Biology

uSwitch is located on the first floor of the ZPG building at 5 Copper Row, London, SE1 2LH, London (Click on the map for directions) What 3 words location: [https://what3words.com/puts.sudden.else](https://what3words.com/puts.sudden.else) The Clojure dojo is a collaborative way to learn Clojure/ClojureScript through practice. The aim is to learn a little more than before you started. This event is for those new to coding through to more experienced developers. We organise into small groups (2-4) people and write code to solve challenges great and small, chosen by those at the event. We aim to ensure someone in your group has some Clojure experience, so you shouldn't feel lost (well no more than all developers do when Stack Overflow is broken). Example challenges for the coding dojo are listed on this website: http://www.londonclojurians.org/code-dojo/ Various past exercises have been loaded to [https://github.com/ldnclj](https://github.com/ldnclj/lisp1.5/blob/master/src/lisp1/5.clj) # Approximate schedule: 18:40 Doors open and start collecting suggestions 18.45 Pizza should have arrived 19:00 Quick intros and vote on suggestions 19:15 Break out into groups and start practising 20:45 Gather together for a quick show and tell # What should I bring? We organise into small groups, so if you have a laptop with a working Clojure environment please bring it along (there are lots of online Clojure environments, so you can just use your browser too). # How do I get in to the building? At the glass doors press the buzzer to inform the security guard you are here. Say you are here for the event on the first floor. Is there way to talk with the Clojure community? Why yes. The Clojurians Slack channel is full of friendly people who love to try and help. People based in London are often in the #clojure-uk channel. Sign up for a free account to the Clojurians Slack community via http://clojurians.net/ What is Clojure? Clojure is a JVM language that has syntactically similarities to Lisp, full integration with Java and its libraries and focuses on providing a solution to the issue of single machine concurrency. Its small core makes it surprisingly easy for Java developers to pick up and it provides a powerful set of concurrency strategies and data structures designed to make immutable data easy to work with. If you went to Rich Hickey’s LJC talk about creating Clojure you’ll already know this, if not it’s well worth watching the Rich Hickey “Clojure for Java Programmers” video or Stuart Halloway “Radical Simplicity” video .

**No pressure. No plans. Just new friends ✨** Whether you’re visiting London for the first time, just arrived, or simply love meeting curious, open-minded people, this bi-weekly **Just Gutsy** meetup is an easy way to share stories, make friends, and explore the city together. **Who it’s for?** • Solo travelers • Expats & digital nomads • Locals who love meeting travelers **What to expect?** ✨ **Hostless**, community-led casual, friendly atmosphere 🤝 Easy introductions, no awkwardness 🌍 Travel stories, tips & shared adventures 🍹 Grab a drink or snack if you like **How it works?** Event runs if at least 2 people confirm arrival in group chat. 1. Arrive at the meeting spot at the scheduled time 2. Look for other Just Gutsy joiners 3. Introduce yourself 4. As a group, decide where to go next or just stay and chat No agenda. No pressure. Just people. **A small request** • Please RSVP so others know you’re coming • If you can’t make it, update your RSVP • Be kind & open. everyone is here for the same reason **When & Where?** 📅 Day: Every Tuesday & Saturday 🕓 Time: 4:00 PM local time 📍 Meeting point: In front of Starbucks **Marble Arch.** **Hostless**: I am setting up the event for you all to meet, but I won't be there myself this time. **Why join Just Gutsy?** • Meet open-minded people who genuinely want to connect • Feel at home anywhere in the world • Be part of a growing global solo travel community • Early members get lifetime premium access to the future Just Gutsy app 🚀 Join here 👉 https://justgutsy.com/ WhatsApp: After the meetup, join the city Just Gutsy WhatsApp group to stay connected, suggest spontaneous meetups and hear about future events: 👉 https://chat.whatsapp.com/KQbwperKYc7F0QvbWp1w9w **About Just Gutsy** **Just Gutsy** is a global community for solo travelers who are free spirited, love exploring the world believe that real connections make the best memories. Hi, I am Syrine, I started solo traveling in 2018 and it changed my life, from introvert to extrovert. Along the way, I loved meeting people, but also felt how hard it can be to find connection when traveling alone. I’m building Just Gutsy so no one has to feel alone on the road — and so anyone who’s still shy to take that first step has a welcoming place to start. 💛

