Culture, AI, Science, and the Human Experience (CASHE)

From philosophy to biology to physics, exploring why things change—and what that means for us.

Impermanence is one of the most ancient and universal truths: everything that arises, eventually fades. In this session, we’ll take a contemplative journey through the many faces of impermanence—from the fall of leaves to the death of stars, from memory and identity to ecosystems and civilizations.

Drawing from the insights of Marcus Aurelius, Buddhist philosophy, Alan Watts, and Vedanta, we’ll explore how humans have tried to understand the fleeting nature of life. We’ll also look at how impermanence is embedded in the natural world—from evolutionary processes that rely on death and change, to the physical constraints that shape life through information, memory, and entropy.

This won’t be a lecture in the traditional sense. Think of it as a meditative inquiry—part philosophical, part scientific, part personal. Together, we’ll reflect on the patterns that persist, the forms that fade, and what we might learn from both.

Whether you’re wrestling with change in your own life or simply curious about the deep structures of nature, this is a space to pause, reflect, and explore the one constant we all share: that everything changes.

Join members from both CASHE and NY AI, in a single event, for an open-format discussion on some of the most pressing and profound questions of our time. This won’t be a formal presentation—just a thoughtful gathering of minds exploring ideas that matter.

Join us for an open discussion that bridges the cutting edge of AI with the timeless questions of what it means to be human. In this lightly guided forum, we’ll explore how technology is reshaping our relationships—from friendship and love to work and community—and what we may need to preserve before it slips away.

We’ll also take time to share recent AI news and breakthroughs, and compare notes on the tools and models people are using in real life—what’s useful, what’s surprising, and what’s just hype.

Whether you’re a researcher, a creative, a technologist, or just curious about where all of this is going, you’re welcome to join the conversation.

Possible Topics Include:

• How are relationships changing in an AI-saturated world?
• What’s new in the world of AI—this week?
• What models and tools are you using, and why?
• What might we gain (or lose) that we don’t yet understand?

Bring your thoughts, your questions, or just your curiosity. This space is part check-in, part exploration, and part collaborative meaning-making in a world that’s moving fast.