe Scientifique, there is a topic, but no further agenda. Discussion may go in any

direction, depending on the audience. Furthermore, the discussion promotes the

idea that agreement is very unlikely on any topic and that science and technology

can be addressed in many different ways. So, as well as the discussion commanding

respect, it also encourages people to be more open-minded about ideas and helps

them to realise that science is accessible, interesting and open to dispute.

The importance of coffee and wine is not just about stimulation and relaxation,

but about enjoyment. People go to cafes to enjoy food, drink and conversation.

Taking science into a cafe or bar is about engaging with people on their own terms.

People can come and go as they please, listen and enjoy a drink or ask questions and

argue. The cafe provides an open and level playing field for ideas and comments.

This does not mean that every comment is equally relevant, but it does mean that

the opportunity to speak provides the framework for intelligent and respectful

discussion.

The discussion is the core of the event. Usually, a pause between the speaker and

the discussion allows participants a comfort break, the chance to refresh their

glasses and, most importantly, the opportunity to reflect on what they have heard

and develop a question or a contribution. The goal is for the discussion to be more

262 D. Dallas

than a question-and-answer session centred on the speaker. When a cafe takes off, it

is because the participants are debating with each other and contributing their own

experiences or views.

The role of the moderator or facilitator is vital. They set the tone of the event,

putting people at ease, ensuring that the speaker is asked to explain any jargon or

technical detail, and keeping the discussion flowing. If someone attempts to dom-

inate the debate or becomes offensive or inappropriate, then the moderator’s role is

to defuse the situation and move the conversation forward.

Context

The context in which science cafes operate is changing rapidly. When the Cafe

Scientifique started in the UK, it was easy to get publicity because it was considered

ridiculous to go into a cafe and talk about science rather than just gossip with

friends. At that time, there was little discussion of science outside academia and

little reporting of science in the press.

But in the last decade, science communication has mushroomed and changed.

Ten years ago it was about ‘public understanding of science’; now it is about ‘public

engagement with science’. It is now a hot topic among politicians, educators,

academics, civil servants, scientists and democrats. Each group has its own

interests:

• Politicians want to be informed about public attitudes and fears.

• Educators want to create more scientists.

• Civil servants want to ‘consult’ the public in order to draw up more acceptable

proposals.

• Scientists realise their research grants are linked to public concerns.

• Democratic groups want to change government policies on subjects like climate

change.

There is nothing wrong with many of these aims. People always use a means to

further their own ends, but this is not the public engaging with science: it is science

trying to engage with the public. Academics, politicians and educators say they

want to ‘listen’ to the public, but they are only ‘listening’ to responses to their own

questions. Engagement is a two-way process, but the present fashion for engage-

ment comes from science, politics and academia, rather than from the public.

Where does the Cafe Scientifique stand in the spectrum of public engagement?

Here are some of the distinctive features of the cafes:

• They have moved discussion into the public arena. Now academics want to go

public, not just the public wanting to be academic.

• There is no brief to defend science at all costs. This provides a free and open

agenda, allowing people to ask awkward questions.

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• There is face-to-face contact with scientists at a community level. But of course

there is also the Internet, which has enabled us to be international and is opening

up many new possibilities.

• It is a network, not an organisation in the traditional sense, so it is bottom-up, not

top-down. Each cafe is independent and has its own interests, depending on the

local culture and community.

There is no narrow purpose – political, educational, scientific or whatever. The

science cafes help to bring science back into culture. Evenings are spent in a

cultural examination of science, from which each member of the audience draws

his or her own conclusions. Public discussion is an end in itself – one interesting and

enjoyable aspect of cultural exchange. Public engagement will take many forms,

but it is important that many of them start from society, with social innovation,

rather than from outreach by traditional institutions.

Twenty-five years ago, ethics and science were considered two completely

different disciplines, but now ethics is crucial for any assessment of a science

project and what it will accomplish. In the same way, in 25 years, ‘public engage-

ment’ will be critical to scientific projects, and science cafes are a critically

important way of introducing engagement.

