A/B Testing

We are excited to host our coding dojo with Spektrix! We'll kick off with an introduction to TDD, its core principles, and following disciplined emergent design. Through hands-on pairing and mob programming, you'll experience how writing tests first doesn't just catch bugs, it shapes cleaner, more intentional code from the ground up. **What about AI tooling?** We encourage the use of AI tooling! We will briefly walk through how such tooling can act as multiplier, not to shortcut the discipline of TDD. **Don't have AI tooling?** No problem. TDD is a discipline that stands on its own, with or without AI. But if it's something you'd like to try, we can pair you with somebody who has the tools set up. Join us for an evening of coding, food and drinks. Come and code along, share ideas, discuss best practices with Test Driven Development and learn from our expert Crafters and your peers in the London Software Craftsmanship community. **What’s the format?** After a short intro, we’ll get into groups/pairs or work solo, whatever people feel most comfortable with, and start building. You choose how you want to work and what language you want to code in. This session is about collaborating with others, becoming a better developer and building your network, in a fun, relaxed environment. We'll be sharing ideas, discussing best practices and using this as an opportunity to learn from our fellow coders. All levels of experience very welcome, if you want to brush up on your Test Driven Development skills or are a complete novice, do come along. All welcome! All you need to do is bring a laptop if you’d like to code along - please have your preferred language and editor setup. **Food and Drinks** Pizza and drinks will be provided upon arrival

**C'est Plus Facile!** Venez pratiquer le français avec nous! Rejoignez notre rencontre conviviale pour échanger, progresser et partager dans une ambiance chaleureuse. Quel que soit votre niveau de français (sauf si vous êtes totalement débutant), tout le monde est le bienvenu. Apportez votre bonne humeur et l’envie de parler français! À bientôt

Join us for some fun, competitive, but friendly games at our 4-court sports hall. We use Yonex Mavis 600 Nylon shuttles during the 2-hour session. **PAYMENT** * **Session Fee: £9** * We are cashless, kindly pay the session fee **by midnight** on the night before the session. You are welcome to pay early! You can even pay when you book! See our About page for the full process. * If no payment is received, you will be removed and may even be liable for a late cancellation fee if your spot is not taken. * Please use **“your meetup name + date of event”** as payment reference * **Account name:** Thomas Lam * **Sort code:** 04-00-03 * **Account number:** 7478 8608 **LATE CANCELLATION OR NO-SHOW** * **All** **no-shows or late cancellations** (24 hrs or less) will be charged if your spot is not taken by someone else - you will have a title next to your name with the amount and date owed. * Members with 2 no shows/late cancellations will be removed from the group unless outstanding payment is received * **The late cancellation policy** is set up to discourage last-minute cancellations and therefore applies with or without the presence of a waitlist * **Note:** If you are on the Waitlist and a spot becomes available, you will automatically be bumped onto the On list provided the event has not yet started. It is your responsibility to **remove yourself from the waitlist** if you can no longer make it to avoid being charged a no-show if someone cancels late. **PLAYING** * Please wait to be marked off before entering the hall. * Sessions are to finish promptly on the hour by school requests. * If you finish a match with 5 minutes to go, please start packing up instead of starting a new game. **RACKET HIRE** * Please note that we won't be hiring out rackets, so kindly bring your own racket. **PARKING** * There is parking available, but it is now paid parking. Parking is opposite the entrance. Please check the signs for parking payment instructions. **TRACK & TRACE** * We will collect your phone number on-site. Your phone number will also be used in case of fire to contact you if you have not made it to the fire evacuation areas. You can see maps at the venue. We are excited to see you guys on the court! Team LSBC

