About us
A laid-back group focussed on good conversation with minimal structure.
We take thought experiments as conversational jumping off points and see how ideas flow from there.
Everyone welcome! The more perspectives, the richer the conversation.
TEiP (THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBLIC) was founded in February 2023 by Bonny Astor as THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS.
Since then, it has grown into a thriving community and regular series of gatherings in pubs and other relaxed public spaces: galleries, cafes, and parks.
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See our scrapbook of past events and thought provoking tid bits on Instagram ❤️
For other events by Bonny and friends, visit: MORE FROM THE TEiP COMMUNITY
For TEiP events by licensed hosts outside London, visit the TEiP NETWORK
By joining TEiP by any channel, you agree to our Terms & Conditions.
Upcoming events
6
- £10.00
TEiP HALLOWEEN PARTY • PORTOBELLO | Thought Experiments in Public
The Earl of Lonsdale, 277-281 Westbourne Grove, London, GBA different kind of "party"....
In the UK, Halloween is often associated with tacky excess, frightening bloodstained costumes, and drunken revelry.
I grew up with a different kind of Halloween because I went to an American school. The general vibe was creativity, comedy, and an excuse for a whole community celebration.
We had a costume parade that everyone, even the teachers, participated in. The costumes were mostly home made, tending towards silliness rather than horror. For example, one year a group of students made enormous Pac-Man costumes out of cardboard and used the school corridors to enact a life-sized game of Pac-Man.
It was a fun way to bring everyone together and brighten up rapidly darkening October.
So I'd like to bring a similar creative, friendly spirit to this special episode of TEiP.
As ever, the aim of the evening will be to have open-minded, thought-provoking conversations with fellow humans, so we'll use the tried and tested TEiP format for the majority of the night (see below for details).
The theme will be "DARKNESS", which we will explore by way of three original thought experiments (tiny stories that spark big questions) posted in the comments on the day of the event.
There may be a few twists, and there will definitely be some (optional) games and Halloween-y activities afterwards.
Dressing up is encouraged, though entirely optional.
We will have a friendly costume competition with points awarded for:- originality
- homemade components
- comedy
So think less generic blood-drenched plastic and more repurposed packaging.
(I will share some inspo in a Substack post in the next week or two)---
NB: It is likely that TEiP will move off Meetup at some point in the future. Please join the mailing list if you'd like to stay in the loop (comms will be minimal and you can unsubscribe at anytime): MAILING LIST
---
How we'll do it (timings approximate):
- 6:30 - Arrive at the pub, find us in the dining room
- Organise ourselves into small groups (3-5ish people per group)
- Have a look at the thought experiments (posted in the comments on the day of the event)
- 6:45 - First rotation begins - Talk about the first thought experiment. Feel free to veer off topic and pursue tangents.
- 7:10 - Optional shuffle: swap groups, move on to the second thought experiment.
- 7:35 - Optional shuffle: swap groups, move on to the third thought experiment.
- 8:00 - Votes - optional moment to express your views on some of the questions of the evening.
- 8:05 - Closing remarks.
- PARTY - we will have a few games and activities relevant to a fun and lighthearted Halloween. Everything is optional, you are very welcome to just continue your conversations. (Many of us stay until the pub closes!)
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 episodes of Thought Experiments in Public*, both in terms of structure and topics to discuss.
*formerly just pubs, now meeting in lots of places
Where we'll meet:
This group will be at the Earl of Lonsdale Pub on Portobello. The nearest Tube station is Notting Hill Gate. We will have the large private dining room to ourselves :-)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. etc....You can get a sense of what the events and community are like here.
Looking forward to meeting & talking with you soon!
Bonny
Relevant links:
SUBSTACK - read more about this community and other related stuff
MAILING LIST - stay in the loop
INSTAGRAM - see what our events look like
WHATSAPP GROUP - very occasional announcements#everyonewelcome #newideas #newpeople #inclusivity #openmindedness #greatconversations #Halloween
47 attendees - £5.00
SOLD OUT: TEiP ST PANCRAS • S3E7: AI | Thought Experiments in Public
The Betjeman Arms, St. Pancras International Station, London, GBThis event is full. Here's the WAITLIST if you'd like to hear about spaces becoming available.
Open minded discussions and the opportunity to learn from each other ❤️
This episode will explore the topic of 'AI' by way of three original thought experiments by special guest authors, Jess and Michael.
They will be 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!
See what these events are like: @thoughtexperimentsinpublic
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.
Bonny :-)
Relevant links:
SUBSTACK - read more about this community and other related stuff
MAILING LIST - backup in case meetup goes down
INSTAGRAM - see what our events look like
WHATSAPP GROUP - very occasional announcements40 attendees - £5.00
TEiP ST PANCRAS • S3E8: SPACE | Thought Experiments in Public
The Betjeman Arms, St. Pancras International Station, London, GBOpen minded discussions and the opportunity to learn from each other ❤️
This episode will explore the theme of "SPACE" with three original thought experiments written by special guest author, Hamza.
They will be 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!
See what these events are like: @thoughtexperimentsinpublic
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.
Bonny :-)
Relevant links:
SUBSTACK - read more about this community and other related stuff
MAILING LIST - backup in case meetup goes down
INSTAGRAM - see what our events look like
WHATSAPP GROUP - very occasional announcements30 attendees - £5.00
TEiP ST PANCRAS • S3E9: LEGITIMACY | Thought Experiments in Public
The Betjeman Arms, St. Pancras International Station, London, GBOpen minded discussions and the opportunity to learn from each other ❤️
This episode will explore the topic of 'LEGITIMACY' by way of three original thought experiments by special guest author, Tokino.
They will be 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!
See what these events are like: @thoughtexperimentsinpublic
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.
Bonny :-)
Relevant links:
SUBSTACK - read more about this community and other related stuff
MAILING LIST - backup in case meetup goes down
INSTAGRAM - see what our events look like
WHATSAPP GROUP - very occasional announcements27 attendees
Past events
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