Financial Analysis

Attica shot to fame when it was ranked in the World’s Top 50 Restaurants, and since then, it has reinvented itself multiple times. Part of Attica’s ongoing evolution includes its Chef’s Table experimental nights - an opportunity for the kitchen team to try out new dishes and a chance for us diners to experience some Attica magic at a slightly lower price point than usual. This year’s Chef’s Table Series offers a five-course menu (and optional wine-pairing), which reflects the experimental nature of the dishes - all written the night before. I booked for 5 Fine Diners to enjoy the Chef’s Table menu at $200 per person for dinner from 6pm on Wednesday 17 June. Please note: The only dietary requirements that can be accommodated are Vegetarian, Vegan, Pescatarian and Dairy free and these must be advised in advance. 

Join the waitlist to express interest. Once I have names in the waitlist, I’ll send you a ‘Meetup Message’ to confirm you have a spot and how to pay. You’ll need to send me $100 to secure your place (equivalent to the deposit I have already paid per seat to make the booking - this will be deducted from your bill when we settle up). Once paid I’ll move you from the waitlist to going. Please check that you don’t have your settings blocking messages; if I can’t contact you I’ll have to move on to another waitlisted diner. Also if you don’t respond to my message within 3 days, I’ll let you know that I’m offering the seat to another person on the waitlist. 

Thanks and I look forward to sharing a unique Attica experience with you!

Never been to one of our meet-ups before? Been a member for a while or just joined? Either way this is the social for you! Once a month we hold a special meet-up to welcome in new members. Regulars are encouraged to attend and help new members have a fun night out! Our monthly “newbie” social is an opportunity to learn about our groups, events held and resources to help members. More importantly it is an opportunity to meet others going through separation & divorce in a safe and friendly environment. We can all learn from each other, but the primary aim of the socials is to enjoy ourselves! Our socials are hosted by members of the Divorce Support & Social Group and the Melbourne Divorce Support Group. We pay for own food and drinks individually. On Wednesday nights the Royal Melbourne has $20 pizza and pasta specials. Great food and great company. We hope to see you!

🎬✨ LIGHTS. CAMERA. DANCE. ✨🎬 Dance Together - Ceroc presents Hollywood Stars Dance Party! The red carpet is being rolled out and YOU’RE on the guest list! 🌟 Get ready to step into the glamour and magic of Hollywood because our Hollywood Stars Dance Party is coming and it’s going to be one for the ages! 🎭🕺💃 📅 Friday 19 June 📍 Brighton Beach Bowls 2B South Rd, Brighton 🕖 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm 💃🏽🕺🏻 Ceroc dance class 🎸 Loads of social dancing 🎟️ $25 entry - Cash or PayID 🏆 Raffle prizes to be won on the night! Ticket options: $5 | $10 | $20 🍽️ Supper 🏆 Best Dressed Prizes Whether you arrive as a silver screen legend, a Marvel superhero, a galaxy far far away warrior, or simply dressed to dazzle — this is YOUR moment to shine under the Hollywood spotlight! 🎥⭐ Don’t miss your chance to dance, laugh, and celebrate with the best community in Melbourne! 🙌❤️ Tickets at the door — because every star needs a great entrance! 🎟️✨ See you on the dance floor, darlings! 💋 — The DanceTogether – Ceroc Team 🌟

