Information Science

They say you never forget your first love. But there’s something about love that isn’t returned that's pretty hard to forget too. To help ease any post-Valentine’s Day blues, we’re going to spend our next Curiosity Café discussing **unrequited love.** We’ll begin by examining our experiences of unrequited love, to get to the bottom of what exactly we’re talking about. How is it different from, say, love that *is* requited? Or from infatuation? Is a one-sided friendship an instance of unrequited love? Is there a relevant difference between love that is not requited at all, and love that is not requited in *kind*? What can unrequited love tell us about the nature of love in general? Then, we’ll turn to thinking about how we should respond to unrequited love, either in ourselves, or in others. What value, if any, does unrequited love have? When love is unrequited, should we try to move on? Should we try to persuade our beloved to love us back? What should we do if we’re on the receiving end of unrequited love, or if we’re witness to a friend in this kind of situation? Join co-moderators Alexandra Gustafson and Sophia Whicher to dissect these questions and more on February 17th. **Space is limited!** **Please obtain a “Pay-What-You-Can” ticket from Curiosity Café at [this link (click here)](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/curiosity-cafe-unrequited-love-tickets-1982624787109) to attend this event. You need a ticket to be admitted.** See the above link for more info about tickets and other options including a limited number of free tickets. Come and hang out with us, grab food, and read through our handout from 6-6:30pm. Our structured discussion will run from 6:30-8:30pm with a 10 minute break in the middle. Hope to see you there! ***___________________________________________________________________*** This event is brought to you by [Being and Becoming](https://beingnbecoming.org/), a Toronto based non-profit. We aim to create community around exploring everyday concepts and experiences so that we may live more intentional, thoughtful, and meaningful lives. We use philosophy as a tool with which we can come to a richer understanding of the world around us. By offering activities, spaces, and other opportunities for conversation and co-exploration, we hope to enable the meeting and fusion of individuals and their ideas. Everyone is welcome, regardless of background: indeed, we believe the journey is best undertaken alongside explorers from a variety of disciplines, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Find out more about Being and Becoming [here](https://beingnbecoming.org/). About the Curiosity Café Series: For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to join us at our Curiosity Cafés and are wondering what they’re all about: every two weeks, we invite members of our community to come out to the Madison Avenue Pub to engage in a collaborative exploration of our chosen topic. Through these events, we aim to build our community of people who like to think deeply about life’s big questions, and provide each other with some philosophical tools to dig deeper into whatever it is we are most curious about.

Go Medieval! Learn Medieval arts, sciences, dancing and games! Have somefun with like minded history geeks. Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm St. Andrew’s United Church 117 Bloor St EAST (near Church Street) Ring the buzzer for the gate keeper more info? www.eoforwic.ca

Join us for an exclusive **AWS Toronto Office Visit** hosted by the AWS team, bringing together members from AWS Cloud Clubs across Ontario for an afternoon of learning, insight, and inspiration. This in-person visit is a chance to step inside the AWS office, meet the people building and scaling real-world cloud and robotics systems, and get a behind-the-scenes look at what careers at AWS actually look like. **What to expect:** * 🏢 **Guided Office Tour** – Experience the AWS Toronto workspace and culture * ☁️ **AWS Cloud Clubs Program Overview** – Learn how AWS supports student builders and communities * 🧠 **AWS & Solutions Architecture Talk** – How solutions architects design systems at scale * 🤖 **Amazon Robotics Session** – Explore how robotics and cloud infrastructure intersect at Amazon **📅 Date:** February 17, 2026 **⏰ Time:** 12:30 – 2:30 PM **📍 Location:** AWS Toronto Office **👥 Audience:** AWS Cloud Club members & partner university clubs (including TMU) Whether you’re curious about cloud careers, large-scale system design, or robotics at Amazon, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from AWS professionals face to face. Spots are limited. RSVP early.

