What is Science Café?
Explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed, informal atmosphere, whilst quenching your thirst with the Tobacco Factory’s finest beverages. Meetings are free and open to anyone with an interest in science and technology, subjects which have a profound impact on all of our everyday lives.
The format is simple: The invited speaker gives a short introduction to the evening’s topic, we take a break for refreshments and pondering, followed by an hour of questions and discussion. Everyone is welcome to ask a question or make a comment, and this is a fantastic opportunity to debate and contemplate often-controversial issues with leading experts in their field.
Café topics cover a broad range of cutting-edge scientific research and ideas from different disciplines. Check the list of Science Cafe events for upcoming cafés.
You don’t need to be a scientist to enjoy the evening! Just come with an open and enquiring mind (and some spare change for a drink).
Location: The Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Rd, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 1TF
When: Science Cafés run on the last Monday of the month, every month (except December).
Time: 8pm – 10pm
Twitter: @BrisScienceCafe
Science Café is based on the international organisation Café Scientifique. To find out what other groups are up to in the UK and around the world – click here for the National Café Scientifique website.
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If you have previously attended a Café please feel free to leave a comment about your experiences & suggestions for Café topics in the comments thread below:
I attended some of the science café presentations, and found them quite interesting in terms of the questions that are being raised by all the participants.
I attend as many of these as I can – they’re absolutely fascinating! Each gives you the chance to ask questions face-to-face with an expert in their field.
These have varied from Bristol Glass, and the Computation of Infinity to The Bristol Space Programme, and Telomeres.
The audience is of two sorts, regulars, about half, and strangers with a particular interest in whatever’s being discussed, whether it’s Alternative Medicine, Bio-engineering, Computer security or Minerals and local Industries.
The atmosphere is friendy, you can have a meal before-hand, and there’s always a break after the short introduction, for coffee or beer. And the meetings are free! The idea is to de-mystify science, and to bring it to “the man on the street”.
There are regular Science Cafes in Bath, Cardiff and Cheltenham, and every town should have one, for there is so much exciting to learn about developments in engineering, code-breaking, energy from rivers and the sea, new medicines for old diseases, maths, computing, health, the environoment, as well as the developments in the traditional pure sciences of chemistry, physics, geology, biology, astronomy, – the list is endless, and the news is astonishing. Do come along – you’ll be most welcome!