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The relaxing way to hear and chat about science in Oxford
The Cafe Scientifique is a successful UK community the idea for which was originally imported from France. The Oxford Cafe was the fourth to be started and there are now dozens of Cafes Scientifiques across the British Isles, while the concept is also now spread widely overseas. The point of the Cafe is to provide a public forum in which scientific ideas can be discussed informally involving scientists and non-scientists alike, aiming to inform, to entertain, and to provoke debate.
The Oxford Cafe Sci meets on the second Tuesday of each month except August. All are welcome and no scientific background is required. Visit the FAQ page for more information if you have never been to a Cafe event before.
The links on the left of this page give more details.
OUR VENUE IS THE OU DEPT OF PHARMACOLOGY ON MANSFIELD ROAD
See the Cafe audio page for streaming audio files of many of the older Cafe talks. These are usually the introductory talks plus some discussions, from the earlier years before we started recording videos Some talks have associated image or presentation files linked.
There is a private YouTube channel of Oxford Cafe Sci talks from the pandemic period onwards. The links for its playlists are only given to members of the mailing list (see below) and users are asked not to spread them publicly. A few videos go into the public YouTube playlist.
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| THIS MONTH'S CAFE SCIENTIFIQUE
Tuesday 8th September 2026 - Prasita Dutta - An overview of carbon capture and utilisation technologies, and recent advances in the field
Prasita Dutta is about to finish a doctorate in carbon capture at the University of Oxford, and for this Café she will give a broad overview of the technology and science of carbon capture and how it can be used in the real world. She will then talk about some more recent developments in the field including her own research involving biocatalysis for carbon capture.
IMPORTANT - Traffic changes for St Giles' Fair.
Tuesday 8th September this year marks the final day of St Giles' Fair, which occupies a large chunk of the city centre. For travel to the Café, please read below. Once in Mansfield Road that area is unaffected by St Giles' Fair so the parking options there are unaffected, though might be a little busier than usual. if driving please see the overview on the city council site and the more detailed information on the county council site.
Buses normally travelling along St Giles or Magdalen Street will be moved to Broad Street, which is actually closer to the Café. See the official bus information pages for St Giles' Fair: Oxford Bus Company, BrookesBus and Thames Travel or the general updates page at Stagecoach - check again on day as changes are not yet showing.
For those who would like to attend St Giles' Fair after the Cafe, it will run until 11pm and typically during the last hours of the fair rides will last longer for the same price.
| FUTURE DATES
We always take a break in August of each year.
Note that from September 2026 onwards the online livestream of the Oxford Cafe Sci will stop, and though talks will be recorded they will only be uploaded twice a year.
Tuesday 13th October 2026
Tuesday 10th November 2026
Tuesday 8th December 2026
IN PERSON DOORS OPEN, TALK STARTS 7:15pm, EVENING FINISHES 8:40pm. There is a bench outside the common room on the top floor where early arrivals can sit before the doors open.
If you are not already on our mailing list for updates, please see the foot of this page for how to subscribe.
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| VISITING THE CAFE
The Cafe is hosted by the Department of Pharmacology, off Mansfield Road (north end). This is in the centre of Oxford but does not have direct public transport to it. Please see the Pharmacology information page for full details of facilities and directions. There is disabled access to all parts of the building including the top-floor common room used by the Cafe.
Doors open at 6:45pm, with the talk starting at 7:15pm. The evening will end at 8:40pm latest, as we must leave the building by 9pm or earlier. There is a bench outside the common room on the top floor where early arrivals can sit before the doors open. Full venue information below.
There is no longer a hybrid option for the Oxford Cafe Scientifique. Talks will generally be recorded and then uploaded to the Cafe's YouTube channel twice a year, some on the public playlists and others on the private playlists. The members of the Oxford Cafe mailing list will be given links to the private playlists.
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THANKS AND DONATIONS
The assistance of Pharmacology and particularly Carolyn Thackrah and the night staff, for giving the Cafe a venue post-pandemic, is much appreciated.
Online donations
Those who wish to donate to the Cafe online may do so via https://paypal.me/CafeSci on Paypal.
Donations cover the refreshments, speaker expenses including their travel and taking them for dinner as a thank you (they are not paid), costs such as technology and equipment and occasional photocopying. There is absolutely no obligation whatsoever to donate but all gifts are greatly appreciated and without donations the Cafe would have to stop entirely. Our thanks to the many who have already donated this year.
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OxCafeSci on Twitter - jump to @oxcafesci
OxCafeSci on Facebook - jump to the page
Mailing list - The OxCafeSci mailing list sends out announcements about speakers and events. It allows automatic joining. To auto-subscribe to the Cafe mailing list please send an email from the address you want to use, to cafesci-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk. To auto-unsubscribe, please email to cafesci-unsubscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk. To add or remove other addresses instead of your own please email the organiser.
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