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

\*\*Please note that this event requires your name and email address for QR code to get access to the building on the event day, you must register or else you will not receive a QR code for access\*\* [Link ](https://forms.office.com/r/kUUNAxpugZ)to Registration: https://forms.office.com/r/kUUNAxpugZ ### Topic 1: Agentic DevOps: Redefining the SDLC DevOps just got an upgrade. Thanks to GitHub Copilot and other AI tools your pipelines can now think ahead, automate the boring stuff, and even nudge you when you’re about to break production (again). This talk dives into agentic AI—the kind of AI that doesn’t just wait for orders but actually helps out, like a proactive teammate who never sleeps. Agentic DevOps is a paradigm that combines human developer expertise with AI-powered tools and frameworks to enhance software delivery. While Microsoft popularized the concept, it’s not limited to their ecosystem. You can apply Agentic DevOps with: \- Coding agents like : Cursor\, Windsurf\, Claude Code\, Codex etc \- Local AI coding agents: Continue\, Cline\, Roo Open-source models: Llama 4, Mistral, DeepSeek, Qwen \- On\-prem deployment tools: vLLM\, SGLang\, TGI \- Agent Frameworks: LangGraph\, AutoGen\, CrewAI\, DSPy etc These are just few examples but choose your preferred tooling and infrastructure, whether on-prem or in the cloud with AWS, GCP, Azure, IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud, or Alibaba Cloud. Agentic DevOps is about augmenting human capabilities with AI, not about vendor lock-in. Agentic DevOps is for everyone. We’ll show how Copilot helps you write, review, and ship code faster, while Azure keeps the infrastructure humming along. Think: smarter CI/CD, fewer “oops” moments, and more time to focus on the fun parts of building software. Expect real-world examples, best practices, and a few cautionary tales. You’ll leave with practical ideas for making AI a trusted part of your DevOps toolkit—without replacing the humans who still need coffee breaks. Whether you’re a DevOps engineer, team lead, or architect, this session will help you see how AI can make your life easier, your pipelines smarter, and your deployments a lot less stressful. Speaker: **Max Yermakhanov, Microsoft MVP** **Topic 2: Building a Secure Browser Agent with Microsoft AI Foundry & Azure Playwright Workspace** AI agents are moving beyond APIs and command-line tools — they are starting to reason and act inside real web browsers. In this session, we’ll explore how to build a secure, production-minded browser agent using Microsoft AI Foundry and Azure Playwright Workspace, enabling agents to autonomously navigate websites, interact with UI elements, validate outcomes, and report results with transparency and guardrails. Speaker: **Kaan Turgut, Hybrid Cloud Solution Architect** **Topic 3: Introduction to Azure SRE Agent** As organizations increasingly adopt cloud-native architectures, maintaining reliability and operational excellence becomes a critical challenge. Enter Azure SRE Agent—a cutting-edge solution designed to bring Site Reliability Engineering principles into the AI era. This session introduces the Azure SRE Agent, an intelligent, autonomous system that leverages AI-driven insights and automation to monitor, diagnose, and remediate reliability issues across distributed environments. Speaker: **Ehsan Eskandari, Microsoft MVP**

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $15 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These French, English (For Spanish and French speakers only), and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in a French, English, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

Discover a Purposeful Second-Act Career as a Vacation Consultant Date: Tuesday, February 17th, 2026 Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Admission: FREE Venue: Toronto Public Library – Danforth/Coxwell Branch, Meeting Room Address: 1675 Danforth Ave., Toronto, ON Speaker: Charlotte Chau, Manager – Expedia Cruises, East York Office Note: This is not a Toronto Public Library event. If you are not able to attend this in-person event, please register our virtual session at [https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6Qn_Dl1PSsyQBQHs6E8OkQ](https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/6Qn_Dl1PSsyQBQHs6E8OkQ) Turn Your Professional Skills Into a Meaningful, Modern Advisory Role Are you an early retiree with strong communication skills, problem‑solving ability, and confidence using computers? Are you exploring a purposeful way to stay engaged, use your skills, and support others — without stepping into a hobby group or leisure club environment? If so, this information session is designed specifically for you. The travel industry is expanding rapidly, and with travelers increasingly seeking guidance, the role of a Vacation Consultant has never been more relevant. This session will help you understand the work from a professional perspective — grounded in real tools, systems, training, and client service — not from a “perk-based” or “travel club” angle. | This is not a role where you are left on your own — the training is extensive, clear, and practical. | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |

Hello ClickHouse Enthusiasts! We are excited to be returning to Toronto! You'll have an opportunity to connect with your peers, share industry insights, and learn more about ClickHouse and how folks are using us to solve their big data challenges. **Meetup Details:** * Date: Thursday February 19th, 2025 * Time: 5:30-8pm EST * Location: Spaces Queen West, 180 John Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1X5, Canada The evening will be filled with user presentations, interactive discussions, and the opportunity to network with ClickHouse experts and users. **Agenda:** * 5:30 PM: Arrivals, Check-In and Networking (food and refreshments served) * 6:00 PM Welcome and Introductions * 6:10: Nicolas Joseph - Co Founder, CTO @ FiveOneFour * 6:30: Archie Sarre Wood @ evidence.dev * 6:50: Speaker 3 * 7:00-8:30 PM: Q&A and Networking Space is limited, so register today to confirm your spot! If you’re interested in speaking at a future meetup, please contact zoe.steinkamp@clickhouse.com

💘 **Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with MongoDB Skill Badge** Fall in love with building smarter AI applications using Retrieval Augmented Generation with MongoDB. In this Valentine-themed session, you will learn how to design RAG applications, use vector search effectively, apply smart chunking strategies, and build an LLM-powered app with LangChain and MongoDB using your own data. 🎓 **Skill Badge** Complete the skill check at the end of the session and earn a Credly Badge to share with your network. **💚 Why Attend** • Learn RAG architecture, chunking strategies, and hands-on implementation • Connect with MongoDB users, engineers, and AI enthusiasts • Free community event with complimentary food **🕠 Agenda** **5:30 PM** Meet & Greet - refreshments **5:45 PM** Talk: [Dev J. Shah](https://www.linkedin.com/in/busycaesar) (SWE @ [TribalScale](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tribalscale)) - RAG with MongoDB: Learn and get a [Credly Skill Badge](https://learn.mongodb.com/courses/rag-with-mongodb) **6:45 PM** Networking and connecting with your peers **7:30 PM** Event ends **⚠️ Important RSVP Notes** • When you arrive, please take the **elevator to the 4th floor, turn left, and follow the signs** • We kindly ask that **you arrive on time** so we can keep the event running smoothly • If you arrive **after 6 PM and the building doors are locked**, please signal the **security guard** at his desk for assistance • You may use a **fully charged laptop or a smartphone** to participate in the session • Please note that this event **will end firmly at 7:30 PM** 💡 Join us for an evening of learning, sharing, and community-building. We look forward to seeing you there! ✅ Thanks to our sponsors **[@MongoDB](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mongodbinc)**, **[@Slalom Consulting](https://www.linkedin.com/company/slalom-consulting),** and **[@Delbridge Solutions](https://www.linkedin.com/company/delbridge-solutions)** 💚 We’d love to hear from the community. **Are you doing something cool with MongoDB you’d like to share?** Message our MUG leaders [@Ian](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iancloves) / [@Leonardo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leogomesdev) 🌎 Sessions will be presented in English

Welcome to the profound depths of the Ancient Kabbalah, an esoteric tradition open to all who sincerely seek to know. For thousands of years, its eternal mysteries have been transmitted through an oral tradition known as Kabbalah, meaning “to receive ”. This group systematically explores the authentic doctrines and writings of the sages, providing students with a conceptual understanding of the universe’s structure, including its internal worlds, aspects and dimensions. This understanding is the foundation for all practical applications of the wisdom, which include meditation, unification, alchemical self-transformation, and ultimately, leading the student towards a direct knowledge of the Soul and the actual experience of the Upper Worlds. Our studies delve into foundational cryptic texts such as *The Zohar*, *Sepher Yetzirah* (The Book of Formation), and *The Tree of Life*, alongside spiritual doctrines from diverse traditions throughout history—including both the Old and New Testaments. For the dedicated seeker, the mysteries reveal the golden thread that weaves together all wisdom traditions, sciences, and the very fabric of the universe into a single luminous and shining garment. **Meetings are held every Thursday from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.**

