Information Retrieval

Join us at trivia night at [Caddies on Cordell ](https://www.caddiesoncordell.com/event/trivia-night-2/2026-03-25/)in Bethesda, Maryland. They have Happy Hour specials from 3 to 10pm. 4922 Cordell Ave Bethesda, MD 10814 Please RSVP if you plan to attend. There will be limited seating so we urge you to arrive early so you can sit with our group.

It's been too long. Cover6 Community is bringing back in-person meetups — and we're starting where it makes sense: the DC/Crystal City area. No conference. No panels. No $200 ticket. Just the community showing up, connecting face-to-face, and talking cybersecurity the way we always have. **What to expect:** * Pure open networking — no agenda, no presentations, no slides * Three hours to connect, catch up, and build real relationships * Genuine conversations with practitioners, newcomers, students, and professionals from across the industry * Good energy, familiar faces — and plenty of new ones * The hotel bar is right downstairs if you want a drink **🅿️ Parking is on us — 50% off in the hotel garage.** **Who should come:** Anyone in or entering the cybersecurity space in the DMV. It doesn't matter if you've been in the industry for 20 years or you're still studying for your first cert. You belong here. **Bring a friend.** Seriously — the more the merrier. Tag someone who needs to be in this room. 📍 **AC Hotel by Marriott Arlington National Landing** 1999 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA 22202 *(Metro accessible — Blue/Yellow Line, Crystal City Station)* 📅 **Wednesday, March 25, 2026** 🕕 **6:00 PM – 9:00 PM** RSVP so we know how many people to expect. This is the first of what will be a **monthly event — last Thursday of every month starting April 30.** Mark your calendar now. See you in the room. — Tyrone & the Cover6 Community team

**This talk has completely sold out in advance and no door tickets will be available. You must have purchased a ticket to attend.** [Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“The Search for Life Beyond Earth,”** with Måns Holmberg, postdoctoral researcher at the Space Telescope Science Institute and part of a team of astronomers looking for chemical traces of life on distant exoplanets. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-ET](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-ET) .] Are we alone in the universe? While many of us have pondered that question, astronomer Måns Holmberg of Baltimore’s Space Telescope Science Institute is seriously focused on answering it. Last year he was part of a Cambridge-led team of astronomers who generated worldwide headlines by announcing that they had discovered potential evidence of a gas produced almost exclusively by life in the James Webb Space Telescope’s data from the atmosphere of a distant world. Dr. Holmberg will talk about how the search for life elsewhere is being conducted and what strides are being made on that front. He’ll describe what it would take to confirm signs of life on such a world, what challenges remain, and how the next wave of observations could ultimately tip the scales. Dr. Holmberg also will look at the role being played by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), how it uses infrared light to decode the chemical composition of strange atmospheres, and how it has left us closer than ever to answering the question of whether life exists elsewhere. He’ll discuss astronomers’ growing interest in a new class of exoplanets known as “Hycean worlds”—ocean-covered planets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres that could be surprisingly hospitable to life. We’ll visit K2-18 b, a distant world around twice the size of Earth that orbits in the habitable zone of a cool red-dwarf star 120 light-years away, and discuss why it has become one of the most interesting exoplanets in the search for life. Recent observations from JWST have revealed something extraordinary: the atmosphere of planet K2-18 b contains carbon-based molecules like methane and carbon dioxide and possibly even dimethyl sulfide (DMS), a gas that, on Earth, is almost exclusively produced by life. Dr. Holmberg will discuss what makes DMS a compelling (though not yet definitive) biosignature candidate. You’ll emerge from the talk with a much richer appreciation of the immense possibilities out there among the stars. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: An illustration showing what the exoplanet K2-18 b might look like. Source: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI) / Wikimedia Commons

At this event you'll discover how to better understand and control your subconscious mind, helping you overcome doubts and fears. If you have anger issues, depressions and anxieties. this event will show you how to overcome them.

