Mathematics

The Data Science Speakers Club is a Toastmasters International club enabling the current and next generation of Data Scientists to improve their Public Speaking Skills. This is a HYBRID Meeting! So join us Online via ZOOM or In-Person. Joining the Data Science Speakers Club means joining a supportive environment to build your confidence in public speaking and to practice speaking in front of an audience. You will also gain the opportunity to receive feedback on your speeches in a friendly environment, including what you have done well and guidance on the areas you can improve upon. We also run a mentorship program where an experienced mentor supports you on your public speaking journey. Meeting Theme: **TBC** Tentative Schedule: 18:30 - President's welcome 18:40 - Prepared Speeches (3 prepared speeches with evaluation) 19:25 - Guest introduction 19:30 - Break 19:40 - Table Topic 20:30 - Wrap up, awards, announcements End of Meeting The theme is to do with exploring various aspects of power, including how it is distributed, challenged, and transformed in different contexts. In the first part, there will be speeches. In the second half, we will have impromptu speeches preparation in groups called Table topics where guests can participate. We meet on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Mondays of each month from 6:30 pm online. Each meeting is a mixture of prepared speeches by our members, speaking roles, and impromptu speaking challenges by members and guests. Our meetings are free to attend and you only have to speak if you want to. For in-person attendance, snacks will be provided. Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Mathematical and Logical Thinkers aiming to focus on their communication and leadership development are always welcome to attend our meetings, to increase their self-confidence, become better speakers, and become better leaders. ZOOM LINK: [http://tiny.cc/DSS-Toastmasters-Zoom](http://tiny.cc/DSS-Toastmasters-Zoom) FACEBOOK: [https://www.facebook.com/datasciencespk/](https://www.facebook.com/datasciencespk/) LINKEDIN: [https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-science-speakers-club](https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-science-speakers-club) TWITTER: [https://twitter.com/datasciencespk](https://twitter.com/datasciencespk) INSTAGRAM: [https://www.instagram.com/datasciencespk/](https://www.instagram.com/datasciencespk/)

*this event is advertised elsewhere so there will be more people coming than stated* **✨ Welcome to Conundrum Corner at The Union Jack pub, Southwark! ✨** Step inside and join a gathering *of* open minds and kind hearts. Whether you bring a conundrum of your own that you are experiencing or simply your listening ear, you’ll find a welcoming space to share, reflect, and explore life’s tricky questions together. 🌿 **What to expect:** *You’re invited to share a conundrum, dilemma or question that you yourself are experiencing. - We’ll vote to choose a few intriguing ones to explore more deeply. *With a few extra details in hand, we’ll break into small groups for thoughtful discussion. - Then, we’ll come together as one big group to share insights, perspectives, and perhaps even some fresh solutions. The atmosphere is **analytical yet empathetic, thoughtful yet light-hearted**, and always non-judgmental. Whether your conundrum is personal, professional, or just a head-scratcher, we’re here to help unravel it together. 💸 There’s no set fee to attend, but we do ask for donations on the night to cover costs - which are warmly appreciated! 🍷 Please also support our lovely hosts, Jade and co., by buying yourself a drink at the bar (and food’s available if you fancy a bite). 💡 **What’s a conundrum, you ask?** A conundrum is any dilemma, crossroads, or confusion in your life—big or small. It could be a **"chicken and egg"** situation, a **"catch-22"**, or a **"have your cake and eat it"** kind of puzzle. Sometimes, life just throws us complex, messy questions—and that’s what we’re here to navigate together. Once our deep discussions wind down, we’ll slip into **pub mode**—a chance to relax, connect, and continue chatting with newfound friends. **🛡️ Code of Conduct - *please note*** Conundrum Corner is committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all attendees. Any abuse, harassment, or inappropriate behaviour towards other attendees, whether during the event or in any contact related to the event afterwards, will result in permanent removal from the Meetup group and exclusion from future events. Come along for an evening of intriguing conversations, fresh perspectives, and a touch of serendipity. Looking forward to seeing you there! Helena x

