Quantum Computing

To attend enroll here: [https://luma.com/q6kuetpe](https://luma.com/q6kuetpe) Agenda​ ​5 - 5:45: Pizza / Beer ​​5:45 - 6:15: NetApp, what we do, our role in open source - Mariah McLaughlin, NetApp ​​6:15 - 7:00: Unleashing AI in Cassandra 5 - Ritam Das, NetApp ​​7:00 - 8:00: When “Eventually” Meant 11 ms: Designing Deterministic Cassandra Architectures in the Telecom Core - Thomas Elliott, Your Augmented Life Advisory Services ​​8:00 - 9:00: Networking

Join us for an evening of networking, discussion, and all things Cassandra! Please register for this event [here](https://luma.com/q6kuetpe). **Agenda:** ​5:00 - 5:45 pm: Pizza / Beer ​​5:45 - 6:15 pm: NetApp, what we do, our role in open source - Mariah McLaughlin, NetApp ​​6:15 - 7:00 pm: Unleashing AI in Cassandra 5 - Ritam Das, NetApp ​​7:00 - 8:00 pm: When “Eventually” Meant 11 ms: Designing Deterministic Cassandra Architectures in the Telecom Core - Thomas Elliott, Your Augmented Life Advisory Services ​​8:00 - 9:00 pm: Networking **Speaking Sessions:** **​NetApp, what we do, our role in open source - Mariah McLaughlin** ​Mariah is a Developer Advocate at NetApp Instaclustr with a focus on developing educational content and building community around Apache Cassandra. ​ She will discuss NetApp Instaclustr’s managed platform and their role as an open source contributor in the Apache Cassandra community **​Unleashing AI in Cassandra 5 - Ritam Das** ​Ritam Das is a Cloud Solutions Architect at NetApp Instaclustr helping customers consume open-source data platforms like Cassandra, Kafka, PostgreSQL, OpenSearch and more. ​ Ritam will discuss enhancements to Cassandra 5, its AI capabilities, and what it has enabled enterprises to do at scale. **​** **When “Eventually” Meant 11 ms:Designing Deterministic Cassandra Architectures in the Telecom Core - Thomas Elliott** ​Thomas Elliott has had a 25-year career in delivering distributed software systems whose work spans early Cassandra OSS deployments in mobile core networks and modern deterministic data foundations for AI. As Head of AI and ML Systems at BioSole International, he focuses on using Cassandra to encode data dependencies that enable reproducible, auditable, and constrained AI reasoning. ​Since the early days of the Cassandra Open Source project, it has been recognized as a critical component in the evolution of telecom infrastructure, particularly mobile core networks. This talk traces how early design constraints shaped architectural decisions in large-scale deployments. It is a story told across three cities in the Persian Gulf, under tight launch timelines, geopolitical complexity, and read-after-write visibility requirements that had an upper limit of 11ms.

Join us for a laid-back evening of casual conversations and mingling with fellow Nix, Nixpkgs, and NixOS enthusiasts. Bring your passion for the Nix ecosystem, and we'll provide a fun, relaxed atmosphere to connect and share ideas! Location will be at Pier 57 in the Daffodil classroom - a map is attached in the photos section.