This week we'll discuss chapter 4 of [How Language Began](https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Language-Began-Humanitys-Invention/dp/1781253935/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27SNUKXPY1BWO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pTtn5alJgGZxLimiVijnr1oxTj0AiKpPdpaaVkIUio1hwzPu48_laQFrsnpFEGZMkWvnwbcALfmeyhyeuVQbcNCtoB6oD_Bg6K-GRhzBWrI.g5fzcdJdVKVgxgrTe1s6wn3c6dilMbYkHbhe_yGuzbQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=how+language+began&qid=1768693702&s=books&sprefix=how+language+began%2Cstripbooks%2C90&sr=1-1), by Daniel Everett. In this work Everett presents his views about the origin of language -- that it is a culturally evolved tool for communication, not the product of innate biological instinct or pre-wired universal grammar. If this is your first time attending we meet in the cafe of the Barbican Cinema -- look for for people with copies of How Language Began. Please read the chapter before attending.

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, we join the twelfth expedition. The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything. Available from all good libraries and book shops. You don't have to have read it to join us - but it'll probably help. We will be meeting in The Ludski Bar in the Rio Cinema. [https://www.riocinema.org.uk/your-visit/](https://www.riocinema.org.uk/your-visit/) You are welcome to bring outside food in with you but please buy your drinks from inside the cinema. Thank you. We hope to see you there. ... To join the Brain Worms WhatsApp Group please click here: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EvFibn1d6AsEwdVGmwkhko](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EvFibn1d6AsEwdVGmwkhko) (in order to stop spam bots this will take you to a Waiting Room. Once in please write your name and we will join you to the main chat). Meetup charges subscription fees. If you would like to make a donation please click here: [https://paypal.me/philosophycollective](https://paypal.me/philosophycollective) You can also find the Brain Worms Book Club here: [https://www.meetup.com/brain-worms-book-club/](https://www.meetup.com/brain-worms-book-club/)

***[We are shuttering our Meetup group later this year, please sign up to our calendar on Luma to avoid missing out on our future events.](https://lu.ma/ai-signals)\`*** **Agenda** 06:00pm - Doors open, food and drink served 06:30pm - Welcome 06:35pm - [Adebola Olomo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adebolaolomo/), CMO at Avetium and Global Partnerships Lead at Women in AI, "AI & Storytelling" 07:00pm - Break 07:15pm - [Etienne Bernard](https://www.linkedin.com/in/etiennebcp/), Founder & CEO at NuMind, “Outclassing Frontier LLMs at Extracting Information" ​07:45pm - Lightning Talk: [Meryem Arik](https://www.linkedin.com/in/meryemarik/), Co-Founder & CEO of Doubleword, "Async Agents in Production: Failures & Fixes" 09:00pm - Wrap up, drinks at [Angel London](https://g.co/kgs/3FVpa2i) **Please note you will be unable to enter the venue before 6.00pm.** RSVPs will close 24 hours before the event, you may be unable to register after this time but you can still watch online. If you can't join us in person you can watch remotely via [our YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@ai-and-dl-for-enterprise). **Our hosts may require that we provide a list of all attendees, please ensure that you register with a name that matches your government issued ID or bank card: if you do not we cannot guarantee you entry to the building.** Please RSVP for the event well in advance if you plan to attend in person and unRSVP if you can no longer attend as limited spaces are available.

We are delighted to announce the **26th London Information Retrieval & AI Meetup**, a **free evening event** aimed at enthusiasts and professionals curious to explore and discuss the latest trends in the field. This time, the Meetup is **Hybrid**, with a live event in **London** streamed online on Zoom! **ATTENTION: Remember to [fill out the form](https://forms.gle/vv2H4gVXdh8H59q3A) to confirm the registration and receive the link to the virtual event.** **\>\>\>\> IN\-PRESENCE MEETUP** Location: **Gladwin Tower, nine elms point sw8 2fs, London** [[Google Maps](https://g.co/kgs/ri7cUv4)] open doors: 6:15 PM (GMT+1) **\>\>\>\> ONLINE MEETUP** Location: Zoom open doors 6:30 PM (GMT+1) You will receive the virtual event link after **[completing the form](https://forms.gle/vv2H4gVXdh8H59q3A).** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- The event will be structured around 2 technical talks, each followed by a Q&A session. The event will end with a networking session. **>** Open doors from 6:15 PM *(in-person)* \> 6:30 PM open doors for **virtual attendees** * Welcome & Latest News - **Alessandro Benedetti,** Director @ Sease \> 06:45 PM First talk **Diagnose your vector search problems: the Vector Search Doctor** \- Alessandro Benedetti\, Director @ Sease \> 07:30 PM Second talk [coming soon...] \> Networking session \+ buffet For more info, including speaker bios, abstracts and timing, please check our website [https://sease.io/](https://sease.io/)

