Cafe Culture

Greetings!

I got introduced to Cafe Culture a few months ago. I can't say I'm a regular there, but it struck me that something like this would do really well in a place like Dubai.

Essentially, a speaker is invited to speak to a gathering of members of the public in a cafe, about a subject that they are passionate about (usually their area of work). The speakers come from a variety of backgrounds - scientists, artists, politicians, teachers etc.; they usually speak for about 30 minutes after which they take questions from the coffee-sipping audience. If the issues being discussed are contentious, there is usually a lively discussion.

Not being in Dubai myself, I can't physically organize this, but if anyone is up for it, I'd be more than happy to suggest a few venues and speakers. It would also be great if someone could find out if we need permission to do this sort of thing and if so, how we can go about getting it.

If anyone is interested, do let me know by leaving a comment here/sending me an e-mail on the address on my profile.

Cheers

D

Gulf News: evolution theory will be removed from curriculum

Link:

According to Abdul Qader Eisa, Senior Supervisor of Biology at the Curriculum Development Centre in the Ministry of Education, the evolution theory is included in the curriculum for Grade 12 pupils in public schools but will be removed for the next academic year.
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Public schools have only three classes per week in biology and the new curriculum cover demands the need to include a wide array of new "crucial topics such as the human systems, and recent advances in DNA technologies."
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Private schools are permitted to address the subject as a scientific theory only without rejecting creationism.

Ironically, transmission of characteristics through genetics (r.e. DNA) is the mechanism that filled in a blank in Darwin's theory - it was unknown at his time.

As a practical matter it is a good thing that genetics will still be taught given its connection to high level of birth defects due to the high rate of "consanguineous marriages among UAE nationals" (Centre for Arab Genomic Studies, Dubai, Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Science). Surely blood tests before marriage will continue to be required.