Data Literacy

#This meetup is around a third-party organizer (Focus Filmtheater): you can either purchase your ticket online or right before the session# **Title**: The Secret Agent **Language**: Portuguese **Subtitles**: English **Length**: 158 min **Director**: Kleber Mendonça Filho **More info**: https://www.focusarnhem.nl/agenda/english-subs-the-secret-agent/ **Ticket link**: https://www.focusarnhem.nl/tickets/141175/ **Synopsis**: *The Secret Agent* is a tense political thriller from director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau, Aquarius), who brings a tumultuous period in Brazilian history to life in his latest work. Through various storylines, he depicts a country entangled in violence, corruption, and vendettas, a turbulent 1970s carefully constructed from his own memories, family histories, and archival material. Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert and widower, is on the run. As the military dictatorship continues to enforce increasingly cruel measures on the population, he arrives in Recife, where he hopes to reunite with his young son. There, during carnival week, he finds shelter with a group of like-minded people and assumes a false identity. But Marcelo’s situation is trickier than he realizes: he soon discovers that the city is far from the peaceful refuge he is looking for. With a mix of film styles—suspense, humor, and even a touch of horror—*The Secret Agent* isn’t just a gripping movie, but also a snapshot of our times, in which the highly acclaimed Mendonça Filho offers a keen analysis of Brazil’s past and present. The international film community also recognises that *The Secret Agent* gets under your skin: it was the most awarded film at Cannes (Best Director, Best Actor), ended up on many ‘best of’ lists and is still in the running for several Oscar categories, partly because of the phenomenal acting of lead actor Wagner Moura. **How it works**: I will be at Focus around 18:30, where we can meet before the movie starts. You can message me to find us. Screening starts at 19:00. After the movie, we can have a drink together. Hope to see you soon!

**Welkom bij Coding Wednesday!** Samen duiken we in de creatieve wereld van programmeren. **Wat gaan we maken?** * Het legendarische spel Pong. Dit gaan we maken in de programmeertaal Python. **Heb ik voorkennis nodig?** Het is handig als je al wat programmeerervaring hebt en weet wat for-loops en if-else statements zijn. Zo niet, kijk vooral mee om iets op te steken. Of werk met iemand samen! Uiteraard kan je je voorbereiden met online tutorials zoals [deze](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uQrJ0TkZlc). **Wat heb je nodig?** * Je eigen laptop met WiFi aansluiting * Installeer een **code editor**. Novi studenten kunnen PyCharm gebruiken. Anders is [VSCode](https://code.visualstudio.com/download) een prima editor * Installeer Python op je laptop. Dit kan via hun [website](www.python.org/downloads/) **Is er een minimum aantal aanmeldingen?** Deze Coding Wednesday gaat door als er 5 aanmeldingen zijn of meer. Dus vergeet vooral niet om je aan te melden :) Mocht het niet doorgaan, laten we dit hier weten voor 17 februari 12:00 uur! Details: 📅 Wanneer: Woensdag 18 februari 2026, 14:00 uur (tot uiterlijk 17:00) 📍 Waar: Op locatie! Newtonlaan 247, Utrecht (4e etage)

Hi all! 🙂 On Wednesdays we welcome you to practice languages! If you want to practice a specific (uncommon) language, please send us a message so we can find some conversation partners for you on our mailing list! We hope to see you in Café Marktzicht! In the last year we had tables for the following languages: * Dutch * English * French * Italian * Spanish * Turkish\* * German\* * Portuguese\* * Danish\* * Norwegian\* * Russian\* * Arabic\* * Chinese\*\* * Japanese\*\* * Indonesian\*\* * * Most likely, but not every week present. \*\* - Rather rare ;-) If your language is not in this list, please let us know! We have a large database of Language Cafe visitors speaking 56 different languages! We might be able to connect you with a person that does speak the language you want to practice. In case you are not in our database yet, please use this form: http://goo.gl/forms/oSCn9Dn8m8

Join in for a some drinks (and food, if you want) after work at **The 5th \| Utrecht**. Bring your own project and payment for drinks. As evenings tend to be a bit busier, we'll reserve a table. This means: **Only sign up if you are sure you will come!** And if there's no space left on the event, please don't join spontaneously. \-\-\-\-\- As always, we talk about our projects, exchange tipps, but also just get to know each other and enjoy a drink after a long day in good company. Whether it's knitting, crocheting, stitching, origami, or something more unique, we're looking forward to seeing you!