We invite you to an engaging evening of wine, cheese and lively conversation around Marie Benedict and Victoria Chrstopher Murray's ***The Personal Librarian,*** Goodreads 2021 Nominee for Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction. The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan's personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true. **From Goodreads:** In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American. *The Personal Librarian* tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths to which she must go—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives. As always, please feel free to join even if you have not finished the book - no stress :-) All attendees are asked to please bring one of the following: 1. A bottle of wine 2. Cheese and Crackers 3. An alternate beverage or nosh of your choice Host will provide glasses, wine opener, plates & napkins. To enhance the opportunity for great conversation, we would like to keep the group small. Please feel free to sign-up to meet us along with up to 2 friends. 📚 Exciting Updates for 2026 Book Club! 📚 Starting in January 2026, we’ll be implementing a new system for book recommendations that will make our reading selections even more collaborative and engaging! **Book Recommendations:** From January through October, members can submit book recommendations at each meeting, via email, text or Meetup DM. All suggestions will be added to a shared Google Sheet, which will include links to Goodreads and other pertinent information for each book. [LINK to 2027 BOOK LIST](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18AC_FH9bGGxyH6v7Rw36EvPtKtVl5e_N/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102804280893316002961&rtpof=true&sd=true) **Voting for 2027 Reads:** Our voting for next year’s book selections will take place during the November 2026 meeting. Members in attendance will have the opportunity to cast 12 votes for their favorite picks. If you’re unable to attend the November meeting, you can still participate! Simply submit 6 votes via email, text, or DM through Meetup before the start of the November meeting. **Announcement of Selections:** The chosen books for 2027 will be revealed at the end of the November meeting. We’re excited about this new process and can’t wait to see the amazing book recommendations you all have! 📖✨ PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMMITTED TO ATTEND WHEN YOU RSVP FOR THIS EVENT. We ask that ALL folks honor their RSVP. If you are unable to attend after sending in a YES, please update your status so that others may join us. In the event you do not communicate and are a no-show, your ability to RSVP for future events will be restricted. Thank you in advance for your understanding. If you are unable to join us in March, we hope you'll remain interested and join us for an evening in the future. Looking forward to wine & cheese with you soon - happy reading!

Social Sips & Bites family We’re checking out a brand new place for the group and you know what that means… fresh vibes, new energy, and another excuse to gather. Join us for Happy Hour at Mission Dupont, a lively DC favorite known for bold Mexican flavors, handcrafted margaritas, and a fun, social atmosphere that’s perfect for mixing and mingling. Let’s show up strong, explore somewhere new together, and make it a classic SSB night. New place. Same amazing people.

Title: Frontrunners, the Mid-Atlantic's AI conference! You're invited to the Frontrunners AI conference, March 27th, in Arlington, VA at GMU's Van Metre Hall. Frontrunners will be a single day tech conference this year featuring AI and data topics. You can read all about Frontrunners here: [Frontrunners](https://frontrunners.tech/) If you want to speak at Frontrunners, submit your talk here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedNNa4N64vgfsvAtGcBngKJrtd3h1_x0T019GTW-rSwCj0jQ/viewform This is a paid event, so you will have to register at the Frontrunners AI site or at the direct registration link is as follows (but please also RSVP on this meetup to help us reach others): https://frontrunners.ticketspice.com/frontrunners-2026 Thanks. We hope to see you there.

Hey Poetry Lovers! This group is on a roll. Here’s the gist: We meet at the **Capital One Café in Chinatown** from **12pm - 2pm** every other week. For enrichment, we start by reading and reflecting on a **“published poem”**, suggested by someone in the group. No advance preparation is necessary. But feel free to check out some of the poems we’ve read [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSyE_wCLQCPHRrKmN5F9tOIeeRQUZESxjRXGVBoCF2uU8Gm0_d0uECiCBCQXEy6ksxfsBOhtRIOpW3T/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true&widget=true&headers=false%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E). Or submit suggestions for future meetings [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexGc2Z2Kp6bZW0D3_hfJ7NUUkfNHf7TXX-43FglCeBd9EF2Q/viewform?usp=send_form). Next, we **share our work and offer feedback**. Depending on attendance, everyone gets \~10 minutes to use as they like. (No need to share, though; you’re welcome to come even if you prefer just to listen.) We maintain a **Discord server** to help share our work and communicate outside our bi-weekly meet-ups. If you haven’t used Discord before, take a moment to download it and create an account before arriving. When we meet you on Saturday, we will add you to our server, the “DC Poetry Workshop”, and can help you navigate the app if you have questions. Finally, if you plan on sharing a poem, consider how you will do so. Some options include: * Print 5-10 copies to distribute in person * Take and share screenshots in the Discord chat. * Copy the poem into a google doc, change sharing settings to “anyone with link”, and copy the google doc link into the Discord chat. Most importantly, we’re excited to meet you! Catch you on Saturday, Diego / Ian / Cayden / Nate / Otasha / Lia / An

Each month, we pick one job in your business, document it, and delegate it to AI. Over time, that's how you build a business that runs without you. What you get by joining: * Learn AI tools you can use in your business immediately * Get exclusive discounts on AI tools * Work through one real job-to-delegate each session * Build toward an operational exit - month by month Format: * 90 minutes * Free * No pitch * Business operators only * Attend in person or digitally Space is limited to 50 attendees. RSVP to patrick@steadfastequitygroup.com to confirm your seat.

