THE 'CLASSIC' FORMAT
The usual format for a "cafe sci" is for the evening’s talk to begin with at 8pm with a 20 minute ( or so..) presentation from the speaker, outlining the key issues they wish to discuss.
There is then a brief comfort break (again normally just 20 minutes) when members can socialize, refresh their drinks, lobby the speaker etc.
This is followed by a Question and Answer session, when members of the audience can quiz the speaker. This part of the evening usually lasts over an hour. We tend to wind up around 10pm - for the benefit of those with journeys home - though many people stay on to talk.
This second part of the evening - the Q&A - is usually chaired, primarily to take that pressure off the speaker; but also to ensure that all who wish to can get a chance to ask questions. Questions can be sympathetic or challenging. For the “audience etiquette”, see below.
A more standard lecture format would normally give the speaker up to an hour to state their case, and then leave a little time for questions, this reversed format is therefore unusual; but we have found that it provides an exceptionally lively discussion.
Alternative formats
However, Cafe Sci talks tend by their nature to atttract an intelligent, articulate, well-informed group of people with knowledge of their own. So, once or twice a season, some cafes also experiment with other formats which allow all the members more opportunity to share their own ideas. One such format is the “Hadron Collider for Ideas”. Another successful innovation this season was the “Listening Post”. You can listen to an explanation of the Hadron, and one or two examples, via the Archive section.
Audience Etiquette
There are no membership conditions as such for the Cafe Sci. In fact, there is no actual membership; people just come along. But there are some things that work best, when trying to run a discussion with speakers and an intelligent audience.
For example, the chair for the evening has the task of trying to ensure that everyone who wishes to has a chance to ask a question. This may sometimes mean interrupting a very long question; or intercepting, if one questioner wants to ask many questions in a row.
Other than that, the “rules” are little more than common courtesy. Our speakers have gone out of their way, unpaid, to be here – some may have travelled some long distance – and surely deserve some respect, even if you wish to disagree with them. Turn off your phone.
Why we ask for a contribution to costs
Like most Cafe Sci's, the Falmouth Café Sci we propose will be entirely self-funding. We do not plan to seek or accept subsidy from any source, other than our own time; and we will pay speaker’s expenses but no other fee. Nevertheless, some speakers do come some distance, and to pay their travel and other expenses means that we do need income. Hence most cafes ask for a contribution to the costs, to cover these expenses.
There is then a brief comfort break (again normally just 20 minutes) when members can socialize, refresh their drinks, lobby the speaker etc.
This is followed by a Question and Answer session, when members of the audience can quiz the speaker. This part of the evening usually lasts over an hour. We tend to wind up around 10pm - for the benefit of those with journeys home - though many people stay on to talk.
This second part of the evening - the Q&A - is usually chaired, primarily to take that pressure off the speaker; but also to ensure that all who wish to can get a chance to ask questions. Questions can be sympathetic or challenging. For the “audience etiquette”, see below.
A more standard lecture format would normally give the speaker up to an hour to state their case, and then leave a little time for questions, this reversed format is therefore unusual; but we have found that it provides an exceptionally lively discussion.
Alternative formats
However, Cafe Sci talks tend by their nature to atttract an intelligent, articulate, well-informed group of people with knowledge of their own. So, once or twice a season, some cafes also experiment with other formats which allow all the members more opportunity to share their own ideas. One such format is the “Hadron Collider for Ideas”. Another successful innovation this season was the “Listening Post”. You can listen to an explanation of the Hadron, and one or two examples, via the Archive section.
Audience Etiquette
There are no membership conditions as such for the Cafe Sci. In fact, there is no actual membership; people just come along. But there are some things that work best, when trying to run a discussion with speakers and an intelligent audience.
For example, the chair for the evening has the task of trying to ensure that everyone who wishes to has a chance to ask a question. This may sometimes mean interrupting a very long question; or intercepting, if one questioner wants to ask many questions in a row.
Other than that, the “rules” are little more than common courtesy. Our speakers have gone out of their way, unpaid, to be here – some may have travelled some long distance – and surely deserve some respect, even if you wish to disagree with them. Turn off your phone.
Why we ask for a contribution to costs
Like most Cafe Sci's, the Falmouth Café Sci we propose will be entirely self-funding. We do not plan to seek or accept subsidy from any source, other than our own time; and we will pay speaker’s expenses but no other fee. Nevertheless, some speakers do come some distance, and to pay their travel and other expenses means that we do need income. Hence most cafes ask for a contribution to the costs, to cover these expenses.