Science for the General Public

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• Science for the General Public
• Meetings at the Frontiers of Science
• Dr. Oshrit Navon Dr. Zahava Scherz
  Dr. Ilana Hopfeld

In collaboration with the Dana Program for
Science Literacy
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The Davidson Institute of Science Education at
the Weizmann Institute of Science
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The Davidson Institute of Science Education

• Advancing the scientific, mathematical and
  technological education in Israel
• Professional development of teachers and
  educational leadership

• Scientific literacy for the general public
• International science education activities

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The Davidson Institute of Science Education
Target Population
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Goals

• To increase public involvement in issues of
  science and technology

• To foster scientific literacy among the general
  public

• To bring scientists and laymen closer together

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The Davidson Institute of Science Education
Science for the general public

• Meetings at the frontiers of science
• a series of lectures in popular science

• A series of debates discussing science and
  society

• Special social scientific events
• related to scientific issues

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• Physics

Chemistry
Environmental Sciences
Biology
Computer science
Brain research and Art
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• Panel discussions

• 2-3 leading experts who present
• different perspectives at the
• borderline between science and society
• (Scientists, medical doctors, law, religion etc.)

• Under the guidance of a moderator, the evening
  consists of three short
• (15-20 minute) presentations by the experts

• Panel discussion with the audience comments and
  participation

• The panel discussions on Bioethics were carried
  out in cooperation with the
• Israeli National Council on Bioethics

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Panel discussions on Bioethics

• Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis disease
  diagnosis or "ordering a baby"?

• Philosophical, medical and ethical aspects of
  steam
• cell research

• Ethical, medical and social aspects of the
  public medical services

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Distributional justice application to the health
system resources
The human brain behavior, genetic potential and
the ability to change
Decision making at the end of life
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• Two hundred participants attended each panel
  meeting

• Intense discussions followed the experts'
  presentations

• Encouraged by its success, we plan to continue
  with this activity for the coming academic year

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• Special social scientific events

• "The Milky Way Science of Dairy Products"

• Biochemistry and Wine

• The Temper of wine

• Creative Molecular Cuisine - When Science meets
  the Kitchen

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• Concluding Remarks

The framework we developed as well as the choice
of lecturers provided the proper setting for our
program
The participants formed a community of learners.
Many of them signed up for a different activity
in the subsequent semester
We initiated a fruitful dialogue between research
scientists and experts with different members of
the community