Promoting Change

If the aim is just to promote discussion, how will this change anything at all? Many

people think that talking is not taking action. However, a central issue for social

scientists, concerned with the conditions necessary for modern democracies, is the

emergence of voluntary associations of individuals, especially when they are

formed outside the realms of both the political institutions of the state and the

intimate ties of the family.

There is no higher purpose in science cafes than being stimulated to consider and

talk about subjects relevant and important to people’s lives. But that produces a new

community, based on a common interest. Also the breadth of subjects discussed,

from genetics to cosmology, and the quality of information and discussion, often

undermines what the audience are told to believe by the media, government,

advertisers and other powerful institutions. This provides people with an indepen-

dent base for thought and action. Informal discussion of science is popular because

there is a social and cultural gap between science and popular culture that needs to

be bridged. Informal dialogue is likely to expand in many different directions, but

its popularity and independence are important in this rapidly changing culture.

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Building Bridges

‘Science and Society’ is a universal description of an important area of activity, but

there are many sciences and many different societies. The relationship between the

sciences and the public is now becoming as complex as the relationship between the

public and the arts. Just as the arts incorporate theatres, cinemas, exhibitions,

galleries, festivals and performances, now the sciences are displayed in science

centres, festivals, science weeks, outreach activities and modern technologies.

Furthermore, the targeted audiences include young children, family groups, teen-

agers, hard-to-teach adults, deprived communities, immigrants and retired people.

Just as the arts involve poetry, music, theatre, painting, sculpture, etc., science

communication now involves debates, quizzes, demonstrations, popular songs and

games, as well as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

If we are moving out of the traditional academic structures, how do we relate

them to Cafe Scientifique? While it is important to keep the cafes independent,

experience shows that it is often easy to build a bridge between formal institutions

and informal cafes. For instance:

• Science centres often provide a suitable venue because they have a cafe in the

building. They also provide publicity for any events in their building.

• Universities often have courses on science communication, in which graduates

are being taught to interact with the public. Science cafes can provide practical

experience of this, and so these courses often provide assistance to find speakers

on different topics.

• Universities frequently have outreach programmes to the community, and the

people who organise these events are often interested in starting science cafes

because it is part of their strategy and also provides them with direct experience.

• Science institutions are concerned with their public image, which often deter-

mines their funding, so they are often keen to be seen to promote public dialogue

and engagement.

• Many government departments are interested in science education, training

teachers, etc. Often they have funds for specific public projects like adult

learning, animal experimentation, synthetic biology, etc.

• Many cultural and artistic groups are now including science in their agendas,

since human sciences are questioning the traditional views of art, philosophy,

literature, etc. So, art centres are often keen to adopt science cafes.

• As for school cafes, it is clear that science education is in a crisis, so new ideas

are widely acceptable. Approaching teachers, individual schools and education

authorities is a fairly easy way to start cafes in schools – although it is more

difficult to keep them free from the hierarchy within the school.

In many ways the cafes can build bridges between the old world (traditional

universities, teaching methods, are remote experts) and the new world (informality,

engagement and the Internet). A key element of science cafes is that they are very

flexible – they can be used for education, controversy, training, comedy, medical

Cafe Scientifique 265

information, ecological engagement, ethical arguments, historical analysis or the

latest research.

Cafes and Cultures

Cafe Scientifique engages the sciences with local cultures. Whereas the sciences are

pretty much the same across the world, cultures are enormously varied, and this is

why cafes can take so many different forms. There is no universal formula for a

Cafe Scientifique evening, and each cafe has to engage with local behaviours,

manners, beliefs and ways of thinking:

• In Japan some cafes allow members of the audience to text questions and

comments via their mobile phones to a screen. Why? Because in some areas

respect for older people is critical to a conversation, so that when the oldest

person in the room has voiced an opinion, it is rude to directly contradict

it. However, an impersonal, texted opinion or question is accepted as a way of

moving the discussion on.

• In France, with many different types of cafe and centuries of egalitarian discus-

sion, a number of main speakers represent differing views on a scientific subject,

so that science is not seen as a single view. But the speakers only get two minutes

to explain their position – so that the audience join in very quickly.

