Coffee, science & passion at Bonifacio Global City
Would you like science with your coffee? If you think science belongs only to the classroom and school labs, think again. There’s a movement happening around the world that’s taking science — and the scientists — to the public. Over cups of coffee, they discuss the most fascinating topics in science; people talk, they ask, and they go home just a little bit more enlightened and hopefully more curious about the world than when they walked in.
Called Cafe Scientifique, the forums are informal gatherings at the grassroots level that started in cafes in
Former ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) news anchor, and writer, producer and presenter for Breakfast morning show Mitzi Borromeo is the point person for Café Scientific in the
On Sept.6 from
“I hope that through Cafe Scientifique, people will see that science is alive as it touches our everyday lives,” says Mitzi. “I’d like to borrow the words of the
Mitzi’s passion for science started as early. “I am so excited about the
Mitzi says what’s great about Café Scientifique is that anyone can have access to great minds in the sciences. “There is no such thing as a stupid question,” Mitzi likes to say of these forums.
And in science, the more questions you ask, the further it takes you.
Excerpts form our interview with Mitzi Borromeo and the
PHILIPPINE STAR: How did you get involved with Café Scientifique?
MITZI BORROMEO: When I came back in 2006, Maribel Garcia was launching a compilation of her science column in the Philippine STAR and published by the Ateneo Press. Café Scientifique is a public movement to bring science culture back to society. Maribel suggested that we use that framework for the launch. The book is about bridging the sciences with the arts. Every day, science touches our lives and we don’t even know it. We had a panel discussion with Ben Cabrera, Chit Juan, two scientists and Maribel. Someone raises a topic and we have an open forum. We encourage people to ask questions, there is no such thing as a stupid question. We’ve had two or three more after that. People just walk by and see what’s happening and they join.
Now that the
What were the past forums about?
Maribel’s book is Science Solitaire: Essays on Science, Nature and Becoming Human, it’s about bridging the sciences and the arts. She says science changes the way we perceive ourselves. Another one was the “Read or Die Convention,” and with the British Council we held one on climate change — what does it mean ba talaga? Everyone’s trying to do something about climate change, but on the individual level, what can you do about it? There are a lot of stories to be told in human discoveries.
What kind of an audience do you have in these forums?
It’s a mixed group, from young students to as old as 90, from businessmen to people from all fields. In the
What kind of questions do you get from kids?
MARIBEL GARCIA: Science is largely perceived as cold. I am always asked how I am able to do science writing and why I am doing it. The book is a compilation of my columns in the STAR for the past three years; Mitzi is the illustrator of the book. The book won a National Book Award, the first time a science book has ever gotten the attention of anyone. I’m proud of the work, but I’m not sure if I am able to achieve that again. Finally, in our culture, we have found people who are looking for the same thing.
MITZI: I think because Maribel is not a scientist but a science writer, people always ask, how do you know all these things?
MARIBEL: I was more fascinated by the interaction between scientists and the world around them. I wanted to tell the story to other people because it happens in isolation. Science is not only geeky, it can be fun. Life would not be the way it is now had it not been for people who do the scientific studies.
Are people still afraid of science?
MARIBEL: It depends on your measurement. If you say afraid in terms of performance in school because they cannot come up with the measures of science academically — yes, we are as a culture very afraid. We’re so kulelat in all the science tests worldwide that we did not join any more this year because we were that scared of being kulelat again.
But are schoolchildren more open to science now?
MARIBEL: The kids have more access to information now. When I was a kid I always wanted to be considered old because I admired adults for having perspective. Throwing information around doesn’t mean anything. As a kid, I was amazed that some people could couch information into something meaningful to me. I’ve always wanted to do that for kids — I’ll bring it to you so you can understand it kasi sayang. I think kids now miss that because they don’t have the tools to arrange information, to organize it, to make it sexy in a way that they can connect with it. I think that’s what science writing should do.
It’s known all over the world that scientists cannot communicate. But there are very few who can do the science and do the writing. I’m not excellent in both, I admit that; but I’m pretty good at both. So I use that, right there in the center, to be so good in the center that I can take the scientist out his cage and take the artist, and then funnel it so they can meet in the middle.
