Welcome to Science Court!
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 free and open to the public.
LATEST BLOG POSTS
Thank you Kerri Miller!
This week the class had a very beneficial visit from one of MPR's incredible podcast hosts, Kerri Miller. Kerri sat down with each domain research group from the science team to learn about the research that they've done thus far, and about where to go from there. She also fielded questions from the legal and media teams about how to form solid arguments, how to properly prepare for interviews, and how to effectively present information. With her help, the resarch and work is continuing to grow in the right direction. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress on the case and for a final sit down with Kerri as we get closer to the trial.
Thank you for spending our class with us Kerri Miller!
The Votes Are In and This Semester's Case Is...
Two weeks ago the process of selecting this year's Science Court case began with a competition in which nine teams of students pitched their ideas. A vote narrowed the field down to three finalists, which were investigated in depth by three "case evaluation groups" (CEGs) composed of both science and legal team members. Last night, the CEGs presented their findings to try and convice the audience that their topic should be the focus of this semester.
Q&A with Prof. Tadmor on Science Court in Star Tribune
A Q&A with Prof. Tadmor on Science Court "Aerospace engineer takes civility to court at University of Minnesota" appeared in the Inspired section of the Star Tribune on Saturday, March 16, 2019. In a conversation with reporter Gail Rosenblum, Tadmor discusses his ideas on strengthening democracy and what prompted him to act. Read the conversation at http://strib.mn/2TUe95G