Join us for the February edition of the New York AI Engineers Tech Talk, a monthly gathering focused exclusively on AI engineering. Whether you’re a seasoned machine learning engineer or a fullstack dev curious about how to work with LLMs, this is your space to dive deep into real-world projects, technical challenges, and creative solutions. **What to Expect:** Each month, we invite AI engineers to share something they’ve built, the challenges they faced, and how they solved them. It’s all substance, no fluff, designed for engineers by engineers. **This Month’s Presenters:** * [Clint Robinson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintjrobinson/), Cofounder & CTO @ [Parable](https://www.askparable.com/) * [Kanta Garg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kantagarg17/), Solutions Architect, @ [AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/free/?trk=4bff893e-6f19-4cd8-accc-699c73895d8c&sc_channel=ps&trk=4bff893e-6f19-4cd8-accc-699c73895d8c&sc_channel=ps&ef_id=CjwKCAiA1obMBhAbEiwAsUBbIjpvfpgxARu0OgSrgx8WQcILBZRZMZK0HtEhvhqVvnLQSUyWj22OixoCnfwQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!4422!3!651751059780!e!!g!!aws!19852662197!145019195897&gad_campaignid=19852662197&gbraid=0AAAAADjHtp9VoTN00O-dtavU5bsNHCdCS&gclid=CjwKCAiA1obMBhAbEiwAsUBbIjpvfpgxARu0OgSrgx8WQcILBZRZMZK0HtEhvhqVvnLQSUyWj22OixoCnfwQAvD_BwE) * [Hegar Garcia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hegargarcia/), Tech Lead @[Fonzi](https://fonzi.ai/) **The Crowd:** You’ll be joining a mix of software developers, data scientists, AI engineers, and technical founders working at or curious about the future of applying AI at the application layer. It’s a casual, high-signal environment perfect for learning something new and meeting peers in the NYC AI Engineering scene. **Agenda:** * 6:30 to 7:15 PM – Networking with pizza and soft drinks courtesy of [Fonzi AI](https://fonzi.ai/) * 7:15 to 7:20 PM – Opening remarks * 7:20 to 8:05 PM – Three 10 minutes Tech Talks with 5 minute Q&A * 8:05 to 8:30 PM – Meet the speakers and connect with other attendees **Location:** Fonzi HQ (Ground Floor) 25 Kent Avenue Brooklyn AI Engineers is run by [Fonzi](https://fonzi.ai/). Fonzi is a talent marketplace that connects elite engineers with top AI companies through a monthly, high signal, structured hiring process called Match Day. We run AI Engineers communities in both New York and [San Francisco](https://www.meetup.com/san-francisco-ai-engineers/events/?eventOrigin=your_groups). If you are interested in speaking at a tech talk, email lauren@fonzi.ai with your LinkedIn profile, the location you want to speak in (NY or SF), and a short abstract on how you are applying or building with AI in your current role. Use the subject line “AI Engineers Abstract Submission”.

We'll be meeting at Planet Rose again! February is Black History Month, so be prepared to sing songs by your favorite Black singers and songwriters!

Admission to the museum is free. This exhibition will be on display from February 19 until April 19, 2026. If you cannot attend the opening, please stop in and see the show at your convenience. Call ahead for hours. This exhibition is a comprehensive exploration of the symbiotic relationship between the world of fashion and fine art. Featuring more than 140 objects, including garments, accessories, textiles, photographs, and original artworks drawn from MFIT's permanent collection, *Art X Fashion* challenges the traditional hierarchies of visual culture, presenting fashion and art each as parallel, potent expressions of social, intellectual, and creative forces. Curated by Dr. Elizabeth Way, curator of costume and accessories at MFIT, the exhibition reflects MFIT's mission to advance the understanding and appreciation of fashion's critical role in culture. The core of *Art X Fashion* lies in its profound engagement with the eternal question: "Is fashion art?" The exhibition explores the ways that fashion has always been a partner, not a follower, of fine art, highlighting typically overlooked integrations throughout history. This includes examples of how the two disciplines have worked together to create European styles, from the drama of Rococo and Neoclassical grandeur to the unsettling world of Surrealism, to the shock of Pop Art and postmodernism. **Share your excitement using #ArtXFashionMFIT** **Go to https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/art-fashion/index.php for more information.**

**Abstract:** Current procedural content generation in media suffers from a dichotomy: it is either computationally efficient but predictable, or creative but prone to hallucination and error. The solution lies in a fundamental shift from classical procedural generation to quantum constraint satisfaction algorithms. In this talk, I will present the technical roadmap for MOTH, exploring how quantum computing is poised to become the foundation of the next generation of media. At MOTH we categorize the ecosystem into two eras: the current NISQ era, focused on Quantum Dynamics for visual and game asset generation, and the impending FTQC era, focused on optimization and generative solvers. We will demonstrate how early quantum algorithms are being integrated into commercial game engines today, and how the "Solver Substrate" of the 2030s will enable faster game development with more realistic and immersive worlds. **Bio:** Spencer Topel is a technologist and entrepreneur specializing in the commercial application of frontier technologies, including quantum computing, robotics, and embedded systems. He currently serves as CTO of Moth Quantum, where he directs the engineering roadmap for quantum software tools designed for the creative industries. Simultaneously, as Co-founder of Electron Robotics, he architects AI-driven adaptive systems for high-precision industrial automation. Topel’s technical background is rooted in the design of novel hardware and signal processing platforms. Through his first venture, Physical Synthesis, he developed proprietary acoustic actuation technology, earning industry recognition for innovation in electromechanical design. His pivot into quantum engineering began at the Yale Quantum Institute. Working alongside the Devoret Lab, Topel successfully engineered a hardware-software interface for superconducting qubits, translating quantum state dynamics into audio signals—a project that validated new approaches to human-computer interaction (HCI) in quantum systems. A former professor of Dartmouth College, Topel combines academic rigor with agile product development. He holds advanced degrees from Cornell University and the Juilliard School, and his transdisciplinary work has been exhibited at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art.

