We recently presented our first science café at Henderson State University (HSU), an idea that came from another chapter at the nearby University of Central Arkansas. Free and open to the public, the event included a dinner of freshly grilled burgers served with a side of discourse. We invited speakers we hoped would interest the community and paid for the event through the regular fundraising activities that our chapter holds.

Our primary purpose in holding these events is to engage faculty, staff, students, and the overall community in scientific discussion on topics meant to generate discussion, ranging from how religion and science impact one another to antibiotic use and resistance. The topic for our first event was “What is a Heretic? Religion, Music, Science, and Authority.”

Our speakers, all HSU professors, included Dr. Megan Hickerson, an expert in the Protestant Reformation who has an active interest in the histories of heresy, persecution, and the early modern witch craze; Dr. David Evans, a former clarinetist in the United States Military Academy Band at West Point who teaches music history and directs the bachelor program in general studies; and Dr. Jules Mollere, who researches general relativity but also has interests in space science and teaches introductory astronomy.

At the café we talked about what was happening socially and politically in Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. Religion, music, and science were all interconnected in that time period. A discussion with the audience touched on the means by which information was disseminated with the printing press and similarities to the advent of the Internet. We also talked about the ways in which scientific knowledge is spread and how, sometimes, bad science lingers because of the ease of spreading information.

We were extremely pleased with the turnout at our first café, which drew an audience of approximately 20. We hope to collaborate with the biology and chemistry clubs in our school to present science cafés regularly. //