Science on the Street is an attempt to make conversations about key scientific issues happen in public spaces, by ‘ordinary’ people.
We at the New Economics Foundation (nef) passionately believe that getting people talking about key issues of the day is a cornerstone of a good democratic system. We want to show that deliberation – active, informed conversations that help people exchange ideas and find common ground – can happen anywhere: not just in town halls or conference centres.
We also want to show that these conversations can be about complex, even scientific topics, with people genuinely grappling with the issues and coming to their own conclusions.
Science On The Street is our guide to creating deliberative debate about a scientific topic. We’ve learnt that the three main steps for successful debate are as follows:
1) Chose the right amount of background information needed for an informed debate - and present it accessibly.
2) Think about how people will take part in the debate and give their views – and package all this up to feel like a game.
3) Put steps (1) and (2) together on a bright, friendly stall … and take it on the streets … with a couple of bright friendly facilitators!
Read all about it here – and then let us know what you think!