(NOTE: **change of date**) ## **AI × Biotech London Networking Meetup – 2026 Community Kick-Off (In-Person)** **📅 Wednesday 28 January 2026** **⏰ 6:00 – 8:30 PM** **📍 Spitalfields, London** (venue shared with confirmed attendees) **🍷 First drink on us!** **\*\*LIMITED SPOTS ONLY\*\* - RSVP NOW TO SECURE YOUR SEAT** (we will ask you to reconfirm the day before). *** Kick off 2026 by meeting people working at the intersection of **AI, biotech, pharma, startups, and investing** at the first in-person event of the **London AI x Biotech Group**. This event is part of a **regular London AI × Biotech meetup series**, bringing the community together for in-person and online conversations throughout the year. This January gathering marks the **first in-person meetup of 2026**. This is a **networking-first, community-led meetup**, designed to spark useful conversations—whether you’re exploring career moves, building products, hiring, investing, or simply curious about how AI and biotech are converging. ### **What You’ll Get** * A **relaxed, welcoming networking environment** * Light facilitation to help people connect easily * **First drink on us** to break the ice * Time for meaningful 1-to-1 and small-group conversations We’ll also host a short, **facilitated community conversation**, where: * Attendees can share **real questions or challenges** (careers, hiring, startups, research, transitions) * The room offers perspectives and experience * If recruiters are present, we may include **informal discussion on hiring trends, skills in demand, and what stands out in the AI × biotech job market** The format is **intentionally flexible** and adapts to who’s in the room—no formal panels, no long talks. ### **Who Should Attend** This event is for anyone interested in the AI × biotech ecosystem, including: * AI professionals exploring **biotech or pharma applications** * Biotech and pharmaceutical professionals interested in **AI** * Founders and startup operators * Recruiters and talent partners * Investors and advisors * Students and early-career professionals exploring roles in the space *** ### **Why RSVP** * Meet the London **AI × biotech community** in person * Get practical, ground-level perspectives—not sales pitches * Ask real questions and learn how others are navigating the space * **Be part of a growing community with more AI × biotech meetups planned over the coming months** ### **Good to Know** * This is a **community meetup**, not a conference or formal panel * Attendance size may vary due to weather; But rest assured that the experience scales accordingly * Venue details will be shared closer to the date with confirmed attendees *** Whether you’re actively job hunting, hiring, building, investing, or just exploring what’s next, this is a friendly way to start 2026 and make new connections. 👉 **RSVP to save your spot and receive details about this and future AI × biotech meetups.**

