U.S. Civil War

This presentation will offer a few historical firsts of public transit in the U.S., starting from its origins in 1630, before turning to some oddities and strange beginnings of public transit from across the globe. Part history, part trivia, this examination will also provide some analysis of what these various public transit beginnings and curious cases suggest about the forces and patterns that govern public transportation.

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **"Eugenics Then and Now,”** on a dangerous movement in science and its lessons for current research, with Carlo Quintanilla, molecular biologist and health science policy analyst at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-eugenics](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-eugenics) .] Global concerns about the return of eugenic thinking were reignited by Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s 2018 announcement of the first gene-edited babies, Lulu and Nana. He was quickly condemned by the scientific community and jailed for illegal medical practice, but he and others around the world continue experiments with goals echoing eugenic ambitions. As genetic technologies advance at extraordinary speed, society faces a new set of ethical questions about shaping the traits of future generations. Are we entering a new era of eugenics? If so, how should we respond? Hear such questions tackled by Carlo Quintanilla, who studied rare genetic mutations in human disease as a graduate research scientist and instructor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and now works at the intersection of genomic medicine, science, and society. Dr. Quintanilla will begin by discussing the origins and history of eugenics, tracing its development in the 19th and 20th centuries as an idea, a scientific movement, and a set of policies. He’ll examine the rise of Social Darwinism in the U.K., forced sterilization programs in the United States, and the atrocities committed by the Third Reich in the name of “racial hygiene.” From there, he’ll explore how our ability to shape human health and heredity have been transformed by modern reproductive and genetic technologies such as in vitro fertilization, prenatal and embryo screening, and genome editing. You’ll learn how these tools hold enormous promise when it comes to the prevention and cure of rare and debilitating genetic conditions, yet also raise profound questions related to their potential enablement of a new, technologically driven form of eugenics. Dr. Quintanilla will then delve into the ongoing debate among scientists, bioethicists, and policymakers over what should be classified as eugenics today. He’ll highlight recent controversial uses of genetic and reproductive technologies that are pushing ethical boundaries faster than society can define them, from embryo selection for traits like IQ and height to speculative military interest in genetically enhanced soldiers. These examples raise urgent questions: Where should society draw ethical boundaries? Who gets to decide? And is the term “eugenics” still useful for guiding policy and public debate? We’ll close by examining the social, political, and regulatory forces that will determine the future, considering whether they will restrain the push toward further genetic control or accelerate it. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: The frontispiece of the 1883 book *Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development,* by pioneering eugenicist Francis Galton (Wikimedia Commons / Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Brisk 3- to 4- mile urban hike starting and ending at the Brig. We will hike to Southwest, before circling back past Bartholdi Park and ending at the Brig for drinks and food. Closest Metro Eastern Market.

Let's play Pour House Trivia at a great venue - Nighthawk Brewery! Besides being able to get some great beer, this place also sells good pizza in two different styles! Nighthawk is conveniently located in the Pentagon Row development in Pentagon City (Arlington). Parking is available at an adjacent garage right near the venue. Nighthawk is also accessible from the Pentagon City Metro station. The game starts at 7:00, but please try to arrive 15 minutes early to find us and get settled in. See you there!

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, we want YOU to join us! New players are always welcome - all you need is a good attitude and a willingness to learn. Also, bring a water bottle, a mouth guard, and cleats (if you have them - they're not necessary right away). Our experienced coaches will teach you everything you need to know! Bring your energy, your enthusiasm, and most importantly, your love for the game. Let's make this practice a blast and get ready to rock the upcoming season!

