"Science cafés are live events that involve a face-to-face conversation with a scientist about current science topics. They are open to everyone, and take place in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses." - NOVA ScienceNOW

Wikipedia describes a science cafe as a grassroots public initiative to demystify science, and a forum to engage the community in science.
visit counter for blogspot
custom counter

Take a survey for the cafe

Contact us

10days until
Next Cafe Discussion on June 9, 2012

Home

We meet in Branford, CT, about once every 4-6 weeks and topics discussed range from physical sciences, to life sciences and social sciences.  A knowledge of the topic being discussed is not required, nor is there any membership requirement or age restriction.  Perhaps the only requirement is curiosity and a thirst for knowledge!
The fundamental reason for Tilde Café's existence is to demystify science and to make it more accessible to all.  




NOVA Beta








2010_year_of_Biodiversity





2010_year_of_Biodiversity

April 21, 2012

Sure, they aren't truffula trees* but do we need them!

The desert may well seem an inhospitable place as depicted in this Jack Ziegler New Yorker cartoon from the July 11, 2011 issue, but if you were at the recent Tilde Café discussion led by Eric Larson, you’d know where to find that water, if not the tiny piece of pie!

Eric Larson came to the recent Tilde Café with lots of interesting information about desert plants and carnivorous plants, and also brought along a few examples that are zealously guarded at the Marsh Botanical Gardens at Yale University.  We got a thumbnail sketch about some of the adaptations that desert plants have evolved for arid conditions. For example, whereas C3 photosynthesis is the most common form of photosynthesis used by plants, desert plants are adapted to use C4 and CAM pathways. In C3 plants, during the day, carbon dioxide enters through open pores (stomata) on the leaves. Whilst this happens, the plant also loses some amount of water. However, in plants that are found in areas that are dry or that are particularly active during the summer, so as to minimize water loss, they undergo C4 photosynthesis, a pathway that is faster than C3 photosynthesis, thus requiring stomata  

 more>> 
 

 
Now for a piece of excellent news for Tilde Cafe: as of January 23, 2009 you can find a link to us on the science cafes website maintained by WGBH Educational Foundation - WGBH is the public television station out of Boston, and produces NOVA among many other fantastic shows.  Tilde Cafe is the only listed science cafe in CT, and the only one between NYC and Boston! 
 

 

 
 
 
 

© 2009 Deepti Pradhan and Tilde Cafe