🌏 Make new international friends in Melbourne. Come alone, practise your English, and enjoy a relaxed social night. 😊 A friendly meetup for networking, language exchange, and real conversation — open to everyone. Why People Love Lounge Asia 🍜 Asian-focused event 🤝 Many guests come alone 💬 No need for perfect English 🌏 No games or forced introductions — just enjoy the conversation Lounge Asia began within the Asian community, so people from Asia often feel comfortable and at home here. At the same time, everyone is welcome — locals, expats, travellers, students, returnees, digital nomads, and globally minded people. ━━━━━━━━━━ How to Join 1️⃣ Tap "RSVP" on this page 2️⃣ Show your Meetup QR code at reception 3️⃣ Collect your name tag and start meeting people ✅ Free entry for the first 145 RSVPs ✅ AUD 5 after the first 145 RSVPs, or within 24 hours before the event ✅ RSVP early to get the best deal ✅ Limited capacity — please RSVP early Many people attend alone, so don't worry if it's your first time. ━━━━━━━━━━ How to Find Us 📍 Venue Diesel Bar & Eatery Melbourne CBD ⏰ Time Every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 6:00 pm 🚶 Getting There Enter via Little Lonsdale St only. No entry from inside Melbourne Central. Our Lounge Asia organisers will be there to welcome you 😊 ━━━━━━━━━━ 🍺 Please Support the Venue This event is free or low-cost because the venue supports our community. Please purchase at least one drink during the event. Your support helps us keep organising events at great venues. ━━━━━━━━━━ 💚 Please Be Respectful Lounge Asia is a friendly social event where everyone should feel comfortable and welcome. 🚫 This is NOT a pickup or dating event. Anyone who makes others uncomfortable may be removed immediately. Not allowed: harassment, unwanted attention, MLM / crypto / religious recruitment, or anything that makes others uncomfortable. Organisers reserve the right to refuse entry or ask anyone to leave. 🪪 A valid government-issued photo ID is strictly required for entry. No photo ID, no entry. Driver's licences must be issued by the government of the country where the event is held. 📸 Photos and short videos may be taken for community and promotional purposes. If you prefer not to appear, please let an organiser know when you arrive. ━━━━━━━━━━ Lounge Asia is already growing in Australia and is now expanding across Asia — Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. Our goal is simple: More friendship, more understanding, and more genuine connections across cultures. 📱 Instagram: @_lounge_asia 🎥 Watch Event Video: [\[WATCH EVENT VIDEO\]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNak_cu9CXw) 🎁 VIP ACCESS (Founding Members) Join the VIP list for early access to our official app & special party invites. [👉GET VIP ACCESS](https://forms.gle/t6GXAjTNFECetVuZ8) ━━━━━━━━━━ 🌏 Come say hi! Hey, come hang out! 来一起玩吧！ 一起來聊天吧！ 気軽に遊びに来てね！ 편하게 놀러 와요! มาเจอกันนะ! Tới chơi nha! Tara, sali ka na! Yuk, gabung! Хамтдаа цуглацгаая! Komm einfach vorbei! Jom join kita! See you at Lounge Asia!

