Serving Science

Description

Science cafés aim to promote scientific literacy beyond the walls of academia. They do so by creating settings for informal researcher-led discussions with an after-work crowd about selected newsworthy scientific topics. Set up as monthly gatherings in casual settings such as restaurants or pubs, science cafés invite established investigators to share information and insights about specific research topics, in plain language and inclusive conversation. The science café concept, which started several years ago in European cities, is growing worldwide. The few such cafés around New York City routinely draw standing-room-only crowds and often turn away more people than they can accommodate, demonstrating a need for more such events. CUNY is well poised to fill that need. In doing so, CUNY will enhance the awareness - locally, nationally, and internationally - about the breadth and depth of leading edge scientific research that takes place within the CUNY system. Beginning in Fall 2008, Serving Science began bringing some of CUNY's faculty to Kouzan Japanese Restaurant to discuss newsworthy scientific topics.