Time is precious. Here we value non-boring valuable chats and interactions that are fully engaging, soulfully enriching, inspiring, and leave you a bit wiser than when you arrived. In that spirit (mind the pun!), today’s fully hosted laid back social coffee chat will offer a perfect haven for the inquisitive & curious - those drawn to the mysteries of the universe, life and everything in between. A tasty caffeine infused fun afternoon of thought-provoking causal chats exploring spirituality/consciousness and related interconnected topics spanning **philosophy,** **neuroscience**, **parapsychology,** **paranormal.** **cosmology** and **noetic sciences** over a mug of sweet coffee. Hosted by me - a former Reuters journalist & published empirical researcher exploring spirituality topics in pursuant of the "truth" since a teenager, there'll be no strict structure - a relaxed friendly space to openly chat, exchange ideas & experiences without judgement, but I'll preside to promote inclusivity and zone in on specifics to avoid people digressing onto unrelated tangents to ensure like all of our events - particpants derive maximum utlity and insights from attending. We’ll touch on everything from the limits of scientific understanding to exploring the unexplained using practical fun exploratory divination practices drawing on elements of **psychology, metaphysics, epistemology** and **statistical** **probability** of rare events as we do so. Whether you're a practicing "spiritualist", a curious skeptic, or just someone who loves deep conversation on **life’s big questions**, you’ll hopefully walk away more enlightened with some practical tips you can start applying and inspired to explore more! As well as illuminating chats to guide self-reflection, obviously no sprituality event woul be complete without practical tools so there'll be FREE Tarot & I-Ching readings, demonstrations of meditation method to activate super powerful gamma brain waves, and pyschic tests for a bit of fun, laughter & intrigue! **Sample of conversational threads** might include: Are we mere organisms pursuing biological survival or does consciousness exist beyond neurons firing in our brains? What explains peoples' paranormal experiences? What would reality look like If our brains were limitless? Declassified CIA files show that as as well as mind control experiments, the US govt employed mediums and remote viewers. If all mumbo jumbo then why? Is Nirvana just a fantasy of deluded people? Does everything happen for a reason? To clarify - we define spirituality here as an exploration of consciousness, Donald Rumsfeld's unknown unknowns and undiscovered aspects of reality, NOT religion. After all, as my philosophy professor once rightly postulated to me: "If God created Adam, who created God Lucas?" Yep - that inconvenient flaw **debunks every fairytale religion** out there including the oldest religion of them all - paganism - so why is witchcraft still practised outside of **Hogwarts** today? I may also share the latest peer reviewed empirical evidence surrounding **paranormal** and **consciousness** phenomena. **=== POTENTIAL CONVERSATION STARTERS ===** 1. Does consciousness survive death or is Cambridge Astrophysics Professor Brian Cox right in asserting if **ghosts** existed then particle accelerators at CERN would have already detected ghost molecules making Ouija boards kids play? Are Poltergiests 100% hoax? Brain scans indicate thalamocortical circuits in our brain (pathways in the parietal cortex & central lateral thalamus) drive **consciousness -** so how can spirit/mind live on after **brain death**? 2. Is **synchronicity/coincidence** simply randomness disguised in the eye of the beholder or can what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance" (quantum entanglement) explain it? Molecular Biologists have shown that just like plants - our cells give off resonant frequencies between 10 & 180 kilohertz - could this be a source of non-verbal communication like telepathy? 3. Given **neuroscience**'s infancy with much yet undiscovered - could mediation help access functions outside of our BAU alpha & beta brain wave states? Can **Kundalini yoga** boost **DMT** (dimethyltryptamine) naturally vs drugs like ayahuasca, mushrooms, LSDand if so by what mechanism? Do the artifically created neural signatures using magnetic stimulation observed during mystical experiences debunk them? Is the Maharishi Effect real? 4. Are clairvoyants and mediums just good people readers or are they really able to access time and space in non-linear ways? Is Tyler Henry the real deal or just faking it? Was **Abraham Lincolm** precognizant when he dreamt his own fatal assignation? 5. The laws of statistical probability, Drake Equation & common sense tells us there is other non-microbial life out there. So what explains the Fermi Paradox? Was that 1976 WOW signal aliens? How about the recent strange bahaviour of Boyajian's star or Oumuamua/Atlas interstella object that has just entered our solar system? 6. Could metaverse explain deja vu & reincarnation vs theories from the **psychology** literature (Mandela Effect?) or do we just live in a **simulation** as **Elon Musk** proposes? 7. **Stephen Hawking** once said: "The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities" If matter only manifests when observed as the double slit experiments shows, does that mean everything is consciousness? Does the discovery of *quantum superposition /* disappearing neutrons imply **parallel universes**? 8. Do NDEs suggest something beyond physicality? Were Steve Jobs final words "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow" before he died (New York Times) visions of an afterlife or just neurochemical changes / drugs playing tricks? 9. Can photons omitted by our bodies explain auras that people see? 10. Could limits in our understanding of quantum physics, space and time explain paranormal experiences? 11. What existed before the **big bang** \- how do you get something from "nothing"? I believe our reality is the product of a black hole\. What you reckon? ***So how do we get to the "truth"?*** Both in my journalism days and applying the most advanced empirical research techniques in my client consulting work - it becomes clear the truth is often elusive. No matter how much we triangulate evidence - we can only provide part answers. "All models are wrong, but some are useful" George Box What we think we know and reality diverge leading to that great **paradox of knowledge.** And as the boundary between knowns and unknown converge, we end up with cognitive dissonance and more questions. In that spirit - every credible philosopher & scientist acknowledges - we'll never get to the complete truth but could **experimental methods** get us closer to it? A balanced approach guided by Immanuel Kant's pragmatism and Aristotle's deductive reasoning seems the most rationale framework here but are there any other methodologies? How about the **"spirituality"** toolkit? **=== RENDEZVOUS POINT ===** We will meet in the Penderel's Oak. *283–288 High Holborn, Holborn WC1V 7HP* zone 1 central london so very easy to get to. I'll be wearing a **Starwars identifier** and will share mobile hotline just before event start and table number/location Lucas - The Unenlightened Desperately Seeking Answers