✨ **Singles** • **Jingles** • **Bubbles** & **Mingles** ✨ **IRL** **Dating** **When: Wednesday 17 June** **Time**: **6:00pm** – ~**8:30pm** **Where: Champagne** **Problems** — **238 Little Collins St, Melbourne. Best to enter round the back, where the outdoor seating is** Melbourne singles, assemble your charm, your curiosity, and your best “I swear I’m normal” smile — because we’re trying something new, something social, something IRL, and something that doesn’t involve swiping until your thumb develops a personality disorder. **Please** **note:** **there** **is** **a** **waitlist** ***operating,*** **read on** ***for*** **how** ***that*** **works**. This is a lightly curated social evening for single urban professionals 35–55 (or those who feel like it) who want to meet people in a relaxed, conversational, non‑algorithmic way. No one will be checking birth certificates at the door. **🍾The Setting** Champagne Problems is giving us the perfect mid‑week playground: Happy Hour 4pm–7pm — bubbles are only 8, ideal for pre‑chat courage $25 Steak Night — highly recommended Vegetarian + other options for the herbivores and the steak‑averse Dinner at 6:30pm — arrive from 6pm to warm up, sip something soothing, and ease into the room This is not a speed‑dating conveyor belt. It’s a social experiment in organic connection, gentle mingling, and seeing what happens when good people are in a good room at the same time. 🧭 **The** **Creep** ***Code*** A refined social compass keeps the vibe safe, fun, and drama‑free. So: No married individuals or those already coupled up No Tinder Swindler‑style minglers **Guys**: **Please Take Special Note** Must have a clear face photo (no sunglasses, no blurry shadows, no “mysterious man in witness protection”) No wide shots taken from a distance where you can't be identified. No yacht/car/jet flexing — if your profile screams “crypto‑adjacent”, you will be gently declined. If you are declined, update your profile photo to something less creepy. **Girls**: No restrictions — privacy and safety first Everyone will be waitlisted first, and I’ll accept those who meet survivor’s criteria (yes, that’s intentionally vague and slightly Hunger Games coded). Ok, I looked it up, it means those that have the emotional maturity and grace to navigate social spaces without drama and major diplomatic faux pas. Mmmm, maybe I should recuse myself😅. If you can act like a functional adult for 2+ hours, you probably meet the survivors criteria . 💘 **Flirtation** **Guidelines** This is a social event, not a pressure cooker.Don’t be pushy about numbers — let the moment offer itself If the vibe is mutual, go for it Become a regular — I’ll be testing this format over 3–4 events You’ll likely see the same lovely humans again at future singles nights/events or Eat Drink Dance “open” events The goal is to build a small, recurring ecosystem where people feel comfortable, familiar, and relaxed enough to be themselves. 👥**Group** ***Size*** ***&*** ***Ratios*** To keep things balanced and comfortable: Event capped at 12 people to test interest, I may expand numbers Guys admitted only after a woman registers (to maintain ratios) at my discretion until the format matures. Women can be a little flaky (we love them anyway), so I may accept 1–2 extra If the format works and demand grows, future events may expand to 20 people **🌱Why** **This** ***Event*** **Exists** A few people have asked me to run something for singles, and Meetup is already full of solo attendees. Dating apps feel like a minefield, and IRL conversations tend to be and are rare and sometimes awkward. So this is an experiment — a soft‑launch into a more human, more organic way of meeting people. As a conceptual experiment it's also free at the moment, so why pay 40 to 70 + drinks and Dinner for comparable events. No more first date haggling over who pays for dinner! Try it before my avarice takes a peek! 😀 **Also**: keep an eye out for Singles Walks — coming soon. 🧪 **A** ***Social*** **Experiment** This is a prototype event. I’m open to suggestions before and after as I refine the format. If it works, great. If it needs tweaking, we’ll tweak. If it becomes a Melbourne phenomenon, you were here at the start. Come for the bubbles. Stay for the conversations. Leave with a story — or someone worth messaging tomorrow.

**TLS: Crypto Smarter, Not Harder – 3 Hour Mindset & Crypto Retreat pre-screening** (We will speak about trading as well) **💰 Early Access Pricing: Book now to save!** *Bring your friends that want to learn. Yes they need to pay as free events bring people who aren't keen on their education. Gain access to exclusive tokens towards the 2 day retreat!* ### **Description** Imagine spending two days in a beautiful coastal setting, learning how to take control of your crypto journey — not just with better strategies, but with the right mindset to sustain long-term success. This June, **The Lazy Society** is hosting a 3-hour pre-screening dinner with Slow Bonding Dinner to introduce ourselves more formally and to start registering interest and beginning to take bookings for the 2-day Retreat in November 2026! It was designed to help you master the smarter, not harder approach to crypto. Whether you’re a curious beginner, an intermediate trader, or someone who’s been in the space but feels stuck, this experience will give you clarity, tools, and confidence. *** ### **What You’ll Experience** We will be preparing you for the 2-day event in November 2026. *** ### **Why This Retreat is Different** This is not your standard “sit in a chair and listen” seminar. You’ll: * Work in a small, intimate group (max 10 people) * Learn from experienced traders and community builders * Get live, practical training you can apply immediately * Have space to slow down, reset, and reconnect with your purpose in crypto * Enjoy AMAZING, hand folded food, good company, and a relaxed, calming environment *** ### **Event Details** 📅 Dates: Saturday, June 20th 2026 📍 Location: Heartling Docklands 👥 Capacity: Limited to 10 participants 💰 Investment: $199 (Early Bird prices available automatically if you are booking now) *** ### **Who Should Attend** * TLS community members * Beginners to intermediate crypto users * Digital nomads, freelancers & side hustlers * Web3 enthusiasts & blockchain meetup regulars * Investors wanting to develop discipline & avoid burnout * Anyone curious about combining financial learning with personal growth * People who love art in their food *** If you’re ready to take your crypto skills to the next level — and your mindset along with it — join us for this unique, all-inclusive experience. Spots will go fast. Secure yours now.