## A LOVE LETTER TO MODERN ITALIAN CUISINE Dear Jackie is a destination in Soho for Italian opulence, refined dining and night time glamour. Seductive Murano lighting, red silk walls and plush booths create a sense of discreet intimacy and an atmosphere that is part dolce vita elegance, part disco fabulous. Open for dinner, the menu features superior pasta dishes and reimagined Italian classics, as well as an extensive list of exquisite wines. Three courses and discover a seasonal selection of dishes made with the finest ingredients, carefully sourced and thoughtfully prepared. Expect plates such as Roast Cod with Jerusalem Artichoke, Blythburgh Pork Neck with Heritage Carrots, and a classic Amaretto Tiramisu to finish. If we have time we can go upstairs to Flute for drinks at their rooftop bar or just have a peek for next time **3 Course Meal** **Starters** Mammole Artichoke, Cannellini Beans, Courgette Scapece, Mint (ve) Tuna Crudo, Cured Roe, Citrus, Agretti **Mains** Fresh Ricotta Agnolotti, Amalfi Lemon Roast Cod, Mussels, Sea Vegetables, Amalfi Lemon Blythburgh Pork Neck, Poached Quince, Salsa Verde **Dessert** Amaretto Tiramisu Selection of Ice Creams and Sorbets (vea) **Price £55 non refunded unless cancelled minus PayPal fees** **What’s Included** 3 Course Meal 15% Service Charge Meeting new people Making new friends Connecting Socializing Friendly host Coming out of your comfort Zone Admin fees, host fees **Not Included** Additional drinks Additional food outside menu mentioned above My number just in case 07957320516 Looking forward to seeing you soon at the dinning table x

# Learn how to use open-source harnesses like OpenCode & Pi w/ your own LLM and with it, build a real-world application **Registration to this event is only valid through the Luma platform:** [https://luma.com/11txn8gq](https://luma.com/11txn8gq?utm_source=meetup-dot-com) ​Hello code campers! ​Since everyone is talking about using harnesses such as **Anthropic Claude** or **OpenAI Codex**, meaning, everyone is probably tired of hearing about them, we've decided to go in a different direction and explore other, lesser known things such as, [OpenCode](https://opencode.ai/?utm_source=luma) and [Pi DOT Dev](https://pi.dev/?utm_source=luma). Come and join us and learn how to work with a wide range of open-source large language models (**LLMs**) such as **DeepSeek V4**, **Gemma**, **Kimi K2**, and **GLM** across various local-first environments. This comprehensive workshop is designed to teach you what is a code harness, how many types of them there are out there (you might be familiar with **Claude Code** or **Codex** or **CoPilot** but there are others and since the big-tech companies are moving to token-based usage, why not run your own solution locally). Also, we'll explore how to go about having effective agentic coding workflows while benchmarking model performance and hardware requirements. ​We will go through the setup process, focusing on how to install the desired LLM runner like Ollama or LMstudio locally. ​This will be our **7th** event in our series of **local-first, open-source** AI events; therefore, we will try to focus on building a setup that doesn't depend on Big Tech but on smaller open-source tech instead. ​This workshop is open to all levels, from beginners to experts. ​Bring your laptop (make sure it's fully charged as local LLMs tend to be power-hungry), and don't forget to bring your coding gear (hoodie). ​This workshop will be most likely accompanied by a guest speaker (TBD). *** ## ​Prerequisite ​Prerequisite: a local Ollama, LMStudio installation or equivalent (but if you don't have any of that, don't worry, come a bit early and we will help you). ​If you want to take a quick look at the slides from the previous events fell free to do so: [​https://andysign.github.io/ai-london-01/](%E2%80%8Bhttps://andysign.github.io/ai-london-01/) (Ollama); [​https://andysign.github.io/ai-london-02/](%E2%80%8Bhttps://andysign.github.io/ai-london-02/) (LangFlow, not really related but still) [​https://andysign.github.io/ai-london-03/](%E2%80%8Bhttps://andysign.github.io/ai-london-03/) (private RAG w/ Anything LLM) [​https://andysign.github.io/ai-london-04/](%E2%80%8Bhttps://andysign.github.io/ai-london-04/) (AI-native browsers) [​https://andysign.github.io/ai-london-05/](%E2%80%8Bhttps://andysign.github.io/ai-london-05/) (OpenClaw basics) [​https://andysign.github.io/ai-london-06/](%E2%80%8Bhttps://andysign.github.io/ai-london-06/) (OpenClaw advanced) *** ## ​Agenda for the evening (Subject to change) ​**18:00 - 18:30 Arrival and networking** Mingle with fellow developers over refreshments. ​**18:30 - 18:45 Introductions** Intro and a bit of audience engagement. ​**18:45 - 19:40 Workshop** ​Hands-on technical workshop (if you are non-technical it's OK, tag along). ​**20:30 - 20:45 Guest Speaker** ​**20:30 - 21:00 Networking** ​**21:00 - Closing remarks and follow-up** ​ **END:** Carry on the fun at a nearby pub around the corner. *** ## Event Venue We'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to **Encode Club**. [Encode Club ](http://encode.club)has spent over five years fostering a global community of developers, researchers, and founders in Web3, AI, and emerging technologies. The [Encode Hub](http://hub.encode.club) brings everything together under one roof, providing a dedicated environment for collaboration and innovation through meetups, co-working, and in-person events.

