Intelligent Conversation

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“A Deep Dive into the Declaration of Independence,”** on the origins and impact of America’s founding document, with Denver Brunsman, chairman of George Washington University’s history department, lecturer at Mount Vernon, and noted scholar of early American history and the American Revolution. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-deep-dive-declaration](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-deep-dive-declaration) .] The celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary will take on much deeper meaning if you take time to fully understand and appreciate the document that declared our independence from England and gave rise to the American experiment. Learn essential lessons about the Declaration of Independence from Denver Brunsman, an incredibly engaging speaker who has built a big following among Profs and Pints fans in and around Washington D.C. Professor Brunsman will start by discussing the Declaration’s background, composition, and philosophical underpinnings. You’ll learn how by 1776 American colonists had resisted British policies for thirteen years and endured open warfare with Britain for more than a year. We’ll look at how this imperial crisis influenced the Declaration’s primary author, Thomas Jefferson, as well as the larger Declaration Committee and the Second Continental Congress. In recent years, scholars have focused particularly on the previously underappreciated grievance section of the Declaration. Rather than simply being an afterthought to the more famous preamble (“all men are created equal”), the grievances followed a logical order that carefully presented the case against King George III and the British Empire for a “candid world” to consider. Professor Brunsman will fill you in on how that list of grievances rallied Americans and other nations to the cause. A document both timeless and of its time, the Declaration quickly soared beyond its humble origins as a committee report to become synonymous with American independence and an inspiration for rebellion elsewhere. Dr. Brunsman will consider the place of the Declaration in American life, from the eighteenth century to today, and how the document helped shape much of American history while influencing “the course of human events” throughout the world. The talk will close with customary toasts from the American revolutionary era. Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: From an idealized Jean Leon Gerome Ferris painting of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams drafting the Declaration of Independence.

**June 15: Debating "Present Moment"** "All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present." "Accept – then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it." "Don’t wait to be successful at some future point. Have a successful relationship with the present moment and be fully present in whatever you are doing." -- [Eckhart Tolle](https://www.reddit.com/r/EckhartTolle/comments/1gaudvn/here_are_7_top_quotes_by_eckhart_tolle_on_staying/) vs. Some say in order to hear the silence or to abide in stillness you simply need to focus your attention on the present, "be" in the "now." Various techniques are offered for achieving this. But is this really possible? Can you actually do this? Have you ever actually done this? Does this mean focusing your attention so keenly on sensory perceptions that the 'you' having those perceptions is momentarily forgotten? Does it mean that you visualize the way you imagine that you should feel if you were "living in the now"? If so, then all you are doing is holding on to one thought for whatever the duration of your experience of "now" was—merely forgetting that the identity-based, body/mind 'you' still surrounds that experience. (Identity still spins identity.) This isn't living in the now, it's living in the past—waiting for the future to fulfill that past thought. It is spinning, after the fact, the stream of consciousness into an experience that belonged to you. You did not observe the observer. You only invented or witnessed an experience. You did not transcend the ego-self. Forgetfulness of self is not the same as self-transcendence and it is possible that for a lot of people, these meditation techniques merely induce a state of self-forgetfulness, which is then interpreted as some profound experience. It is just that, a pleasant experience. -- [Bob Cergol](https://tatfoundation.org/forum2002-05.htm#8) \-\-\-\-\-\-\- ***“I am struck with how rare it is to find a few good friends on the path. It is easy to find people who simply want to sit and be entertained by teachers, or who want to sit and entertain by playing the role of teacher. In other words, the quest for affirmation often outweighs the quest for truth.*** ***Yet you may have one or two good friends, and definitely have one or two waiting to be discovered. Find them; be thankful.”*** ***— Shawn Nevins*** 'What will make me happy in life?' ... 'Am I my thoughts?' ... 'What is Enlightenment?' ... We meet every week to ask questions like these in the pursuit of Self-Knowledge and Truth. We are interested in topics like: Zen, stoicism, spirituality, psychology, mindfulness, Nisargadatta, non-violent communication, Socrates, existential philosophy, Alan Watts, taoism, Eckhart Tolle, meditation, Ramana Maharshi, etc. But we are not affiliated with any dogma, philosophy, or religion. Our goal each meeting is to serve as mirrors for one another using question-based inquiry in a safe environment. In a session, every participant takes turns discussing the week's question or topic, and the group asks reflective questions without any agenda besides trying to understand the person's beliefs. A few other guiding principles of our group: * No one is obligated to share * Be honest with yourself and others * Do not try to convince others to believe or think as you do * Keep the focus on the person being questioned We meet at the [Bethesda Library](https://maps.app.goo.gl/GWMozF8zpY1m1PY26) every Monday. The library is a 5 minute walk from the Bethesda Metro on the Red Line, approx 25 minute Metro ride from Metro Center and Gallery Place stations. The library has a a parking lot with metered parking for $1/hour. \*\*\* WE WILL BE IN MEETING ROOM 3 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED ----- THE MEETING ROOM IS IN THE BACK OF THE LIBRARY \*\*\* Please contact us with any questions!

