Swiss Pub to host Tacoma Science Cafe Oct. 11

The Pacific Science Center announced Friday its popular Tacoma Science Cafe is moving to a larger venue and will re-launch at its new location at The Swiss Pub, located in downtown Tacoma at 1904 Jefferson Ave., on Tues., Oct. 11, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The re-launch will feature John Marzluff, whose study of crows was included in a documentary that aired on PBS. Do crows really talk, give gifts, and use surfboards? Marzluff, Ph.D., Professor, School of Forest Resources, University of Washington, will discuss the amazing behavior of these everyday birds at the Tacoma Science Cafe’s new location.

The Tacoma Science Cafe, a partnership with KCTS 9 Public Television, is a monthly event where anyone can participate in topical discussions with leaders in the fields of science and technology while enjoying a glass of wine, a pint of beer or a cup of coffee. All Science Cafes are free to the public, open to all ages and no science background is required. Each Science Cafe begins with a local scientist presenting a brief backbone of science related to the night’s topic, followed by a short break for table discussion and beverage refills. The highlight of the night is an extended question and answer session with the scientist. By enlisting researchers and scientists to speak at Science Cafes, Pacific Science Center, an independent, not-for-profit educational institution, aims to engage the public with the scientific community in innovative and meaningful ways.

“People attend our science cafes for a variety of reasons,” said Wendy Hansen, Ph.D., who manages the Science Cafe program for Pacific Science Center. “But most are there to learn something new about current research and to ask questions of the speaker. The appeal of the cafes is that people get to learn about cutting edge research in a fun environment.”

Science Cafes are held monthly in locations across the area including the Eastside and downtown Seattle. Each cafe is recorded by KCTS 9 and available for online viewing. For more information on upcoming speakers, topics and future Science Cafes, please visit http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/sciencecafe/ .