THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS

TEiP BATTERSEA • HAWKINS FORGE • S1E4: CHILDHOOD | Thought Experiments in Pubs

Tue, May 12 · 7:00 PM BST

Hawkins Forge, 110 Battersea Rise, London, GB

This episode is on a much requested theme: 'CHILDHOOD'. We will explore it by way of three original thought experiments.💭

Hawkins Forge embodies our values: warm, welcoming, convivial, and a home to deep thinkers.
The pub has boardgames and cards for the after party, and they’ve also kindly offered us a deal on their Arrowsmiths Darts experience: 30 minutes free for anyone who buys a drink after the event.

Spaces are limited, so get your ticket early if you want to be there 😊

WHATSAPP GROUP - stay in the loop
INSTAGRAM - see what we look like (including The People of TEiP project)
SUBSTACK - sign up for the newsletter and more

The idea: A chance to meet and talk meaningfully about thought provoking topics.

How we'll do it (timings approximate):

• 7:00pm - Arrive at Hawkins Forge. We'll be in the private dining room - ask at the bar if you can't find us.
• Organise ourselves into small groups (3-4)
• Have a look at the thought experiments (announced on the day of the event)
• 7:15 - First rotation begins - Talk about the first thought experiment, but feel free to pursue tangents and anecdotes.
• 7:35 - Optional reshuffle: swap groups, move on to the second thought experiment.
• 8:00 - Optional reshuffle: swap groups, move on to the third thought experiment.
• 8:25pm - Wrap up - hear about upcoming events, feedback/requests for future meetups.
• 8:30 Meetup ‘ends’. But feel free to carry on conversations. Usually a lot of us stay until late :-)

Notes on the general atmosphere:

• The vibe is to let conversation flow rather than stick strictly to one topic.
• While we'd like to talk about 'meaningful things', we also see the value in lighter topics, so don't worry about not being 'deep' enough!
• Feel free to suggest ideas for future Thought Experiments in Pubs meetup groups, both in terms of structure and topics to discuss.

Where we'll meet:
This group will be at Hawkins Forge, 5 minutes walk from Clapham Junction. We'll be in the private dining room - ask at the bar if you can't find us.

Who should come:
Everyone! We believe that the more perspectives, the richer the conversation. This group is not about being experts in Philosophy, it is about doing philosophy. That is, bringing our various life experiences and lenses on the world to group discussions about the human experience, the nature of reality... etc....

I'm so looking forward to meeting & talking with you in this beautiful location :-)

If you would like to further support these meetups, please subscribe to the newsletter and follow us on instagram :-)
Thank you!

2ND THOUGHT EXPERIMENT WRITING WORKSHOP: a practice to cultivate curiosity :-)

Thu, May 14 · 6:30 PM BST

The Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte Street, W1T 2LY, London, GB

The pilot workshop sold out very quickly, so here's another opportunity :-)

The creative practice of writing thought experiments gives you the opportunity to:

• investigate ideas (old and new)
• work your imagination
• write creatively and playfully
• produce compelling conversation starters that you can share with friends and strangers to provoke great discussions

Over the past 3 years, I've written over 200 thought experiments and learned a lot along the way. Here's a bit more about why I enjoy the practice.

In this workshop, I'll share my process and together we'll create new thought experiments by:

• Identifying areas of interest
• Gathering ingredients for thought experiments
• Imagining scenarios
• Constructing narratives
• Generating relevant, thought provoking questions
• Participating in a round of small group discussions - you can volunteer your new thought experiment, or if you'd rather, you can pick one out of the hat.

By the end of the evening we'll have

• had some thought provoking conversations
• become familiar with a new method for creative thinking
• written our own original material for future group discussions :-)

Although we’ll be learning a new technique we'll also be aiming to have an enjoyable evening, with good humour and fun. This will be less like school and more like a fun TEiP night out with an additional creative twist.

Who should come:
Everyone! We believe that the more perspectives, the richer the conversation. This group is not about being experts, it is about thinking creatively together and learning new ways to develop and communicate ideas.

Tickets
Space is limited (15-20) people and tickets are £15.
I'd like to make this event accessible, so if cost is a barrier, please send me a DM.

Where we'll meet:
The Fitzroy Tavern in Fitzrovia. The nearest Tube stations are Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road. We'll be upstairs in the Private Dining Room.

Looking forward to meeting & talking with you!
Bonny

SUBSTACK - newsletter and further reflections on these events
WHATSAPP GROUP - stay in the loop
INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK - see what we look like
WEBSITE - everything else

#philosophyinpubs #inclusivity #openmindedness #creativewriting #community #newskills

SOLD OUT • ST PANCRAS • S2E7: SHAME | Thought Experiments in Pubs

Mon, May 18 · 7:00 PM BST

The Betjeman Arms, St. Pancras International Station, London, GB

Join us for open minded discussions and the opportunity to learn from other people's perspectives and life experiences.

This episode will explore the topic of 'SHAME' by way of three original thought experiments (posted in the comments below on the day of the event).

We'll meet at the beautiful Betjeman Arms in St Pancras Station.

Spaces are limited and tickets sell out fast, so get your ticket early if you want to be there!

THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS - posted in the comments below on the day of the event
SUBSTACK - read more about this community and other related stuff
INSTAGRAM - see what we look like (including The People of TEiP project)
WHATSAPP GROUP - stay in the loop

The idea: A chance to meet and talk meaningfully about thought provoking topics.

How we'll do it (timings approximate):

• 7:00pm - Arrive at The Betjeman Arms. You can access the pub either from the street (entrance to the right of The St Pancras Hotel entrance) or via St Pancras Station (entrance from the upstairs train platforms). We'll be in the private dining room - ask at the bar if you can't find us.
• Organise ourselves into small groups (3-4 people per group)
• Have a look at the thought experiments (announced on the day of the event)
• 7:15 - First rotation begins - Talk about the first thought experiment, but feel free to veer off topic.
• 7:35 - Optional reshuffle: swap groups, move on to the second thought experiment.
• 8:00 - Optional reshuffle: swap groups, move on to the third thought experiment.
• 8:25pm - Wrap up - hear about upcoming events, feedback/requests for future meetups.
• 8:30 Meetup ‘ends’. But feel free to carry on conversations. We have the room until 10pm and usually a lot of us stay until then :-)

Notes on the general atmosphere:

• The vibe is to let conversation flow rather than stick strictly to one topic.
• While we'd like to talk about 'meaningful things', we also see the value in lighter topics, so don't worry about not being 'deep' enough!
• Feel free to suggest ideas for future Thought Experiments in Pubs meetup groups, both in terms of structure and topics to discuss.

Where we'll meet:
This group will be at The Betjeman Arms. The nearest Tube station is King's Cross St. Pancras. You can access the pub either from the street (entrance to the right of The St Pancras Hotel entrance) or via St Pancras Station (entrance from the upstairs train platforms). We'll be in the private dining room - ask at the bar if you can't find us.

Who should come:
Everyone! We believe that the more perspectives, the richer the conversation. This group is not about being experts in Philosophy, it is about doing philosophy. That is, bringing our various life experiences and lenses on the world to group discussions about the human experience, the nature of reality... etc....

I'm so looking forward to meeting & talking with you in this beautiful location :-)

If you would like to further support these meetups, please subscribe to the newsletter and follow us on instagram :-)
Thank you!

TEiP SPECIAL SERIES: LIVING WITH TECH • E2: THE WAY WE CONNECT

Tue, May 19 · 7:00 PM BST

Newspeak House, 133 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 7DG, GB

The second episode in our special series designed to open different conversations about AI, tech, and their impact on our lives.

(Substack about our rationale for this event series here 😊)

We’ll use the typical THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS (TEiP) method of getting into great conversations: small group discussions, tiny imaginary stories, lots of questions, and many opportunities to shuffle groups (more detail below).

The thought experiments for these events are written by special guest writer and TEiP regular, Francesca. She’s in the middle of a fellowship at Newspeak House (London College of Political Technology) and has her finger on the pulse of many issues related to technology and its impact on our lives. (You can find her writing here).

As Francesca alludes to in one of her thought experiments: discussing concepts and ideas with other people (rather than asking ChatGPT) is like going to the gym for your mind. But as anyone who has been to TEiP will know, TEiP’s lighthearted and playful atmosphere means that it’s more like a fun dance workout than crossfit or weightlifting.

How we'll do it (timings approximate):

• 7:00pm - Arrive at Newspeak House. Nearest station Shoreditch High Street.
• Organise ourselves into small groups (3-4).
• Have a look at the thought experiments (announced on the day of the event)
• 7:15 - Introduction to the event
• 7:20 - First rotation begins - Talk about the first thought experiment, but feel free to veer off topic and pursue new avenues of conversation.
• 7:45 - Optional reshuffle: swap groups, move on to the second thought experiment.
• 8:15 - Optional reshuffle: swap groups, move on to the third thought experiment.
• 8:45pm - Wrap up - votes to discern general views of the room; info about upcoming events; feedback/requests for future meetups.
• 9:00 Meetup ‘ends’. But feel free to carry on conversations. We have the room until 10 :-)

Notes on the general atmosphere:

• The vibe is to let conversation flow rather than stick strictly to one topic.
• While we'd like to talk about 'meaningful things', we also see the value in lighter topics, so don't worry about not being 'deep' enough!
• Feel free to suggest ideas for future THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS meetup groups, both in terms of structure and topics to discuss.

Where we'll meet:
This group will be at NEWSPEAK HOUSE. The nearest Overground Station is Shoreditch High Street. Nearby Tube stations: Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Old Street, and Liverpool Street. You can access the venue step-free on the ground floor. Bathrooms are available at the venue.
Please note: There is no bar at the venue, but you are very welcome to bring your own drinks.

Who should come:
Everyone! We believe that the more perspectives, the richer the conversation. This group is not about being experts in Philosophy, it is about doing philosophy. That is, bringing our various life experiences and lenses on the world to group discussions about the human experience, the nature of reality... etc....

SUBSTACK - newsletter and other writing
WHATSAPP GROUP - stay in the loop
INSTAGRAM - see what we look like
WEBSITE - everything else

If having different conversations about technology, AI and their impact on our lives sounds good, or intriguing, to you, please join us :-)