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Café Scientifique
Café Scientifique is a place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology and hear scientists, or writers on science, talk about their work and discuss it with diverse audiences. Meetings have taken place in cafés, bars, restaurants and even theatres, but always outside a traditional academic context.

The first Cafés Scientifiques were held in the UK in Leeds in 1998 – since then they’ve spread worldwide, and now Junior Cafés are being set up in schools, and video links are connecting cafés across the oceans.

As Café organisers from across the globe gather in Leeds to share ideas, Quentin Cooper hears the latest thinking from two participants, Tom Shakespeare of Newcastle University, and Jenny Gristock of Sussex University.

What happened to the Polymaths?
So many of the great thinkers and great breakthroughs in the history of science are associated with work which would now be labelled interdisciplinary. More than that, the polymaths of old seemingly knew everything there was to know.

Maybe that just isn’t possible now, and the age where one person could know everything is past. But what have we lost in today’s world of specialised experts, and should we be encouraging young scientists to do more than "mere" interested dabbling in the future?

On Wednesday 16th May the Royal Institution is holding a debate on the subject of polymathy. Oliver Morton, News and Features Editor of the Journal Nature, and Science Writer Dr John Whitfield join Quentin to discuss the pros and cons of stepping outside your speciality.