Science Buzz Cafe.

Recently, on a Thursday night in Sebastopol, California, about 50 people jammed into the Coffee Catz living room to see "What Science Is and What Science Ain't" with Robert Porter, Ph.D., Scientist in Residence at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. It was the second Science Buzz Cafe in a series of twelve. This one turned into a science happening that spilled out into the street and into the night, a whirlwind of ideas, facts, and opinions. People struggled to find an understanding of the limits--and value--of what science is or is not or should be.

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The first Science Cafe was a presentation by Geology Professor Tom Anderson where he described the incredible geology of the Sebastopol area, with its rock formations, faults, and earthquakes. Future topics include Birding in Sonoma County, Black Holes, Physics and Metaphysics, Great Scientific Screw-Ups, New Energy Paradigms, The Pythagoreans, Robotics and Sculpture, and more.

One goal of the Science Cafe is to make science and technology more relevant, via a stimulating, open discussion format. Science--cafe style--is a playful and friendly scene that features a guest scientist who introduces a topic that then turns into open dialogue that all present can join in. A Science Cafe is "a place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, people can meet to discuss the latest ideas of science and technology, which are changing our lives." The Science Buzz Cafe in Sebastopol was made possible by the D. N. Dunlop Fund, a project of Economics Foundation, Inc. To Learn more about Science Cafes nationwide and internationally, visit www.cafescientifique.org and www.sciencecafes.org.