Information Science

# Software Engineering Through Continuous Crisis: What AI Changes and What It Doesn't Join us for an exclusive Innovators Guild event exploring how AI is reshaping engineering, software development, and the future of tech careers. This session features leaders from DataArt and Marketing Pot, sharing insights from 25+ years of technological disruption. 🔗 RSVP: https://luma.com/v6yum32a 🔍 What You’ll Learn * How AI is changing the role of engineers * What “AI‑assisted development” and “vibe coding” actually mean * How delivery models are evolving in the AI era * Why software economics may shift dramatically in the next 5 years * How AI is disrupting marketing across industries * Which skills will matter most for future tech careers 🎤 Speakers **Dmitry Bagrov** — UK Managing Director, **DataArt** Bringing experience leading through the dot‑com crash, 2008 crisis, COVID, and now the generative AI wave. **Alina Zaiets** — Founder, **Marketing Pot** Former DataArt marketer, now advising B2B SaaS brands on AI‑driven marketing. 🤝 Who Should Attend Software engineers AI practitioners Tech leaders Product managers Founders Anyone curious about how AI is transforming the tech industry **📅 Event Details** 📆 19 May 2026 🕡 6:30 PM (arrival from 6:00 PM) 📍 Landmark Office, Monument (Exact address shared upon RSVP)

**This talk starts at 7 PM, please join us from 6:30 PM.** **The science behind paranormal phenomena** Opinion polls show the majority of the general public accepts that paranormal phenomena do occur. Such widespread experience of and belief in the paranormal can only mean one of two things. Either the paranormal is real, in which case this should be accepted by the wider scientific community which currently rejects such claims; or else belief in and experience of ostensibly paranormal phenomena can be fully explained in terms of psychological factors. **Psychological and physical explanations** This presentation will provide an introduction to the sub-discipline of anomalistic psychology, which may be defined as the study of extraordinary phenomena of behaviour and experience, in an attempt to provide non-paranormal explanations in terms of known psychological and physical factors. This approach will be illustrated with examples relating to a range of ostensibly paranormal phenomena. **Our Speaker** **Chris French** is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, where, up until 2024, he was also Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit. He retired from Goldsmiths in 2020. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and a patron of Humanists UK. He has published over 200 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics within psychology. His main area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He writes for the *Guardian* and the *Skeptic* magazine. His most recent book is *[The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal](https://amzn.eu/d/0dFVfCYG)*[ (2024, MIT Press)](https://amzn.eu/d/0dFVfCYG). **Post event social** As after all our in-person talks at the Old Diorama Arts Centre, we will move on to a local pub for a post event social. So from 8:30 PM we will be going to the [Queen's Head and Artichoke](https://maps.app.goo.gl/nXy9yvWcywRM1Hir6), 30-32 Albany St, London NW1 4EA. **Payment** We ask for a **£5 donation to attend** this talk, which can be paid on the door. (Or pay what you can afford.) If you would prefer to make the £5 donation online or can't attend and would still like to support the event [p](https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML71XMH66FX5E/checkout/ALWCDLQ3S7AVPLFZ62PZGXLU)[lease click here](https://square.link/u/yIrpwGDk). Alternatively you can do a transfer using our account details: Central London Humanist Group, Sort code: 30-94-25, Account number: 19143068, Reference: Talk Beacon **Please note this event will be recorded and we will take photos for publication on CLH media channels. If you do not wish to be featured in video or photographs please contact the CLH team in advance or make us aware at the event.** **Resources and FAQs** …for members, supporters, and participants in CLH activities See [here for our knowledge base](https://clhorganisers.notion.site/Central-London-Humanists-knowledge-base-7ff2374eee1e43c0938123e894f37e5f) packed with important, useful information about the group, the organisers, and what we offer the community. See [here for our code of conduct and complaints policy](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Reeh69cv38DHeBnexNwOAKoeRb2dwDM3k9xaJ2tM5EA/mobilebasic). **Our events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian**. We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.