**Talk Synopsis:** For fans of engine computers and embedded systems, in this talk Dmitriy will be discussing the process of converting an old-school carbureted 2002 Yamaha V-Max motorcycle to a modern electronic fuel injection system. This projected was fueled by the desire to improve reliability, tuning, and maintenance. Dmitriy will be focusing on project setup, flashing, troubleshooting, and tuning the Arduino-based Speeduino engine computer. **Speaker:** Dmitriy is a seasoned Software Developer with an emphasis on DevOps, moonlighting as an Embedded/IoT and small electronics hobbyist. He has an extensive interest in Motorsports - motorcycles in particular - and is regularly found fiddling in his garage with one thing or another. **This event will be in the Main Meeting Room on the first floor.** **Schedule:** 7:00 - 7:15 - Intro, attendee introductions, resource share 7:15 - 8:00 - Talk 8:00 - 8:15 - Social time 8:30 - 10:00 - Stage House Tavern **Disclaimer:** You may be included in event photos, which will be uploaded to our website and socials.

The EVERY 3RD THURSDAY Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Networking Event of New York City. Web: nycblockchainnetwork.com WHY THIS GROUP? Regular monthly meetings help to support relationship building, really getting to know people, and creating a lasting network effect in our community. Connections turn into relationships, ideas into innovations, and collaborations into transformative impact. This isn’t a one-time conference or event. Come as you are and experience passionate people, purposeful introductions, and unexpected opportunities. We hold regular 3rd Thursday monthly Blockchain networking events in New York City to support idea generation and connections. These events help to foster a strong ecosystem for blockchain innovation in New York City. **Time: RSVP HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO ATTEND** * Event is from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. * Name Tags will be provided to everyone who attends. * Name tags will also indicate your interest areas. * The dress code is Business Casual. **Location:** Locations can change from month to month so check the event details for the event. This event will be held in Midtown East: **Yara – Lounge** 319 East 53rd St, New York, NY 10022 Lower level lounge Located in Midtown East, 2nd and 53rd St, one block from the (Lexington Av/53 St) Metro station. **Support The Space:** Since the venue is letting us use the space for the event, please support them by ordering beverages or food. **Ways to Connect:** **Twitter:** https://twitter.com/NYCBlockchainN1 **Website:** https://nycblockchainnetwork.com Facebook https://facebook.com/NYCblockchainNetwork Meetup Group -https://meetup.com/nyc-blockchain-network-monthly-3rd-thursday-meetup/ LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/groups/12553172/

Mount Santanoni, standing at 4,607 feet, is the 14th highest peak in New York State and the highest in the Santanoni Mountains, located west of the Hudson River in the Adirondacks Приглашаю взглянуть на окрестности Adirondack с вершины Mount Santanoni Маршрут приблизительно 10 миль. Желающие могут добавить Panther peak 4455' , это дополнительные 2.5 мили. Маршрут новый, исполняется впервые 😀 Parking GPS 44.06917, -74.06152 You need: \- snow shoes \- Mickrospies \- Hiking poles \- Winter clothing/gear \- 2 Headlamps https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FNM76S2wb82qEFQ22XUohgs6mGECQQPMr0McJFkvzcg/edit?usp=drivesdk \- и обязательно хорошее настроение 😀 План маршрута: Приезжаем в пятницу вечером. Суббота, ходовой день В вскр, на выбор : Горные лыжи: Gore Mountain https://goremountain.com/ \-\-\-\-\- Newcomb Ski Slope 137-59 Goodnow Flow Rd, Newcomb, NY 12852 (518) 582-3211 \-\-\-\-\- Whiteface Mountain Ski Resort 5021 NY-86, Wilmington, NY 12997 https://whiteface.com/ \-\-\-\-\-\- Oak Mountain 141 Novosel Way, Speculator, NY 12164 (518) 548-3606 \-\-\-\-\-\- Cross country center Garnet Hill Outdoor Center 123 4-H Rd, North River, NY 12856 https://www.garnet-hill.com/outdoor-center/ \-\-\-\-\-\- www.scottscobblenordic.com/trail-map-conditions Country Club Ln, Lake Placid, NY 12946 Можете прокатиться на собачьей упряжке по Lake Placid 😀 Погода https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/ny/lake-placid \-\-\-\-\-\- If you join us for hiking (or any other event), understand that you are responsible for your own preparedness and well-being and will hold no one else liable in case of injury or mishap. You agree not to hold the Organizer, Assistant Organizers, or any other members responsible for any injuries, mishaps, or any other situation that may happen at a planned event. It is your responsibility to research the event, know the area, and bring the proper gear. Your attendance on this trip signifies that you have read and accept the terms of this liability waiver

