Press Highlight

Breaking News: Worldwide, Inner Nerds Run Wild by Cynthia Fox

In Uganda, crowds of them gathered curiously outside a grass-thatched hut, surrounded by chickens pecking at grains leaking from malwa pots, to do it.

In Gowanus Canal, New York’s latest hip hood, 600 of them wandered through the cool shadows of graffiti-strewn warehouses, pecking at iPods, to do it.

From Kazakhstan to Cape Cod, thousands of closet nerds are sneaking out of house-and-hut each month to drink at one of the world’s 750-plus science cafes, or Cafes Scientifique. Sometimes these are held in cafes. Just as often, they are held in bars. (The hut above had no windows or doors, but lots of malwa: alcohol.)1

Worldwide, the basic intent is the same, says Margaret Mittelbach of the Gowanus Secret Science Club: “To invite everyone to let their inner nerd run wild; to get excited about black holes and dark matter; sharks and jellyfish; neurotransmitters and epigenetics.” Continue Reading

Cynthia Fox writes for BioscienceTechnology.com.  This article was published on April 16th, 2013.

Science For Dummies by Larry Dobrow

In the 2011 November issue of the American Way, an American Airlines publication, Larry Dobrow writes about his new interest in science cafes:

I should be in full-throttle sports-dork mode. The national sports schedule boasts a pair of championship-caliber matchups that prominently feature juice and financial-services pitchmen who have a parade of zeroes at the end of their paychecks. Another pits a hangdog franchise made good, undefeated for the first time since the invention of indoor plumbing, against its longtime tormentor. It is the type of night for which sports bars were invented; the type of night I’d usually spend reveling in the twin glories of chicken fingers and mediocre domestic beer.

Instead, I find myself in a café on ­Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the televisions stay dim and mute as a Columbia University computer scientist leads a 40-strong audience in a discussion about augmented reality. I attend this discussion of my own accord. No blackmail is involved, nor is drunkenness. I am under the spell of science — literallyContinue Reading

Dobrow writes for American Airlines Magzine, American Way. This article was published in the November 15th, 2011 Issue.

General Books and Articles about Science Cafés

Brady, Shaun. “Social Science.” Go Magazine, November 2009.

Dallas, Duncan, Franco Bagnoli, Giovanna Pacini, and others. SciCafe Webbook.

Dukes, Tyler. “Science Café Spreads Understanding of Bacteria over Beers.” Scientific American, November 12, 2010.

Fenichel, Marilyn, and Heidi A. Schweingruber. Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010.

Ferris, David. “Science Cafés Tap Nation’s Fascination with Research and Discovery.” Wired Magazine, December 15, 2007.

“The Future of the International Science Café Movement.” Quest, March 3, 2011.

Kiehl, Carole, and Tracy Englert. “A Science Café in a Library?” Programming Librarian, February 10, 2011.

Loew, Tracy. “Science Pubs Quench a Thirst for Knowledge.” USA Today, January 21, 2011.

“Many Experts, Many Audiences: Public Engagement with Science.” CAISE Newsletter, March/April 2009.

Scaramozzino, Jeanine Mari, and Catherine Trujillo. “Developing a Science Café Program for Your University Library.” Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, Fall 2010.

Schaefer, Kayleen. “These Scientific Minds Think (and Drink) Alike.” The New York Times, November 18, 2007.

Science Café Specifics

“Ag dust researcher speaks at UNK tonight.” KearneyHub.com, April 4, 2011.

Baird, Gabriel. “Science and Suds Blend Well at Friendly Forums at Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Cleveland.” The Plain Dealer, March 8, 2010.

Bertsos, Cole. “Chef Brings Science, Food Together for Demonstration at Bay City Central High School.” The Bay City Times, April 5, 2011.

“Bing Big Shot, Capitol Hill’s Blaise Aguera y Arcas Featured Speaker at Science Café.” CHS Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, May 3, 2011.

Chambers, Nicolette. “Thinks and Drinks: Viewfinder.” Homewood-FlossmoorPatch, March 31, 2011.

“Columbus Science Pub Off to a GREAT Start!” The Obligate Scientist, September 8, 2010.

Dennis, Maggie. “Dr. Susan James, Bionic Woman.” ArtBeetBlog, December 6, 2010.

Digitale, Robert. “A Latte While You Learn.” The Press Democrat, January 9, 2009.

Digitale, Robert. “Science Buzz Café Serves Up Intellect with a Side of Fun.” The Press Democrat, January 10, 2009.

Donovan, Colleen. “Science Café Series Explores Forged Artworks.” WDAM, January 21, 2011.

“Down to a Science: In the Media.” Down to a Science blog.

“Equal Parts Beer and Science at New Monthly Event.” Columbus Underground, October 8, 2010.

Fancher, Lou. “Google Lit Trip Creater Takes Lafayette Audience around the World.” Lamorinda Patch, April 21, 2011.

“Field Notes: Science Cafés.” WVXU Cincinnati Radio, May 1, 2011.

“First Columbus Science Pub a Success.” Newsvine.com, September 10, 2010. 

Henry, Fran. “Science Cafes Mix Science and Stout.” The Plain Dealer, February 12, 2008.

Marten, Margaret. “Columbus Science Pub Invites Tara C. Smith to Hampton’s on King for Lively Discussion.” Short North Gazette, September 2010.

“Monsters from the Deep Dark…Schuykill.” Philly.com, May 7, 2011. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/greenliving/121404874.html

Norberg, Bob. “Model T Heads Back to the Future.” The Press Democrat, November 12, 2009.

Ross, John. “City: Science Café Coming to Columbus.” ColumbusAlive.com, September 2, 2010.

Schroeder, Robyn. “Science Speaks in Berkeley.” Diablo, April 2011.

“Science Café Series Continues April 19.” University of Delaware Daily, April 18, 2011.

“Science Café to Spotlight Influential Female Scientists.” Ohio University, April 27, 2011.

“Science in the Pub.” Grad News, February 9, 2011.

“Science on Tap Features Talk on Challenges Facing Pharmaceutical Drug Developers.” Purdue University News Service, March 21, 2011.

“Science on Tap to Offer Talk on Benefits of Neural Engineering.” Purdue University News Service, January 14, 2011.

“Secondhand Meth Topic of Science Cafe Tuesday.” KearneyHub.com, April 4, 2011.
 

Snider, Annie. “Arlington’s Café Scientifique Draws Crowds to Discuss Technical Topics with Experts.” The Washington Post, February 28, 2011.

Snyder, Bill. “Get Some Science with Your Coffee.” Research Blog @ Vanderbilt, April 25, 2011.

Tisdale, David. “Next Science Café to Feature Southern Miss Dolphin Expert Kuczaj.” Southern Miss Now, April 15, 2011.
 

Two Myths Creationists Spread about Evolution.” Opposingviews.com. December 12, 2010.

“UA Researchers Invite Public to Science Café Jan. 15.” The University of Alabama UA News, December 20, 2010.

UB Physicists, Science Museum and Artists Investigate ‘The Invisible Universe.’” University at Buffalo Physics, March 12, 2010.

USM Launches Science Café Series, Offers Opportunity to Meet and Greet with Professors.” WDAM, January 24, 2011.

USM’s Spring Science Café Series Starts Monday.” HattiesburgAmerican.com, January 21, 2011.

Wisch, Robyn. “How Far Are We from Disney’s Utopia?” KVNO News, April 6, 2011.

Wolinsky, Howard. “Of Guerillas and Cafés.” Embo Reports, Volume 11, April 2010.