• In Uganda, cafes in the local language take place in ‘malwa joints’, where the

local ‘malwa’ brew is made in a very large pot and the people stand around it

drinking through large straws. These started because someone approached the

local elders and suggested that discussions about local issues were failing and

that they should be restarted in the traditional mode – around a ‘malwa’ pot. The

elders agreed and now local issues are addressed: HIV, malaria, water

purification, etc.

• In Mumbai, India, the cafe is ‘Chai and Why?’ (Tea and Why?).

• In Isfahan, Iran, coffee is the only drink, as in other Muslim cafes.

The science cafes must thus reflect local cultures, and often that is a considerable

challenge. Historically, European cafes have taken place in middle-class areas, with

an intelligent and informed audience. The cafes have proved popular because the

topics chosen have related to the personal, social, global experience and anxieties of

this (large) section of the population. So topics in genetics (Who Am I?), neuro-

science (How Do I Think?), medicine (Swine Flu), cosmology (Where Are We in

the Universe?), particle physics (Hadron Collider), biology (Synthetic Forms of

Life?) and mathematics (Infinity?) have all proved popular.

However, once cafes try to engage with more socially and economically

deprived cultures, problems start to emerge. These problems could be: economic

– transport problems and few cars; educational – resistance to science and education

and lack of questioning; social – fear of discussion, apathy about involvement, and

lack of interest in the future; geographical – isolated country communities or

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deprived city areas; religious – antagonism to evolution and cosmology; linguistic –

immigrant communities and refugees; personal – suspicion of different groups or

races; technological – no computers or just an interest in Facebook; and financial –

any spare money spent on pleasures, but not on interests.

These problems make it difficult for governments, charities, churches and NGOs

to operate successfully in deprived communities, and it is no easier for science

cafes. However, some cafes have made considerable progress.

In Africa, the topics discussed are practical and down to earth – ‘How to Live

Longer with HIV’, ‘Malaria in Pregnancy’, ‘The Chemistry of Malwa’, and ‘TB

and the Community’. The growth in African cafes and the practical nature of the

topics give support to the idea that science cafes need not be limited to educated

middle-class communities. Indeed, the application of science cafes to different

cultures is a learning process – not just learning about different cultures, but seeing

how different sciences are critical to public engagement. The variety of sciences

and their practical applications show that there is no obvious boundary to cafes and

social engagement. The fact that Cafe Scientifiques have been done in rural areas

like Uruguay and Montana; in prison and also in Parliament, in Argentina; in

conflict zones, like Gaza; with immigrant groups, in Britain; and on the street in

Sweden shows that the culturally critical element is to find a respectful and relevant

method of engaging with each community.

There is no universal form for Cafe Scientifique. They are developed by local

groups within their own culture. That is why a network is more appropriate than a

hierarchy of cafes. Science cafes have their own priorities, their own organisational

structure, their own limitations and their own opportunities. Science cafes learn

from each other.

A key element to science cafes has been their worldwide expansion, already in

over 40 countries and in every continent. There is no other public engagement

group as widespread, and the growth has occurred because the cafes are a network,

not an institution. Individuals and groups have initiated their own cafes by hearing

about them, reading about them or finding them on the Internet. The flexible

approach to the location and format of a cafe allows individuals to be creative,

and the practical experience of choosing subjects, finding speakers and listening to

the audience is enjoyable and engaging. Since different cafes can be educational,

controversial, practical or experimental, and the organisers can be scientists, jour-

nalists, educators, university staff, artists or lay persons, the network of science

cafes provides a unique international network which links up the many different

aspects of science and society. This international aspect is greatly strengthened by

the Internet, and this is one of the critical elements of its reach.

Cafe Scientifique 267

Where Are the Cafes in Asia and the Pacific?