[Register here](https://plantpoweredmetrony.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F31279)! Join us for a fun, hands-on afternoon of plant-based cooking where you’ll team up with others to prepare, cook and enjoy a wholesome meal together—building community, learning new skills, and celebrating good food. $25 is requested for grocery money + $2.50 processing fee, due by **12:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18**. *Hosted by Rogier van Vlissingen, PPMNY Ambassador*

Join up for an opportunity to work together on optimizing our sites. Have a site you'd like us to analyze? Add it here - [https://bit.ly/meet4speed-submit](https://bit.ly/meet4speed-submit) You can benefit even if you can't edit your site right now - we will be happy to share the knowledge. We'll all learn how to see what's slow and how to make it fast! Here is what you can learn: * Identify optimization opportunities using WebPageTest and Chrome DevTools * Become a master in reading the network waterfall. * Understand the most of the performance flame chart. * Learn the latest trends in measuring site speed. To be able to attend our events, you will need to show your ID at the security desk. Please make sure to provide your full name if your name on Meetup platform doesn't match your ID.

Food For Thought (F4T) is a friendly weekend brunch for people who enjoy discussing serious and "serious" topics with other smart, engaging people. We welcome everyone, whether you are a card-carrying philosopher or are maybe not quite sure who Plato was. The only qualification you need is that you enjoy thinking and eating and can do both at the same time! The F4T Brunch meets on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. We will have a new suggested topic each month, though wandering off topic is also allowed! (Good luck trying to stop that from happening.) These will span Science, Philosophy, Politics, History, Economics, and more. Attendees will be invited to propose the topic for the next brunch. We are a friendly group but we must restrict attendance to 12 members so we can all participate in a common conversation. And if you sign up, we expect you to show up! Two no-shows and you will be blocked from attending. To keep up-to-date on CFI-NYC events you should sign up for our monthly newsletter. Go to https://cfi-nyc.org/ and at the lower right click on Receive E-Mails. Topic for each event to be announced in the Comments section below...

We are back with another in person event - [Brains, Bytes & Bragging Rights](https://events.databricks.com/FY27Q1-SD-DNB-Trivia/registration) 🧠🍕 Join us for a fun evening of trivia, networking, and great conversation with fellow data & technology professionals! Databricks and Sigma Computing are hosting a casual in-person event designed to bring curious minds together for friendly competition and meaningful connections. Put your knowledge to the test across a range of trivia categories, enjoy complimentary food and drinks, and connect with peers while learning more about the latest innovations in data and AI. Whether you come for the trivia, the networking, or just the pizza - there’s something for everyone (and yes, there are prizes!). 📍 Sigma Computing — 124 E 14th St, New York, NY 📅 Thursday, February 26 🕕 6:00–8:00 PM ET \*Be sure to register with your email using the link below before you arrive - that registration will be your ticket inside! https://events.databricks.com/FY27Q1-SD-DNB-Trivia/registration

Hi folks, Ever wondered how we could connect our minds to a computer? A Brain Computer Interface (BCI)? The idea has been around in science fiction for a long time, and the desire to see into one’s own mind is as ancient as humanity’s ability to think and reason. Some researchers speculate that we may be able to map an entire human brain within the next 100 years. This effort is known as the Connectome. While the Connectome aims for a faithful mapping of every detail of the brain, what if we do not actually need all the details? Brain simulation is an alternative to full brain emulation via the Connectome. By using partial datasets, some from connectomics, but others from BCIs such as fMRI, EEG, fNIRS, PET, or even more invasive implants, we could train AI models to behave, while not exactly, reliably, like an individual brain. This concept of creating an AI model of the brain using neurophysiological data has been called a Large Brain Model (LBM). LBMs are already being developed today, and one could speculate they may become far more prevalent in the future. The potential use cases of LBMs are vast. One near-term application is building personalized brain maps to better understand mental illness. More aspirational possibilities include linking a Large Language Model (LLM) with an LBM, allowing us to ask questions through language directly of our own brain data, both conscious and unconscious, and truly see inside the mind. This is an area I am researching into right now. Join me for a short discussion on this topic, followed by a Q&A. Kind regards, Ryan **———————————————————————————————————————** This talk is part of the 🧠 **NYC Philosophy & Psychology Readers Spring Conference 2026** For full event details—including venue, schedule, and attendance info—visit: 👉 [https://www.meetup.com/reading-philosophy/events/312317415/](https://www.meetup.com/reading-philosophy/events/312317415/) **———————————————————————————————————————**