Hey there, data enthusiasts and ClickHouse aficionados! We've got some exciting news to share - our next meetup is on the horizon, and it's going to be in London! Get ready for a delightful mix of mind-boggling data tales, insightful conversations, and maybe even a surprise or two up our sleeves. But here's the deal: to secure your spot, make sure you register ASAP! **Location:** *The Lighterman -* 3 Granary Square, London N1C 4BH **Agenda:** 6:00 - 6:30 - Arrival and Check-in 6:30 - 7:00 - **AI Dashboards & Time-Travel Debugging Kubernetes -** Rory Crispin, ClickHouse 7:00 - 7:30 - **Curing LLM amnesia with chDB and ClickHouse -** Shuva Jyoti Kar, Palo Alto Networks 7:30 - 8:00 - **ClickHouse @ Fluidstack** \- Xander Garbett\, Fluidstack 8:00 - 9:00 - Food, Drinks, and Conversation

This week we'll discuss the first chapter of [The Science of Can and Can't](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Can-Cant-Physicists-Counterfactuals/dp/0241310946/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YFBGHPLNB4NO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.YoSj1NdZXBPKK81RKKOjBA.ga2ZS1YEzf0cR13hyK4BpEHaXtvmjSfEhGZemtNXrLU&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+science+of+can+and+can%27t&qid=1779107463&sprefix=the+science+of+can+and+can%27t%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-1), by Chiara Marletto, co-developer of Constructor Theory alongside David Deutsch. A big theme of the book is counterfactuals - statements about what *could* happen, not just what *does* happen. Chiara argues that science has historically struggled to incorporate these rigorously, even though they’re central to explanations, computation, biology, knowledge, and agency. If this is your first time attending we meet in the William Morris pub in Hammersmith - look for people with copies of the book. Please read the chapter before attending.

**New members of all ages always welcome!** One day in 399BC in the Athenian Agora, shortly before his trial for impiety, Socrates meet Euthyphro, another citizen involved in a religious suit and their subsequent conversation, whether fact or fiction or a mixture of the two is vividly portrayed by Plato in his short dialogue. Socrates, being prosecuted for his supposed failure to acknowledge the gods, is shown to have more concern for religious matters than his somewhat naïve friend; at the same time, however, Socrates’ probing about the logical inconsistencies in Euthyphro’s views about piety and the gods reveal him as a radical critic of Athenian social and moral values.

London's Friendly Book Club's pick for March is **Project Hail Mary** by **Andy Weir**. A lone astronaut. An impossible mission. An ally he never imagined. Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it's up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery-and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he's got to do it all alone. Or does he? Please only RSVP if you think you'll be able to make this event. **We host three sessions per book, you only need to attend one.** Everyone is welcome! Grab your copy and join us for a relaxed and engaging discussion.

Join us on May 21st to learn, share, and network with some of the most experienced professionals who are passionate about AI/ML. This time, we’re excited to have **Revolut** as a special partner. Topics: \- Anton Repushko\, Lead Researcher\, Revolut: "Build Next-Generation Foundation Models in Finance" \- Nicolas Atienza\, Researcher\, Neuralk AI: "Gradient Boosting to Tabular Foundation Models: What Changed, What Didn't" \- Ivan Dolgov\, JetBrains: "Pre\-training at JetBrains: fast MoE perfectly fit for H100/200 GPUs" \- Kir Zharov\, Spinner AI: "Building the unified knowledge layer for self\-improving agents" More talks will be added soon You can submit your talk here: [https://forms.gle/wiWyD5sBqzZtCfpMA](https://forms.gle/wiWyD5sBqzZtCfpMA) If you’d like to become a partner for this or one of the upcoming meetups, message [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fedorshabashev/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fedorshabashev/) or [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirzharov/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirzharov/) In the meantime, you can watch the previously recorded talks: [https://youtube.com/@londonpytorchmeetup](https://youtube.com/@londonpytorchmeetup) Please subscribe to our channel! ❤️

Exactly thirty years ago, Alan Sokal published his famous hoax, intensifying the “Science Wars” and criticising postmodern thinkers such as Bruno Latour and Jaques Derrida for their interpretations of science. The Science Wars represent an attempt, perhaps an unsuccessful but nonetheless meaningful one, at establishing a dialogue between philosophy and the natural sciences. In this iteration of the Philosophy of Life Sciences Reading Group we’ll revisit this moment by returning to one of Latour’s early engagements with science: his essay “Give me a laboratory and I will raise the world”. Here, Latour views the lab not as an isolated, “sacred” space, but as a powerful site which transforms the invisible into visible, not a passive observer but something that actively reshapes reality. Are scientific facts constructed? What is a scientific truth? Anyone from any background is welcome! If you’d like the pdf or to ask any question feel free to drop me a message. Please don’t worry too much about the RSVP list: we usually have 5-10 people attending already.

