Science Court is a project designed to combat polarization in American society and strengthen democracy. It is run as an interdisciplinary course in the University of Minnesota Honors Program involving students from across the university. The students select a controversial issue and spend an entire semester studying it in depth to determine the facts (based on sound scientific research) and then argue it in a mock trial in front of a jury of citizens with a mix of views and backgrounds. The public is engaged through compelling audio, video and online content generated by the students about the preparations, trial and verdict. The trial is open to the public.
Kerri Miller from MPR News thinks Science Court is a "great idea!":
2021 Mandatory Service
The Science Court case statement for 2021 is:
To fight polarization and recreate a common American identity, a mandatory national service should be adopted.
The exact wording may change somewhat as the case is refined, but the focus will remain on strategies for reducing polarization in American society. The pro side will argue for a strategy centered on civil and military national service. The con team will argue for a different approach, still to be determined, for reducing polarization on a grand scale. The jury will decide.
We welcome your input as we prepare our case. If you have any questions on this issue that you would like us to investigate or any suggestions for us, please fill in our public input form.
2021 Science Court Case
Science Court will be offered again in Spring 2021 starting on January 19, 2021. What controversial issue should we study? If you have suggestions for the students, fill in our suggestion form.
Follow us on social media @scicourt
Upcoming Events
When: Tuesday, Feb 2, 2021, 4:00 p.m. CT (recording also available)
Where: Online. Registration required.
What: "Choose our Case" event
Another season of Science Court is underway and we are choosing our case. Join us Feb 2 for a live event (or watch a recording) of the cases being considered and then vote for your favorite. See which cases are being considered and registration information at:
https://scicourt.umn.edu/choose-our-case-2021
To be kept informed, follow us on twitter or join the Science Court mailing list.
Twitter feed from @scicourt
Tweets by scicourtWhat's the Deal with Nuclear Power?
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To be kept up-to-date on Science Court news and upcoming events, join the Science Court mailing list.
