The pace of scientific innovation vastly outpaces the rate at which the public can take it in. However that does not mean that the public does not want be left out of the conversation, and I agree that they should not. There is where science cafe type programs can help bridge the gap and bring the public into conversation with subject-mater experts in a non-academic setting. Typically these programs involve a short ~20-minute presentation on a given science or related topic followed by a Q&A, discussion, or activity. Some are organized by universities or science centers, others are run by groups of passionate graduate students. There is no prescribed way to do a science cafe. Whatever works best for the community it is serving.

That is why I am excited to share a new resource that I have put together that puts all of the active science cafes that I can find in North Carolina into one place! This resource will be constantly updated and eventually will expand to new states given I have bandwidth. So hopefully no matter where you are in North Carolina, you are never too far from a local science cafe program learn something new and maybe make some new friends!

If you know of a science cafe in North Carolina that is not listed on this map, please let me know via my contact form. Want to start your own science cafe? Let’s chat! It does not take much to get started and can very incredibly fun and rewarding.

Whether that setting is a Saturday afternoon at a local coffee shop, a Tuesday evening at a bar, or lunchtime at a library, it does not matter. Science cafe’s play a critical role in not only bringing science to the public, it also builds trust in the scientific community. Scientists are normal people like anyone else you would meet at the grocery store or sharing a pew with a church.

By bringing in a scientist to give context to a topic, it enhances our understanding and helps make the connection from the research to our everyday lives. If we are able to make that connection, we are more likely to care about it as well.

Why am I such a big fan of science cafes? At the time of publishing this, I am currently working as a Community Engagement Specialist at UNC’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center where I coordinate our monthly science cafe program, the Carolina Science Cafe. Personally for me, it is one of the most fun programs I run as I get to interface with a dozen amazing, creative, passionate, and innovative scientists from all sorts of backgrounds and disciplines every year. Also who doesn’t like learning super cool stuff while having a delicious meal with friends?

The science cafe program is not only an opportunity to showcase the variety of science that there is, but also an opportunity to see the diversity of the people actually DOING the science. Science is so much more than white lab coats and beakers on a bench. Many STEM fields still have a long way to go in equitable representation, but there has been some measurable progress in the last decade.

I will dive into the history of the science cafe program in another blog post, but in the meantime, here is a Wikipedia page on Café Scientifique that started in the UK back in 1998.