**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/46680 **Game Description:** Come and join our badminton session in Canning Town 🔥 Join our whatsapp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LsLjg8CxI8MIxSFb82qkdb Music 🎶 3 courts, social session - the general ability is mid intermediate. There will be spare rackets but please bring your own racket if you do have one. 1 new tube of FEATHERED shuttles will be provided per session, plus a set of Yonex 300 plastic shuttles. 🚪 Getting Into the School 1\. The school is surrounded by a green fence\. 2\. Entrance is near the stone wall\. 3\. At the gate\, find the intercom on the right\-hand side\. 4\. Press the ‘Call’ button and wait for security to respond\. 5\. When the intercom flashes green\, push the gate open\. \-\-\- 🏸 Finding the Indoor Court 1\. After entering\, go through the visitor gate\. 2\. Follow the corridor to the end\. 3\. Look for the yellow double doors – the badminton courts are inside\! \-\-\- 🚻 Facilities 🔹 Changing Rooms & Toilets \- Located outside the court area in the corridor\. \- Male facilities – right\-hand side\. \- Female facilities – left\-hand side\. 💧 Water Points \- There are three water points in the corridor outside the court\. \- Bring a water bottle to use with the water pump\. Enjoy your game! 🏸🔥 **Rules** Games to 21 Max two games on in a row Max one game off in a row

We are back! This is going to be a monthly IN PERSON meet up in London. A very big thank you goes to Accurx who is hosting us in their amazing Shoreditch offices. This will include access to facilities including coffee! 😻☕️ **Want to know more? 👇** As with all CoffeeOps, this is an interactive, chatty, build your own adventure type of meet-up. Instead of booking in experts to *learn* *from*, we gather a group of practitioners to ***learn*** ***with***. We have been running for over 4 years now and often get feedback that this is the most useful meetup people join! The event is approximately 90 minutes and always starts by brainstorming topics to discuss. The group then votes on the most relevant/interesting to them and we then cycle through the topics trying to discuss each deeply, but in a time bound slot. To get an idea of topics, you can check out our remote board [here](https://easyretro.io/publicboard/h404NF84Uje4tCcxpJdHr4Ycs9B3/a4a35d2b-181b-409b-832e-a729be1af79c). The general gist is anything is fair game, though we tend to revolve around software delivery and definitely lean towards the more Ops-y or DevOps-y side of things.

