May 12, 2005

Sigma Xi and NOVA scienceNOW Form Partnership

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC — Through its Public Understanding of Science program, Sigma Xi is partnering with the public broadcasting science show, NOVA scienceNOW, on a couple of fronts.

Each weekday NOVA scienceNOW posts on its Web site a feed of the Society’s "Science in the News," the widely read (mostly via e-mail) daily service that rounds up significant and interesting science-related news articles from the mainstream media.

NOVA scienceNOW producer WGBH and Sigma Xi chapters are also establishing a series of public outreach events, called Science Cafés. The goal is to get beyond the traditional lectureship model and open up a true dialogue between researchers and members of the public.

Each café utilizes a segment from scienceNOW’s television magazine-styled format, plus an expert on the topic at hand, to enliven discussion in a venue that’s accessible to the public.

Sigma Xi chapters in Boston; Las Cruces, N.M.; Tidewater, Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; San Diego; Minneapolis; and Moline, Iowa, have already staged exciting cafés centered around NOVA's scienceNOW series.