Hi there! Tonight we'll have fun over a nice game of pool🪄🎱. From clueless to amateur, all levels are welcome - the important thing is to enjoy and socialize in our beautiful rainbow community 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️. The Meetup will start at 21:00h and is expected to finish around 23:00h, but the duration can be extended if we wish to. ✨️ Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram: @utrecht.lgbt ✨️ Looking forward to seeing you all you soon! * 🤍🩵🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤

De kerstdiners zijn geweest, de oliebollen zijn op en het werkritme is weer gevonden. Kortom, tijd voor de eerste MeetUp van het jaar. Zoals altijd georganiseerd door deTesters, TestCoders en TechChamps, in ons kantoor in de Werkspoorkathedraal in Utrecht. En zoals je van ons gewend bent, beginnen we niet rustig. We starten met een onderwerp dat direct aan je manier van denken en werken gaat schudden. **WORKSHOP AI: Wat als code schrijven niet meer jouw werk is?** De meeste developers gebruiken AI als een fancy autocomplete. Copy-paste uit ChatGPT. Misschien Copilot in je editor. Spoiler: dat is Level 1 van 6. The Ai-Team - Jeroen Gordijn en Jeroen Dee - nemen je mee naar de top van de AI Coding Ladder. Waar je niet meer codeert, maar orkestreert. Waar AI-agents zelfstandig debuggen, testen en implementeren. Waar jij de architect bent en AI het bouwteam. Dit is geen workshop over tools. Dit is een workshop over hoe je *brein moet herprogrammeren*. Over waarom je huidige manier van werken binnenkort ouderwets is. Over agentic development met concepten als memory files, skills, en sub-agents die samenwerken. **Wat kun je verwachten?** * De AI Coding Ladder: van copy-paste amateur tot Agentic Architect * Waarom AI geen tool is, maar een transformatie van hoe je werkt * Hands-on met agentic development concepten: * Memory bestanden (AGENTS.md) die je AI context en geheugen geven * skills die gedrag voorspelbaar en herhaalbaar maken * Sub-agents die complexe taken autonoom oppakken **Waarom meedoen?** * Je wilt verder komen dan "even ChatGPT vragen" * Je wilt begrijpen hoe agentic workflows écht werken * Je bent klaar om je manier van werken fundamenteel te veranderen * Je wilt nu instappen, voordat je achterloopt * Je staat open om je brein opnieuw te programmeren **The Ai-Team** **Jeroen Gordijn** Software engineer met 20 jaar ervaring in het bouwen van schaalbare systemen. Van bol.com en DHL tot Port of Rotterdam en Ahold Delhaize. Altijd met één been in de architectuur en het andere in de code. Het laatste jaar volledig overgestapt naar AI Driven Development. Van nieuwsgierig experimenteren naar dagelijks inzetten in productie. Deelt nu wat hij geleerd heeft: hoe je AI écht laat werken. **Jeroen Dee** AI Shepherd met 20 jaar ervaring in software development. Van support engineer tot Lead Quality Engineer bij organisaties als Funda, Wehkamp, Videoland en het Ministerie van Justitie. Het laatste jaar volledig ondergedompeld in AI Driven Development en een transitie gemaakt van scepticus naar evangelist. Deelt nu de lessen uit de praktijk: wat werkt, wat niet, en hoe je je brein herprogrammeert. In de periode 2019 tot 2020 werkte hij voor deTesters en is hij sindsdien nooit echt weggeweest. Nog steeds een "vriend-van-de-show". **Doelgroep** * QA Engineers en developers die willen begrijpen waar AI Driven Development naartoe gaat en hoe ze daar nu al kunnen komen. * deze avond is volledig in het Nederlands **\*Dutch spoken\*** **Pre-conditie voor deelname** Deze workshop werkt alleen als iedereen zelf actief met AI aan de slag kan. Daarom is een **eigen abonnement op een van de genoemde AI modellen verplicht. Wij faciliteren geen accounts, abonnementen of tijdelijke toegang.** Zorg dat je vooraf bent ingelogd en dat alles werkt. Om goed voorbereid mee te kunnen doen, vragen we je rekening te houden met het volgende: * Een technische achtergrond is een must * Je hebt een terminal waar je bekend mee bent * Je beschikt over een **eigen abonnement** op een van de foundational modellen, zoals OpenAI Plus, Anthropic Claude Pro Max, GitHub Copilot of Google Gemini * Je gebruikt OpenCode als agentic AI tool https://opencode.ai en bent daar ingelogd met een van bovenstaande model aanbieders * Je bedenkt vooraf iets dat je voor jezelf wilt maken en houdt de scope bewust beperkt * Je bent nieuwsgierig en bereid om je manier van werken kritisch te bekijken **Programma** 17:30 Ontvangst en eten 18:30 De workshop: Agentic Development in actie (mix: presentatie en praktisch) 20:30 Q&A 21:00 Afsluiting met een borrel

