Science Cafes in Chicago?

February 21, 2006 1:50 PM

Science cafes in Chicago?

I was reading the boingboing entry on Cafe Scientifique and thought it was a really cool idea. Google is telling me that Chicago doesn't have one of its own. Anybody care to contradict the all-knowing Google?

Are any other Chicagoans as intrigued by this as I am?

posted by srburns to Society & Culture (7 answers total)

Well, I'm as intrigued by it as you are, but I haven't heard of such a thing in Chicago. I'm about to move in to the city myself (from the hellishly lame burbs) and would love it if there were something like this.

Hopefully we'll find out from someone that there is. Or maybe we'll have to start it ourselves! Wait.. I'm no scientist. D'oh.
posted by twiggy at 2:18 PM on February 21, 2006

the only salon-type event I've found thus far in chicago is public square (publicsquare.org), which tends to focus on media literacy/social issues. i've only attended once so can't really offer a review. googling I found mention of elgin salon and dorkbot.
ps. I almost asked a related question when I came across future salon (similar idea, also not in chicago).
posted by ejaned8 at 2:22 PM on February 21, 2006

Interesting. Let's make one! There are all sorts of scientists around Chicago - we could even bus a few in from Argonne if we needed to.
posted by aladfar at 2:37 PM on February 21, 2006

Here's a list of "all" of them. No Chicago in there. I say "all", because Toronto isn't in the list either, and I know it does exist here. In fact, I intended to go this month so I could blog about it, but it was last weekend and I thought it would be this coming weekend. I'm seriously pissed off about this for a number of reasons (one of them is "could have avoided Boingboing scoop")

You can probably just start one of your own in Chicago and even get it listed on their page! I would go, if I lived in Chicago and wasn't so forgetful.
posted by easternblot at 2:54 PM on February 21, 2006

It sounds wonderful. I'm pretty sure something like this exists at Northwestern, but nothing outside of a university setting in the area.
posted by cynthia_rose at 6:36 PM on February 21, 2006

There wasn't one at Northwestern when I was there (a couple of years ago), but I bet a few of the profs would be more than happy to do such a thing. I can think of at least a couple in the engineering school that would be really good at it, and probably up for it too.
posted by orangskye at 7:17 PM on February 21, 2006

Dang. Hope folks are still looking at this. Come April, we're going to be hosting a one night a month event at the South Union Arts Space (in Chicago). Our working idea right now is to have poets and film and lectures and skill sharing and music and performances and etcetera: a multiple media variety show of sorts. We'd love to add some science to that mix! We're mostly arty nerds so if any science nerds would be interested in contributing or helping organize or even just helping to put us in touch with science-y types please drop a line. My email is in my profile. Thanks.
posted by verysleeping at 12:39 PM on February 22, 2006