Brain Injury

Do we really choose our actions, or are we shaped by forces far beyond our control? We often think of free will as the power to make our own decisions and direct our lives. But if we are physical beings in a world governed by cause and effect, what kind of freedom is actually possible? At our next Curiosity Café, we’ll explore one of philosophy’s most fascinating and consequential questions: what is free will? Together, we’ll examine some of the major ways philosophers have tried to answer it. Is freedom compatible with determinism? Are we only free when no one is coercing us? Or does genuine freedom require that we somehow break free from the chain of prior causes altogether? From there, we’ll dive into one of the most famous thought experiments in philosophy — Frankfurt’s case of Jones and Black — which challenges the idea that freedom always requires the ability to do otherwise. What does it really mean to choose freely? And what kind of control do we need in order to be morally responsible? In our second hour, we’ll turn to the ethical and political stakes of the debate. How should we think about responsibility in cases involving brain injury or mental illness? When someone’s capacity for control is impaired, does that reduce their blameworthiness? And if free will is more limited than we tend to assume, what does that mean for punishment, justice, and moral responsibility? Finally, we’ll ask what is really at stake in holding on to the idea of free will. Is it essential to moral responsibility? Can we preserve accountability without it? And how might our legal, political, and social institutions look different depending on how we answer these questions? Join co-moderators Ken Boyd and Marybel Menzies to reflect, question, and engage with others as we explore one of the deepest questions about what it means to be human — whether or not we are free. **Space is limited!** **Please obtain a “Pay-What-You-Can” ticket from Curiosity Café at [this link (click here)](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/curiosity-cafe-free-will-tickets-1986181200437) to attend this event. You need a ticket to be admitted.** See the above link for more info about tickets and other options including a limited number of free tickets. Come and hang out with us, grab food, and read through our handout from 6-6:30pm. Our structured discussion will run from 6:30-8:30pm with a 10 minute break in the middle. Hope to see you there! ***__________________________________________________________________*** This event is brought to you by [Being and Becoming](https://beingnbecoming.org/), a Toronto based non-profit. We aim to create community around exploring everyday concepts and experiences so that we may live more intentional, thoughtful, and meaningful lives. We use philosophy as a tool with which we can come to a richer understanding of the world around us. By offering activities, spaces, and other opportunities for conversation and co-exploration, we hope to enable the meeting and fusion of individuals and their ideas. Everyone is welcome, regardless of background: indeed, we believe the journey is best undertaken alongside explorers from a variety of disciplines, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Find out more about Being and Becoming [here](https://beingnbecoming.org/). About the Curiosity Café Series: For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to join us at our Curiosity Cafés and are wondering what they’re all about: every two weeks, we invite members of our community to come out to the Madison Avenue Pub to engage in a collaborative exploration of our chosen topic. Through these events, we aim to build our community of people who like to think deeply about life’s big questions, and provide each other with some philosophical tools to dig deeper into whatever it is we are most curious about.

We are following our favourite trivia host, Simon from Are You Smarter than a Scottish Guy, to one of his other weekly locations: One-Eyed Jack's at 287 Richmond Road (between John and Peter Streets). The beer selection at this location is quite minimal but their food menu is good - https://www.oneeyedjackpub.com/torontomenu. They have a $0.95 wing special with lots of flavours. The trivia starts at 7:00pm with first question at 7:15 pm. We have a pair of tables (12 people) reserved under Steve so far. Serious RSVPs only as no-shows prevent us from fielding a complete team. Top prizes is a gift certificate for the next visit. Other prizes are a free round for the table and nachos. There is also a small prize for best team name, so put on your creative hat; the host seems to like puns and prefers short team names. Let's have some fun, eat some wings, and hopefully win!