We playtest all sorts of tabletop games - strategic, silly, creative, or whatever (but not video games). Some games are almost done. Some are very early ideas. We test anything that will fit into 90 minutes. You don't need to bring a game - we always love to have new playtesters! Please let us know in the comments when you plan to arrive/leave and whether you are bringing a game or not. This helps us to plan the day better. The schedule is: 10am onwards - gathering, chatting 11am sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 1') 12:30ish - break for food/chat 1pm sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 2') 2:30ish - break for food/chat 3pm sharp - playing for 90 min ('slot 3') 4:30ish - finish up Often, we might hang around afterwards, to play some already-published games. We are strict on timings, so please try to arrive a few minutes before the session to limit disruption. You can just come for part of the day if you wish. The reason we have fixed timings for the 3 'slots' is to make it easier for folk to do so. Designers of all levels of experience are welcome! But if it's your first time, we ask that you don't bring a game and just spend some time learning how the group works. The group works based on reciprocation. If you expect to test your own game, make sure stay for long enough to play other games. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to play one of your own games every third 90-minute session. So if you stay a whole day (3 sessions), you can expect to have one session to play your game(s). A good rule of thumb is that if you come all day, you will have one 90 minute session with two other playtesters in which to test your own games. It is sometimes possible to test games with more players. If your game requires 4 or more, please note that as standard you will be allocated half of a session (45 minutes). Pre-covid, we were getting unmanageable. As a result, we may have to limit attendees. This is a free-to-use venue, and we have to be mindful that other folk want to use the same space. Please note: This is an adults only event. We look forward to seeing you!

**HUGE APOLOGIES, IT FEELS LIKE THIS PROJECT IS CURSED! I HAD TO CANCEL MY FIRST WALK DUE TO MY MOTHER'S HEALTH, NOW IT'S MY TURN. I'VE BEEN IN BED WITH 'FLU ALL WEEK BUT HAD HOPED TO HAVE RECOVERED BY TOMORROW, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE CASE SO, RATHER THAN CANCEL COMPLETELY, I'M REARRANGING FOR SATURDAY 13 JUNE.** Or rather, a tale of five cathedrals, an abbey and a walk along the Thames Path. Technically, The Romero Way is just a 2km (1.3 mile) stroll from the UK's national shrine to El Salvador's St Oscar Romero in the Roman Catholic St George's Cathedral to Southwark Cathedral but that would leave us kicking our heels and wanting more so, utilising the Thames Path, we'll be linking Southwark Cathedral with St Paul's Cathedral, the Ukranian Cathedral of the Holy Family and finally Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. In keeping with the Latin American vibe, we'll meet at Elephant and Castle underground station, the heart of London's 'Latin Quarter'. This a relativelty gentle route (11km/7 miles) so there'll be scope to visit each cathedral (though most charge and entrance fee), for deviations to visit other places of worship (I'm open to suggestions) and plenty of opportunities to discuss London's religious heritage and history and global connections. On a personal level, having spent a good deal of time in El Salvador studying liberation theology, it's a chance to get to know more about Romero and Central America.

\#\#\#\# Step 1: TAKE THE TEST The Oxford Capacity Analysis identifies 10 vital personality traits that influence your entire future. It is a factual, scientific analysis taken from your answers, and it takes about an hour to complete. \#\#\#\# Step 2: GET YOUR RESULTS After you complete the test, your personality analysis is generated and displayed. Within minutes your analysis will highlight your strengths and weaknesses—which personality traits to take advantage of and which need help. \#\#\#\# Step 3: CONSULTATION While the analysis graph shows distinct personality traits, it is the interrelationship of these traits that provides the greater picture of your personality. We provide a complimentary consultation with one of our trained staff, who will give a detailed evaluation of your personality analysis. In this one-on-one consultation, you gain a better understanding of your personality strengths and weaknesses, and establish the recommended path to your fast and lasting success.