RSVP on luma! https://luma.com/dc2-xbhs The workshop got rescheduled so we're doing a happy hour instead! \-\-\-\- * ​**Date and Time**: Monday June 15th, 2026, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. * ​**Location**: El Rey, 4201 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203 \-\-\-\- Data Visualization DC is a part of Data Community DC, Inc, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to advancing data practitioners in the national capital area. Location El Rey 4201 Wilson Blvd Suite 150-160, Arlington, VA 22230, USA

Bellydance Fitness class with Marie A sensual and feminine fusion of fitness and dance! This is a great work out! It will improve feminine health, stimulate blood circulation & digestion, increase joint fluidity, and boost self-confidence. Wear form fitting workout clothes. Hips scarfs available to use or for purchase. All Sales are final. Ladies Only! 14324 Old Marlborough Pike Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 [Registration Required!](https://momence.com/u/rulz-fitness-jJvdYS) The RULZ! Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow for Check-in. ALL classes start promptly! Children permitted only as class participants. Recommended age 13 on up.

**THE POWER OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS OVER YOU** You are welcome to arrive 15 minutes early for refreshments! At the lecture "The Power of the Subconscious", the speaker will clearly and understandably explain topics such as: What is the exact definition of the Subconscious Mind? How does it inflict unwanted feelings and anxiety in you? What determines how much pressure it exerts on a person? What exactly is the goal of the subconscious? This is not just a lecture where you sit quietly and listen. It's interactive and LIVE, so you can ask questions at any time. And the most important topic: **HOW DO YOU TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR SUBCOUNSCIOUS!** This group is sponsored by the Dianetics Life Improvement Center.

Sometimes life seems ordinary and we struggle to find meaning and purpose. Buddhist meditation provides a creative inner approach to transcending this ordinariness. Mahamudra tantra is Buddha's ultimate intention - a gateway to unparalleled peace and clarity. From this perspective, our life becomes an extraordinary inner journey. **REGISTRATION** Standard: $12 \| Financial Hardship: $6 \| Free for [Members](https://meditation-dc.org/membership/) [Pre-Register Here](https://meditation-dc.org/monday-evening-meditation/) Each class is available by drop in. Everyone is welcome to attend, no previous experience is required. **LOCATION** Kadampa Meditation Center DC 1200 Canal St\. SW \| Washington\, DC 20024 **Metro Stop:** Waterfront or Navy Yard

Socrates Cafés are gatherings around the world where people from different backgrounds get together and exchange thoughtful ideas and experiences while embracing the Socratic Method; the idea that we learn more when we question, and question with others. Although this may be considered a "philosophical" group, there are no rules as to what is discussed. Those attending decide upon the questions of the night. Usually, the topics revolve around social concerns, moral issues, and the first principles of things. Prior to each meeting we vote online for the questions we will discuss. That way, we will have enough time to ruminate on them and have more in-depth conversations. If you RSVP to a meeting, you may post your question in the event comments section below. I'll send out a survey for voting a few days prior to the meetup. We discuss two questions each night. So you will get to cast two votes in the survey. When we meet, we break into smaller groups of five to seven to discuss the top two vote-getters. Each group discusses one question for around 45-50 minutes, and we then take a short break. After reconvening, each group moves on to its second question. Hope to see you there! -Brian

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/b/3/8/event_83263832.jpeg (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZA8SWMLWS7WHA) NOTES : 1.Les cours de conversation sont une éducation continue qui a pour but d'améliorer les compétences oral en français des étudiants. 2.Le cursus des cours est d'une durée de douze semaines. 3.L'annulation d'un cours en cas de force majeure sera rétabli à la fin du cursus. 4.Aucune nourriture et boissons n'est autorisées en classe de cours. Merci de s'y accommoder. 5.Accès par le métro: Les stations de métro les plus proches sont Farragut West and Farragut North. 6. 7. Le parking métrique est également une option. Il coûte environ $ 0.25 pour 8 minutes. 8. Le paiement pour chaque cours est de 15.00 $, de l'heure par personnes. Il sera de 20.00 $ de l'heure, par personne pour les visiteurs. Cependant cela dépendra de la disponibilité des places. 9. Les étudiants peuvent solliciter des amis à venir assister aux cours pour 20 $ de l'heure pour deux personnes. Mais le règlement doit se faire en avance. Svp, n'hésitez pas à contacter les organisateurs, si vous avez des questions.

**Tired of surface-level conversations?** Join us for *Ditch the Small Talk*—an evening of deep, real connection with strangers who are down to go there. We’ll meet in the grass in front of the cathedral, break into small groups, and draw questions from a deck of cards designed to spark vulnerable, honest conversations. How it works: Draw a card and ask a question. Listen. Don't coach or give advice without permission. Try to ask follow-up questions when people share. You can spend 1 minute on a question or 1 hour, just go with the flow. **If you show up late, please don't interrupt the speaker. Just sit down in a group of your choice and they'll bring you up to speed when whoever is talking finishes. Bring a blanket or chair if you don't want to sit in the grass. *** Rules*** 1. Don't debate politics 2. Keep what is shared in the group within the group 3. If you need to use your phone, step away from your group first

Join the DC Portuguese Conversation Group to watch the Brazil vs Haiti World Cup Match at Clarendon Ballroom on Friday, June 19th! Match starts at 9, but feel free to arrive an hour early. Come practice Portuguese, build new connections and broaden your cultural/lusophonic horizons with us! Whether you are a native Portuguese speaker, an English-speaking expat looking to practice Portuguese, or simply interested in making international friends, this event is perfect for you. Come ready to engage in stimulating conversations, make new connections. Ate ja, tchau!

• What we'll do On https://blackecon101.podbean.com/ Thursdays at 6 pm. discussing the economy....

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/b/3/8/event_83263832.jpeg NOTES 1. The conversation course is a continuing education, designed to excel students' French conversation skill. 2. The course runs for twelve weeks. 3. Class cancelled due to 'Force Majeure', will be recovered at the end of the course. 4. Arriving by Metro: The closest metro stations are Farragut West and Farragut North. 5. Meter parking is also an option. It is about $ 0.25 for 8 minutes. 6. The school entrance is at the end of the parking lot of the United Church. 7. The payment for each class is $ 15.00 per person per hour. It will be $ 20 per person per hour for walk-ins. However, it is depending on availability. 8. Students can bring friends and pay $ 20 for 2 persons per hour. But it has to be an advance payment. Please, don't hesitate to contact the organizers, if you have any questions.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Can Artificial Intelligence ‘See’?”** A look at how humans and artificial intelligence systems interpret the visual world in fundamentally different ways, with Arryn Robbins, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond and cognitive scientist who researches visual attention, perception, and category learning. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-can-AI-see](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-can-AI-see) .] Artificial intelligence can now identify faces, categorize objects, describe scenes, and outperform humans on certain visual tasks. But does AI actually “see” the world the way that people do? Or does it arrive at correct answers using representations that differ markedly from human perception? Join Arryn Robbins of the University of Richmond for a fascinating exploration of how humans and AI construct meaning from visual information and a look at comparisons between human perception and AI that reveal just how dynamic and context-dependent our own visual systems really are. Dr. Robbins, who previously has given excellent Profs and Pints talks on flaws and biases in human visual perception, will draw from research in cognitive science, visual perception, and AI vision systems. She’ll explain how human perception is not merely a simple recording of the world, but an active process shaped by expectations, context, goals, and recent experience. You’ll learn how humans form flexible mental representations that allow us to recognize objects across changing environments and conditions, and why those representations continuously adapt as we interact with the world. Many AI systems, by contrast, learn visual categories through statistical patterns in data. They can produce impressive results, but sometimes they also produce strange and unexpected failures, and sometimes they classify images in ways that seem strange to us. Dr. Robbins will discuss what these differences reveal about the nature of perception itself, and why the mismatch between human and AI representations matters for technologies like self-driving cars, medical imaging, facial recognition, and automated surveillance. Important for anyone trying to understand the rapidly growing role of AI in daily life, this talk will explore one of the biggest questions in cognitive science and artificial intelligence: What does it actually mean to “see” and understand the world? (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: “Eye Farm” by Nevit Dilmen (Wikimedia Commons).

Join us for conversations that go beyond small talk, diving into topics like the shifting nature of spirituality, the challenges and joys of midlife transitions, the impact of culture and capitalism, and the search for meaning in art, travel, and daily life. Our gatherings are about genuine, thought-provoking dialogue, with no set leader or strict agenda—just an open space to share ideas, perspectives, and experiences that matter to us. The direction of the discussion is shaped by everyone who shows up, making each event unique and enriching. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others who are also seeking deeper conversations. Let the conversation flow from topic to topic. Optional questions are listed below.

Optional Questions: Life Stages & Transitions

1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging?
2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists?
3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about?

Optional Questions: Identity After the Roles

4. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you?
5. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed?
6. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted?

Optional Questions: AI & Being Human

7. What human experiences will AI never truly understand?
8. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do?
9. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated?

Optional Questions: Belief & Meaning

10. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space?
11. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live?
12. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self?

Optional Questions: The Modern Psyche

13. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have?
14. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire?
15. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept?

Optional Questions: Work & Purpose

16. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you?
17. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors?
18. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years?

Optional Questions: Relationships & Connection

19. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why?
20. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best?
21. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others?

Optional Questions: Time & Mortality

22. What are you running out of time to say or do?
23. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite?
24. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail?

Optional Questions: Society & Culture

25. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense?
26. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing?
27. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years?

Optional Questions: Personal Philosophy

28. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way?
29. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out
30. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

Organizations today are collecting more data than ever before, yet much of that information remains difficult to access, understand, and act upon. Dashboards are often fragmented, reports require specialized knowledge, and valuable insights remain trapped inside disconnected systems. At the same time, advances in AI, speech technologies, and intelligent workflows are changing how people interact with information. Instead of navigating complex interfaces or manually building reports, users can increasingly ask questions naturally using voice and receive intelligent, contextual responses in real time. In this meetup, we will explore how modern AI systems are transforming raw ingested data into conversational, voice-driven experiences that enable discovery, analytics, reporting, and operational insight. We will examine how enterprise data from documents, APIs, databases, business applications, and event streams can be processed, structured, indexed, and exposed through AI-powered interfaces that support natural language interaction. The session will cover the end-to-end architecture behind intelligent voice-enabled reporting systems, including data ingestion pipelines, semantic indexing, retrieval strategies, AI orchestration, speech-to-text processing, large language models, and response generation. We will discuss how AI agents can reason over enterprise information, dynamically generate reports, summarize findings, identify anomalies, and provide conversational access to operational knowledge. You will also see how voice interfaces are evolving beyond simple assistants into intelligent workflow companions capable of interacting with business systems, coordinating actions, and supporting decision-making across departments such as sales, operations, customer service, finance, and executive leadership. Topics we will explore include: * AI-powered data ingestion and transformation pipelines * Semantic search and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) * Voice interfaces for enterprise analytics and reporting * Real-time conversational querying of structured and unstructured data * AI agents and workflow orchestration * Intelligent summarization and automated report generation * Integrating speech technologies with enterprise systems * Security, governance, and responsible AI considerations * Practical architectures and implementation strategies Whether you are a developer, architect, analyst, technology leader, entrepreneur, or AI enthusiast, this session will provide practical insight into how conversational AI and voice-driven systems are reshaping the future of enterprise intelligence and human-computer interaction. Join us for an engaging discussion, live demonstrations, architecture walkthroughs, and real-world examples showing how organizations can move from static reporting to dynamic, conversational discovery powered by AI.

Important: Register on [AICamp website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026061814) is required for admission. **Description:** Welcome to the AI meetup in Washington DC. Join us for deep dive tech talks on AI, GenAI, LLMs and Agents, hands-on experiences on code labs, workshops, and networking with speakers and fellow developers. **Agenda:** \* 5:30pm\~6:00pm: Checkin, Food/drink and networking \* 6:00pm\~8:00pm: Tech talks and Q&A \* 8:00pm: Happy Hour at Courthouse Social (cross the street) **Tech Talk: Secure Developer Environments in the Age of AI Agents** **Speaker:** Patrick Brown (Coder) **Abstract:** Federal engineering teams are under pressure to ship faster while meeting some of the most demanding security and compliance requirements in the world. In this talk, Patrick Brown of Coder explores how cloud development environments (CDEs) give agencies a foundation to accelerate software delivery without sacrificing control — and why that foundation matters even more as AI-powered coding agents enter the workflow. He'll cover how CDEs keep source code off endpoints, enforce zero-trust access patterns, and provide the consistent, ephemeral infrastructure that both human developers and AI agents need to operate safely at scale. **Speakers:** Stay tuned as we are updating speakers and schedules. If you have a keen interest in speaking to our community, we invite you to submit topics for consideration: [Submit Topics](https://forms.gle/JkMt91CZRtoJBSFUA) **Sponsors:** We are actively seeking sponsors to support AI developers community. Whether it is by offering venue spaces, providing food, or cash sponsorship. Sponsors will not only speak at the meetups, receive prominent recognition, but also gain exposure to our extensive membership base of 5,000+ AI developers in D.C and 500K+ worldwide.

### Hopeful Cafe Conversations @Panera Kentlands **You are cordially invited to join in the conversation to catch the positive vibe... a cup of coffee, or another of your favorite refreshment.** **At NEW HOPE CAFE CONVERSATIONS on 3rd Saturdays, Monthly** **Address: Panera, 285 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878** **Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83326239362** ===== **New Hope Workshop**: What is Negativity Bias? How do we get ahead of it to reach more positive outcomes in work, life, and relationships? Discover the difference between goals and outcomes. 1\. How do we reaffirm ones role\, despite negativity bias from others? 2\. The New Hope Community Affirmative Statements of Foundational Principles 3\. Your Perspectives in Conversation **"Star Points Meal Deal"** If you have New Hope "Star Points 💫" you can get a discount on a meal. Also you can earn Star Points, if this is your first time attending Cafe Conversations, in-person. Ask Gene, newhope321community@yahoo.com, 240-848-0808.

Join the NoVa Psychedelic Meetup group for a chill happy hour and dinner meetup! Come connect with friendly, open-minded people, share conversation, and enjoy a welcoming evening together. Everyone is welcome. This is a great chance to build community, meet others in the area, and enjoy good food and drinks in a casual setting. Feel free to bring a friend. We hope to see you there! **Details:** Date: Tuesday, June 16 Time: 5:55 PM to ? Location: Ozzie's Good Eats 11880 Grand Commons Ave, Fairfax, VA 22030

**NoVES Philosophy Discussion Series: Right and Wrong** To restart NoVES' Philosophy Discussion Series we thought we would choose a topic that is fundamental to philosophy, determining right from wrong. This discussion will look at the thinking that determines right and wrong actions and the values and assumptions underlying these decisions.