Do you want to meet new people in a relaxing chill atmosphere surrounded by new books? Do you dislike loud and smelly places like pubs and clubs? This is the event for you. Science and Philosophy Book Club is creating a new kind of meetup where people who love books and knowledge can meet new friends in a big book shop. We will explore around different sections of the book shop together as a group while making interesting conversations with each other. We will go to both fiction and non-fiction areas. If you feel shy and feel nervous to come alone, I will make sure you will feel comfortable and accomodate to your needs. I will help introduce you to others so you can go over the barrier of anxiety when approaching a new person. We will meet on the ground floor lounge area of Doubletree Hilton Hotel at 6 p.m. It is an amazing cosy bar with classy vibes. We will wait for everyone to show up while getting some drinks and socializing. At 7 p.m we will head to the Waterstones book store near Russel Square and UCL. After we explore the book store, we will come back to the hotel bar and stay there for the rest of the night. This event requires £5 donation to cover the venue fees. You can pay via cash or card. Thank you for helping the book club!

This **in-person theatre** and **livestream** talk is available online from Gresham College to Basingstoke Science subscribers. **ADVANCE BOOKING AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TALK.** **More details and booking instructions on the Gresham web site:** **[https://www.gresham.ac.uk/speakers/professor-robin-may](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/speakers/professor-robin-may)** **SUMMARY** #### Part of: **[Why do we have emotions?](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/why-emotions)** We think of emotions as being central to our characters and our sense of self. But emotions are the product of brain chemistry and, like most biological processes, are malleable. Thus far, our ability to artificially manipulate emotions has been extremely rudimentary, but we are on the cusp of a revolution in neuroscience that will open the door to powerful emotional manipulation. How can we navigate the ethical minefield that this will uncover, and what will it mean for our understanding of who we really are? **LIVESTREAM TIMING** **The livestream will go live at 5.55pm, and the introduction will begin at 6.00pm. If you register but miss the livestream, the video will be available to you via the same link for two weeks after the event date.** For more information on livestreams, see the information below, or [visit our FAQs page](https://www.rigb.org/whats/faqs-ri-livestreams). Please use the event link you have been provided with. Gresham College has offered an outstanding education to the public free of charge for over 400 years. Today, Gresham College plays an important role in fostering a love of learning and a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Please consider making a donation on their web site to support the work of Gresham College.

**AI is becoming part of many documentation workflows, but how do you turn that into a clear, repeatable strategy?** At this month’s meetup, we’ll focus on how to build an AI docs strategy by identifying gaps in your current approach, creating practical playbooks, and using automation to support consistent, scalable documentation. In this session, [Maddy Onyehara](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddalena-o-bb2372020) (Technical Writer, Cloudflare), [Jun Lee](https://www.linkedin.com/in/junlee98?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios) (Senior Technical Writer, Cloudflare), and [Anita Achu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-achu?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios) (Technical Writer, Upsun) will walk through how to approach AI in documentation in a structured way. This includes spotting where current workflows fall short, designing playbooks teams can rely on, and introducing automation that improves quality without adding unnecessary complexity. 🔔 **Note** Please note: spaces are limited, so please RSVP only if you’re able to attend and free up your spot if your plans change. 🗒️ **Agenda** **When**: Thursday, 21 May, from 6:00pm **Where**: The Gallery @ [The Corner](https://maps.app.goo.gl/xegvGx3qA9ysEgvA6) (42 Adler Street, E1 1EE) **What**: **18:00 - 18:30** Arrival **18:30 - 18:40** Welcome & Housekeeping **18:40 - 19:00** Presentation from our sponsor, [Document360](https://document360.com/) **19:00 - 19:50** Session: Build Your AI Docs Strategy **19:50 - 20:00** Q&A **20:00 - 21:00** Networking All times are approximate. **📍 How to find us** Enter the hotel, turn right, and pass the bar to find The Gallery meeting room. Look for WTD signs and friendly organisers. **📸 Photos** Please note that organisers may take photos during the event for the Write the Docs London community.

