Cybernetics

Come to check out our hackerspace, talk to people and learn some new things, maybe use the tools for a short while, or just sit down with a laptop and do some work in a quiet place. Also a good time to sign up for a membership! We will have tea and coffee, likely also cookies. Come whenever from 19:00 till 22:00 - we might even be open until 24:00! If there's a problem (i.e. doors not open), call 28701072.

## Riga Philosophy Discussion Meetup Welcome to an open philosophy discussion group for curious minds, thoughtful conversation, and respectful debate. After traveling the world for the past few years as a digital nomad, I’ve noticed that nearly every major city has a philosophy discussion group — a place where people from different backgrounds gather to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore life’s bigger questions together. This meetup is an opportunity to create that kind of space here as well. The purpose of this group is not to “win” arguments or prove others wrong, but to think deeply, listen carefully, and enjoy meaningful conversation. Whether you are new to philosophy or have studied it for years, everyone is welcome. **Topics may include:** * *Ethics and morality* * *Consciousness and free will* * *Meaning and purpose* * *Technology and society* * *Politics and human nature* * *Happiness and suffering* * *Logic, reason, and belief* * *Artificial intelligence and the future* * *Classic philosophical ideas and modern dilemmas* For our first meetup, we will begin by proposing several discussion topics. The group can then vote, and by majority we will explore whichever topic generates the most interest. Possible first discussion topics: * *Are humans naturally good or selfish?* * *Can happiness be the highest goal?* * *Ethics of artificial intelligence* * *Is ignorance bliss?* * *Should emotions guide decisions?* The format will be informal, open, and conversational. Everyone is encouraged to participate, ask questions, and share perspectives respectfully. If the first meetup goes well, the plan is to make this a weekly gathering. **Simply look for the table with the Latvian flag on it when you enter.** *Note: The conversation and all discussion will solely be in English.*

Come and meet people in Riga! **New venue:** for the June 5 event I reserved a table at Tallinas Kvartals Ezitis Migla. If the weather is warm, we can be outside, if cold, we can be inside. * **When:** First Friday of each month, this time the 5th of June, 2026, at 7pm * **Ending:** while the duration is announced to be 2 hours, the party usually lasts longer * **Where:** The June 5 event will be held at **Tallinas Kvartals Ezitis Migla** * Prices: the event itself is free of charge, but please get a drink or a meal at the bar. Age limit: 18 and older. Photos of participants might be taken at the event and posted publicly to social media, including but not limited to [meetup.com.](http://meetup.com.) By joining the event, you accept this condition. Please join the event here (meetup.com is free for regular users) or contact us if you have any questions. Event communication will take place within [meetup.com.](http://meetup.com.) Please check for posts and messages regularly. Hope to see you soon. *Photo: [Sandra Q. on Trip Advisor](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g274967-d21225446-Reviews-Tallinas_Ielas_Kvartals-Riga_Riga_Region.html#/media/21225446/?type=ALL_INCLUDING_RESTRICTED&albumid=101&category=101)*

**Are you interested in photography, creativity, or simply seeing Riga from a fresh perspective?** **We invite you to join our Color Hunting Workshop on June 4 at 2:00 PM in Old Town, Riga!** **During this interactive photography walk, we'll explore the city through colors, patterns, and details that often go unnoticed. Together, we'll challenge ourselves to look at familiar places differently, experiment with creative perspectives, and capture unique moments through our lenses.** **📅 Date: June 4** **🕑 Time: 2:00 PM** **📍 Meeting Point: Old Town, Riga** **No professional camera is needed — your phone is enough! The most important thing is your curiosity and willingness to explore.** **Whether you're passionate about photography or simply looking for a creative way to spend your afternoon, this workshop is for you.** **🔗 Registration link: https://forms.gle/gWqqetkY4fNsbVDeA** **We look forward to discovering the colors of Riga together!** **——————** **📸 Color Hunting Fotodarbnīca (aizpildi formu)** **Kas notiktu, ja mēs uz brīdi palēninātu ikdienas skrējienu un sāktu pamanīt krāsas, kas slēpjas mums apkārt pilsētā?** **Pievienojies radošai foto pastaigai pa Rīgas ielām, kur kopā meklēsim interesantas krāsu kombinācijas, skatīsimies uz pilsētu no dažādām perspektīvām, iemūžināsim detaļas, kuras ikdienā bieži nepamanām, un pārvērtīsim parastus mirkļus mākslā.** **🗓️ 4. jūnijs** **🕑 14:00** **📍 Tikšanās vieta: Vecrīga** **Šī darbnīca ir lieliska iespēja attīstīt savas fotografēšanas prasmes, trenēt aci pamanīt skaistumu mazās lietās un izpaust savu radošumu caur fotogrāfiju — neatkarīgi no tā, vai izmanto kameru vai telefonu.** **🔗https://forms.gle/5XSn6P2S7kqM7p2T6** **Nāc ar ziņkāri, radošumu un vēlmi ieraudzīt Rīgu citādāk ✨** *******Organizē jauniešu organizācija KAŅIERIS (Kaņiera iela 15, Rīga)**