In Spring 1755, British Major General Edward Braddock, Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Forces in North America, convened a meeting of five colonial governors at the Carlyle House to secure funding for his upcoming campaign against the French. Alexandria co-founder John Carlyle, his host, called this gathering "the Grandest Congress … ever known on the Continent." NOVA Parks will be hosting a recreation of this event at the Carlyle House, featuring costumed interpreters and hands on activities. Let's go check it out, and retrace the route Braddock's Army took when they departed Alexandria at the campaign's start! ❶ **What we'll do:** * From the [Capital Bikeshare on Diagonal Road](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FimrXcE77TRGLtuy7) we'll walk north, following Hooff's Run and Russell Road to the Braddock Cannon at the intersection of Braddock and Russell roads. From there we will walk southeast along Braddock Road, roughly backtracking the route Braddock's army took in 1755 departing Alexandria en route to Fort Cumberland, Maryland. After crossing under the railroad tracks, we will proceed east along Oronoco Street to the Potomac, where we will walk south along the Potomac through Founder's Park for a break at the Torpedo Factory. After the break we will walk west a couple of blocks along Cameron Street to the Carlyle House, arriving at about noon. This ends the guided portion of the walk. * Visitors to the Carlyle House from 12:00 to 4:00 pm will experience Braddock's visit and the French and Indian War firsthand through costumed interpreters. Admission is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. See [https://tinyurl.com/mr3eczb9](https://tinyurl.com/mr3eczb9) for more details. * After checking out the Carlyle event for as long as desired, attendees can individually return to the meetup point by walking south to King Street, and then west along King and Diagonal Streets; a total of 1.1 miles. See [https://maps.app.goo.gl/bCjSKHvMUeXFu2sSA](https://maps.app.goo.gl/bCjSKHvMUeXFu2sSA) * The total walk, including the guided and individual portions, is about 4.5 miles and should take around 2 hours, plus however long attendees wish to spend at the Carlyle House. The surface is mostly paved throughout and fairly level. The is an easy hike. * Google map: [https://tinyurl.com/bdzxb5ec](https://tinyurl.com/bdzxb5ec) ❷ **How to get there:** * Metro: King Street Station is on the Blue and Yellow Lines. Current Metro status and alerts: [https://tinyurl.com/y7lklnl7](https://tinyurl.com/y7lklnl7) * Driving: From I-395, take VA-7 / King Street east about 2.8 miles. Take the first right after passing under the railroad (Daingerfield Street), and an immediate right onto Diagonal Road. From US-1 / Richmond Highway, follow King Street west 0.5 miles, take a sharp left onto Daingerfield, and the first right onto Diagonal Road. There is free and metered parallel parking in the area. ❸ **Weather:** The forecast is partly cloudy and a high of 81F, with 7-9 mph S winds and a 4-6% chance of showers. Updates: [https://tinyurl.com/yck2442z](https://tinyurl.com/yck2442z) ❹ **What to bring:** Water, comfy shoes, and your furry friend if desired (leashes, please). Sunscreen, cool shades, and the layered look are recommended. ❺ **Advisory:** As a reminder, this is an adult group, and you are ultimately responsible for your own safety and well-being during events. No one under 18 years of age is allowed at this event, either as members or as guests, to include babies in carriers and/or strollers. ❻ **Administrative stuff:** There are restrooms at the Ramsay House, the Torpedo Factory, and at several commercial establishments along our route. We will make a dedicated pit stop at the Torpedo Factory just before arriving at the Carlyle House. ❼ **Notes:** * The "Grandest Congress": The French and Indian War in Alexandria, [https://www.va250.org/event-detail/?id=24416](https://www.va250.org/event-detail/?id=24416) * "The Grandest Congress": Gen. Braddock Meets the Governors, [https://tinyurl.com/3mst3vzp](https://tinyurl.com/3mst3vzp) * Eugene Scheel: "General Braddock's March Through Loudoun in 1755," [https://tinyurl.com/32j7put5](https://tinyurl.com/32j7put5) *Illustration: "The Wounding of General Braddock: Battle of the Monongahela 9 July 1755" [cropped], by Robert Griffing, The Westmoreland Museum, [https://tinyurl.com/yvrkrx8e](https://tinyurl.com/yvrkrx8e)*