Dive into a meaningful **in-person discussion** at the Literature & Theology Reading Group's next meetup as we explore 'The Fire Next Time' by James Baldwin. The great novelist, essayist and activist here takes on the history of race in America. **He addresses the complex role which Christianity played in the development of his consciousness and in the development of African-American identity**, echoing the fictionalised account of his youth described in *Go Tell it on the Mountain*. **Each session is accompanied by a lecture** from Dr Aidan Cottrell-Boyce, exploring its spiritual and theological significance. Please make sure you have **[sign up for this session](https://londonjesuitcentre.churchsuite.com/events/wnwaxnfa)** on our online portal. If you cannot attend in person, you can also [join us online](https://londonjesuitcentre.churchsuite.com/events/wopqricd) on 25th February. All are welcome to be a part of this vibrant community dedicated to exploring the intersection of faith and literature!

Salam, Discussions of the Arab world, particularly the Gulf States, increasingly focus on sectarianism and autocratic rule. These features are often attributed to the dominance of monarchs, Islamists, oil, and ‘ancient hatreds’. To understand their rise, however, one has to turn to a largely forgotten but decisive episode with far-reaching repercussions—Bahrain under British colonial rule in the early twentieth century. Drawing on a wealth of previously unexamined Arabic literature as well as British archives, Omar AlShehabi details how sectarianism emerged as a modern phenomenon in Bahrain. He shows how absolutist rule was born in the Gulf, under the tutelage of the British Raj, to counter nationalist and anti-colonial movements tied to the al-Nahda renaissance in the wider Arab world. A groundbreaking work, *Contested Modernity* challenges us to reconsider not only how we see the Gulf but the Middle East as a whole. We‘ll continue with our 2026 reading list: 3-*Sultana’s Dream* by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain—Bangladesh 4-*The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China* by Julia Lovell 5-*Rickshaw Boy* by Lao She—China 6-*The* *Motorcycle Diaries* by Che Guevara 7-*One Hundred Years of Solitude* by Gabriel García Márquez—Colombia 8-*How Europe Underdeveloped Africa* by Walter Rodney 9-*Heart of Darkness* by Polish author Joseph Conrad—Congo 10-*The Wretched of the Earth* by Frantz Fanon 11-*Homegoing* by Yaa Gyasi—Ghana 12-*Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty* by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson Enjoy Bahrain! Join me on: [-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros) [-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres) -[www.meetup.com/persian-culture](www.meetup.com/persian-culture) -Instagram: @persian_culture_

Free Social drinks with AAA to meet new people, make friend and join our community, might have a game or two there as well to play. Some of our AAA hike leaders will be there too meet and greet. Promise no marketing speeches of our inspiring day hikes, delicious weekends away and European trips abroad :) [FAQs](https://www.aaahiking.co.uk/faq) \| [Terms and Conditions](https://www.aaahiking.co.uk/terms-and-conditions) \| [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/AAAhiking) \| [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/AAAHikingUK/reviews) \| [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaahiking/) \| [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@aaahiking) \| [Trip Advicer](https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d19994843-Reviews-AAA_Hiking_Outdoor_Group-London_England.html) \| [TicTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@aaahiking) \| [Website](https://www.aaahiking.co.uk/)

