Most people see scientists as nutty professors in white coats. You would expect to see them locked up in a lab rather than painting the town red.
 | | Copyright: Keith Cooper |
But a new café in Leicester is proving that boffins enjoy a night out as much as anybody. Café Scientifique is held every fortnight at the Coffee Heaven Café-Bar in the Leicester Creative Business Depot on Rutland Street. The evenings, which are sponsored by the University of Leicester, feature guest speakers and lively debates. They are organised by PhD students Cas Hazeel and Dave Barton, who are both from Leicester. Cas, aged 25, says there was a real need for the facility.
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She said: "People who are interested in science may not necessarily enjoy going to stuffy lectures designed just for students." Dave, aged 33, says the evenings have been very popular and over 100 people attended one event. He said: "It's not just for science students - we have had people here ranging from teenagers to pensioners." The project, which was set up in January 2005, is one of over 20 Café Scientifiques in the UK. Cafe Scientifique was established in Leeds in 1998 by Duncan Dallas, former head of science and features at Yorkshire Television. | 