The TAICO team is happy to announce our next meetup at the Adaptavist office in Toronto. Much thanks to [Adaptavist](https://www.adaptavist.com/) for hosting! **Wayfinding** * *Please be careful when using maps features on phones, some people have been redirected to a completely wrong address. The event is near Winners on Front St, which is just south, across the street, from Berczy Park (where the dog fountain is) so if you are not near that area, you are in the wrong place.* **Registration and Event Details** Our goal is to bring artificial intelligence and cybersecurity together. To do that, we need to explore what's happening in AI and what's happening in cybersecurity, and where the two intersect and collide. We're also working to understand how we solve problems in these areas, what that looks like, and how Canada can and will participate. With that in mind, we're pleased to announce our speaker and the agenda for our next meeting! **Sponsors** And thanks to our host, [Adaptavist](https://www.adaptavist.com/)! **Notes** * *Unfortunately, we won't have pizza at this meetup due to a gap in sponsorship. We're actively working on securing sponsors for future events.* **Agenda** **Doors Open: 5:30PM** **Event Start: 6:00PM** * 👋 **Welcome and introductions** * 🙏 **Thank you to our amazing hosts and sponsors!** 🎉 * 🎙️ **Speakers** 🎤 **Speaker #1: Curtis Collicutt** *Title: Stegalographer* *Abstract:* ***They said never write your own encryption. They didn’t say anything about steganography!*** *What if the best place to hide a secret message was in something so boring that nobody would ever look twice at it? Stegalographer is a tool that embeds data in legitimate-looking application logs by encoding information in the choices that generate the logs, rather than encrypting them. The template used, the number of trailing spaces, whether the log says 'error' or 'failure', and even the microsecond variations in timestamps can all carry hidden bits. The output isn't logs with secrets stuffed inside, but real log structure with your data silently riding along.* *This talk will explain how Stegalographer works, from analysing existing logs to extract templates (using the Drain algorithm from log analytics research), to the encoding process that turns your message into a stream of plausible entries. We will explore practical use cases such as covert channels in penetration testing, watermarking logs to trace leaks and censorship-resistant publishing disguised as 'sample data'. However, we will also be honest about the limitations: this is steganography, not encryption, and statistical analysis can potentially detect anomalies at scale. Whether you're interested in security research or information theory or privacy, or want to know more about building security tools, come and see how the most mundane part of any system can become a covert communication channel.* *We'll also touch on the experience of building security tools like this one using AI-assisted programming tools like Claude Code.* 🎤 **Speaker #2: Ads Dawson** Title: *Q&A with Ads Dawson* *Ads Dawson is an Offensive security engineer, penetration tester and red teamer with over thirteen years of experience breaking, testing, and securing applications and infrastructure across startups and large enterprises. Skilled in web application security, DevSecOps, and large-scale hybrid cloud environments, with a strong focus on offensive engineering, red team operations, and vulnerability research. Active bug bounty hunter and researcher in AI and LLM security, specializing in uncovering and mitigating attack vectors such as prompt injection, unrestricted model inference, and backdoor attacks. Experienced in leading incident response and simulating advanced adversaries to expose weaknesses before real attackers do.* *He works with organizations like OWASP and was Technical Lead for [OWASP’s Top 10 for LLM Applications](https://owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/assets/PDF/OWASP-Top-10-for-LLMs-v2025.pdf).* *This is your chance to ask Ads anything you want about AI and cybersecurity so come armed with your questions!* **⚡ Lightning Talks and Demos** Lightning Talks - 5 to 10 minutes long 1. Myles Harrison - Point / counterpoint on Claude Code and agent orchestration 2. Elshad Humbatli - Repo Health software project 3. **You?** \- Please reach out if you'd like to do a lightning talk or demo Please reach out to us if you'd like to present at the meetup. We are looking for people to talk about what they are working on, what they are building and learning, and are open to any level of experience and technical depth. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, we want to hear from you! We're all just out here building and learning. 👋 **See You There!** Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at the meetup!