Ready to sweat it out on the hills? Join us for a HIIT-style hill training hike This hike is part of the **HikeFit Series**, a collection of fitness-focused hikes designed to build strength, endurance, and overall hiking fitness. We’ll challenge you with steep climbs, rugged terrain, and a high-intensity workout. This isn’t a fast-paced hike, but it is **intense**. We’ll tackle multiple **very steep hills** in intervals, with plenty of chances to catch your breath, recover, or skip hills if needed. This hike is designed for intermediate hikers, but it’s **beginner-friendly** since you can skip as many hills as you need. It’s perfect for anyone looking to **get stronger, improve endurance, and boost their hiking fitness** at their own pace. **Weather-Dependent Notice:** The hike is a go, **(light)** rain or shine; However, if there's a risk of excessive mud making the hills too slippery, the hike will be canceled with around 24 hours’ notice. **Distance & Duration:** * **Length of hike:** \~4 km * **Event duration:** \~1.5 hours * **Trail maps:** Random hill at Earl Bales park * **Difficulty level:** L3 (Level 3/Moderate) * Terrain: L4 * Pace: L2 * Distance: L1 **What to Bring:** * **Water:** 1\~2 liters * **Extras:** Hiking pole (Highly recommended) * **Required Gear:** Hiking boots or Trail Runners with good grip, Headlamp, and [Microspikes](https://kahtoola.com/traction/microspikes-footwear-traction/?srsltid=AfmBOoqq-URDFRgNAISoLYH1l1cSLKeXOTSuU6EqUC6VupfLNZAGRg8P) **Costs:** * **Member Event fee:** FREE EVENT **Travel Coordination:** * No Travel Coordination for this Event, Meeting at Starting Point **Event Guidelines:** * **Punctuality,** Please arrive on time so we can start promptly. We won't be able to wait for more than 5min past the start time * **Pack out everything you bring** (including nut shells, fruit peels, etc.) to help keep our trails clean. * **RSVP:** Only those marked as “Going” and have confirmed travel details (if requested) are eligible to attend the event. * If your **plans change** and you are no longer able to attend, please update your RSVP as soon as possible. * **No-shows** without prior communication may result in removal from future events. * **Weather Considerations** The hike is a go (light) **rain or shine**, so please be prepared for the conditions. for example, If it’s expected to rain, waterproof gear (like a jacket or shoes) * **Pets:** please check with the organizer for details before bringing your pet. Looking forward to seeing you on the trail

Practice and improve your English through conversation at St. Andrew Centre (73 Simcoe St, downtown Toronto), while making new friends! \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- How to Get to the Event: By TTC, exit at St. Andrew Station. Walk west on King St. West to Simcoe St. Do not enter through the church building; the large church front doors will be closed. At the corner of Simcoe St. and King St. West, turn south and walk on Simcoe St. Enter through St. Andrew Centre, which will be behind the church building.