Join us at the Chess Center offices (Suite 118, entrance on 2nd Avenue) on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 – 5:00pm ET for open play. Players of all abilities and ages are welcome. * Non-Members: $5.00/player table fee for the day. * Chess Center [Members](https://chessctr.org/membership/) always play for FREE ($0.00). Check our social media ([Twitter](https://twitter.com/uschess) / [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/USChessCenter)) for closure announcements: The Chess Center is closed on major holidays. We also have chess sets, clocks, and [used chess books](https://chessctr.org/usedbooks/) for sale.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“The History of Plastic Surgery,”** with Dr. Wendy Chen, plastic, reconstructive, and hand surgeon and assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-plastic-surgery](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-plastic-surgery) .] Most people misunderstand plastic surgery as vain and aesthetic, but the origins of this fascinating specialty are much deeper than that. Come gain a rich understanding of the roots, medical impact, and current wide reach of a life-altering medical specialty with Dr. Wendy Chen, a leading educator on plastic and reconstructive surgery who has won awards for her work in clinical, basic science and education research. She’ll talk about how reconstructive surgery has been around for thousands of years, with evidence of it having been practiced in ancient Egypt and India, and has made advancements in the course of major wars. Those who practice it have been innovators in medicine, playing a major role in breakthroughs and winning the Nobel prize for kidney transplantation. The need for plastic and reconstructive surgery has stemmed largely from how much our appearance influences how we navigate our worlds and how others regard us. There was a time, in fact, when people in American prisons were offered plastic surgery as an intervention against recidivism. Yet reconstructive surgery also has faced opposition, such as religious bans on its practice stemming from the belief that physical differences are a manifestation of spiritual sin. Fast forward to now when plastic surgeons treat patients of every age for every kind of ailment, from congenital differences to trauma to cancer. Yes, some plastic and reconstructive surgery is to help people conform to tabloid- and social media-driven narratives of what defines beauty, but the field involves a lot more than injecting Botox and shaping buttocks. ( Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Reconstructive facial surgery as illustrated by Jean Baptiste Marc Bourgery in the late 1840s (Wellcome Collection / public domain).

The NoVA Forward Party's January 2026 Social Event will be at Brass Rabbit in Arlington on Wednesday, April 8th starting at 7:00 PM. Forward Party members and guests will have an opportunity to socialize with each other, learn more about the Party and other opportunities to participate, all while enjoying wonderful food and drink! Brass Rabbit is located [about 2 minutes away from the Clarendon Metro Station on the Orange and Silver Lines](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Clarendon/Brass+Rabbit,+1210+N+Garfield+St,+Arlington,+VA+22201/@38.8869705,-77.0966826,17z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7b6842021c159:0x34b24a8673cb825!2m2!1d-77.0952151!2d38.8871034!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7b7272425af33:0x141fee3e25b87725!2m2!1d-77.0941077!2d38.8869664!3e2!5m1!1e2?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). Brass Rabbit is also located right next to two Colonial Parking Garages, both a minute's walk away ([Clarendon Center South](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Colonial+Parking,+1200n+N+Garfield+St,+Arlington,+VA+22201/Brass+Rabbit,+1210+N+Garfield+St,+Arlington,+VA+22201/@38.8867785,-77.0947061,18z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7b6842dc68451:0x43cb8df29ed93c26!2m2!1d-77.0940536!2d38.8865754!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7b7272425af33:0x141fee3e25b87725!2m2!1d-77.0941077!2d38.8869664!3e2!5m1!1e2?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) & [Station Square](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Colonial+Parking,+1205+N+Garfield+St,+Arlington,+VA+22201/Brass+Rabbit,+1210+N+Garfield+St,+Arlington,+VA+22201/@38.8869672,-77.0945623,19z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7b685d611eda5:0xecb050e187a58292!2m2!1d-77.0937294!2d38.8869535!1m5!1m1!1s0x89b7b7272425af33:0x141fee3e25b87725!2m2!1d-77.0941077!2d38.8869664!3e2!5m1!1e2?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) locations). Attendees will be expected to pay for their individual or group items. We look forward to seeing you!