Don't be disappointed if you don't see a bunch of people attending. I advertise this on multiple platforms and the class usually sells out. \*\*If you don't use Paypal, email me at ralph@socap.ca and we'll figure it out. You can pay be etransfer or with a credit card/cash at the venue.\*\* Improv comedy uses several techniques to create laughter. These include, creating an atmosphere free of judgement, saying 'yes', active listening, being positive, putting your focus on others, and the importance of play and laughter. Not coincidentally, these are the same things that happen to us naturally when we are bonding with another person. In this class, we'll explore these techniques not with the goal of being funny, but with the goal of being people that other people want to be around. The teacher, Ralph MacLeod, is a co-founder of two independent improv clubs in Toronto - Bad Dog Theatre and Social Capital Theatre. He's been teaching improv for over 30 years. He also teaches these same techniques to several organizations including UofT, Google, Kraft, Shopify and many, many more. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have! FAQs and Good To Know.... After every event, a group from this class sit down and have a drink together so be prepared to stay if you want! Of course, you don't HAVE to. You also don't have to be single or bring a friend. The vibe of this class is much more 'making new friends' than a 'singles' mixer'. We usually run to 8:15 so pay for extra parking!

### Thursday Evening Discussion Group **In\-Person \| Starts at 8:00 PM \(Doors open at 7:30 PM\) \| Drop\-In** **Starting material:** *[Network of Thought](https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Network-of-Thought-Krishnamurti-ebook.pdf)* by **Jiddu Krishnamurti** This weekly discussion group offers a reflective and open space to explore themes of **mysticism, spirituality, and inner transformation** through selected writings and talks by Jiddu Krishnamurti, Annie Besant, Alice Bailey, and other thinkers whose work invites deep **inquiry into consciousness, freedom, truth,** and **the nature of self-understanding**. Rather than promoting a particular belief system, the group emphasizes **shared reading, thoughtful reflection, and respectful dialogue**. Participants are welcome to engage at their own pace—whether through listening, contemplation, or open discussion. While there is **no requirement to commit before attending**, *the intention is to gradually build a group of participants who are interested in returning regularly and engaging sincerely with the material* and the group process. Newcomers are very welcome, and those who feel drawn to ongoing study are warmly encouraged to continue attending. This is a **drop-in group**, and no prior background or preparation is required. **All are welcome.** Come as you are, reflect together, and take part in a spirit of openness and mutual respect.