Every Thursday we go to play Bingo at the Top club. We enjoy the evening, test our luck. Sometimes we also get gifts. Come play with us. Let's have a drink and talk together. **free** event . . Katru ceturtdienu mēs ejam spēlēt Bingo klubā Top. Izbaudām vakaru, pārbaudām savu veiksmi. Dažreiz mēs arī saņemam dāvanas. Nāc spēlēt ar mums. Kopā iedzersim un parunāsim. **bezmaksas** pasākums

**Founders Running Club** (FRC) brings founders, investors, tech, creative people and startup enthusiasts together for weekly easy runs and networking. We like to be comfortable when we run and finish with coffee and conversations. Choose your pace or follow a pacer—pets, friends, family, are welcome. 🗓️ Launched in San Francisco, July 16, 2022 🌍 Now in 35+ cities 📅 Running + Networking events + Community **Join the community** http://foundersrc.com/chats **Stay updated**: Instagram http://instagram.com/foundersrc/ Podcast http://podcast.foundersrc.com/ LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/ Strava http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC Website http://foundersrc.com/

Wednesday is karaoke day. Every Wednesday we gather to sing. Come with a friend or alone, with or without a voice. The format is simple: show up, grab a microphone, and sing whatever you want. Or don't sing, just support others. As usual, the meeting place is Top Club. If you haven't been before, you can get to know the space at the same time. We're looking forward to seeing you this Wednesday. See you there! Trešdiena ir karaoke diena. Katru trešdienu mēs pulcējamies dziedāt. Nāc ar draugu vai viens, ar balsi vai bez. Formāts ir vienkāršs: nāc, paņem mikrofonu un dziedi, ko vien vēlies. Vai arī nedzied, vienkārši atbalsti citus. Kā parasti, tikšanās vieta ir Top klubs. Ja iepriekš neesi tur bijis, vari vienlaikus iepazīties ar vietu. Gaidīsim ciemos šajā trešdienā. Tiekamies tur!

I have been studying the question of "self" online with Prof. Ellie Anderson and so I thought a prompt on the "self" might be interesting. Full confession: I had Claude create this prompt and I like it, so here goes: Imagine a thought experiment that merges two classic puzzles: > You undergo a procedure, performed neuron by neuron, in which every biological component of your brain is replaced with a functionally identical synthetic substitute. At each step, your behavior, memories, and personality remain unchanged. When the last neuron is swapped, is the consciousness experiencing the world still you? And — more pressingly — was there ever a continuous "you" to begin with? ### Questions to Wrestle With * If consciousness is purely physical, does the *gradual* nature of the replacement matter, or is it equivalent to being destroyed and rebuilt? * Could there be a "self" without continuity of experience — even moment to moment, while you sleep? On a more practical level, consider the simpler case first: **hemispherectomy** patients — people who have had an entire cerebral hemisphere surgically removed — often retain a strong sense of personal identity and continuity. This suggests "you" are not rigidly tied to specific physical material. But does that vindicate the synthetic neuron case, or merely show that identity is more *flexible* than we thought — not that it can survive *complete* substrate replacement? I used Claude so I could get this out today and let everyone have some time to consider it. Hope to see you at the Oracle. Sorry about the location change two weeks ago. That's what I get for trusting local weather predictions!

QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry. This is a ticketed event please register here: https://www.qaorthehwy.com/ Featured Keynote Speakers: **Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\. **Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.

Monthly working lunch for Columbus business owners. One specific topic, one to three actions you can run this week. You can be the best at what you do and still be invisible. If local buyers cannot find you, the phone does not ring. Marketing Monday Lunch + Learn is a monthly working lunch for Columbus business owners focused on building relationships, local networking, and local marketing. Every kind of local business welcome. No pitch round, no pressure, no upsell. **This month** Most local businesses pick one or two places to be visible and call it good. The result is inconsistent calls and a feeling that marketing is not working. We will walk through the three places every local business needs to show up, plus the fourth place most owners ignore that quietly produces the warmest leads. **What to expect** Doors open at noon. Order lunch and drinks at the cafe counter or bring your own. You get real conversation with other local owners and a focused marketing lesson. You leave knowing people and with one to three actions to run that week. The room is reserved through 1:30 PM. **Who this is for** Any local business owner who wants clearer marketing direction and real local relationships. Service businesses, retail, home services, professional services, online owners building local presence, anyone serious about being part of the Columbus business community. **Not the right fit if** You are here to pitch the room or recruit for an MLM. **Details** * Second Monday of every month * 12:00 to 1:30 PM * Good Cafe Easton, 4400 Easton Commons, Ste 150, Columbus, OH 43219 * Order lunch and drinks at the counter when you arrive * Free to attend, RSVP required, space is limited **About the host** Rita Suzanne is a local marketing strategist and the founder of Local Marketing Method. She runs Visibility is Profitability, the membership where local business owners build the system that keeps their phone ringing. Learn more at learnlocalmarketing.com. Register here: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989964540509?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989964540509?aff=oddtdtcreator)

Topic to be announced. **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

Main Library, Meeting Room 2B Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. All backgrounds are welcome.

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