A diffuse harm hurts many people a little; a concentrated harm hurts one person a lot. Other things equal, diffuse harm seems less bad than its concentrated counterpart. For example, shortening a billion happy lives by a second each seems less bad than shortening one happy life by a billion seconds (\~30 years). But this attractive thought is surprisingly difficult to maintain. Although many problems for such a view are known, a particularly vivid difficulty arises in cases that involve a sequence of social positions, each very similar to the last, such as the Fortuna’s Wheel scenario. In such cases, it follows, from rather minimal assumptions, that diffuse harm is just as bad as its relevantly similar concentrated counterpart. In response, some may wonder whether the parity of diffuse and concentrated harms holds only in these special sequential cases. But it can be argued that the approximate parity of diffuse and concentrated harms extends well beyond such cases. Specifically, it can be argued that in many realistic cases, a diffuse harm will bring about an outcome approximately as bad as a relevantly similar concentrated harm. Diffuse harm is easily underestimated. Zach Barnett https://philosophy.nd.edu/people/faculty/zach-barnett/ Assistant Professor Department of Philosophy University of Notre Dame **About the Speaker:** Zach received his PhD from Brown University in 2018. He joined Notre Dame in 2023, moving from the National University of Singapore, where he taught for five years. Zach mainly studies ethics, practical rationality, and epistemology, and he hopes that his work is convincing, surprising, and easy to understand. Current research interests include collective action problems, aggregation and risk, and followability of norms. His representative publications include "Rational Moral Ignorance" (2021) in *Philosophy and Phenomenological Research*, "Why You Should Vote to Change the Outcome" (2020) in *Philosophy & Public Affairs,* "Philosophy Without Belief" (2019) in *Mind*, and "No Free Lunch: The Significance of Tiny Contributions" (2018) in *Analysis*. **\* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \*** This is a talk with audience Q&A presented by the University of Toronto's Centre for Ethics that is free to attend and open to the public. The talk will also be streamed online with live chat here [to be posted]. About the Centre for Ethics (http://ethics.utoronto.ca): The Centre for Ethics is an interdisciplinary centre aimed at advancing research and teaching in the field of ethics, broadly defined. The Centre seeks to bring together the theoretical and practical knowledge of diverse scholars, students, public servants and social leaders in order to increase understanding of the ethical dimensions of individual, social, and political life. In pursuit of its interdisciplinary mission, the Centre fosters lines of inquiry such as (1) foundations of ethics, which encompasses the history of ethics and core concepts in the philosophical study of ethics; (2) ethics in action, which relates theory to practice in key domains of social life, including bioethics, business ethics, and ethics in the public sphere; and (3) ethics in translation, which draws upon the rich multiculturalism of the City of Toronto and addresses the ethics of multicultural societies, ethical discourse across religious and cultural boundaries, and the ethics of international society. The Ethics of A.I. Lab at the Centre For Ethics recently appeared on a list of 10 organizations leading the way in ethical A.I.: https://ocean.sagepub.com/blog/10-organizations-leading-the-way-in-ethical-ai

Weekly Qur’an Tafsir Discussion Circle (Men\`s Reading Circle) Join us for our weekly Qur’an Tafsir gathering where we read selected passages from the Qur’an along with their explanations (tafsir) and reflect on their meanings together. This is an open and respectful discussion circle where participants share their understanding, insights, and questions in a friendly environment. The goal is to deepen our understanding of the Qur’an and learn from each other. Everyone is welcome — whether you are new to studying the Qur’an or have been studying for many years. 📖 Weekly Qur’an reading and tafsir 💬 Open discussion and reflections 🤝 Friendly and welcoming atmosphere Feel free to bring your thoughts, questions, and curiosity.

Can we use Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) as a new technology to solve long standing problems? ​ ​Inviting all technologists, students, and citizens interested in working on AR/VR, and Civic projects. Michael Andich, Community and Partnerships Manager, National Centre of Excellence for Immersive Technology will present their solutions. Check out their website here: [https://immxrsive.com/](https://immxrsive.com/?utm_source=luma). New to AR/VR or Civic Tech? You are definitely welcome! We will all be learning from each other. Just knowing what technologies are available and projects people are working on, sparks ideas about new civic tech projects. There will be opportunities to network, and pitch your own project to interested volunteers. Questions: email [civictechbrampton@pm.me](mailto:civictechbrampton@pm.me) ​ ​Agenda: ​6:00 to 6:15 Meet and network ​6:15 to 6:30 Introductions (everyone) ​6:30 Presentation by Michael Andich. National Centre of Excellence for Immersive Technology, [https://immxrsive.com/](https://immxrsive.com/?utm_source=luma) ​7:00 to 7:15 Q& A ​7:15 to 7:30 Project pitches ​7:30 to 8:30 Breakout into projects of interest ​8:30 End and optional social at a local bar