Attention is as curious as it is multifaceted. It has been called [a currency](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I4WkhG_GRM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I4WkhG_GRM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks"), the lack of it has been [pathologized](https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd "https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd"), and its span has [apparently been decreasing](https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/attention-spans "https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/attention-spans"). But what *is* attention, and what does it share with what are often understood as its synonyms, like ‘focus’, ‘concentration’, and ‘awareness’? What role does it play in our lives and why might we feel like its nature and extent have been changing with rapid technological innovation and the pace of modern life? The phrase ‘pay attention’ is perhaps more appropriate today than ever. Nowadays, if you watch a YouTube video, scroll through Instagram, or even walk down a busy street in your city, chances are you’ll see an ad. Our attention, however brief, is quite literally *paying* companies who sell our attention to marketing departments. Why is our attention so valuable? How much control do we have when it comes to the object(s) of our attention? How much responsibility do we have over what we pay attention to? Join us at our next Revisited Curiosity Cafe on Sunday, February 22nd, where we will engage in a collaborative exploration of the nature and extent of our attention and why attention is more valuable today than ever. **Space is limited!** **Please obtain a “Pay-What-You-Can” ticket from Curiosity Café at [this link (click here)](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/curiosity-cafe-revisited-paying-attention-tickets-1982649061715) to attend this event. You need a ticket to be admitted.** See the above link for more info about tickets and other options including a limited number of free tickets. Come and hang out with us, grab food, and read through our handout from 2-2:30pm. Our structured discussion will run from 2:30-4:30pm with a 10 minute break in the middle. Hope to see you there! ***___________________________________________________________________*** This event is brought to you by [Being and Becoming](https://beingnbecoming.org/), a Toronto based non-profit. We aim to create community around exploring everyday concepts and experiences so that we may live more intentional, thoughtful, and meaningful lives. We use philosophy as a tool with which we can come to a richer understanding of the world around us. By offering activities, spaces, and other opportunities for conversation and co-exploration, we hope to enable the meeting and fusion of individuals and their ideas. Everyone is welcome, regardless of background: indeed, we believe the journey is best undertaken alongside explorers from a variety of disciplines, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Find out more about Being and Becoming [here](https://beingnbecoming.org/). About the Curiosity Café Series: For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to join us at our Curiosity Cafés and are wondering what they’re all about: every two weeks, we invite members of our community to come out to the Madison Avenue Pub to engage in a collaborative exploration of our chosen topic. Through these events, we aim to build our community of people who like to think deeply about life’s big questions, and provide each other with some philosophical tools to dig deeper into whatever it is we are most curious about.

**New Dojo Location!** **Draft Day Columbus** 1130 Dublin Road Columbus, OH 43215 We're going to try a new dojo location for a few weeks and see how it works Dojos are informal Python group study sessions where everyone interested in Python gathers to learn about Python, help others with Python, or just hang out. Everyone is welcome from Python beginners to experts. Bringing a laptop is encouraged (we'll have extension cords and power strips). If there's something you want to learn leave a comment on this invite so we can plan ahead. We're looking for topic suggestions and people interested in presenting at our monthly meetings. To this end we've set up a survey form at [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15eBKF1nQQ2XS5gzD4rvhVRHMBEj7lJtHuA9wXupS3Uc)

This meeting will be an open discussion about the book "an Immense World" by Ed Yong

**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** TBD **YouTube Link** TBA

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message **Chris (the organizer)** with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

Bienvenue! Columbus French Conversation group invites you to our Saturday morning French conversation club. Expect a casual and welcoming atmosphere in which to learn french! I will bring my laptop so we can look up new vocabulary as needed! The venue is a beautiful French restaurant so you can really get into the zone :)

**Our February novel is: Julia by Sandra Newman** **This month is a classic, dystopian, fiction, literary fiction, women’s fiction, and science fiction novel. The book is 394 pages in print and 14 hours and 20 minutes on audiobook.** **An imaginative, feminist, and brilliantly relevant-to-today retelling of Orwell’s 1984, from the point of view of Winston Smith’s lover, Julia, by critically acclaimed novelist Sandra Newman.** Julia Worthing is a mechanic, working in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. It’s 1984, and Britain (now called Airstrip One) has long been absorbed into the larger trans-Atlantic nation of Oceania. Oceania has been at war for as long as anyone can remember, and is ruled by an ultra-totalitarian Party, whose leader is a quasi-mythical figure called Big Brother. In short, everything about this world is as it is in Orwell’s 1984. All her life, Julia has known only Oceania, and, until she meets Winston Smith, she has never imagined anything else. She is an ideal citizen: cheerfully cynical, always ready with a bribe, piously repeating every political slogan while believing in nothing. She routinely breaks the rules, but also collaborates with the regime when necessary. Everyone likes Julia. Then one day she finds herself walking toward Winston Smith in a corridor and impulsively slips him a note, setting in motion the devastating, unforgettable events of the classic story. Julia takes us on a surprising journey through Orwell’s now-iconic dystopia, with twists that reveal unexpected sides not only to Julia, but to other familiar figures in the 1984 universe. This unique perspective lays bare our own world in haunting and provocative ways, just as the original did almost seventy-five years ago.