Science Cafe to Debut at www.ucsf.edu

UCSF brims with rich and stimulating conversation about science, but many of the thoughts, ideas and insights escape into the air or skim across our synapses, never to be heard or pondered again. The Science Café, a new weekly column about the culture, conduct and community of science debuting September 20, will capture those moments and share them with the many different audiences that visit www.ucsf.edu.

Science at UCSF is a human endeavor, with a heart, a rhythm, moods, personality, language and yes, failures, but so often when telling the story of science, we frame it as a straightforward march to discovery. The details and the context, the circuitous path of research, the process, and sometimes the people themselves, are neglected. In short, we seldom have the opportunity to tell the story behind the story, or discuss why it is important, or better yet, talk about science when breakthroughs are not presumably imminent. Each week, the Science Café will give you a seat at this table. You can just "listen in" or, if the mood strikes, join in the conversation by offering comments or suggesting topics. See you soon.