Badminton matchplay session for players of intermediate+ standard. Friendly people playing competitive games! Feather shuttlecocks provided. Session price £13 Central sports discount : CHUCKLE5

**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/48035 **Game Description:** Please be aware that our sessions are also on our own mobile app. Therefore, the number of participants you currently see may not reflect the total number of participants. To participate in this session, your first step is to attend one of our coaching sessions and receive approval from one of our experienced coaches. Our game is designed for players who possess a strong understanding of the sport and are eager for a more challenging experience. With fast-paced rallies, strategic plays, and a competitive atmosphere, you'll have the opportunity to refine your technique, enhance your agility, and strengthen your teamwork. This environment provides the perfect platform to elevate your volleyball skills and strive for victory. Join our vibrant community of passionate volleyball enthusiasts and prepare to showcase your talent on the court. Let's come together to play, learn, and excel in this exhilarating intermediate-level volleyball game! Rules By booking this session, you acknowledge and agree to comply with our terms and conditions, privacy policies, and cancellation policy, which can be found below. Participation in this session requires prior approval from one of our coaches during our coaching sessions. Kindly be aware that booking this session without a pre-existing invitation may lead to potential denial of entry, with no refund available. Terms & Conditions at: https://www.littlegiantsvc.com/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy at: https://www.littlegiantsvc.com/privacy-policy Cancellation Policy: Bookings are non-refundable, non-transferable and non-exchangeable. This includes tournaments, volleyball camps, monthly memberships, 1-on-1 and 1 to 6 trainings & team membership fee. Social sessions are exchangeable if we are contacted within 24 hours prior to attendance at a social or coached session to transfer payment to your preferred date(within 30 days of the original booking) Little Giants VC will contact you in the event of postponement or cancellation to work with you.

A Rabble session is 1 hour of fun and social team games. Each game disguises high-intensity intervals within the rules, giving you an effective, all-body workout without even realising it. We play a bunch of different games at each session (like British Bulldog, Capture the Flag, Dodgeball, Frisbee and many more), and every class is different. Sessions are open to all, no matter your sporting ability. Each game is explained before we start, so there's no need to have played any of the games before. Come solo or bring friends! And stay at the end for the social part! Who knew getting fit could be this fun? **TO BOOK**: It's essential that you book onto sessions via our website, using the link below; due to restrictions on games and preparation times we cannot accept walk-ins, or late arrivals. [https://joinrabble.com/locations/london/](https://joinrabble.com/locations/london/) Use the code **FREEPLAY** to get your first game free! *** We play every: * Monday in Finsbury Park (19:00 - 20:00) * Tuesday in Shoreditch Park (19:00 - 20:00) * Wednesday in Elephant & Castle (19:00 - 20:00) * Saturday in Southwark Park (10:30 - 11:30) * Saturday in Finsbury Park (11:00 - 12:00) * Sunday in Clapham Common (12:00 - 13:00) We hope to see you playing soon! PS. We have a group of dedicated regulars, so numbers are usually much higher than Meetup might suggest. Book your place here: [https://joinrabble.com/locations/london/](https://joinrabble.com/locations/london/) **Love Rabble**

**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/50589 **Game Description:** 🎮 Warm up and game only setting. 🌟 Positive environment. \*Privacy policy for games only sessions\* By attending this game session, you agree to the following: \* Video recordings/photos are allowed only during free game\* sessions \* Attending means consenting to potentially being recorded by other participants \* Any videos must only be shared via private links \* Distribution limited to session participants only \* Explicit consent required for any public sharing \* Respect others' privacy and comfort \*Please contact the co-organisers if you have any questions about the policy. **Rules** \- point to 15 \- max 2 games in a row \- 3 team of 6 players \- modified games situation might be applied depending on situation \(5:1\, modified 5:1 or 6:2 etc\.\)

We will be meeting at Starbucks to learn together. Come with an online class you're already going through or an interest and we will try to connect you with a course where you can learn it. Already have a skill you want to contribute to a Kaggle Datascience competition? We will work on these too! Laptop required :)

Join us at Loudoun Station District Park and enjoy a complimentary fitness class with Rochi B!