Japan

In terms of the worldwide development of the science cafe movement, the Japanese

situation is outstanding. After being featured in the White Paper on Science and

Technology in 2004, this movement began to attract attention among those inter-

ested in bridging the gap between science and the public. In autumn 2004, the first

Japanese science cafe was launched in Kyoto by a non-profit organisation (NPO)

that specialises in the lifelong learning of citizens. The following year, various

science cafes were launched. The organisers included an NPO that specialises in

biotechnology communication; a private foundation promoting advanced science

and technology; a student NPO; the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science

and Technology Studies; the local government; national universities; the National

Observatory; a bookshop; a motivated individual; and a volunteer group of young

Science and Technology Studies researchers. In spring 2006, the Science Council of

Japan, the representative body for the Japanese scientific community, organised

21 nationwide science cafes during Science and Technology Week, thereby con-

tributing to the promotion of the science cafe among the general public. Now, more

than 100 organisers are running science cafes on a regular or occasional basis in

Japan. Indeed, the number of science cafes has grown quite rapidly in only a couple

of years. Japan is definitely one of the countries in which the science cafe move-

ment has achieved its greatest success.

Characteristics of the Japanese Science Cafe Movement

The ‘Japanese style’ of conducting a science cafe is hard to pinpoint. Most Japanese

science cafes invite only one scientist, but some invite several. Some use

PowerPoint presentations, while others do not. The discussion typically involves

the entire audience, but some science cafes set up multiple, small table discussions,

especially at events with large audiences (i.e. sometimes more than 100 people).

Japanese science cafes can perhaps even be defined by such diversity. Nevertheless,

despite the diversity, two points seem to be common themes, i.e. a lecture-centred

format and an institution-based scheme. As previously mentioned, only 20 min are

allowed for preliminary talks by the guests in the UK, while only a few minutes are

given to the guests at the outset in France. On the other hand, in Japan, the guests

are often allowed to give a preliminary talk for more than 30 min, and sometimes,

these talks go beyond an hour. The event seems to be dominated by the talk of the

scientist. This lecture-centred format is enhanced by the use of the PowerPoint slide

presentation. Its use is basically discouraged in the UK and in France based on the

fear that it may foster a speaker–listener relationship rather than foster true

dialogue.

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In contrast, such anxiety is not apparent among most Japanese science cafe

organisers. Indeed, PowerPoint presentations are widely used in Japanese science

cafes. Additionally, most science cafes are organised by universities or research

institutions as a form of outreach activity. Even though various actors are engaged

in the science cafe movement in Japan, the majority seems to be based in public

funded universities and research institutions. In fact, science cafes have grown

rapidly in Japan over the last couple of years due to the support of the national

science and technology policy. As its grassroots basis is frequently emphasised,

especially in the UK, where motivated individuals and voluntary groups are the

main players in the science cafe movement, the leading role played by Japanese

universities and research institutions stands out in the international context. Such an

institutionally based or top-down scheme might have some influence on the aim and

the orientation of the science cafe movement; e.g. the lecture-centred format seems

to be one of its consequences.

Referring to the lecture-centred format of Japanese science cafes, several expla-

nations for this seem possible. The most plausible account is that scientists are so

deeply affected by the traditional lecture-based public communication model that

they are simply not accustomed to listening to the public, which is imperative for

‘mutual’ dialogue. Most scientists do not have any experience in public communi-

cation and do not know how to participate in ‘dialogue-based’ communication.

In many science cafes, the scientists prepare too many PowerPoint slides in

advance and speak too long at the event. The abundance of information might be an

expression of their care for the ‘ignorant’ public, but it dooms the event as a

‘lecture’ held in a cafe. Nevertheless, this problem might be ameliorated as time

goes by, and scientists become more accustomed to the cafe format. Indeed, various

attempts have been made to encourage discussion at the event, including limiting

the audience to a few dozen members, introducing group discussion in the event or

taking advantage of information and communication technologies. Many organisers

seem to be conscious of this point.

India

Chai & Why?

‘Chai and Why?’ is jointly organised by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

(TIFR) in the Prithvi Theatre in Juhu in Mumbai. It is a monthly forum to enable

informal discussions of interesting scientific issues outside a traditional academic

setting. Building on the format of the popular ‘Cafe Scientifique’ in Europe and

‘Science Cafe’ in the USA, ‘Chai and Why?’ aims to engage people who are

interested in science but generally do not have the opportunity to discuss their

views with, and ask questions of, someone ‘in the know’. ‘Chai and Why?’ aims to

be informal and accessible – much more so than a public lecture. With a casual

meeting place, plain language and inclusive conversation, it creates a welcoming

Cafe Scientifique 269

and comfortable atmosphere for people with no science background, so that anyone

can participate.

