A Framework for Understanding the Nature of Questions Asked by Audience Participants at Science Cafés

Science Cafés are events designed as public engagement tools that create the opportunity for open dialogue between members of the general public and experts on the issue being discussed at the event. This study explores the nature of questions being asked by audience participants during discussion sessions of Science Café events. It was conducted by coding audio recordings of audience participant engagements at 41 Science Café events held between 2010 and 2019. The result of this analysis produced a novel taxonomic framework to describe audience participant behaviors in terms of their learning goals. This framework was evaluated by applying it to samples of Science Café question data selected by Science Café topic theme. Comparisons between question-asking behaviors for specific Science Café topics and overall trends in question-asking behaviors for all Science Cafés revealed significant changes in audience participant learning goals when asking questions at Science Cafés centered on different topic types. Implications for understanding Science Café audiences and potential developments for Science Café events as public science engagement tools are discussed.

Feedback from the Science Café at the 7th European Bioanalysis Forum Young Scientist Symposium

The 7th Young Scientist Symposium, a meeting again organized as a hybrid online event by young scientists for young scientists under the umbrella of the European Bioanalysis Forum and in collaboration with the Universities of Bologna and Ghent, included a variety of interesting presentations on cutting-edge bioanalytical science and processes. On the morning of day 2, the meeting hosted their traditional Science Café around the theme: ‘How has COVID-19 changed our future?’ in which the Young Scientist Symposium organizing committee engaged with the delegates on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the careers of young scientists working in a bioanalytical (industry or academic) laboratory, that is, things they lost, for good or for bad – things they gained, wanted or unwanted, things they learned about themselves and their industry. This manuscript provides feedback from those discussions.

Feedback from the Science Café from the Sixth European Bioanalysis Forum Young Scientist Symposium

The 6th Young Scientist Symposium, a meeting organized by young scientists for young scientists under the umbrella of the European Bioanalysis Forum vzw and in collaboration with the Universities of Bologna and Ghent, included a variety of interesting presentations on cutting edge bioanalytical science and processes. Integrated in the meeting, an interactive round table session, the Science Café, discussed the challenges related to sustainability for bioanalytical lab activities. This manuscript reflects conclusions from these discussions. They can provide our community a compass for future business practices to embrace more sustainable laboratory activities considerate of smarter use of a wide array of resources and laboratory tools, resulting in increased wellbeing for our next generations and our planet.

Enriching the Lives of High School Teenagers With Science Cafés

This chapter provides a roadmap for any who are inspired to start a teen science café program as a member of the teen science café network. These out-of-school programs are a free, fun way for teens to explore the advances in science and technology affecting their lives. Teens and scientists engage in lively conversations and activities to explore a topic deeply. Teens get increased understanding of the nature of science and develop a realistic perception of scientists, science careers, and the lives they lead. Scientists gain skills in communicating science to the public and inspire youth to STEM careers. Adult leaders serve as guides for the teen leaders and are the linchpin of the program. Evaluation shows programs positively influenced teens understanding of science issues in the news, the ability to use facts to support scientific points of view and considering multiple sides of an issue before making a decision.

Science Cafés, Science Shops and the Lockdown Experience in Florence and Rome

The lockdown was crucial to stop the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, but it affected many aspects of social life, among which traditional live science cafés. Moreover, citizens and experts asked for a direct contact, not relying on mass-media communication. In this paper, we describe how the Florence and Rome science cafés, contacted by citizens and experts, either directly or through the Florence science shop, responded to these needs by organizing online versions of traditional face-to-face events, experiencing high levels of participation. The science café methodology was also requested by a high school that needed to conclude an engagement experience with students and their families. We also report the results of a survey about the satisfaction of this new methodology with respect to the old one.

The Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center’s (OAPGRC) Science Café: A Success Story”

Science Cafés are held in many towns and cities across the world for the promotion of scientific culture and the understanding of our daily lives, which we live in. They provide a platform for interaction and dialogue between scientists, researchers, businesses and the community on trends towards current scientific issues the extent of their impact on culture and society. The Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center (OAPGRC) Science Cafe is a forum for the discussion of important and interesting scientific topics and issues. Since May 2013 to December 2015, OAPGRC has held a series of science café sessions on topics related to biodiversity, food security, climate change, pollution and sustainable use. The OAPGRC science café is the first in Oman to be put on the international map of scientific cafes around the world. Reviewing the data on the outcomes and performance of these sessions indicates that the session attendance and active participation was 51% by men and 49% women. This is an exceptional case where the interest is almost equal between the genders. As for the age group, the highest percentage 49% was of a class of young people aged between 18-25 years. Followed by the age group (26-35 years) which was 30%. The lowest percentage was 21% for the age group of above 35 years. The experience of the science café in Oman has been proved as a major success for both the scientific and social aspects. Therefore there are different plans to maintained and develop it in the near future.