NOTE: the pub does not charge for our space on the understanding that we all purchase something from the bar. Please support them. I'll be there from around 7pm if anyone would like a social chat before we get started. **Please arrive in time for a prompt start at 7:30.** In some Christian circles there is an idea that in all of us there is a “God-shaped hole” - the idea that everyone needs God; those who seek Him find Him, but those who do not, vainly fill the “void” with other things. The origins of the idea appear to stem from Blaise Pascal, the 17th century French mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and Catholic writer. In his book *Pensées*, published posthumously in 1670, he suggests that we are all engaged in a futile search for a true happiness but that however much we have, we remain dissatisfied. This leads him to propose that “this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself”. In the 20th century Existentialist thought suggests that although the “hole” is real, it is not “God-shaped”. Instead, existentialists argue that the feeling of emptiness is the result of confronting the absurdity of a world devoid of inherent, preordained purpose. Rather than seeking to fill this void with a divine plug, existentialists believe in accepting the void and taking on the radical responsibility of creating one’s own meaning. American psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed his hierarchy of needs, the highest level being “self-actualisation”. Maslow describes this as the desire to accomplish everything that one can, to become the most that one can be. In later work he extended this idea to suggest that transcending the self and having a broader sense of purpose and connection to others, is the peak of human experience. Perhaps this is his approach to filling the "hole". What are our own personal experiences? Do we find ourselves searching in vain for some deeper meaning or purpose? If so, why? If not, what makes us feel adequately fulfilled? What is it, exactly, that we are searching for? How would we recognise it if we had it? To what extent has the development of scientific understanding filled any “God-shaped hole”, in the 350 years since Pascal’s writing? In what ways might some notion of “God”, possibly combined with belonging to some form of religious community, fill the “infinite abyss” we may feel? Even if a “God-shaped” solution doesn’t work for us, can we understand why it has been, and remains, so important for human societies? Is there a different sort of hole that isn’t “God-shaped”? Some optional prior reading: [Where does the concept of a "God-shaped hole" originate?](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/2746/where-does-the-concept-of-a-god-shaped-hole-originate) [Pascal’s ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pens%C3%A9es)*[Pensées](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pens%C3%A9es)*[ (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pens%C3%A9es) [Existentialism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism) [Maslow's hierarchy of needs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs) Café Philo discussions always try to be respectful of everyone’s point of view. This topic is potentially more controversial than some, so please be respectful of all points of view, even if you disagree. Hope to see you there.

Join me for a fun Drama class every Monday evening from 6:30 pm- 8:30pm at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham Common. The class helps with confidence, developing awareness of yourself and others, connecting and to simply having fun. No experience is needed. We'll do relaxation exercises, games, improvisations, storytelling, and a bit later on we'll start working on character and text. There will be a little showcase at the end of the year. £10 pounds for the trial class to be paid before or after class. Different payment options if you decide to join. In order to reserve a place, please contact me at catherine@thebrightdaycompany.net. For more info: https://www.thebrightdaycompany.net/about I look forward to seeing you!

Welcome to SQUAD Advanced Volleyball sessions. PLEASE READ: Level: Advanced/Upper Intermediate only. (Players MUST know the 5-1 rotation system and positions and have strong all-round skills) We meet at Bacon's College Sports Centre in Canada Water for fun but competitive volleyball! Cost: £ 12 per session Maximum Capacity: 14 players. Attitude: Positive and friendly atmosphere Please NOTE: you might be asked to leave the session if your level isn't up to the standard of ADVANCED Book your place ASAP and any question please contact us here or via our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/S.Q.U.A.D.VC/

From 7:45PM to 9:45PM For clothing, any combination of T-shirts, shorts, tracksuits etc. Recommend you bring a large bottle of water Although we start at 7:45pm, some people arrive at any time up to 8.30. Our numbers vary from week to week, but we average to around 23 - which works very well. Payment of £7 after you have returned home, and by transfer to bank account (details masked) Directions - proceed to Ashburton Library on Shirley Road, and go down the private road to the right of the Library. And you will find on your left an entrance to the building that is marked Sports Centre/Reception. Free car parking is available adjacent to the Sports Centre, and more spaces if you continue along the private road. Transport options - Rail to East Croydon Station, and then 367 Bus. Alternatively Tram to Blackhorse Lane or Woodside Tram stops On entry go to the far end, turn right through the door marked Sports Hall and continue through the lobby You are most welcome to come along as a beginner You need to wear indoor (ideally badminton or squash) NON MARKING sports shoes - so that you do not leave (black) scuff marks on the floor We are an informal, social group and are not covered by any insurance. We are not responsible for any injuries or loss occurred as a result of your participation. Please arrange your own insurance if you would like to be covered. You are advised to always (and please do!) warm up before RSVPs please

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! ❤️

Join me for a fun Drama class every Wednesday evening from 6:30 pm- 8:30pm at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham Common. Acting helps with confidence and awareness. In a fun and relaxed atmosphere, you will meet new people and learn all about Acting. No experience is needed. We'll do relaxation exercises, games, improvisations, storytelling, and a bit later on we'll start working on character and text. The year ends with an exciting Showcase where friends and family come and see how all your hard work has paid off :) £10 pounds for the trial class to be paid before or after class. Different payment options if you decide to join. In order to reserve a place, please contact me at catherine@thebrightdaycompany.net. For more info: https://www.thebrightdaycompany.net/about I look forward to seeing you!