This will be our second (and possibly last) meeting on *Nature's God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic*, by Matthew Stewart. For this meeting, please try to read chapters 4 and 6. (You can skim chapter 5, which is particularly confusing). **Where did the ideas come from that became the cornerstone of American democracy?** America’s founders intended to liberate us not just from one king but from the ghostly tyranny of supernatural religion. Drawing deeply on the study of European philosophy, Matthew Stewart brilliantly tracks the ancient, pagan, and continental ideas from which America’s revolutionaries drew their inspiration. In the writings of Spinoza, Lucretius, and other great philosophers, Stewart recovers the true meanings of “Nature’s God,” “the pursuit of happiness,” and the radical political theory with which the American experiment in self-government began. [LINK](https://a.co/d/bkTWJNb) This book is not always an easy read. You may want to make use of AI tools such as ChatGPT. You can ask it questions like: "What does Matthew Stewart say about happiness in his book Nature's God?" OR: What does Matthew Stewart say about Spinoza? This may be our last meeting on this book. If you want to have a third meeting later, on the last two chapters, let me know. I hope to see you there! Fred

We will meeting at a **New Location: GameOn** which is at 1330 U St. If taking the metro go to U St station take the 13th St exit and walk half a block. The bar is on U St between 13th and 14th. We will be sitting at the upstairs nook by the Mario Bros mural. We will be reading "We Are Legion (We Are Bob)" by Dennis E. Taylor. [We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1) by Dennis E. Taylor | Goodreads](We%20Are%20Bob) As per usual we are crowd sourcing book ideas and voting on the top books. We encourage you to add votes to the books [DC Science Fiction Book Club Suggestions - Google Sheets](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mprXaa6bcEW5EL_uprN16-RBcetO6pbqA4vHDTjtowI/edit?gid=0#gid=0)

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.

The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. We will be hearing from Becca Powell, Director of Advocacy and Outreach at Unchained At Last, an organization whose mission is dedication to ending forced and child marriage in the United States through direct services and systems change. Unchained At Last's mission clearly meshes and addresses several of our Humanist Ten Commitments. Becca will educate us about an issue many of us may not be familiar with--but should be. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

**Connected Westerville Night of Networking** *April Edition: The Introduction Economy* You've been to the networking events. You've done the small talk. Collected the cards. Forgotten the names. And walked out feeling like you just wasted two hours of your life. The problem isn't you. It's the format. Most networking events put you in a room and tell you to figure it out. So everyone defaults to elevator pitches and business talk, and nothing real gets built. Here's the truth about networking that most people miss: Your network isn't just who you know. It's who thinks of you when they're talking to someone else. *That's* The Introduction Economy. And it only works when relationships are real. There's a reason people who come once keep coming back. It starts with seven minutes that feel nothing like networking. Then we open it up. Free networking. More conversations. More momentum. This is a room full of corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners, creatives, and career builders in the Westerville and Columbus area. The mix is the magic. You might never do business with everyone you meet tonight. But someone in this room will think of *you.* **By name**. So, the next time someone needs exactly what you do, you get the recommendation. **April 14th. RSVP now.** **When:** Tuesday\, April 14th \| 6:15 PM \-\- 8:00 PM **Where:** Vineyard Community Center \| 6000 Cooper Rd\, Westerville\, OH 43081

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

Join the CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group for a dynamic afternoon of B2B networking! This event is perfect for professionals looking to expand their business connections, share insights, and foster collaboration within the community. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this event offers a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships, and grow your network in a supportive environment. Connect with like-minded individuals, explore potential partnerships, and discover new opportunities for professional growth. Don't miss out on this chance to enhance your business network and take your career to the next level with CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group! We meet the 4th Monday of every month from 11am-1pm. Welcome and general networking from 11am - 11:30am with core meeting 11;30 - 12:30 and a final round of networking from 12:30 - 1pm.

Join us for a two mile trail hike alongside the Brookside Trail at Blendon Woods Metro Park. This trail is largely gravel and does include some hills and stairs. Hopefully we will see some wildlife while hike this scenic trail! Join us!