Das nächste Treffen der Hamburg PowerShell User Group findet am 18.02.2026 um 18:30 Uhr statt und ihr seid herzlich eingeladen! Das Treffen findet vor Ort (bei glueckkanja) und online statt. Link nach Anmeldung in meetup einsehbar. 1\. Welcome 2. **XDRInternals** Modulentwicklung kann sehr aufwändig sein, vor allem wenn man undokumentierte APIs nutzbar machen möchte. Anhand von XDRInternals zeigt Fabian Bader wie man die notwendigen API Calls herausfindet und mittels klassicher Entwicklung und LLM Unterstützung ein komplettes Modul in wenigen Wochen bereitstellt. 3\. Q&A Wir freuen uns auf eure Teilnahme.

Join us for an evening of practical case studies and networking. Assil Jwair & Bob de Witte will show how IKEA built a reliable conversational analytics tool with multi-agent AI, allowing business users to query complex data and get consistent, hallucination-free answers. Then, Fried Schölvinck, Agentic AI specialist, will demonstrate how to build agents with natural language in Open WebUI, enabling powerful features like agentic RAG and web search. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals over drinks and snacks before and after the presentations. **Details** 📅 Date: Feb 19, 2026 ​​🕔 Time: 17:30 - 21:00 📍 Location: Raamstraat 7, 1016 XL, Amsterdam **Schedule** 17:30 - 18:15: Welcome with food and drinks! 18:15 - 18:20: Opening notes 18:20 - 18:55: Talk 1 - Ask Your Data Anything: How IKEA Built Reliable Conversational Analytics with Multi-Agent AI by Assil Jwair, Lead Data Engineer at IKEA and Bob de Witte, Analytics Engineer at Xomnia 18:55 - 19:10: Break 19:10 - 19:35: Talk 2 - Building an open source agent creator in Open WebUI by Fried Schölvinck GenAI Lead at Xomnia 19:35 - 19:40: Closing notes 19:40 - 21:00: Networking/drinks **Talk 1 - Ask Your Data Anything: How IKEA Built Reliable Conversational Analytics with Multi-Agent AI** Assil Jwair and Bob de Witte will talk about how how IKEA’s order allocation analytics team is leveraging LLMs to enable business users to query vast, complex data models through natural conversation. Beyond simple chat, we will discuss the architectural framework required to eliminate hallucinations, ensure consistency, and embed the expertise of data analysts directly into the tool. Discover how this approach accelerates decision-making and provides a scalable, reliable way to unlock insights. **Talk 2 - Building an open source agent creator in Open WebUI** In this talk, Fried Schölvinck will learn you how to build agents with natural language in Open WebUI, a popular ChatGPT-alternative. By leveraging the exposure of internal API's to the models via tool calling, modern LLMs are able to create new agents and even edit their own configuration, directly in the UI. Peak inside the source code of a mature AI framework and discover how to use that built-in python code to enable agentic RAG, web search and more. Fried is an agentic AI specialist and machine learning engineer with a background in Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence. Motivated by the vast potential of AI and a pragmatic approach, he has pursued a career blending Machine Learning Engineering with consultancy. **Important Note:** ⚡ Spots are limited! Please cancel your registration if you cannot attend.