**Nirvana Shatakam – Shankara's Six Verses on Freedom** Most spiritual paths tell you to become something. This teaching does the opposite. Through six ancient verses by Adi Shankara, you discover who you are by removing what you're NOT – the body, mind, and roles you play. What remains is your limitless nature that was always here. Over seven months, we'll unpack these verses line by line, transforming how you see yourself and your life. **What You'll Learn** * How you mistake yourself for body, mind, emotions, and roles * Why self-knowledge differs from self-improvement * Why you've never actually been bound – and what keeps that recognition hidden * What it means to recognise yourself as the sought, not the seeker **About the Teacher** Andre Vas teaches Vedanta full-time under the Swami Dayananda (Arsha Vidya) lineage. As a former business owner, he relates deeply to householders juggling work, family, and inner growth. Known for making knowledge stick through lived experience, not just concepts. **Who This Is For** No prior background needed. For anyone noticing that acquiring more, achieving more, or becoming better doesn't stick. For those with burning curiosity and a hunger to know, understand, and live this wisdom. **I'll set up group discussions also to help us make new friends.** **When & Where** 📅 2:00-4:00pm Melbourne time 📍 3 Anjaya Court, Blackburn, Melbourne **More info: [YesVedanta.com/nirvana](https://YesVedanta.com/nirvana)**

**Find Your (Business) Tribe -** *Because no great business is built alone.* (Please note we are collecting RSVPS through multiple platforms for this event, expected attendance is approx 20 people) They say, *“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”* And in business, this couldn’t be more true. Whether you’re just starting out, growing something exciting, or dreaming up your next big move, this event is about finding the right people to walk alongside you. Think of it as a curated networking night for entrepreneurs, creatives, and business-minded doers who are looking for more than surface-level connections. Maybe you need a co-founder. A photographer. A mentor. A tech-savvy mate. An accountability partner. Or simply a community of like-minded humans who *get it*. Whatever you’re building, this night is about helping you find your *people*. Your collaborators, supporters, and sounding boards, the ones who help you stay grounded *and* move forward. Expect meaningful conversations, interactive connection activities, and a space where you don’t have to “pitch” yourself, just show up authentically. Because business gets a whole lot better when you’re surrounded by the right energy. So, bring your ideas, your questions, and your dreams. You never know who you’ll meet. **Your ticket will cover a basic beer, wine, spirit or soft drink on arrival.** Remainder of your ticket will be split to cover costs of running FYT and also charity donation to Sisterworks. Tickets are required to attend this event. Please note: This is not an event for selling, for business cards, or recruitment for direct sales or MLM models. This is an event for genuine connections, friendships, collabs, business partners, business networking, when equally reciprocated on both sides!