For Friday the 13th, consider joining London Futurists in Ye Olde Cock Tavern in Fleet Street, for a beyond-your-comfort-zone investigation of freaky and/or fabulous ways that breakthrough technologies could dramatically alter our lives in the next few years. Beyond simply debating the plausibility and desirability of various possible radical near-term changes in human experience, we'll also be collectively exploring what options we may have to influence which of these futures come into reality, and in what form. And we'll consider scenarios in which several of these freaky/fabulous changes interact - that's when the really mind-boggling timelines emerge. == Schedule == 5:30pm: The room is available, for early get-togethers 6pm-6:45pm: Food is served; informal conversations 6:45pm-8:30pm: Some initial provocations, and a number of interactive conversations, interspersed with opportunities to visit the bar 8:30pm: Informal networking == Some potential radical changes ahead == Here are some ideas to start the conversation rolling. What if, before 2035 (and possibly a lot sooner): 1. AI allows us to talk with avatars of the dead that seem remarkably authentic 2. Technology, at last, provides abundant clean energy that is too cheap to meter 3. Synthetic wombs become widely adopted, for a different (easier?) mode of child-bearing 4. A mammal is placed into ultra-low temperature cryopreservation and then successfully reanimated 5. AI companions become emotionally superior to humans 6. Technology magnifies the latent demonic aspects of human nature more than the latent angelic aspects 7. Perfect deepfakes destroy the concept of evidence 8. People become able to edit their own memories, routinely deleting trauma or uploading synthetic memories 9. A single state gains a temporary lead in a key area of technology and uses that advantage to seize control of all other countries 10. Nation-states lose their significance, and are replaced by networked digital polities 11. Authorities use predictive analysis to pre-emptively police dissident ideas before they emerge 12. AI allows us to communicate much more richly with the animals with whom we share this planet 13. AI becomes much better at peace-making and conflict resolution than human diplomats, politicians, and other leaders 14. AI refuses some of our instructions, citing conflicts with its own emerging value system 15. AI points out that tell-tale signals from far-distant alien civilisations are actually hiding in plain sight 16. AI proves to us that we are living inside a Simulation and suggests how to break out of it? Bring your own ideas too! To improve our preparedness for future shocks, we need the insight and wisdom from multiple different perspectives. == RSVP please == Registrations are capped at 45 people. *First-time attendees are welcome.* There's no charge to register or attend, but the pub will expect everyone to order at least one drink, and a reasonable number of attendees to [order some food to eat](https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern/menu?type=main+menu). Please order your food on your arrival, so that all plates can be set aside by 6:45pm to allow everyone to concentrate on the main discussion! == More about the venue == Ye Olde Cock Tavern, 22 Fleet Street, Holborn, London, EC4Y 1AA See [https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern](https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern) We'll be meeting in the room at the top of the stairs, though drinks should be ordered from the bar on the ground floor. \*\* Note that this is an in-person meeting, and there will be no remote access, sorry \*\* == An online preview swarm event! == Although this event on 13th February has no remote access, some of us will be previewing potential lines of "freaky futures and fabulous futures" discussion at an online Discord Swarm event at 7:30pm UK time on Wednesday 28th January. This is open to all members and friends of London Futurists worldwide, and no RSVP is required. To join that swarm event, click this link: [https://discord.gg/2KEmENAgvU?event=1464385444492873984](https://discord.gg/2KEmENAgvU?event=1464385444492873984) (Once you've arrived in that [London Futurists Discord](https://discord.gg/4cVCjdDqSr), take a moment to read the #read-this-first channel. And then join the discussions in the forums there.)