**RSVP here: [https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3558153/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3558153/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=)[RHCTN1260000475092](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3558153/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=RHCTN1260000475092)** Is configuration drift silently killing your stability? Join us for the next Red Hat User Group (RHUG) event in Washington D.C. and discover the future of IT infrastructure management with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 Image Mode. This isn't just another operating system update—it's a new paradigm. You’ll learn how to treat your entire OS as a versioned, container-native artifact, bringing the speed and control of DevOps to your foundational layer. Event Highlights: * Deep Dive: Deploying and maintaining a truly immutable, compliant operating system. * Expert Insight: How to use familiar container-native tools to build bootable RHEL images. * Networking: Connect with peers, Linux administrators, security engineers, and infrastructure architects. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your IT services. Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026 Time: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST Location: Red Hat Tysons Corner, McLean, VA Secure your spot today and get ready to eliminate operational "noise" for good. We look forward to seeing you there! Your RHUG Team Questions? Email [rhug@redhat.com](http://rhug@redhat.com/)

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Digital Device Detox,”** a guide to breaking free from the addictive and destructive powers of social media and apps, with Jillian Tucker, licensed clinical social worker in private practice, adjunct professor of clinical social work at Columbia University and New York University, and therapist with nearly 15 years of experience in addiction treatment and behavioral change. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/northern-virginia-digital-detox](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/northern-virginia-digital-detox) .] Many of us have had the same experience: We’re trying to get things done and stay focused on the positive in our lives, but we can’t stop looking at a cell phone that tells us that we live in troubled times, that everyone else is better looking and having more fun, and that escape awaits in the worlds of Candy Crush or Pokémon Go. Maybe it’s time to find effective ways to loosen the grip of that cell phone and rediscover the happiness that comes with using digital devices less. Join Jillian Tucker, who previously has given several excellent Profs and Pints talks related to mental health, for a crash course on how to restore balance in your relationship with digital devices to ensure they’re simply tools you use rather than instruments through which other people use you. She’ll start by discussing social and mental-health trends connected to the use of digital devices. We’ll delve into the specific ways that their overuse can be biologically and psychologically harmful and leads to division, depression, anxiety and anguish on an individual and societal level. Professor Tucker also will look at why digital habits are hard to break, citing neuroscience and what we know about behavioral addiction. You’ll learn the many ways in which devices and apps are deliberately designed to be hard to stop using. You won’t be urged to just chuck your cell phone, though. After all, such devices can keep you socially connected, be sources of joy and learning, and even save your life if you need to summon help in an emergency. Instead, we’ll look at effective strategies for reducing digital device use, considering approaches that treat the overuse of such devices as “addiction” but moving beyond them to consider more nuanced ones as well. We’ll explore how to find our core motivation to change and how to carry out a change plan. We’ll consider how those who failed in past attempts to reduce digital-device use can overcome impasses in their effort to change their behavior. We’ll discuss ways to minimize the feelings of inconvenience and withdrawal that might come with reducing digital-device use, and we’ll discuss strategies for regaining the social skills and reviving the in-person strategies that our device use had compromised. You’ll learn how the same conditioning and power of habit that got us using our devices so much more also can be harnessed to help us use them much less. You’ll learn how to curate and enhance the positive aspects of digital devices, to help maintain them as a source of connection, joy, humor and learning and keep them from causing you unhappiness or stress. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Photo by Japanexperterna (Creative Commons).

RSVP here: **[https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3558153/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3558153/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=)[RHCTN1260000475092](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/3558153/redhatfieldeventspreregnoappform/page/landingregistrationpage?sc_cid=RHCTN1260000475092)** Is configuration drift silently killing your stability? Join us for the next Red Hat User Group (RHUG) event in Washington D.C. and discover the future of IT infrastructure management with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 10 Image Mode. This isn't just another operating system update—it's a new paradigm. You’ll learn how to treat your entire OS as a versioned, container-native artifact, bringing the speed and control of DevOps to your foundational layer. **Event Highlights:** * Deep Dive: Deploying and maintaining a truly immutable, compliant operating system. * Expert Insight: How to use familiar container-native tools to build bootable RHEL images. * Networking: Connect with peers, Linux administrators, security engineers, and infrastructure architects. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your IT services. Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2026 Time: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST Location: Red Hat Tysons Corner, McLean, VA Secure your spot today and get ready to eliminate operational "noise" for good. We look forward to seeing you there! Your RHUG Team

