Science in Society

Idea: science at the pub

Tim McNamara Tue 22 Apr 2014 11:38PMPublicSeen by 24

What about regularly getting a bunch of scientists/researchers together to chat to anyone who wanders in?

Discussion Summary as of 8 May:

Pros:

easy to organise
great way for early career researchers to get to know each other

Cons:

may be too similiar to Cafe Scientifique and Nerdnite or be perceived to be so

Siouxsie WilesMon 28 Apr 2014 9:31AM

so something way more informal than cafe scientifique or nerdnite?

Tim McNamaraMon 5 May 2014 3:53AM

Yes, pretty much. Easy to organise, easy to repeat. I imagine that the researchers would spend a little bit of time on their elevator pitch beforehand and be told to wear something distinctive :)

Ben CurranWed 7 May 2014 4:27AM

Something I'd be keen to do occasionally.
Take over a corner of Galbraiths or Brothers on a semi-regular basis? Bring along some A2 paper for scribbling on. Not in the first (nerdnite) or last (cafe scientifique) week of the month though.

Those would be my suggestions. I'm assuming there'd be no set theme.

Tim McNamaraThu 8 May 2014 4:08AM

Yeah, that's exactly right Ben.

I don't know how many people are intimidated by the perception of 'stuffy researchers in lab coats', but I've heard it mentioned as an issue. This idea is designed to create an impression as 'researchers are real people'.

Pierre RoudierThu 8 May 2014 5:20AM

This could be a great way to connect Early Career Researchers (ECR) together too. A problem we have here in Palmerston North is that despite having several CRIs and a University, it's very difficult to meet people outside institutions.

I'd see this sort of event as a new way to address the problem, and to meet ECR across disciplines and institutions (on top of the scicom exercise of course).

Pierre RoudierThu 8 May 2014 5:46AM

Just to reinforce one point: there are ECR in smaller urban centres than AKL/WEL/CHC - I'm thinking Hamilton, Palmy, etc. For centres that do not have the critical mass of unis like Vic or Auckland, this might be the least cost path towards building a network of ECRs across institutions.

Pierre RoudierThu 8 May 2014 6:41AM

Ben CurranSat 10 May 2014 11:38PM

Similar, in a way to Nerdnite I think. The idea of this seems a little more ...

http://pintofscienceau.wix.com/pint-of-science-au-2014

I almost think it would be nice to have something that isn't so organised. More of a word of mouth that there would be a bunch of scientists at some designated place on a semi-regular basis who are happy to talk to anyone about science.

Tim McNamaraSun 11 May 2014 7:11AM

Wow - so someone has done this in two other countries - and it works!? Okay, time to trial the decision feature on Loomio...

Contact the post-grad students associations looking for local organisers

proposal by Tim McNamara Closed Fri 16 May 2014 3:14AM

Outcome

by Tim McNamara Wed 26 Apr 2017 9:17AM

I'll (Tim) create a) a Google Doc to draft a letter to ask for local helpers and b) Google Spreadsheet with a list of people willing to get involved over a pint.

Harvard's "Science by the Pint" (link below) events are organised by student volunteers. In order to do this in a few places, we'll need worker bees in several places.

http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/science-by-the-pint/