Our coffee shop meetup now takes place every other Saturday. Come out to meet and chat with your fellow members of the Toronto Social Anxiety Support group in a supportive environment. **IMPORTANT: This group is intended to provide a safe space for people with social anxiety who may feel inhibited in louder, more extroverted environments. Please respect the nature of this group and do not attend if you are not in this category. There are many other groups available on Meetup.** **When**: 5pm - 7pm **Where to meet**: Alternity Café, just west of St. George Street, on the south side of Bloor. Vegan café with a chill vibe. Here is their website: https://alternity.ca/pages/our-place **Reminder**: Like all our events, the group's code of conduct applies. Pls make this a successful outing by being courteous and respectful in language and behaviour, and supportive towards other members, especially those with higher anxiety. **Covid/flu safety**: If you are sick or have recently been exposed to someone who is sick, pls use your judgement about attending this event. You can always come to the next event when you feel better.

**This is a ticketed event. Please register at [this link](https://luma.com/wbpv7ouu).** In this talk, Talha Paracha will present insights from his latest research on using language models for improving software security ("Hallucinating Certificates", to appear at ICSE 2026). Certificate validation is a crucial step in Transport Layer Security (TLS), the de facto standard network security protocol. Prior research has shown that differentially testing TLS implementations with synthetic certificates can reveal critical security issues, such as accidentally accepting untrusted certificates. Paracha et al. introduce a new approach, MLCerts, to generate synthetic certificates that leverages generative language models to more extensively test software implementations. Recently, these models have become (in)famous for their applications in generating content, writing code, and conversing with users, as well as for "hallucinating" syntactically correct yet semantically nonsensical output. The authors leverage two novel insights in their work: (a) TLS certificates can be expressed in natural-like language, namely in the X.509 standard that aids human readability, and (b) differential testing can benefit from hallucinated malformed test cases. MLCerts finds significantly more distinct discrepancies between the five TLS implementations OpenSSL, LibreSSL, GnuTLS, MbedTLS, and MatrixSSL than the state-of-the-art benchmark Transcert. ​​​**Event Schedule** 6:00 to 6:30 - Food and introductions 6:30 to 7:30 - Presentation and Q&A 7:30 to 9:00 - Open Discussions ​​​​​​If you can't make it in person, feel free to join the live stream starting at 6:30 pm, via [this link](https://www.youtube.com/@Trajectory-Labs/live).

**Join [TILE.]** at the **most popular Saturday Language Learning Social Event & Party in Toronto! 🍁** **[TILE.] = Toronto International Language Exchange [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/tilelearning/)** **[TILE.]** now has a **2-for-1 special event,** which includes: **1.** From **[6:30 - 7:15 PM](https://www.meetup.com/english-class-with-certified-award-winning-teacher):** An optional new $5 small group 45-minute **[English language class](https://www.meetup.com/english-class-with-certified-award-winning-teacher)**[ ](https://www.meetup.com/english-class-with-certified-award-winning-teacher)led by a certified language teacher **2.** From **[7:15 - 11 PM](https://www.meetup.com/biggest-language-party-event-social-in-toronto):** Our usual huge group **[BIGGEST LANGUAGE EXCHANGE SOCIAL EVENT AND PARTY IN TORONTO](https://www.meetup.com/biggest-language-party-event-social-in-toronto)** (Cost: *$0-$5\*, see below)* Both events happen Saturday on the 2nd floor of the Madison Pub (14 Madison Avenue). ***Attend either or both events!*** Meet Toronto locals and international friends. Talk to language teachers and speakers to learn English, French, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, and much more! Join us for board games, conversation, dancing, singing, and more! Make sure to get a nametag from one of our helpers. *You **must** read the full event description below before attending. By attending, you agree to all the terms listed.* **[TILE.] Toronto International Language Exchange** event details: * We are on the 2nd floor of the Madison pub on the patio with all the international flags! *The dance floor opens around 10 PM, and the live piano bar singer start around 10:30 on the 1st floor.* * With our night ride promotion, the second event (the 7:15- 11 PM Party & Social event) is **FREE** for women who will be traveling alone at night to promote inclusion and equity\*. This event normally $5. * The cost for the first event (the 6:30 - 7:15 PM English Language class) is $5 for everyone. **PAY** **$5** right at the event by **CASH, CREDIT, or DEBIT**, or **SEND $5 E-TRANSFERS** to: **TILETORONTO1@GMAIL.COM**. You can also support the bar by buying a drink or appetizer. **\*** The second event ends late at night. It is 100% your own responsibility to ensure you get home safe. We can simply waive the $5 event entry/cover fee for women who will be traveling home alone so that they may instead put this money towards taking a safe ride home. \-\-\-\-\-\- **IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER – Meetup Group** By attending any TILE events, including these ones, you acknowledge and agree to the following: * *The organizers and hosts of TILE events are are not liable for any loss, injury, damage, or other unforeseen outcomes that may occur before, during, or after any event.* * *Participation in TILE events is entirely voluntary and at your own risk. You are solely responsible for your own safety, personal belongings, transportation, behavior, and well-being. It is your responsibility to assess the risks involved in any activity or location and to act accordingly.* * *TILE and its organizers do not provide insurance and cannot guarantee the safety, accuracy of information, or quality of venues, third-party services, or other attendees.* * *By attending, you release TILE, its organizers, and affiliates from any and all claims or liability, and you agree to conduct yourself respectfully and in accordance with local laws and venue rules.* * ***If you do not agree with this disclaimer, please do not attend TILE events.***

