Cafe culture helps stir up interest in science Heather's Tron talk is class act

FORMER TV wea-ther reporter Heather Reid will be popping into a cafe in an effort to push science lessons to a larger audience.

And she hopes that by making science more accessible it will help promote the subject in schools.

Heather, now a science education consultant, said: "The new Curriculum for Excellence is challenging for teachers, particularly primary teachers who are expected to teach things like gravity and electrostatics and who might not have a background in science.

"We need to make sure teachers have the support to make them feel comfortable with these subjects."

Heather is now preparing to speak to a gathering of Café Scientifique in Glasgow about science education in Scotland.

The group was set up inin 2004 by Professor Mandy MacLean of Glasgow University.

It is part of a UK-wide network of groups that aim to get science out of the lab and into the community.

The Glasgow group meets in the city's Tron Theatre on the first Monday of the month.

Meetings see a scientist give a 20-minute talk on a topic of their choice before the audience gets involved with a question-and-answer session.

Guest speakers have included Nobel Prize winners Harry Noller and Sir James Black.

Heather will address the Cafe Scientifique meeting tonight at 7pm.

For more information see www.cafescientifique.org

catriona.stewart@ eveningtimes.co.uk