Weather looks reasonable on Sunday. Participants are invited to join us for a walk and talk about science, philosophy, AI and emerging technology. **Schedule** * **10.30** am – Meet outside the entrance to the Royal Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre (near the Observatory House, and a walk away from the Shrine of Remembrance) * **11.00** am – Venture into the gardens and walk the outer path anticlockwise, spiralling inwards towards the lake * \~1.00 pm – (optional) Lunch by the lake, (BYO or there are Terrace Café options) **Getting there:** If coming by **tram**, get off at Stop 19 - Shrine of Remembrance/St Kilda Rd **Parking** is free on Anderson St far side of the Botanic Gardens ([near eastern gate B and Tecoma gate C](https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/melbourne-gardens/interactive-map/)) subject to time limits in some stretches (mostly 3 hrs) - which is the only free parking area near the gardens that I can find. Check signage on the day. See this [PDF for more detail](https://athsvic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Tan-Parking-Map.pdf). **Possible discussion topics** * Latest AI models - Anthropic's Mythos and Fable blocked after US bans foreign use * AI Pause / Stop - will it work? (Regulatory catch-up, xrisk, global-coordination & geopolitical arms races, enforcement & logistics, existing capability overhang) * Technical AI safety - Mechanistic interpretability, linear probes, RLHF, behavioural evals * General AI alignment approaches: control vs motivation: \- control \(External Constraints\) focuses on building walls *around* the AI to restrict what it can do, trip wires etc. \- motivation \(Internal Alignment\) focuses on changing the AI’s inner desires so it *wants* to be ethical/help humans/act in accordance with the well-being of all sentience * AI ethics: how is it related to AI safety? What should be the target for AI alignment? Should the target be aggregate human preferences, religious doctrine, moral naturalism or something else? * Metaethics and ethics * Moral realism: a stance-independent moral ontology, useful for capturing non-arbitrary moral choice * Moral anti-realism: error theory, non-cognitivism, moral relativism etc * Can AI be fault-tolerantly aligned to moral realism or anti-realism? * Is sentience required for moral reasoning or moral deliberation? Can it be a hindrance? * Moral progress and indirect normativity * AI safety, automated persuasion, the orthogonality thesis * How epistemics (including science) makes progress * Health, wellness, and how to live a good life * Latest trends in AI: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude * Economic impacts of AGI, automation, and unbounded inequality * UBI and universal wealth redistribution * The likelihood of future doom or utopia * Human augmentation and hacking human potential * Plato's cave * Fun theory and value theory "All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking." - Nietzsche, *Twilight of the Idols* Philosophy discussions can feel quite sedentary - hence our experiment in cross-pollinating exercise with engaging discussion. Exerting mind and body together may produce a fascinating dynamic. A sedentary lifestyle (and, by association, philosophy) has been linked to depression, anxiety and chronic stress. Ease the anxieties of the armchair philosopher engaging in mental gymnastics with minimal muscle movement - join our raggle-taggle crew of aspiring philosophers walking the talk. Healthy body, healthy mind. Bring elemental protection (umbrellas, sunscreen, etc).

**Details** Join us for networking, drinks and a good time catching up with fellow Power BI and Microsoft Fabric enthusiasts **Agenda:** 5:30PM - 6:00PM Welcome and Networking 6:00PM - 7:00PM Speaker Session **Topic:** An Evening with the Microsoft Fabric CAT Team **THE SPEAKER -** Phil Seamark - Phil Seamark works on the Microsoft Fabric CAT team and is an accomplished database and business intelligence (BI) professional. Phil has an in-depth knowledge of the Microsoft BI stack along with extensive knowledge of data warehouse (DW) methodologies and enterprise data modelling. Phil has expert knowledge in all facets of BI/DW including planning architecture, project management, dimensional modelling, performance tuning, ETL design, development and optimisation, report and dashboard design as well as installation and administration. Phil has written several books DAX and Data modelling and has also blogged extensively at dax.tips **THE SESSION** The Microsoft Fabric CAT (Customer Advisory Team) is touring ANZ and dropping in for an evening with us. Expect demos, war stories, and straight talk about what's working (and what isn't) at the biggest Fabric customers in the world. We'll range across the stack, covering OneLake, semantic models, Spark, real-time intelligence, performance, and whatever has just shipped. Plenty of time for Q&A, plus a few hot takes from the product group. Bring your hard questions. **Sponsors:** **Vivanti** A big thank you goes out to our sponsor, Vivanti, for their support of this Meetup; providing the venue as well as drinks for attendees. **GET AI** A big thanks to GET AI for sponsoring the food. GET AI is a Microsoft speciliased consulting company focussed on building AI solutions in the Microsoft Ecosystem https://www.getai.com.au