Who did you conceptualize the museum with? Did you get a team of scientists?
MARIBEL: We have an exhibit advisory council composed of the best academicians you can ever think of: Caesar Saloma who is the dean of the College of Science at UP, Dr. Jerrold Garcia, who heads the science department in Ateneo, Dr. Emy Liwag, who is only one of two cognitive scientists in the country (she specializes in how humans learn), Dr. Joey Balmaceda, who heads the Math Institute, art patron Dr. Joven Cuanang, Bencab and Emily Abrera.
Mitzi, why are you interested in science, how did it start?
MITZI: I’ve been fascinated with science and nature ever since I came out of my mother’s womb. That fascination has grown into a passion over time. There are so many incredible discoveries and new ideas being advanced every year. Advances in science have changed who we are as human beings and they are changing what we will become. Many led to philosophical and scientific upheavals, such as the discovery that the earth rotates around the sun, the discoveries in evolution, the relativity theory, quantum mechanics, and DNA. Then there were the great medical discoveries, such as the germ theory of disease, anesthesia, vaccines, antibiotics. Along with the medical advances there was the revolution in agriculture that eliminated starvation in much of the world. More recently there was the world-changing emergence of computers and the Internet. Then there’s genetic engineering, cloning, global positioning systems. The list goes on and on!
MARIBEL: Mitzi’s a natural when it comes to being with people and opening them up. She’s very patient and that’s why she’s in the forefront.
MITZI: It’s just like when you do an interview and you’re trying to coax something out of your source. You’re the interface between the scientists and the people. People say, there’s nothing to do except watch a movie. No, let’s have discussions. Café Scientific started over coffee and people talking. We’re trying to bring a scientific culture here.
What exactly does that mean, to have a “scientific culture”?
MARIBEL: It means that we think clearly, that everything is based on evidence, not hearsay; that things have to be tested before we say that “it is.” Sometimes you see in the news, “May pinaglihi sa ganyan.”
Or you always have this “Nanganak ng isda”!
MARIBEL: Yes! And I’m waiting there…..and? It’s not possible, a human cannot give birth to a dalag yet people seem to believe it! We cannot just make a giant leap because there is no evidence! When it makes sense, when it is backed by evidence, it becomes science. Just like yung sinabi ng mga lola natin, parang suddenly it makes sense. Like when your mom tells you sisipunin ka pag naulanan ka kasi malamig. Then the doctor would say, di totoo na ang nagdadala ng germs ang lamig, it’s when the temperature goes down abruptly, your immune system drops so you get susceptible to colds. It makes sense now di ba? It would be nice for people to see things clearly.
Do you think that’s going to be easy or particularly hard to do in the
MITZI: It’s not going to be easy. When you say science, people say, “Ay, boring.” That’s why we have to be very creative in coming up with topics. All our forums have been well attended so far.
How many people go?
MITZI: Over a hundred. It’s surprising that there’s a lot of interest in it, even the sessions we held on weekday evenings. People always ask, when are you going to have it again? The first one, people were just walking by and then they would sit and listen. It’s just about introducing it to them and letting them know there is this kind of forum.
MARIBEL: It’s not about turning Filipinos into scientists. It’s telling them that unless we have a scientific culture, we’re not going to get anywhere. We need your support to appreciate the sciences in order for us to latch on policies for the sciences.
Are the forums lively?
MITZI: Very lively. We always run out of time. They’re scheduled for an hour, but we end up taking two hours. We get the speakers to really speak. The topic for PassionRush is “Can passion be brewed?” Is passion inborn or can it be nurtured? For example, can you force someone to be passionate about something? We’ll explore issues like that.
MARIBEL: The nice thing is that the audience becomes the speakers themselves. We’re not putting the scientists on a pedestal. We’re engaging everybody and listening to their input.
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Café Scientifique’s “Can Passion be Brewed” forum will be held on Sept. 6, from
Coffee Hop, the ultimate coffee lover’s treat, lets coffee lovers Complete the Coffee Hop passport stamps from participating coffee establishments in Bonifacio High Street and Stop Over from Aug. 10 to September 30 and get a chance to own a limited edition coffee mug designed by National Artist Bencab.