A **smaller, quieter, and less rushed** edition of THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS. At TEiP DEEP, we have the chance to spend a whole hour and a half on **one thought experiment**, exploring different perspectives, coming up with new questions, listening and learning from one another. **How it works:** \- We split into small groups for each chapter of the thought experiment \(3\-4\)\. \- We shuffle every 25 mins to meet new people and change things up\. \- And at the end we'll have a brief group reflection\, sharing ideas and insights \- this will be lightly facilitated to ensure that everyone has a chance to speak if they want to \(no pressure\)\. Some simple ground rules to keep our conversation the best it can be: * respect for one another’s perspectives, beliefs, time (etc.) * confidentiality of personal stories * own your perspective * you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. Our aim is the same as our bigger Thought Experiments in Pubs meetups: **a chance to meet and talk at about meaningful, thought provoking things**. Although we’ll be going a bit ‘deeper’, we’ll keep the intention to have an enjoyable evening, with good humour and fun. Places are limited to 15-20 people and tickets are £5. Please update your RSVP if you can no longer attend so that someone else can have your place. **Who should come:** Everyone! We believe that the more perspectives, the richer the conversation. This group is not about being experts in Philosophy, it is about *doing* philosophy. That is, bringing our various life experiences and lenses on the world to group discussions about the human experience, the nature of reality... etc. etc.... **Where we'll meet:** The Fitzroy Tavern in Fitzrovia. The nearest Tube stations are Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road. Looking forward to meeting & talking with you :-) #inclusivity #openmindedness #deepdive #TEiPdeep #philosophy #greatconversations **[SUBSTACK](https://experimentsingroupwisdom.substack.com/)** \- reflections\, invitations and newsletter **[WHATSAPP GROUP](https://chat.whatsapp.com/D13LHw5BV3rEtUtO3ORklC)** \- stay in the loop **[INSTAGRAM](https://www.instagram.com/thoughtexperimentsinpubs/)** \- see what we look like **[FACEBOOK](www.facebook.com/thoughtexperimentsinpub)** \- ditto **[WEBSITE](www.alltogether.one)** \- everything else

Location: Ark Walworth Academy Shorncliffe Rd, London SE1 5UJ There will be 24 hours cancellation policy. If you can't make it please update your RSVP 24 hours before the session. Anytime under 24 hours and you will be responsible for paying for the session. The session fee is £15 per 3 hours make a payment to: Monzo Personal account Alvin John Rompe Sort code: 04-00-04 acct number: 29786770

The [Global Excel Summit](https://globalexcelsummit.com/?via=lem) returns on the **19-20 May 2026** and it will be Hybrid - so a mix of in-person in London (venue is Soho Place Theatre) and online. This is a paid event and as a London Excel Meetup group member, you get a special 15% discounted price by applying code **LEM15** at checkout. This is the ultimate Excel event with ✅ 2 days in-person learning (19 & 20 May) ✅ 30+ Main Stage presentations covering the MS Power Stack (Power BI, Power Automate, etc), AI, Data Viz, Analytics, Finance and Accounting, Python, Formulas, and more. ✅ Full access to the virtual platform ✅ Awesome chance to network with other Excel & Power BI professionals and companies ✅ All event recordings ✅ 30+ CPD hours and CPD certificate of attendance ✅ Optional Masterclass sessions to sign up to on 18, 21, and 22 May 2026 **Early Bird Tickets** Only 43 early bird tickets remain, so best **move fast** to secure yours before they run out. What is an early bird ticket? Well it is 30% off, so your £545 in-person ticket becomes £382 (for 2 days Excel learning). Use code **LEM15** for an additional 15% off this price. Crazy good value! Get your [Global Excel Summit 2026](https://globalexcelsummit.com/?via=lem) ticket today. Be sure to RSVP on this event page so other members know that you're going, but RSVP does not confirm attendance. It is a paid event and requires a ticket. I hope to see you there.

**Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). Topic: This month John Lairson will share a notebook describing the Alpaca (Paper) Trading API and discuss different algorithms for evaluating stock trades. We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact Central OH Python at centralohpython@gmail.com

Jimmy V's Grill & Pub in Grandview Heights. You are responsible for your own meal/drinks. We usually don't have any agenda other than eat, drink and talk. :) If the weather is nice we will be on the back patio, otherwise we are in the cigar room. This group has been meeting every Tuesday evening for over a decade. Many attendees do not RSVP on meetup. Please don't let the small number here discourage you. Anyone/everyone is welcome to come. We'd love to have you join us. COTA bus #5 comes to W. 5th and Wyandotte Rd. And it's a minute walk to 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

**Pagans on the Patio! Summer/Fall Series** A casual gathering the first Thursday of each month. Time to relax, meet new people, and reconnect with old friends. There is no charge for the event itself and all are welcome but there are a few guidelines: 1. **You are expected to purchase food and/or drink to compensate the Cantina and our server.** 2. **No soliciting. Do not bring samples of your wares or brochures of your services.** 3. **Please respect the spiritual and political views of others that are present. No disruption of the peace.** In case of inclement weather, we will find seating indoors. I hope to see you there. Blessed be! \~ Cynthia ❤️---

**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.

Main Library, Meeting Room 2B Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. All backgrounds are welcome.

Join us for a relaxed and enjoyable brunch at 17 Arrows Kitchen and Bar! This is a great opportunity to meet new people, enjoy good food, and ease into the weekend with great conversation. Whether you’re new to the group or it’s your first event, you’ll feel right at home.