**✅ Bachata Mondays with Todd Smith!** **👉 Beginner Bachata Class** **$15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** . 7:00 pm – 7:15 pm … Registration 7:15 pm – 8:15 pm … Beginner Class . **👉 Intermediate Bachata Class** **= $15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** . 8:15 pm – 8:30 pm Registration 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm Intermediate Class . **👉 If You Take Both Bachata Classes** **= $25 In Advance / $35 At the Door** . **👉 Buy Advance Tickets Now at:** . https://columbussalsadancing.com/bachata-mondays-dance-class-tickets/

Please reserve your spot by registering on the below link : **Reserve** https://www.eventbrite.com/e/join-biggest-community-investors-founders-columbus-online-tickets-1988563717610?aff=meetup **QUESTIONS ?** Pls Reach out to; Ridhi - +971504724873 ( WhatsApp Only)

**Welcome to the Women’s Columbus Bogleheads® Sub-Group** This sub-group is for **women who want to learn and discuss finances in a safe, supportive space**. For those interested in moving towards financial independence and retirement by learning investment basics, choosing your 401(k) investments, minimizing taxes, and more. We’re a local chapter of **Bogleheads®**, following a long-term, practical investment philosophy: [Investment Philosophy](https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy): https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy [Bogleheads Forum](https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php): https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php No question is too small, and no experience is too simple. Share, ask, and learn — at your own pace, without judgment, in a group of like-minded women. Let’s build confidence and knowledge **together**!

Join us for a Discount Tuesday / Choose Your Movie event to see your choice of the A24 thriller THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD or the latest animated adventure in the always great series, TOY STORY 5! Should be a winner either way! Here are details, trailers and our plan for this event: THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD: This thriller from A24 is being called a dark adaptation of the 17th-century ballad Robin Hood's Death. It follows an aged Robin Hood in the hands of a mysterious woman after being critically injured as he grapples with his past life of crime and murder. The film is written / directed by Michael Sarnoski and stars Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett and Noah Jupe. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlSDDuWxO_0&t=1s TOY STORY 5: The fifth installment of what is quite possibly the best animated series ever! With something for everyone, this animated adventure faces a new crisis as 8-year old Bonnie has become enamored with the new favorite plaything, a frog-like tablet named Lilypad! The film stars returning cast members Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, Keanu Reeves, and Melissa Villaseñor, along with newcomers Greta Lee, Conan O'Brien, Craig Robinson, Matty Matheson, Jeff Bergman, Anna Vocino and Ernie Hudson. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c51ND9Hdbw0 PLAN: For those seeing TOY STORY 5, please purchase your ticket for the 7:00pm showing and meet in the bar area starting at 6:30pm! For those seeing THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD, please purchase your ticket for the 7:10pm showing and meet in the bar area starting at 6:30pm! Discount Tuesday ticket prices are $6 for ROBIN HOOD and $8 for TS5 (because it’s on their Ultra Screen) when you join Marcus Rewards and use the app. Marcus Rewards is FREE and also includes a FREE popcorn on Discount Tuesday showings. Tickets moving FAST so advance ticket purchase as soon as possible is advised! Once you have yours, please list your movie of choice and seat number in the Comments section of this event. Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