…Transform Our Lives, Work, and World (2024) by Jamie Metzl, 432 pages [Genetics] • Paperback • Hardcover • Kindle • Audiobook • Library: [https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=615082](https://fcplcat.fairfaxcounty.gov/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.1&pos=1&cn=615082) Check the How To Find Us section for Zoom Link **(Remember, the Zoom Link is different each month, do not bookmark)** ### Review “In Superconvergence, Jamie Metzl takes readers on a magical journey through the science of the intersecting genetics, biotech, and AI revolutions, deeply explores the implications, and challenges us to think creatively and proactively about what comes next. Very few books are absolute must-reads. This is one.”―Siddhartha Mukherjee, assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University and author of The Gene: An Intimate History "During the 25 years I have known Jamie Metzl, he has always been ahead of the curve. There is no one better to help us understand and prepare for the fast-approaching technological revolutions. Superconvergence is brilliant. I can't recommend it more strongly."―Sanjay Gupta MD, bestseller author, neurosurgeon, and Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent (CNN) "Our world is defined by our science and technology—whether we like it or not. The question now is not whether to use these powers, but how best to use them. In Superconvergence, Jamie Metzl takes us on a journey through the new capabilities that are radically transforming ecosystems inside us and around us, challenging each of us to get personally involved with building the future we want."―Beth Shapiro, University of California Santa Cruz evolutionary biologist and author of Life as We Made It: How 50,000 Years of Human Innovation Refined―and Redefined―Nature "In a fine counter-blast to the pessimism of today, Jamie Metzl lays out just how spectacular the future of humanity and planet can be if we harness innovation responsibly and imaginatively to create what he calls the 'spiral of progress.'"―Matt Ridley, author of How Innovation Works, and co-author of Viral: The search for the Origin of Covid-19 “A page-turning journey through space and time that shows us how our lives will be changed by imminent technological advances we once only dreamed of.”―David Sinclair, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, and author of Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don't Have To “The superconvergence of the genetics, biotechnology, and AI revolutions provides spectacular opportunities for building a better world. It also represents an almost limitless investment opportunity. We were excited to collaborate with Jamie Metzl, one of the world's great experts on how these aspirations can best be realized, including in capital markets. Superconvergence is a master class for imagining, investing in, and building a future we'd like to inhabit."―Jeremy Schwartz, Global Chief Investment Officer, WisdomTree “A clear examination of a transitional moment in the story of life on Earth…. Metzl capably describes recent developments in genetics and biotech and looks at how AI is providing an analytical engine of unprecedented power…. An important book in which the author sets out a path for the future based on his experience and expertise.”―Kirkus “Erudite, optimistic, and timely.”―Science Magazine "[In Superconvergence] Mr. Metzl has identified an important truth: that the convergence of new technologies is galvanizing us to reimagine how to meet urgent challenges in medicine and the environment. It’s a compelling opportunity—provided we manage to sidestep self-induced catastrophes along the way."―The Wall Street Journal ### About the Author Jamie Metzl is a leading technology and healthcare futurist and the founder and chair of OneShared.World. He is the author of Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity and four other books and was a member of the World Health Organization expert advisory committee on human genome editing. Jamie previously served in the U.S. National Security Council, State Department, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee and with the United Nations in Cambodia. His work has been featured by most major media organizations around the world, including 60 Minutes, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Fox, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Times of London, Le Monde, and Paris Match, and his podcast interviews with Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman, and others have reached tens of millions of listeners. He lives in New York City. Visit Jamiemetzl.com.