# **A new chapter is opening ... literally.** Dutch Testing is gathering momentum again, and the MoT Netherlands Chapter is ready for its next meetup‑turned‑Chapter moment. As the Ministry of Testing shifts from Meetup to the MoTaverse, we’re embracing the new format with the same spirit: community first, quality always. For our second Chapter event, we’re going back to the essentials: the craft, the conversations, the curiosity. Because strong foundations aren’t old‑school; they’re what make everything else possible. Join in, connect, share, learn and help shape the future of Dutch testing as we step fully into the Chapter era. **PROGRAM:** **17:00 – Arrival & Dinner** *Join us for a warm welcome and a bite to eat as we kick off the evening.* **18:15 – Opening Remarks** *Let's get this party started.* ***18:20 – Talk 1: Linda van de Vooren*** *Dashboard or Management P\*rn?* ***18:50 – Talk 2: Remco Ridder*** *Performance Testing as a Pipeline Essential* ***19:20 – Break*** *Grab a drink, stretch your legs, or catch a breath before the next speakers.* ***19:40 – Talk 3: Tom Broekmans*** *A Quest for Code Quality* *– A Short Star Wars Story* ***20:10 – Talk 4: Martijn Goossens*** *Maximum Quality with Minimum Manual Testers* **20:40** **– Closing & Lightning Talks** *A chance for attendees to share quick insights, pitches, or questions with the group.* **Followed by – Networking Drinks** *Unwind, connect, and continue the conversation over drinks. No fixed end time* – *stay as long as the energy lasts or the alarm system warns us to leave.*

Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://www.shutupwrite.com). **Other Important Details:** WiFi name/password: [PLEASE INCLUDE DETAILS] Travel / Parking info: [PLEASE INCLUDE DETAILS]