If you are interested in selecting investment choices for your 401(k) or other workplace savings plan, minimizing your income tax liability, or identifying the most effective investments for your brokerage account, we are the group for you. We are a local chapter of Bogleheads, whose investment strategy can be found here: https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy Or you can peruse the Boglehead forum here: https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php I look forward to seeing you there. Mark Vonder Haar

🔥 OVER 50 HAPPY HOUR at PBR EASTON! 🔥 Looking to meet new people, enjoy great music, dance, laugh, and have an unforgettable night out? Then grab your friends and join us for one of the most exciting Over 50 social events in Columbus! 📍 PBR Cowboy Bar + Smokehouse – Easton 📅 Thursday, June 18th ⏰ 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (and the fun keeps going!) This is NOT your typical quiet happy hour… this is a high-energy, country-meets-nightlife experience designed for fun-loving singles and couples over 50 who still enjoy getting out, socializing, and making memories! ✨ What’s Happening: 🎵 Live Music from 6:30–8:30 PM 🐂 Mechanical Bull Riding starting at 8:30 PM 💃 Line Dancing with Instructor from 9–10 PM 🎧 DJ & Dancing starting at 9 PM 🍹 Drink Specials All Night: $3, $4 & $5 specials! Whether you want to relax with a drink, hit the dance floor, try the mechanical bull, or just meet a great group of people in a fun atmosphere — this event has something for everyone. 👉 IMPORTANT: When you arrive, CHECK IN with the host under: “Doug / Meetup” to receive your wristband. 🚗 FREE Parking available across from the venue and at the Easton West Garage. Come when you can, leave when you want… but don’t be surprised if you stay all night! Let’s make Thursday night FUN again! 🎉

Welcome to Drunken Philosophy, a casual, curious, social discussion club. Come grab a drink and a seat at The Oracle. **Optional topic for this meetup: Where is everybody?** In 1950 the physicist Enrico Fermi was talking about aliens over lunch and asked a question that still has not gone away: if the universe is so vast and so old, and even a fraction of those billions of stars have planets, where is everyone? By the numbers the galaxy should be crowded with civilizations. Instead we look up and hear silence. That gap between "they should be everywhere" and "we see no one" is the Fermi Paradox. One of the most unsettling answers is the idea of a **Great Filter**: somewhere on the road from dead chemistry to a galaxy-spanning civilization, there is at least one step that is almost impossible to get past. Maybe the filter is behind us. Maybe life starting at all, or simple cells becoming complex, or intelligence ever evolving, is the freak accident, and we already cleared the hard part. Or maybe the filter is ahead of us, and advanced civilizations reliably wipe themselves out before they spread. Here is the part that messes with people. If we ever found life somewhere else, even pond scum on Mars, most people would call it the greatest discovery in history. But it might be the worst possible news. It would mean life is common, the early steps are easy, and the hard step is still in front of us. So the eerie silence overhead might actually be the best sign we could ask for. **Questions to wrestle with:** * Is it better to be alone? Would you rather we find alien life and learn we are not special, or find nothing and quietly improve our odds of surviving? * Where do you bet the filter sits, behind us or ahead of us, and why? * If it is ahead of us, what is it? Nuclear war, climate collapse, AI, something we cannot even picture yet? And can we do anything about a filter we cannot see coming? * Two principles pull opposite ways here. The principle of mediocrity (the Copernican principle, Sagan's "no privileged place in the universe") says we are ordinary, so what happened on Earth probably happened everywhere, which makes the silence scream louder. The anthropic principle says of course we find ourselves somewhere life was possible, since we could not observe anything else, so our being here may say almost nothing about how common life is. Which lens do you trust, and does the silence still demand an answer once you account for observer selection? * And if we did confirm life out there and had to accept we are not special, what would that do to belief in a higher power, and would shedding (or keeping) that belief help or hurt our odds of pulling together as one species? * Does any of this change how you live, or how humanity should be spending its time and money right now? As always the prompt is optional. Come for the conversation, stay for the drinks, and bring your own questions.