**First meetup of the Columbus AI Engineering group.** We’ll kick things off with a practical, beginner-friendly discussion on: **How LLMs like ChatGPT actually work — and how to build real applications with them.** We’ll cover: * what’s actually happening under the hood (at a high level) * why LLMs behave the way they do (hallucinations, prompt sensitivity, etc.) * how people are building real systems with them today * where things break in practice This will be a **short, informal talk (\~15–20 min)** followed by open discussion and Q&A. Whether you’re an engineer, builder, or just curious about how modern AI systems work, you’re welcome to join. No slides, no fluff — just real conversation about real systems. We’ll hang out afterward and get to know each other.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** Web Forms gave .NET developers a powerful abstraction for building reusable UI controls long before design systems were a thing. Web Components finally bring that same idea to the browser natively. This session explores how the Web Forms mindset translates into Custom Elements, Shadow DOM, and HTML templates. We’ll examine how Web Components enable design systems that work across frameworks, how they differ from server‑driven controls, and why they’re becoming a foundational layer for modern UI. Whether you’re maintaining legacy apps or building greenfield projects, you’ll leave with a practical understanding of how to apply familiar patterns in a modern, standards‑based way. **YouTube Link** TBA

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on **AI Agentic Coding** and how autonomous AI systems are transforming the way software is built. Experts in AI, software engineering, and developer tools will share insights on how agentic AI—systems that can plan, reason, and execute coding tasks—is reshaping modern development workflows. The discussion will cover topics such as AI-assisted development, productivity gains, challenges around reliability and governance, and what the future of software engineering may look like with AI agents as collaborators. Whether you’re a developer, tech leader, or AI enthusiast, this session is a great opportunity to learn, ask questions, and explore how agentic AI is redefining coding

Builders, creators, architects, admins, consultants - come one, come all. This one's for you. We're bringing a little friendly competition to the Columbus ServiceNow community while highlighting the cool things people have built on the platform. Five presenters will take the stage to showcase something they've built, solved, designed, or imagined on the ServiceNow platform - and a panel of judges (plus YOU, our amazing audience) will score them live. So basically, America's Got Talent but make it ServiceNow's Got Talent. Bring a notepad if you'd like 'cause you'll definitely be learning something new. Each presenter gets 10 minutes max to wow the crowd with: • A demo • A real-world business solution • A bold idea • A UX transformation • Or a creative use of the platform Judging Criteria: 🏆 Business Value 🚀 Innovation ✨ User Experience This event is about celebrating ideas, sharing knowledge, and showing how ServiceNow can drive both business impact and meaningful user value. Come learn. Come support. Come get inspired. Refreshments and bites will be provided. And maybe next time… you’ll be on stage.

**Complex Trauma Support Group** Our group is intended for survivors of complex trauma. If you are here, it’s likely that so much of who you are and what you have experienced in this life is actually invisible to most people––to family, society, coworkers, and the people who are around you. We are a peer-led group of survivors creating opportunities for ourselves and others to share our experiences, share support, and build relationships in kind community together. Survivor experiences might include: child sexual abuse, incest, child trafficking, and other experiences of people living with traumatic dissociation and complex PTSD. **What to expect at your first meeting:** Currently, we are offering a bi-monthly in person group at 2:00pm on the first and third Sunday of the month. The only criterion for joining the group is that you are a survivor of trauma wishing to have more kindness in your own life and share kindness with others, and that you agree to practice to group’s relational agreements available for view here: https://www.kindgroups.com/agreements. Joining the group is free of charge. We ask that new people connect with us for 30 minutes on the phone or on zoom before coming to their first group, so that we can determine together that we are a good fit. Our meetings last approximately 90 minutes. Participants are never required to share. You’re also welcome to choose a pseudonym and you will never be asked for private information. You are welcome to leave at any time. The kindness that survivors can share when among others who have survived similar childhood experiences is something we rarely get to experience. Time spent with others who understand even a little bit more about us is a relief. Our hope is to help ourselves and others experience that we are not alone. We wish for our efforts to be a cause of kindness in our own lives and the lives of each other. You can read more about the groups at www.kindgroups.com.

Central Ohio Radio Enthusiasts—CORE—is an informal community for anyone enthusiastic or curious about radio—whether you're new to radio and want to learn or you've been tinkering for years and want to share. Ham radio operators, GMRS users, Meshtastic fans, software-defined radio nerds, makers, and technical and non-technical folks are all welcome. No experience required or expected. This month we have **WiFi HaLow: Introduction and Practical Use** with **Alex Barbur**. Details are are [core.radio](https://core.radio).