Build with AI 2026: Agentic Hackathon 📢 Important Participation Rule ⚠️ Hybrid Speakers, In-Person Builders: While our expert speakers may join both online and in-person, this hackathon is an In-Person Only experience for participants. To form a team, build your agent, and qualify for the final prizes, you must be physically present at the venue in Ahlen. Let's build the future together, face-to-face! 🤝 About Build with AI Hackathon Build with AI 2026 is here! This is a community-led, hands-on hackathon where developers of all levels acquire and apply skills to prototype, build, and deploy applications using the latest Google AI technologies: Gemini 3, Vertex AI, AI Studio, and Antigravity. Our hackathon is a two-week intensive sprint focused on AI Agents and the ADK (Agent Development Kit). Participants are actively engaged in rapid problem-solving, moving from initial ideation to a functional, tangible prototype. Goal: Transform an idea into a working solution using Google’s AI ecosystem to solve real-world challenges. Hackathon Schedule & Format The event is structured into two Saturday sessions to allow for deep building and technical excellence: Part 1: Ignition & Agent Construction (First Saturday) Introductory Session: Direct deep dive into Gemini 3 and the Antigravity IDE. Tools Exploration: Hands-on setup of the ADK (Agent Development Kit). Team Building: Finalizing teams and brainstorming agentic workflows. Building Phase: Immediate start on prototypes with direct support from mentors. Mid-Week: Development Sprint Continuous building and remote collaboration. Access to Google Cloud resources and community technical channels. Part 2: Final Sprint & Pitch Day (Second Saturday) Project Finishing: Final technical polish, debugging, and deployment. Live Presentations: Teams showcase their functional agents and "Skills" to the community. Judging & Awards: Evaluation by industry experts followed by the Gift Giving ceremony and exclusive Google AI swag. Participant Resources Cloud Resources: Claim your Cloud OnRamp credits to use Google Cloud Platform at no cost during the event. Official Recognition: All participants receive the Build with AI 2026 Attendee Badge on their Google Developer Program profile. Expert Guidance: Work directly with trainers and experts to master agent creation. Part 1 : Build with AI 2026: Agentic Hackathon Part 2 : Build with AI 2026: Agentic Hackathon 🎁 Exclusive Rewards To celebrate your progress, we have special Google AI Swag for the top performers: 👕 Limited Edition T-shirt 🎒 Premium Bag Prizes will be awarded during the Final Ceremony in Part 2! #BuildWithAI This is a hybrid event. Join the event virtually at https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-ahlen-presents-build-with-ai-2026-agentic-hackathon-part-1-2026-02-21/ or in person at Initiative Bürgerzentrum Schuhfabrik e.V. - 7 Königstraße Ahlen, 59227 *** Agenda 3:00 PM: 👋 Check-in & Welcome Registration and informal greeting of participants. 3:30 PM: 🎤 Keynote: The Era of Agents Intro to Gemini 3, Vertex AI, and the vision of Antigravity. 4:00 PM: 🛠️ Tech Deep Dive: ADK Presentation on the Agent Development Kit and AI Studio workflows. 4:30 PM: 💻 Workshop: Hands-on Setup Live coding: Setting up the environment and deploying a basic "Hello World" agent. 5:30 PM: 💡Idea Pitching Open mic: Anyone with an idea shares it in 60 seconds to attract teammates. 6:00 PM: 🤝 Team Formation Creating teams, assigning roles, and initial brainstorming of the agentic workflow. 6:15 PM: 🍕 Networking & Kick-off Teams start their project outlines. Mentors provide feedback on feasibility. *** Hosted By Chidera Onuma, Hassan Adams, GDG Organizer passionate about building inclusive developer communities and helping people grow through technology. Data analyst with a focus on business analysis and business intelligence. Background in mobile development, mathematics, statistics, and computer science, with a strong interest in startups and real-world problem solving. Startup founder and current Business Informatics student at Fachhochschule Südwestfalen. I enjoy connecting people, sharing knowledge, and supporting developers at every stage of their journey. Suzan Aydın, Subsidies Management (Working Student) Background in information security, AI governance, and technology risk, with a strong interest in how AI systems are built, deployed, and governed in practice. Passionate about responsible AI, secure-by-design systems, and bridging the gap between engineering, regulation, and real-world use cases. Denys Doroshev, GDG Organizer I'm a Product Manager and Organizer for Google Developers Group (GDG) Ahlen, where I work to foster innovation, collaboration, and growth within the developer community. In my professional career, I serve as a Senior Regional Sales Manager at Metal Work Pneumatic, focusing on B2B sales in industries like metallurgy, machine building, and agriculture across Ukraine. I also work as a Technical Director at Bray International, Inc., where I specialize in system integration and providing engineering solutions for large enterprises. With over a decade of experience in technical management and sales, I am passionate about connecting people, ideas, and businesses to drive impactful change in the tech and industrial sectors. Adewumi Saheed Adewale, GDG Organizer Anna Muzykina, GDG Organizer Passionate Flutter Developer & AI Engineer \| Google Developers Group Ahlen Organizer \| Flutter Ahlen Organizer \| Women Techmakers Ambassador \| Quantum Computing & ML Explorer \| Mentor at Groundbreaker \| Community Builder Passionate about empowering women in tech through community building, mentorship, and knowledge sharing. I’m a skilled Flutter developer with a strong foundation in Dart, Firebase, and AI ecosystems, and I’m proficient in cross-platform development using frameworks like Flutter and React. Currently, I’m exploring the potential of AI and ML, with a focus on Vertex AI and Gemini, to bring innovative solutions to mobile app development. Known for my ability to quickly adapt to new technologies and consistently deliver high-quality results, I thrive in collaborative environments and approach each challenge with a growth-oriented mindset. Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-ahlen-presents-build-with-ai-2026-agentic-hackathon-part-1-2026-02-21/.

**The human side of data: systems thinking before AI** Many data and AI initiatives struggle not because of technology, but because of unclear questions, missing structure, and overlooked human behavior behind the data. In this Almere Tech Meetup, [Lauren Haan-Gilbert](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-haan-gilbert/) explores why many data problems are not really data problems at all. Using systems thinking and human centered analysis, Lauren shows how teams can ask better questions before applying analytics or AI. This leads to more reliable insights, better decisions, and solutions that actually work in practice. This talk is for anyone working with data, AI, products, or decision making, and for those curious why AI succeeds in some organizations and quietly fails in others. **Almere Tech** is the meetup for the larger Almere area for startups, entrepreneurs, developers and those interested to discuss new technology. Everybody can join in for a drink and hopefully interesting and inspiring conversations. The program is as follows: * **17.30** Door open, welcome drinks * **17.45**: Word of welcome by [Wouter ten Brink](https://www.linkedin.com/in/woutertenbrink/), serving of snacks * **18.15** Talk of [Lauren Haan-Gilbert](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-haan-gilbert/) * **18.45** Q&A, discussion * **19.00** Drinks and talks * **20:00** End Just show up, bring your curiosity, and join the conversation.