‘Chai and Why?’ aims to cover a wide range of issues related to science and

technology, in particular topics that affect our world today – global warming,

nanotechnology, space exploration, stem cells, etc. Suggestions are welcomed

from the audience about topics that they would like to have discussed. ‘Chai and

Why?’ starts with a very short introductory talk from the speaker, who is usually a

scientist. After this, there is usually a short break to allow discussions, chai

(of course) and conversations to start. This is followed by an hour or so of questions

and answers, and general discussion. Anyone can ask a question, and the organisers

positively welcome those which begin with ‘This might be a stupid question, but

. . .’. These questions are invariably not stupid but often rather insightful.

‘Chai andWhy?’ is held on the first Sunday of every month at 11:00 am. There is

no registration and no entry fee for ‘Chai and Why?’ The invitation is ‘Just turn up,

and do bring your questions along!’

‘Chai and Why?’ kicked off on Sunday, January 4, 2009 (coincidentally the

birthday of Isaac Newton!) with a topic to make a bright beginning for the New

Year. Dr. Arnab Bhattacharya from TIFR discussed the bright world of laser light.

When lasers were invented in 1960, they were called ‘a solution looking for a

problem’. However, since then, they are all around us, finding utility in thousands of

applications in everyday life, including consumer electronics, information technol-

ogy, science, medicine, industry, law enforcement, entertainment and the military.

From eye surgery to shooting down missiles or even spaceships in movies, the

intense beam of a laser has captivated society.

Nepal

Cafe Climate

In 2009, the British Council in Nepal started an ambitious awareness-raising project

among the youth on climate change. The project was still in the design phase and

aimed to encourage the involvement of the youth of Nepal in community work so as

to raise awareness for climate change. In the process of implementing the initiative,

they developed partnerships with organisations already working on the subject.

During the planning and initiation phase, they visited the International Centre for

Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) at Kathmandu, had a chat with the

director general and were shown around the office. They showed some of their

work, the potential impact of melting glaciers through computer scenario forecast-

ing programmes and the immense data of knowledge resources they had on the

subject in the form of books and online resources.

Since the project dealt on working with the youth and their communities, they

thought that the two organisations can work together in some way, where the British

Council provides the networks of young people and ICIMOD shares the knowledge

270 D. Dallas

that they have. From the seeds of this idea, the concept of ‘Cafe Climate’ was

developed, which was planned after the model of other Cafe Scientifique organised

by the British Council in other parts of the world.

The first Cafe Climate was organised in February 2010, and the concept was

liked by most of the public that participated. Some of the audience thought it was a

good model to start even in the rural areas in tea stalls where people generally sit

and chat.

The theme was chosen based upon the project, climate change, and hence was

named Cafe Climate. The expert communicator (Clive Bowman) was chosen from

the University of Islands and Highlands, UK. The story of this cafe was published in

the website; however, the media were not invited to the event, and hence, this did

not get as much publicity in the local media as it deserves.

Its possibilities are immense, so based on the experience of this inaugural Cafe,

the plan is to broaden its scope of reach not only in Nepal but also in the other

countries of the region involved in the Climate Change project. ICIMOD has

promised full support on the scientific knowledge-sharing aspects; however, talks

are still ongoing in other countries on its implementation.

Pakistan

The only science cafe in Pakistan started in July 2007 at T2F in Karachi. T2F is a

community space for open dialogue, providing citizens with a platform for social

change through rich cultural activities, public discourse and advocacy using pro-

gressive ideas and the new media. The science cafe is called Science ka Adda

(translation from Urdu: ka¼ ’s; adda¼ event/place).

The events had some good press coverage. Earlier events have also been covered

by the local media. Science ka Adda was also featured in Seed Magazine’s brief

story on Cafe Scientifique.

The problems faced relate to lack of funding and inadequate number of good

scientists (even fewer who are engaging speakers). However, they also screen

science documentaries regularly followed by a group discussion.

Iran

There may be problems in difficult political and cultural situations: For example, in

Iran public meetings are not encouraged – in case politics is discussed. Groups in

cafes are also not encouraged – again for political reasons. Also women and men

are not encouraged to meet together, either.