This **in-person theatre** and **livestream** talk is available online from Gresham College to Basingstoke Science subscribers. **ADVANCE BOOKING AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TALK.** **More details and booking instructions on the Gresham web site:** **[https://www.gresham.ac.uk/speakers/professor-robin-may](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/speakers/professor-robin-may)** **SUMMARY** #### Part of: **[Notes from a Large Planet: a citizen’s guide to the Earth](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/large-planet)** The polar regions are still some of the most inaccessible and least touched by humans, but they are deeply linked to the rest of Earth. We will cover the history of exploring them, the challenges of measuring this environment, and the current state of knowledge about the ice at both poles. We will also cover the likely future for the polar regions – the incentives driving different actions, what science suggests about the consequences, and coming events to look out for. **LIVESTREAM TIMING** **The livestream will go live at 5.55pm, and the introduction will begin at 6.00pm. If you register but miss the livestream, the video will be available to you via the same link for two weeks after the event date.** For more information on livestreams, see the information below, or [visit our FAQs page](https://www.rigb.org/whats/faqs-ri-livestreams). Please use the event link you have been provided with. Gresham College has offered an outstanding education to the public free of charge for over 400 years. Today, Gresham College plays an important role in fostering a love of learning and a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Please consider making a donation on their web site to support the work of Gresham College.

There are many resources available for guidance on how to write code that is efficient and results in more sustainable software applications, but applying these at scale can be challenging, and often isn’t a priority for busy teams. GitHub have recently released Agentic Workflows, a way of specifying automation tasks in human-readable format to be performed by an AI agent as part of a GitHub Actions workflow. In this talk, Max Mizzi from GitHub's Sustainability team gives an overview of Agentic Workflows, and will demonstrate how they can be used to improve software efficiency through both structured green software rules and autonomous performance engineering. He'll finish by walking through a real-world use-case showing how the technology helped to dramatically reduce the energy consumption - and carbon footprint - of a major website. Come along if you want to learn more about using AI to improve the energy efficiency of your software. Check out the Green Software Brighton [website](https://greensoftwarebrighton.co.uk/) for links to previous talks. Arrive from 18:00 for pizza and drinks. Event will start at 18:30. We always head for a drink and a chat locally afterwards too. --- ***Thank you to Runway East for use of their space to host our events and to Silicon Brighton and the Green Software Foundation for supporting us.***

**Latest Dojo Location!** **Knotty Pine Brewing** 1765 W 3rd Ave, Columbus, OH 43212 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 speakers for our Monthly Meetups! Fill out the form if you are interested in presenting to the Python Community. https://forms.gle/ehSfUAC2WgR34Crq9

Customer identity resolution becomes increasingly complex as organizations scale across multiple systems, regions, and data formats. Traditional rule-based approaches often fail to keep up with data variability, require constant manual tuning, and struggle with real-time processing needs. This session presents a practical approach to building a scalable identity resolution pipeline using AWS services and modern AI techniques. The architecture combines data ingestion through Amazon S3 and AWS Glue, transformation pipelines using Spark on EMR, and machine learning models deployed via SageMaker for entity matching and standardization. Graph-based relationship modeling is implemented using Amazon Neptune to improve resolution accuracy by incorporating household and shared attribute context. We will walk through how machine learning models can be used for name and address normalization, how intelligent blocking strategies improve matching efficiency, and how feedback loops can be introduced to continuously improve accuracy. The session also highlights how serverless components such as AWS Lambda can be used for orchestration and real-time processing. **SPEAKER BIO** Mosaic Syed is a Senior Data Engineering and Cloud Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience designing and delivering scalable, secure, and high-performance data solutions across global enterprise environments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosaic-basha-syed-92300856 **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: [https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/](https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/) **THANK YOU** *VEEAM* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Veeam*, please visit their website: [https://www.veeam.com/](https://www.veeam.com/) **DIRECTIONS** 8800 Lyra Dr #450 · Columbus, OH go to 4th floor. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

