Science in the pub: are people taking dialogue into their own hands?

The Big Society is all about empowering people to do things for themselves and each other, rather than waiting for government to do it for them. The good news for science dialogue is that this is already happening. Skeptics in the pub is a movement which is gathering momentum, with people meeting in groups around the country to promote and practice rational, evidence-based debate.  Café Scientifique is another initiative where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology in cafes, bars, restaurants and even theatres. Outreach programmes and events run by science and discovery centres, the London Science Museum, @ Bristol and the British Science Festival are just some of the other initiatives that get people talking about science.

However, positioning these conversations in the Big Society throws up a number of questions. Should Government be engaging with these dialogues in the same way that it listens to the results of more formal dialogue exercises such as those organised by Sciencewise? These conversations are likely to be less demographically representative, and there is no guarantee that all voices will be heard or that the information is balanced. Moreover, it is much harder to know what, exactly, policy makers should be listening to. Although Skeptics have well voiced policy positions on certain issues, they do not represent the range or nuance of the broader conversations which are a key part of the movement. Neither they nor Cafés Scientifiques make a formal attempt to count or record the spread of opinions; they might argue that that is not the point. Nor do they produce reports which synthesise discussions.

Nevertheless, these are some of the most vibrant conversations taking place about science, with many of the most concerned and active citizens. Science policy makers could benefit both from their insights, and their capacity to engage with a wide range of people. But for this to happen, policy makers may need to find new ways of listening. This could mean eavesdropping on conversations through the many twitter feeds, busy forums , or second life cyber lectures, even if they can’t make it to the pub. Working out how to include informal discussions in formal decision-making with limited time and resources will be a challenge, but it is a vital challenge which could have a decisive impact on the reality of dialogue in the Big Society.

- You can debate your views on this topic with others at the Sciencewise-ERC forum.