Join us for a beautiful hike on the Amerongse Berg * We **start at 12:00:** P+R Veenendaal West Dichterslaan, 3906 EN Veenendaal https://maps.app.goo.gl/VVjPTE2c6HsmLqQi6 * Length: \~16 km (4 - 5 hr hiking) * What to bring: lunch, water, snack. * For whom: As always, sporty folks that like to combine social event with being active in nature. **Getting there by Train:** * To train station: Veenendaal West https://maps.app.goo.gl/H7LyWsb8KRdenzWT6 **Getting there by Car:** * Free car parking at P+R Veenendaal West Dichterslaan, 3906 EN Veenendaal https://maps.app.goo.gl/VVjPTE2c6HsmLqQi6 **Note:** * Please **pay a small fee (3 euro)** to help us cover the (increased) yearly Meetup contribution of 240 euro. We'll ask you to pay before the start of the hike (can be on the day itself). No refunds, but in the unlikely event that hike would be cancelled and you already paid, you don't need to pay for your next hike. Thank you so much! Use the **safe link** here: https://betaalverzoek.rabobank.nl/betaalverzoek/?id=vezo1ouZS0yORJXINF58jA * Keep in mind that the hike can be canceled when the weather is very bad (**always check the event before you go**). * If you RSVP 'yes' we expect you to show-up. Please do not cancel less than 24 hours before the hike. **No-shows** will lead to your removal from the group. Thanks for the understanding. * By signing up for this event, you agree to release the organizers from any responsibility and liability in all claims. As the participation is strictly voluntary and you freely choose to join, it is the responsibility of individuals participating to ensure that they are fit enough and have adequate coverage to protect themselves.

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 :)

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“The Hidden Cleopatra,”** an excavation through myth and slander to uncover the real Egyptian queen, with Jacquelyn Williamson, an Egyptologist and associate professor of archaeology and ancient art at George Mason University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/hidden-cleopatra](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/hidden-cleopatra) .] Depictions of Cleopatra are abundant in popular culture. A long list of painters have depicted her, Marilyn Monroe and Kim Kardashian have posed as her, and Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor famously portrayed her in Hollywood films. At the end of the day, however, what most of us think we know about Cleopatra is wrong, the product of the ancient Rome’s “fake news” and anti-Egypt propaganda. Learn about the real Cleopatra—and how our understanding of her came to be so distorted—with Professor Jacquelyn Williamson, scholar of women and power in ancient Egypt, teacher of courses on ancient Egyptian art and archaeology, and author of *Nefertiti’s Sun Temple: A New Cult Complex at Tell el-Amarna.* Dr. Williamson will walk us through how the first Roman emperor, Octavian, created the distorted image of Cleopatra as seductress that we know today as part of his political scheming to defeat his rival Antony and end the Roman Republic once and for all. Cleopatra has been the subject of debate and controversy ever since. William Shakespeare later relied on ancient Roman sources such as Horace and Plutarch in writing *Antony and Cleopatra*, and his play helped give rise to countless other works offering a distorted picture of her. Professor Williamson argues that “Cleopatra was a human being, like you and I,” and “deserves the dignity of being represented as accurately as possible.” Her efforts to set the record straight have met frustration, however—after being extensively interviewed for the recent Netflix historical docuseries Queen Cleopatra, she concluded that it, too, had missed the mark. You’ll gain a much deeper appreciation of the challenges of researching and accurately depicting the ancient past from Dr. Williamson, who also has taught at Harvard, Brandeis, and the University of California at Berkeley and is involved with an ongoing archaeological investigation of Queen Nefertiti’s sun temple. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Layla Taj portrays Cleopatra VII as part of an Egyptian Cultural Performing Arts Society production. (Photo by Amos Gvili / Wikimedia Commons.)