Iman Adibi, a doctor, wanted to start a cafe, but he did not take any advice from

any cafe websites about advertising, media, topics, speakers, venues, etc. He did it

in his own way. Firstly he had to sign a document for the cafe venue in which he

Cafe Scientifique 271

agreed to pay any costs for damage done due to arguments, police action, etc. At the

first meeting, he talked about his work and just invited a few of his friends. At the

second meeting, he invited a friend to talk, and also invited friends and some

women from the university. A few weeks later he invited an imam from the

university to talk. The imam was very suspicious about the aims of the group, the

source of funding, etc. However, when he became convinced that it was only

science they were interested in, not politics or religion, he agreed to talk, but not

at the cafe but in his own office. So the group came to his office and held the cafe

there.

Sometime later, a well-known scientist was visiting Isfahan, where the cafe is,

and Iman asked him to speak to them. The scientist did, the audience enlarged, and

the cafe became recognised and accepted. It is called Cafe Elm and has now been

going in Isfahan for over 5 years.

Indonesia

The cafe here is called ‘DigiMom’. It is organised by a woman for women, and the

purpose is to train them in using digital technologies. Many women in Indonesia are

modern, and most of them are working; however, they often use gadgets for limited

activity, such as phone, SMS and chat only. However, the cafe is a workshop where

women are educated to know more about digital technology in order to utilise their

gadgets optimally as well as to protect themselves and their children from the

negative impact of the digital revolution, such as becoming a victim of fraud in

social media. They obtained sponsorship from a telecommunication company.

The cafe has expanded to deal with children and also both genders. They also use

Twitter, Facebook and radio in order to encourage activities and engagement with

speakers.

Thailand

Bangkok Scientifique, or BKKSci for short, is more than a year old. They organise

events on the last Wednesday of every month. The availability of speakers dictates

the topics covered, and they have covered both natural and social sciences: from

power generation to scepticism and linguistics to economics. They have even

experimented with a new format called BKKSci Social – a smaller event in

which anyone can stand up and give a 5 minutes talk.

The audience is predominately foreign, but there are a fair number of Thais as

well. The events are held in English, which makes it quite inaccessible to the

general public. They are talking about opening a Thai track as well. Regardless

of origin, attendees tend to be well educated and sport an English proficiency level

well above average.

272 D. Dallas

BKKSci has been very successful. Most of the events are full within days of

being announced. It helps that they have five volunteer organisers, a great venue

that hosts them for free as well as a large group of members. They also have a strong

social media presence (Twitter, Facebook, Meetup) which supports the website

(www.bkksci.com).

Australia

Cafe Scientifique events have been held in the capital cities of New South Wales,

Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory. A similar event,

‘Science in the pub’, has been held in Canberra.

The first cafes were held by the British Council in conjunction with New

Scientist Magazine and ABC Science online. It would appear that these events

were not run to a specific schedule and came up either as part of existing events

(Science Week or Writers Festivals) or if a suitable big name speaker was visiting

from the UK. In 2005, a number of Cafe Scientifique events were held on the ABC’s

national radio station.

In Melbourne, a Science Issues Cafe started in 2005. The title was used because

people usually discussed a broad range of political, philosophical and policy issues.

For Science Week 2012, cafes occurred in Darwin, Brisbane and Canberra.

New Zealand

There are a few places around New Zealand that organise Cafe Scientifique. In

Hamilton and Tauranga, cafes have been run on a regular basis for several years

now with the support of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of

Waikato.

The Hamilton branch of Cafe Scientifique was set up in 2004, and as that was an

Olympic year, it kicked off with a discussion of drugs in sports. This wasn’t the first

cafe in New Zealand as Dunedin has that honour, but Hamilton was the first to run

continuously rather than occasionally (as in Dunedin, where early cafes were

associated with the New Zealand Science Festival). The first Hamilton organisers

were the University of Waikato staff, who were inspired to begin it by hearing about

the UK version. They decided to run sessions every 6 weeks, so that there would be

time between events to find speakers!

