Michiana Science Cafe – Science Policy Initiative

Due to scheduling difficulties, we will not host a Science Cafe in December of 2024, but we look forward to seeing you all in January 2025! Stay in “the know” via facebook, twitter, or our newsletter.

Click here to see our event topic for this month, and click the poster below to fill out a form with ideas for topics, or if you are interested in speaking at one of our events.

The Michiana Science Cafe is part of a global movement to make science available to everyone and encourage communities to participate in conversations about all types of science. The cafes take place in casual settings, are targeted towards adults, and are designed to give participants an opportunity to meet, hear from, and ask questions of local scientists.

Events are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm, and details on each month’s theme and speaker can be found on the Michiana Science Cafe Facebook page. You can also sign up to receive notifications about each month’s event through SPI’s email list serv.

If you are a scientist who’d like to present in future cafes, please fill out this form or contact us at scipolnd@nd.edu and we will be happy to get you scheduled.

Previous topics include:

How to Create Life from Scratch
The Unity of Knowledge in Science and Art
A Glimpse of Astronomy: a Tour of Our Neighborhood
The Microbiome: Hype, Health, and Hope
The Intriguing World of Mosquitoes: from Ecology to Public Health
The Secret World of Cicadas
Restoring Tallgrass Prairies to Capture Carbon: The Role of Fire, Roots, and Microbes
PFAS and Microplastics in our Drinking Water
Nuclear Facts, Future, and Fiction
Artificial Intelligence and society
Fe”Brew”ary: The Science of Beer-Making
After Antibiotics: Investigating Novel Therapies to Combat Multi-Drug Resistant Bacterial Infections
Nuclear Energy — the Better Energy?
COVID-19: Epidemiology and Testing
The High Place Phenomenon: Treating the Fear of Heights and Why We Have the Urge to Jump
What Does Climate Action Look Like in South Bend?
Toxicology Barcode: How Improved Chemical Tests Help the Fight Against Fatal Overdose
NextGen Human-Drone Partnerships in Emergency Response