Join us at Prefect to talk about Context Engineering and Data Engineering for AI! Please RSVP on luma for headcount purposes! https://luma.com/l1epj9r3 \-\-\- Data Engineers DC is a professional group that meets monthly to discuss topics including all things related to Data Engineering such as open data, data gathering, data munging, and the creation, storage and maintenance of datasets. We combine presentations with hands-on workshops, always seeking to make our data munging lives easier. \-\-\- Location: Prefect - **2112 Pennsylvania Avenue NW** **Washington, DC 20037** Note: **Bring a photo ID**, as these are required by building security. Agenda: 5:30-6:15pm: Food & Networking 6:16-6:30pm: Introductions 6:30-7:00pm \-\-\- Data Engineers DC is a program of DC2. Learn more at www.dc2.org \-\-\- Sign up to give a 5 minute micro-presentation! https://forms.gle/8YSBJr5LGsfr3qKMA Fun meetup syntax bug: Link: https://forms.gle/8YSBJr5LGsfr3qKMA Text formatted as a link: [link](https://forms.gle/8YSBJr5LGsfr3qKMA) Link formatted as a link: [https://forms.gle/8YSBJr5LGsfr3qKMA](https://forms.gle/8YSBJr5LGsfr3qKMA) (Data processing is hard. If you've found bugs like this in your pipeline, sign up using the above link to talk about it for five minutes!)

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Satanic Panics,”** a look at waves of fear of demonic activity as an American tradition, with Luxx Mishou, cultural historian and former instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy and area community colleges. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-satanic-panics2](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-satanic-panics2) .] The 1980s found the United States gripped by fear of Satanic cults targeting children. They were believed to be corrupting young ones in daycare centers and tempting teens through subliminal messages on heavy metal albums or through the quiet inclusion of demonic rituals in role-playing games. Satanic serial killers supposedly stalked the suburbs. Doctors helped patients uncover what were claimed to be repressed memories of ritualistic satanic abuse. Parents, police, and politicians were urged to protect impressionable youths from both moral and physical danger. With Satanic cults deemed to be a real and material threat, it was a frightening time for everyone, including those who suddenly came under suspicion for doing evil deeds. Then, suddenly, it all faded from public consciousness, just as surely as did eighties fads such mullet haircuts, leg warmers, and Cabbage Patch Kids. Why did it all start? Why did it stop? And has this happened before or since? Hear such questions tackled by Luxx Mishou, a cultural historian and media specialist who has long researched the devious and villainous in cultural artifacts. She’ll discuss moral panics as a longstanding cultural tradition, with each new one stemming from fear of cultural shifts and shaped by the time and place where it occurred. Among the panics we’ll look into are the Red Scare of the 1950s and the public response to the gruesome 1969 murders committed by the Manson Family. Delving into the 1980s panic, Mishou will describe how it began with the 1980 publication of psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder’s memoir *Michelle Remembers*, detailing the suppressed memories of ritualistic abuse reportedly suffered by a patient. As that book quickly became a best seller, its ideas saturated American culture. A California daycare center became the focus of a three-year investigation, followed by three years of trials, based on allegations that its owner had engaged in secret ritualistic abuse of the children in its care. Mishou will lead you through the media that convinced the public that devil worshipers were among them, and she’ll talk about how reactions to imagined threats can have very real social costs. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image by Canva.

Members of the public are invited to view the wonders of the universe through the telescopes of NOVAC volunteers at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend. Telescopes will be provided by the Smithsonian and pre-approved members of the NOVAC. No other personal telescopes are permitted at the event. The event will take place on the bus parking lot of the museum. **Please park your vehicle at the south end of the main visitors lot and follow signs and red lights to the observing site. As a reminder, parking during the event is free.** Have a cosmic question? One of NOVAC's astronomers or museum staff will be happy to help you. As the sky gets dark, be prepared to enjoy the wonders of the night sky! Don't forget to dress warmly. Please check the weather forecast. For lighting, cover a flashlight in red cellophane (the darker the better). Bring along water to keep hydrated. Note: This outdoor event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.

Join Neurodivergent District for a night of camaraderie over karaoke. We are excited to celebrate the 30th birthday of one of our members and hosts, Patrick R. We have a 6:30 reservation with limited seating. If you arrive later, you may not have a seat. We're still happy to have you come and join us. This venue can be **loud and overstimulating** for some, so please feel free to bring supports that help (earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, taking breaks outside, etc.). And no pressure to sing — you’re welcome to cheer others on and/or just come to socialize. **Please note:** you’re responsible for any food/drink charges you accrue. We look forward to seeing you.