Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem Drinking coffee with a scientist

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Bloomfield Science Museum JerusalemDrinking
coffee with a scientist
Varda Gur Ben Shitrit, June 2005
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The Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem ID card
  History From 1980, 12 years of gestation
as an experimental project
within the University. Since 1992 in its current
location. Staff Multicultural Jews,
Arabs, secular and
religious, orthodox,
young and old
Multidisciplinary
Scientists, educators, designers and artists,
technicians,
humanities people
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What does a scientist do?
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The Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem seeks
ways of opening doors to research
 
Exhibitions Cooperation with academic and
industrial researchers, presentation of
up-to-date discoveries of research.
Young Scientists Competition Young people carry
out research in an academic atmosphere.
Science Festival Wide public visiting and acting
in the campus of the University.
Café Scientifique forum for debating science
issues, aims at promoting public engagement with
science.
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What I was looking for ?

• An atmosphere of equality between scientists
• and the public.

• A place Adults can be updated about science
• and scientists can hear public needs.

• A forum for citizens to speak their minds about
• developments of science and technology.

• An opportunity to meet the scientist and be
• exposed to his\her humanity.

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Cafe Scientifique

• The idea To draw scientists and groups of adults
• and youth towards dialogues on subjects
• of public interest.
• Academic Scientists and researchers, mainly from
  the Partners Hebrew University
• Strategic Coffee shop in Jerusalem
• Partners
• The way Finding a good subject
• Finding a good speaker
• Make room for debate

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The location

• Jerusalem
• A university city with a very diverse population
  
• Jewish people and Arabs
• Secular and orthodox
• All religions
• Different cultural and socio-economic background
• Academics, students and those without higher
  education

Tmol Shilshom A coffee shop and a bookstore in
an old-Jerusalem style house located in the
beautiful historic neighborhood of Nahalat
Shiv'a. Offers a wide range of events with
readings, music, lectures and more. Opened in
1994, gained a good reputation as a place to meet
others in an easy-going, cultural environment.
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The subjects
Cutting edge Research Meet public interest Give
room for debate Man machine interface Degenerativ
e brain diseases Nanotechnology The human genome
Examples
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The speakers

• Researchers present on-going research
• Men and women
• Good charismatic speakers
• Give a human point of view, present successes
• along with mistakes, regrets and internal
• conflict.
• Can deal with annoying provocative questions.

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The oudience
Adults interested in science and science-related
issues Three main groups Senior
citizens Students New-age people
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What did I find out ?

• In general, a relevant subject is more appalling
  to
• the public than a known scientist.

• The scientists are as eager and exited to meet
  the
• public as the public is to meet a live
  scientists.

• The public is more likely to ask informative
• questions than to speak his opinion or even
  argue
• with scientists (even on subjects which are not
  pure
• scientific).

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Summary
Café Scientifique is a good activity for
promoting public engagement with science because
it is Non formal An opportunity to meet the
real actors Cheep to operate Cheep to
participate