ProCon.org a Hit at the Mar. 27, 2010 San Diego Science Festival

PROS AND CONS
OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

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Last updated on: 3/30/2010 10:50:57 AM PST


The 2010 San Diego Science Festival was held at PETCO Park, the home of the San Diego Padres. More than 50,000 people attended the free event held on Mar. 27, 2010.	About 500-600 people participated in our interactive booth including students, teachers, scientists, parents, and others. Several students told us how they used ProCon.org for debates, papers, and other projects at school.

We ran contests all day for our Twitter and Facebook followers to win prizes at our booth, and we selected five additional winners from all of the people who signed up to receive our free email updates. Researcher Tracey DeFrancesco and Senior Researcher Jodi Young pictured.	Carl Gustafson, Business and Sponsor Developer for the San Diego Science Festival, invited ProCon.org to participate in the Festival. Thanks, Carl!

125 people posted a response to the question "Is obesity a disease?" 57 (45.6%) were pro, 52 (41.6%) con, and 16 (12.8%) not clearly pro or con.	57 people posted a response to the question "Are social networking sites good for our society?" 22 (38.6%) were pro, 20 (35.1%) con, and 15 (26.3.%) not clearly pro or con.

Random sample of participants' answers to the question "Is obesity a disease?"

Random sample of participants' answers to the question "Are social networking sites good for our society?"

PRO

CON

PRO

CON

1. "Yes. It is a complex social, genetic, and mental health disease."

2. "Yes, food is an addictive substance."

3. "It's a disease but its source is psychological, not physical."

1. "No, it is a lifestyle choice."

2. "97.5% of cases are not a disease. These cases are the result of our society!"

3. "No! It can be a symptom of a disease (i.e. thyroid problem) or it can cause disease, but it's not something you just get!"

1. "In moderation, social media can enhance efficiency... blur lines of social stratification and, ultimately, create a society whereby consensus and social justice are essential functions."

2. "Definitely. The more connections, the more society will be able to understand and relate to each other.

3. "Social networking sites let people stay in contact with old classmates and friends who have moved far away."

1. "No, they distract me from homework way too much."

2. "People give too much information and there isn't any privacy."

3. "No, they are not good because people are alienated by spending more time with screens than they do with people face-to-face."

PROS AND CONSOF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

PROS AND CONS
OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES