Information Science

**PLEASE NOTE THE UPDATED LOCATION** [Stout NYC, 109 W. 39th St. (bet. 6th and 7th aves)](https://www.stoutnyc.com/location/stout-nyc-bryant-park/) In this event we'll take a break from the heavy lifting of the last few events, and focus on networking, drinking, coding, and conversations about Machine Learning! For those interested, here are a few previous presentations, feel free to study up and ask me questions at the event! [The Fundamentals of Machine Learning](https://fpwarehouse.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/the-fundamentals-of-artificial-intelligence.pdf) [Machine Learning and Genetics](https://fpwarehouse.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/genetics.pdf) [Machine Learning and Sorting](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353958877_Sorting_Information_and_Recursion) See you soon! Charles

In this session, we’ll discuss two short but influential essays by Martin Heidegger: * The Question Concerning Technology * Science and Reflection Together, these essays ask: What happens to the world, and to us, when science and technology become the dominant ways reality is understood? Heidegger is not asking whether technology is good or bad, nor is he calling for a rejection of science. Instead, he argues that modern technology and modern science shape how reality *s*hows up for us. Training us to see nature, time, work, and even ourselves primarily as resources to be measured, optimized, and managed. He calls this way of seeing “enframing.” In *The Question Concerning Technology*, Heidegger explores how modern technology differs from earlier forms of making and craft, and why its danger lies less in machines themselves than in the narrowing of how we understand meaning and value. In *Science and Reflection*, he deepens this analysis by examining scientific thinking itself, suggesting that science succeeds precisely because it operates within a projected framework and that reflection begins when we become aware of those hidden assumptions. **Reading for this week (60 pages total):** Martin Heidegger: * The Question Concerning Technology (33 pages) * Science and Reflection (27 pages) I will be reading the essay collection available [here](https://a.co/d/9RGWuUb). Free pdfs are available online if you search for them. **Rules for Our Group** **1\. Be Courteous** Respectful disagreement is totally acceptable; Condescension is not. **2\. Be Concise** Keep comments brief, on topic, and allow space for others to join in. **3\. Do the Reading** If you have not done the reading for the week you are welcome to attend and *listen* to the discussion, but out of respect for those who have read, you will not be permitted to participate in the discussion. Finally, **Please update your RSVP if you are no longer able to attend the event.** * inaccurate RSVPs make it difficult for coordinators to plan successful events * inaccurate RSVPs prevent waitlisted individuals from attending \*Multiple no shows may result in losing RSVP privileges for future events. For more info and FAQ on the group click [here](https://docs.proton.me/doc?mode=open-url&token=VN7EBB6A7R#u8EIecPo6nCs). Looking forward to the discussion! \- Brent

Food For Thought (F4T) is a friendly weekend brunch for people who enjoy discussing serious and "serious" topics with other smart, engaging people. We welcome everyone, whether you are a card-carrying philosopher or are maybe not quite sure who Plato was. The only qualification you need is that you enjoy thinking and eating and can do both at the same time! The F4T Brunch meets on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. We will have a new suggested topic each month, though wandering off topic is also allowed! (Good luck trying to stop that from happening.) These will span Science, Philosophy, Politics, History, Economics, and more. Attendees will be invited to propose the topic for the next brunch. We are a friendly group but we must restrict attendance to 12 members so we can all participate in a common conversation. And if you sign up, we expect you to show up! Two no-shows and you will be blocked from attending. To keep up-to-date on CFI-NYC events you should sign up for our monthly newsletter. Go to https://cfi-nyc.org/ and at the lower right click on Receive E-Mails. Topic for each event to be announced in the Comments section below...

WE ARE BACK IN PERSON!

This free in-house training program is aimed at improving science communication and science literacy in non-academic settings. Biology interns from Montclair State University are participating, and the program is open to community members ages 18 to 80-plus. Together, we will explore why science matters, what current research says about effective communication, and how to design and deliver evidence-based science events and workshops for diverse audiences that lead to information retention and spark curiosity. Participants will not only learn new approaches but will have opportunities to practice and refine them in real-world settings. The training is most Fridays through May 29, 2 to 5 pm, at the Society's meetinghouse. You may [get more details and register](https://ethicalfocus.org/science-literacy). We'd love to have you on the team!

Join us for weekly discussions of Jacques Derrida's 1967 deconstruction of the speech/writing binary in western philosophy, *Of Grammatology*. **Required reading for this meeting: ch. 2 Linguistics and Grammatology (pg. 29) up to The Hinge _[La Brisure_] (pg. 71)** (Note: we’re meeting at 2pm this week instead of our usual 1pm) Most of us are reading the [2016 edition of the book](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DbDLEE6P5JsS9hkTAR-vGfG6E-Wh9BGn/view?usp=sharing). We plan to meet weekly and work our way through the whole book about 30–40 pages at a time. We'll be meeting at Art Cafe + Bar in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. This event is free but we're all still socially obligated to purchase something, and Art Cafe is a cool place that we should support! They have a bar and they serve coffee and tea among other non-alcoholic drinks, as well as food.