**Welcome to Drunken Philosophy** a casual, curious social discussion **Optional topic for this meetup: What's up with all the AI hate?** A recent survey found that 74% of Americans have a negative view of AI, and I want to know why. Come out and debate whether AI is good or bad. My hot take: a labor-saving tool that could potentially help cure cancer gets called dangerous because it might raise unemployment or cause a speculative investment bubble, that tells you a lot more about capitalism and the economic system we live under than it does about the tool itself. As a computer programmer, I think AI is a wonderful tool that has increased my productivity by at least an order of magnitude. I'd go so far as to say Claude Code is the best tool I have ever used. Debate me and name a better one. Is AI potentially dangerous? Yes, but so are a lot of tools. Chainsaws. Steam engines (early ones would occasionally explode and kill everyone in the room). Do you think cavemen sat around debating whether fire could be used as a weapon or for self-harm, and decided not to discover it? I have two friends who hate AI for opposite reasons: one thinks it's a fad and not useful, and the other thinks it's going to take over everything and cause human extinction. Come out tonight, have a friendly debate, and make some friends. No lectures. Friendly crowd. Drop in for one drink and stay if it's fun.

SATURDAY: This event is 2:30 - 4 pm SATURDAY. Conversation tends toward intermediate/advanced, but everybody is welcome. If you come and don't see us right away, keep looking. We could be anywhere in the restaurant.

**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 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** TBD **YouTube Link** TBD

Community Backyards Workshop Join us at the Ohio Herb Center in Gahanna to learn about sustainable home gardening. We can make small changes in our yards to make a BIG impact for a better environment and healthier waterways while saving money. This workshop is presented by Friends of Alum Creek and hosted by Ohio Herb Center. By attending, any participating community resident can receive a voucher for a rain barrel, compost bin, or native plants for attending. Vouchers are limited to one per household per year. Registration in advance is encouraged but NOT required. Click here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/65f65aw (Free Workshop Registration: Registration is free. Registering in advance provides your information to Franklin Soil and Water ahead of time, so when you come to the workshop, we will have your voucher ready for you when you arrive) * Location: Ohio Herb Center, 110 Mill St, Gahanna, OH 43230 * Date and time: Sat, May 23, 2026 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM * Organizer: The Community Backyards Program, (614) 486-9613, communitybackyards@franklinswcd.org **FAQs** **Our Community Backyards workshops are FREE and a great way to participate in the rebate program. Our workshops are typically 1 to 1 and a half hours long and held in-person. Our workshops cover the same content as the online course, but they are more detailed and allow the chance to ask questions and have discussions with the presenters and other residents. We occassionally have "advanced topics" classes where you dive deeper into one topic of Community Backyards such as invasive vs. native plants or rain gardens.** **Registration is encouraged but not required.** You can register in advance to receive your voucher at the workshop. If you don't register in advance, that's okay - you can still show up (unless otherwise noted - which is very rare) and sign up for a voucher at the class, and we will send you one via email or mail within a few business days after the workshop. **"Do I have to be a resident of that community to attend that workshop?"** Nope! Our workshops are open to everyone (unless otherwise noted - which is extremely rare). You can attend a workshop that best suits your schedule even if it is in a different community than your own. **"Why is registration closed?** Can I just show up?" Yes, you can show up without registering! We close registration typically 1-2 days before the workshop to give the vouchers and materials to the presenters. However, you are always welcome to just show up and fill out a short form to request a voucher at the workshop. If eligible, we will send one to you within 1-2 business days after the workshop. **Voucher note**: Classes are free for everyone but vouchers are for residents of Franklin county or participating community (list here: https://www.communitybackyards.org/participate) 2026 Participating Vendors: City Folk's Farm Shop, Fisher's Gardens, Leaves for Wildlife, Scioto Gardens, Hoover Gardens & Gift Center, and the FSWCD/SWACO Compost Bin Sale. *when redeeming your voucher at a vendor, Please bring a physical copy of your voucher to receive an immediate discount on your purchase. Additionally, to keep up with number of vouchers that are given out, we have changed the expiration date on the vouchers to 30 days

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.linkedin.com/company/transformlabs/) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/transformlabshq)