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School Cafes

In schools, the model is closely related to the evening cafe. Again, the aim is to hold

the event in a nonacademic context. This means a common room or dining area, not

a classroom, and outside the curriculum, lunch time or after the end of lessons. The

topics relate to what young people are interested in, but generally cover the same

ground as the evening cafes. The emphasis is often on the social or ethical

dimensions of science: Cafe Sci is different from a science club, where people do

practical experiments or learn facts about science. A speaker is invited, and he

might be a young scientist or another expert. The talk is followed, as before, by

debate. However, the events are usually shorter, typically with a 10 min talk

followed by 20 min or more of discussion. Rarely would an event exceed an hour.

A key feature of Cafe Sci in schools, which distinguishes it from almost

everything else that happens in compulsory education, is that the events are

organised by students themselves. They might be brought together by a teacher,

but the hope is that they will form a group or committee, and do the work to make

the event happen. For example, they might decide on a speaker and invite him or

her, they would publicise the event among their peers in school; they would host the

event, chair the discussion and thank the speaker. In this way, young people gain

valuable experience in event organization and civic values, as well as exposure to

science and other ideas.

Cafe Sci in schools is not just for those studying science. It enables humanities

students to remain literate in science, as well as enabling science students to explore

ethical and sociological dimensions of their subject. Moreover, it brings together

younger students with older students: it is likely to be sixth formers who will take

the lead in organising and running events, but younger people would also be

involved, not least because they will form the next generation of organisers and

continuity will be easier if the entire committee does not move on at once.

School cafes are a potentially very important initiative. Unlike almost any other

activities in schools, they are not top-down. They emerge from the interests and

culture of young people themselves. They can potentially empower students to take

an interest in key topics in science: bioethics, animal research, GM food and climate

change. But it can also address the personal experiences of the students: mobile

phones, music, social tagging, personal relationships, etc. Discussion in Cafe Sci

gives students a chance to express their views and be heard and develop skills in

listening to others and defending their points of view. The outcome is a generation

of young people who are more confident about debate, better able to construct an

argument and more literate in science. The aim is not to get young people to like

science or to welcome technology, but to replace apathy and ignorance with

engagement and interest.

In Uganda there are now 30 schools with cafes, set up by a Cafe Scientifique

organiser. These cafes are held in church schools, state schools and also charity

schools in some of the poorest districts. The pupils’ interests include hard science

(What Are Black Holes?), government policies (Use of DDT), personal issues

274 D. Dallas

(Do Boys and Girls Have the Same IQ?) and health (Malaria Prevention). The

enthusiasm shown by teachers and pupils is evidence of the support for informal,

enquiry-based education, as distinct from fact-based curriculum agendas.

Unlike the evening cafes, which are largely self-sustaining and can spring up

with minimal funding or other efforts, school cafes are hard to start and difficult to

sustain. This is partly because they go against the prevailing ethos of education,

where students are passive recipients of knowledge. It is partly because teenagers

are not usually the most reliable or consistent organisers of activities and may also

face lots of different pressures from curricular and extracurricular commitments. It

may be difficult to find speakers. It is certainly easier to make school cafes

successful in schools which have a strong ethos and perhaps draw their pupils

from more privileged backgrounds.

Generally, school cafes are most successful when there is a committed and

inspiring teacher behind the scenes who can prompt the student committee. Inputs

from outside – for example, from the team at Cafe Scientifique Ltd – has been vital

in creating and sustaining cafes. At this stage of the development of school cafes,

the effort is to find outside agencies – perhaps university outreach teams or

initiatives to promote achievement in schools or to promote science education, or

science centres – who can take on the role of supporting the school cafe movement

and helping it to become sustainable and embedded.

Conclusion

The cafes seem to be outside the conventional box of science communication.

Instead of being academic, government funded, evaluated and hierarchical, they are

independent, cultural, non-formulaic and very varied. Organisers seem to do it

because it is interesting, enjoyable and friendly, not just important and necessary.

There is no ultimate aim, and achievement and learning happen not by academic

research but by personal communication. So, they are engaging with modern

reality, but their future may be unusual and unexpected.

References

Dallas, D. (1999). Science in culture. Nature, 299, 120.Dallas, D. (2006). Cafe scientifique – Deja vu. Cell, 126(2), 227–229.

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