Join us on **Thursday, February 26** at **Datadog Times Square**. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. to give attendees plenty of time to grab pizza and socialize, and the talk begin at 7:15 p.m. Following the success of the UnConf we've absorbed all of your feedback and have two awesome speakers! **Robin Molen-Grigull is CTO at Fullstack.Trade** \- a stealth mode firm focused on high performance compute and latency in the Web3 space\. **Storage Tetris: Compile-Time Solutions for 32-Byte Storage Constraints** Fitting arbitrary Rust structs into fixed 32-byte storage slots is a puzzle, but Rust’s macros and type system make it solvable. Automatic layout and lazy loading, combined with a small macro, turn low-level storage primitives into clean .field() accessors. Associated types and compile-time offset calculations eliminate manual storage arithmetic while remaining zero-cost. **James Logan is a Principal Scientific Software Engineer at Commonwealth Fusion** **Interpn: Fast Interpolation** James Logan recently delivered a ten minute lightning talk at Rust Boston. The goal of that talk was to share "Everything I learned making software 300x faster than state-of-the-art". James has used Interpn in a way like never seen before, improving performance in a way that is unimaginably unique and can be applied by so many engineers. This is definitely one not to be missed. **[Lawrence Harvey](https://www.lawrenceharvey.com/)** is Rust NYC's official recruitment partner, with Ross providing support as a co-organizer and financial support. The space is generously sponsored by our partner **Datadog.**

***Special Guests:*** This month we will be joined by our friends from [Localhost Research](https://lclhost.org/)! **Special thanks to our sponsor [Cake Wallet](https://cakewallet.com/) for providing the food!** * We will open doors at 6pm for socializing, and plan on starting the discussion around 7pm. * RSVPs required! You \*MUST\* put your first and last name in the RSVP questionnaire. Due to policies at our host location's building, you may be asked for photo ID at the security desk. **Thanks to our friends at Chaincode Labs for refreshments and event space.** If this is your first time, please read about our Socratic Seminar series [here](https://bitdevs.org/about). Our topic list will be available closer to the event on [bitdevs.org](https://bitdevs.org/). Please make topic suggestions in the comments section below, or reach out to us on [Twitter](https://x.com/BitDevsNYC) or [nostr](https://damus.io/npub1nydevscv0slx9eyr0chkkdgzqfhtp4guk039akhq6g9fnsrf6lcsup3hqs)!

**PLEASE NOTE THE UPDATED LOCATION** [Stout NYC, 109 W. 39th St. (bet. 6th and 7th aves)](https://www.stoutnyc.com/location/stout-nyc-bryant-park/) In this event we'll take a break from the heavy lifting of the last few events, and focus on networking, drinking, coding, and conversations about Machine Learning! For those interested, here are a few previous presentations, feel free to study up and ask me questions at the event! [The Fundamentals of Machine Learning](https://fpwarehouse.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/the-fundamentals-of-artificial-intelligence.pdf) [Machine Learning and Genetics](https://fpwarehouse.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/genetics.pdf) [Machine Learning and Sorting](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353958877_Sorting_Information_and_Recursion) See you soon! Charles

**LLMday: In-Person Event on LLMs, AI & ML in NYC** Conference focused on Large Language Models (LLMs), Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning, bringing together engineers, researchers, and product teams to share real-world experience building, deploying, and operating AI systems. **🎤 [Speakers & Topics](https://llmday.com/2026-nyc-q1/)** 🎟 **[Tickets](https://luma.com/llmday-2026-nyc-q1?from=embed)**[ ](https://luma.com/llmday-2026-nyc-q1?from=embed) Get your ticket — 50% OFF with promo code: MEETUP50

**SREday: In-Person Event on SRE, DevOps & Cloud in NYC** Conference focused on Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), DevOps, and cloud infrastructure, bringing together engineers, platform teams, and leaders to share real-world experience building, scaling, and operating reliable production systems. **🎤 [Speakers & Topics](https://sreday.com/2026-nyc-q1/)** **🎟 [Tickets](https://luma.com/sreday-nyc-2026-Q1?from=embed)** Get your ticket — 50% OFF with promo code: MEETUP50