Join Neurospicy Columbus at the Stauff's for coffee and then a stroll through the Book Loft nearby! This will be a friendly chat for like minded individuals with Autism and/or ADHD (or somewhere on the Neurodiverse Spectra).

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

Rev. Steven Clevenger is an ordained spiritualist minister with over 40 years experience as a Spiritual Healer, Clairvoyant and Spiritual Teacher, educated and trained at the White Lily Chapel. Rev. Siobhan Wolf Shaffer is an ordained spiritualist minister and certified medium and healer with over 20 years experience. She began her development in 1988 in Pennsylvania and continued when she moved to Ohio in 1998 where she studied at Rays of Lights Church with Rev. Steven Clevenger. Our full worship services consist of an inspirational lecture, healing meditation, and messages from the spirit world that serve to demonstrate evidence of eternal life. Please visit our Official Church Website (http://raysoflightchurch.com) for more information.

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Have you always wanted to check out a rave… but didn’t know where to start? This is your chance. Whether you're a seasoned headbanger or completely new, we’d love to have you out. On April 11, Jessica Audiffred is taking over Otherworld — and this is *not* your typical venue. It’s a massive immersive art space filled with surreal rooms, hidden passages, and interactive exhibits… and for this show, almost all of it is open. So you’re not just going to a concert — you’re stepping into an environment: 🎧 A high-energy bass set that you *feel* 🌀 A labyrinth of trippy, explorable art spaces 👯‍♂️ A group to go with so you’re not figuring it out alone You can lose yourself in the crowd, disappear into another room, find something completely unexpected, and then come back right as the drop hits. No pressure, no “right way” to do it — just explore, move, and take it in at your own pace. 📍 Otherworld, Columbus 🗓 April 11 🕙 Doors open at 10:15 PM (music does not start in the exhibit space until 10:30 PM.) If you’ve been even a little curious about what this scene is like, this is one of the most unique ways to experience it. RSVP if you’re in 👇 There’s no cost to attend with the group—just the event ticket for Otherworld. Tickets are $40, plus some fees 🙄. You can use code "BassBuds" or "Bangers" for $5 off, which makes it \~$43 out the door. 🔗 [https://otherworld.ticketspice.com/jessica-audiffred](https://otherworld.ticketspice.com/jessica-audiffred) This is being posted to Central Ohio Friends and Columbus Social Connection. Please only RSVP to one group.

Let’s try this popular Italian restaurant in Reynoldsburg. This is the menu: https://scaliristorante.com/#4e468054-0235-43e2-81c2-44e061341e9e