Science Café

The Café Scientifique, or Science Café, is a term used to refer to events in informal settings, such as coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, and other public places, in which laypeople interact face-to-face with scientists. These cafés are part of a broader movement that aims to engage nonscientists in dialogues—and sometimes decision making—about science and technology developments. This movement, sometimes referred to as public engagement in science and technology (PEST), includes a variety of other engagement mechanisms, such as consensus conferences, public forums, citizen assemblies, and town halls.

The Café Scientifique was initiated in 1998 in Leeds, United Kingdom, by Duncan Dallas, who was inspired by the Café Philosophique founded in France. Since the 1990s, hundreds of Cafés Scientifiques and Science Cafés have been organized around ...