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, [https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf](https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf) and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike. **8 miles with 450 feet elevation gain.** ***Let's hike Billy Goat C and the recently reopened Billy Goat B trail which has been closed for several years. One of my favorite sections, I'm glad it's back!*** Let's recognize the Juneteenth holiday with beautiful hike along the scenic C&O Canal National Historical Park towpath. This trek will include a hike on Billy Goat B & C trails with great views of the Potomac River, as well as a bit of the Gold Mine trail and Burma Road. This route includes a very scenic section of the towpath. **Description:** We'll start our hike on Billy Goat C trail and hike until we connect with the C&O Canal towpath. We'll hike to Anglers Inn area for a break before we connect with Burma Road and a portion of the Gold Mine trail. After that, we're back on the towpath where we will connect to the Billy Goat B trail. After completing Billy Goat B, we'll then connect back to the towpath and return to the trailhead parking. ***Note:*** Billy Goat B and C each have a stream crossing which are fairly easily crossed by stone stepping. The pace will be about 2.5 mph. **Bring:** Adequate water/hydration, snacks/lunch, and sturdy hiking shoes since there are some rocky areas and tree roots on both Billy Goat B & C. Restrooms are available at the Carderock Picnic Area parking lot where we start as well as at Anglers Inn parking. Hiking poles may be useful if you normally use them. Recommend sunscreen and insect repellent. **Trailhead:** We will meet in the Carderock Picnic Grounds parking lot in Carderock Recreation Area. Please plan on being there at 8:45am so we can get everyone signed in and start the hike on time. **Dogs are welcome.** Dog Policy [https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy](https://tinyurl.com/nvhcdogpolicy) **There are no fees.** Map of Hiking Trails at Great Falls, Maryland: [https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/upload/Great-Falls-Hiking-Map.pdf](https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/upload/Great-Falls-Hiking-Map.pdf) **Directions to Carderock Picnic Grounds Parking at Carderock Recreation Area:** From I-495, take the exit for Clara Barton Pkwy, continue on the Pkwy until you see the exit for Carderock near the Naval Surface Warfare Center. After exiting at Carderock, you will pass under the towpath tunnel. Turn left after going under the towpath tunnel and continue into the picnic grounds parking lot. ***The parking lot is also labeled with signage as Parking Lot 1.*** **GPS 38.97122, -77.19874** Any questions, please message me here or text/call @202-528-0456. If you text me, please include your name.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Can Artificial Intelligence ‘See’?”** A look at how humans and artificial intelligence systems interpret the visual world in fundamentally different ways, with Arryn Robbins, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond and cognitive scientist who researches visual attention, perception, and category learning. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-can-AI-see](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-can-AI-see) .] Artificial intelligence can now identify faces, categorize objects, describe scenes, and outperform humans on certain visual tasks. But does AI actually “see” the world the way that people do? Or does it arrive at correct answers using representations that differ markedly from human perception? Join Arryn Robbins of the University of Richmond for a fascinating exploration of how humans and AI construct meaning from visual information and a look at comparisons between human perception and AI that reveal just how dynamic and context-dependent our own visual systems really are. Dr. Robbins, who previously has given excellent Profs and Pints talks on flaws and biases in human visual perception, will draw from research in cognitive science, visual perception, and AI vision systems. She’ll explain how human perception is not merely a simple recording of the world, but an active process shaped by expectations, context, goals, and recent experience. You’ll learn how humans form flexible mental representations that allow us to recognize objects across changing environments and conditions, and why those representations continuously adapt as we interact with the world. Many AI systems, by contrast, learn visual categories through statistical patterns in data. They can produce impressive results, but sometimes they also produce strange and unexpected failures, and sometimes they classify images in ways that seem strange to us. Dr. Robbins will discuss what these differences reveal about the nature of perception itself, and why the mismatch between human and AI representations matters for technologies like self-driving cars, medical imaging, facial recognition, and automated surveillance. Important for anyone trying to understand the rapidly growing role of AI in daily life, this talk will explore one of the biggest questions in cognitive science and artificial intelligence: What does it actually mean to “see” and understand the world? (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: “Eye Farm” by Nevit Dilmen (Wikimedia Commons).

Would you like to "gallop" with the best leaders and speakers? We are an advanced Toastmasters club where many of our members are current or former Area, Division, District, and International Directors. Many hold the Toastmasters International rank of Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). If you're looking for a club that offers a challenging, supportive and friendly environment, you've come to the right place. Guests are always welcome. We meet: * Every 4th Saturday, 9:30am, Eastern Time * Hybrid (in-person and online) participation Please check our website for more information and to contact us: [Galloping.toastmastersclubs.org](https://galloping.toastmastersclubs.org/) [Are You Ready for an Advanced Club?](https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2018/aug2018/toolbox)