I just got back from our Cafe Scientifique meeting, and it was a fabulous success: attendance was over 60 (which is why I’m glad you couldn’t make it — it was standing room only as it was) and we had a good representative sampling of the Morris community.
I don’t know what the secret of drawing everyone in was. We did make much flashier signs this month, but also the topic might have been it: Carrie Eberle from the USDA lab in town gave a talk on foraging crops for bees that hit the sweet spot in appealing to farmers, gardeners, science people, and everyone who likes honey. And it was a very good talk.
Ophelia Benson says
Nice! That sounds like an interesting talk.
Travis says
That is a lot of people for a town the size of Morris. Wikipedia says the population of the town is about 5300, so 60 is a pretty significant fraction of the population, though I suppose some may live outside of Morris itself. Still very impressive, I do not remember the meetings in Vancouver being that size.
atheistblog says
Why everyone is Grandma and Grandpa like PZ ? No younglings ?! So Pharyngula’s majority audience are aged PZ and above I suppose.
atheistblog says
And did I say there is a wonderful mix of people of color and ethnicity in PZ cafe meeting ? This give an idea of who’s PZ’s majority audience are.
David Marjanović says
atheistblog, are you trolling again?
I’m writing this from Germany. It was seven o’clock a few minutes ago – in the evening.
ChasCPeterson says
No it do not
It give an idea of who’s Morris Minnesota resident’s is.
David Marjanović says
^ You’re great at learning grammar. If the job market weren’t even worse in linguistics than in biology, I’d say give it a try… :-)
PZ Myers says
Did you read the post where I sait it was a representative sampling of the Morris community? About a third of the attendees were roughly college- age, about a third were gray-haired, and the rest were in between. That’s about as diverse as a small rural Midwestern town can be.
Oh, also, not all white — there were 4 or 5 Hispanic gentlemen there, as well.
Tony! The Fucking Queer Shoop! says
atheistblog:
Trolling 2.0. Now with less logic.
Melissa Engleman says
Nice turnout! And the food at that place is great.