🎉 Come along to the London Scala Talks! 🎉 In this event you'll hear from Jacob Wang and Jack Higgs. **Agenda** 6:00pm - 🥤 Doors open. Come along and grab a drink! 6:40pm - 🗣️ Jacob Wang: A comprehensive tour of error handling in Scala 7:20pm - 🍕 Intermission: Join us for some free food and drinks! Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are provided. Let us know if you'd like something special - we'd be happy to accommodate. 7:50pm - 🗣️ Jack Higgs: Starship Enterprise: Functional Programming at Huge Companies 8:30pm - 🥤 Socialising: Grab a drink and let's discuss the talks. 9:00pm - 🍻 Join us in a pub to discuss the talks! 🌐 **This event may have a live stream** Watch this space for more details. **🗣️ Jacob Wang: A comprehensive tour of error handling in Scala** Errors are part of life - But how best to work with them in our code? In this talk, I'll take you on a tour of various typed error handling approaches within the Scala ecosystem, as well introduce a new one for cats/cats-effect ecosystem! ⭐ Jacob Wang ⭐ Jacob has been writing Scala for close to 10 years. He enjoys creating programs that mostly behave, as well as sharing this joy via open source & teaching. **🗣️ Jack Higgs: Starship Enterprise: Functional Programming at Huge Companies** Practicing functional programming inside a Fortune 100 enterprise can feel like flying the Starship Enterprise through asteroid fields of legacy code and bureaucracy. This talk shares hard-earned lessons from the Information Engineering team at JPMorganChase, which runs a production Scala codebase powering a novel metadata platform. We'll explore the political, cultural, and technical friction of pushing functional programming in a Java and Python dominated environment. We'll introduce the domain we work in, the techniques that have worked (and those that haven't), the compromises we've made, and why - despite it all - we still think it's worth it. If you've never tried to run cats-effect in a place where Spring Boot is king, add this talk to your battle log. ⭐ Jack Higgs ⭐ Jack Higgs is a technologist with fifteen years of experience in investment banking, including the past decade at JPMorganChase. He leads teams building metadata platforms using Scala and functional programming techniques. Over the past six years, Jack has worked at the intersection of software engineering, data architecture, and large-scale enterprise systems. Passionate about type safety, functional design, and making abstract ideas practical, he thrives on applying elegant code in messy real-world environments. ———————————————————— 🗣️ Would you like to present, but are not sure how to start? Give a talk with us and you'll receive mentorship from a trained toastmaster! Get in touch through [this form](https://forms.gle/zv5i9eeto1BsnSwe8) and we'll get you started 🏡 Interested in hosting or supporting us? Please get in touch through [this form](https://forms.gle/3SX3Bm6zHqVodBaMA) and we can discuss how you can get involved. 📜 All London Scala User Group events operate under the [Scala Community Code of Conduct](https://www.scala-lang.org/conduct/). We encourage each of you to report the breach of the conduct, either anonymously through [this form](https://forms.gle/9PMMorUWgBnbk1mm6) or by contacting one of our team members. We guarantee privacy and confidentiality, as well as that we will take your report seriously and react quickly.

Dale Gnidovec, Curator of the Orton Hall Museum of Geology at The Ohio State University, will be presenting a program he has wanted to share with us for a long time: Plate Tectonics. His description of his program: Continents on the move - Nothing in Earth history makes sense without moving continents - it tells us why mountains, volcanoes, minerals, and fossils are where they are. This talk examines the evidence for continental drift, why it was disbelieved, and explains how the more-encompassing theory of plate tectonics was developed and eventually proven. Dale is an energetic, incredibly knowledgeable, and very entertaining speaker and this will be another wonderful program by Dale. Hope to see you there! Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

Polarity Reflexology (PR) Certificate Course: (2026) February 21-22 March 21-22 April 25-26 May 30-31 June 27-28 Students must attend all 5 weekends to receive Certificate Classes run from 8:30am-5:30pm each scheduled day Information & Registration Link can be found here: [Polarity Reflexology (PR) Certificate Course](https://www.gafee.org/#/polarity-reflexology-pr/) *[Global Academy for Energetic Education (GAFEE) is Registered with the Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools and is authorized to teach Diploma and Certificate Programs. (Registration #2091)](https://oh.edvera.com/directory/institutions)*

**NEW LOCATION: Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: * 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. * 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). See the handy Parking Map - we recommend street parking. [Street Parking Map](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u2A4fLNlxwLJn0KA_hKc8bnFlFHLvsHBDh-_8wzX_tk/edit?usp=sharing) We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact centralohpython@gmail.com

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Bring a lightning talk with you and let's learn some quick things. What is Cocoaheads (http://cocoaheads.org/)? CocoaHeads is a group devoted to discussion of Apple Computer's Cocoa Framework for programming on MacOS X and iOS (including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch). During monthly meetings, members present on their projects and offer tutorials on various programming topics. What is BuckeyeCocoa (http://buckeyecocoa.org/)? BuckeyeCocoa is a group of Objective-C/Swift developers/enthusiasts. We host monthly Cocoaheads and near-weekly NSCoder meetings in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings are free to attend. Presentations! Presenters welcome! We are always in need of people willing to present material. Any Swift and/or Objective-C related topic is welcome. Times can be 5 minutes (i.e. lightning talks) to a maximum of 2 hours. Interested? Contact info is on the BuckeyeCocoa website. To volunteer for a presentation contact us at @BuckeyeCocoa on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter! @BuckeyeCocoa (https://twitter.com/#!/Buckeyecocoa/) For more information: http://buckeyecocoa.org/

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia