Microsoft

**Please register on [Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1989306131189?aff=oddtdtcreator) to join this event:** **About the event:** The LJC is delighted to announce our 20th Unconference! Join us for a full day of discussions, knowledge sharing, learning, and networking with other developers in the industry. There will be an opening keynote session followed by breakout discussion groups on the topics which are important to you. Catering is of course included, with a steady stream of coffee as well as breakfast on arrival, lunch and even afternoon tea. **Keynote Speaker:** **Emily Jiang**, STSM, Cloud Native Architect & Advocate, IBM Unlock the performance and cost savings of modern Java without the massive manual effort. Many companies are hindered by the overwhelming complexity of modernization due to the variety of legacy enterprise Java applications they still need to maintain. Discover how modern approaches provide powerful automated solutions. In this talk, we'll deconstruct a real-life success story: modernizing a legacy monolith to a modern runtime and newer version of Java. Learn how to automatically transform your codebase, mitigate the risks of manual error, and accelerate your path to the cloud. See practical steps you can use to breathe new life into your applications and free your teams to build for the future with the help of IBM Bob. **What is an Unconference?** An unconference is a loosely structured, participant-driven meeting. You decide what you want to talk and hear about and which topics you want to discuss. It starts with an empty schedule - no topics are mandated and no separations are made between speakers and the audience. All participants work out a schedule by suggesting, planning, holding, and evaluating sessions, collaboratively. Above all else, it's great fun, whether you want to learn or share it's a supportive and safe space to do it in. This is an in-person event, kindly hosted by [IBM](https://www.ibm.com/uk-en "https://www.ibm.com/uk-en"). Thank you to our sponsors [Redis](https://redis.io/ "https://redis.io/"), [Capital One](https://www.capitalone.co.uk/),[ ](https://www.payara.fish/ "https://www.payara.fish/")and [Recworks](https://recworks.co.uk/ "https://recworks.co.uk/"). Book your place now at one of the biggest LJC Events of the year! What other events would you like to see at the LJC? Tell us here: [https://forms.office.com/r/ycv74wXBxR](https://forms.office.com/r/ycv74wXBxR "https://forms.office.com/r/ycv74wXBxR") This event is organised by [RecWorks](https://recworks.co.uk/ "https://recworks.co.uk/") on behalf of the [London Java Community](https://www.londonjavacommunity.co.uk/ "https://www.londonjavacommunity.co.uk/") You can see our latest jobs [here](https://recworks.co.uk/java-developer-jobs-london/ "https://recworks.co.uk/java-developer-jobs-london/") You can see our privacy policy [here](https://recworks.co.uk/privacy-policy/ "https://recworks.co.uk/privacy-policy/") Continue the conversation at our [Slack Group](https://londonjavacommunity.slack.com/ "https://londonjavacommunity.slack.com") If you're not a member, sign up [here](https://form.typeform.com/to/IIyQxd?typeform-source=bcrw.typeform.com "https://form.typeform.com/to/IIyQxd?typeform-source=bcrw.typeform.com")

If you are you interested on creating your own comic, but need help to put your vision together or do not know were to start then we may have the solution for you. Come talk shop with fellow creators, share experiences, ideas, techniques and tips to help each other grow and have a chance in the industry.

Join us to network and grab a drink or a meal. We will have a space dedicated for our group. Looking forward to seeing you! This months topic is Top AI hacks for productivity

**Important (Must Read) Update:** We have made some changes to the price and booking conditions for this session, **do make sure to read this, click here> [Updated Details](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sl7oLOD9ZqPoJnHKk9ZpEw8WetlAJdxWxwXyqlKsJOo/edit?usp=sharing)** How to RSVP & Pay! (See Full Details Below) **RSVP on Meetup** then use this **\>\> [Collctiv Payment Link](https://pay.collctiv.com/friday-badminton-34874) until 10am Friday ([see full details here & below](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pMsg6dATGes2pM59YuuzQBXabl882VvvXeDby0Y2usc/edit?usp=sharing))** * After 10am (AutoPay) payments made via Meetup/PayPal (fees inc) *\***Social Badminton** -* Suitable for players from beginner to intermediate levels who like to play for fun & competitively, with a variety of different players. Games are arranged by the session rep! **SESSION DETIALS** * 4 court. 26 players max. Feather Shuttles * Water refill station (bring a bottle). No Rackets provided * **Cost** \- £12\.50 per person \(**see payment link below** ) * Cancellation/No Show & Refund Policy! (see T&C's below) **HOW TO BOOK:** First RSVP on Meetup & Pay straight away as below! * **Before 10am on Fri** (Manual option) **-** Pay via > **[Collctiv Payment Link](https://pay.collctiv.com/friday-badminton-34874)\*** * \*Supporting the Collctiv App is optional. Untick this to pay the session fee only. * **[Click Here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pMsg6dATGes2pM59YuuzQBXabl882VvvXeDby0Y2usc/edit?usp=sharing)** to see full details regarding Collctiv * **From 10am on Fri**, incomplete bookings will be withdrawn and need to rebook as below. Plus... * **Autopay switched on!** \- RSVP via Meetup and make payment via PayPal \(fee inc\)\. No PayPal account required\, simply continue as a guest\. * **Do not turn up without booking, and/or wanting to pay in cash.** **WAITING LIST** is open till 10am. If you get a spot, then make a payment ASAP! Make sure you have your Meetup notifications on! It is your responsibility to make your payment in due course! Cancelation & No-Show Policies apply! The list will close at 10am, after which you can book via AutoPay if a space becomes available. **VENUE DETAILS** * Harris Girls Academy, Homestall Road, London, SE22 0NR * Pedestrian - Enter to the far right corner of the main/blue building (right of the main reception) via the gate. * **Parking** is available outside in the street. * **Bicycles** can use the bicycle rack near the sports hall entry **TERMS & CONDITIONS** **[Click Here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/12WmILk6X9dwgf_W0Cm6kgswKeW4ovHDTN8TBvN4Gq10/edit?usp=sharing)** to view details for Full Details By RSVPing for this event you confirm you have read and agree to our T&C's **Dress Code, Well Being, Conduct & Equal Opportunity:** * Wear suitable clothing and footwear for indoor sporting activity. * Ensure than your jewellery is also kept to a minimal, and avoid wearing large ear rings, chains or bracelets/bangles. * If the above is not suitable, you might not be able to participate within the session. No refund, exchange or credit will be given! * If needed please seek advice from your doctor before playing any sports. * You are responsible for warming up/cooling down stretches to reduce the risk of strains/ injuries. * Play at your own risk as Crossfire Badminton Club will not be held responsible for any injuries incurred. * We welcome players of all backgrounds, and treat everyone equally with respect. This is also expected from our participants. If you fail to do this, you may be asked to leave the session, or even banned from future sessions

Register: [https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ljc-unconference-2026-tickets-1989306131189](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ljc-unconference-2026-tickets-1989306131189) LJC Unconference 2026 is a chill, in-person meet-up where Java lovers share ideas and hack together. **About the event:** The LJC is delighted to announce our 20th Unconference! Join us for a full day of discussions, knowledge sharing, learning, and networking with other developers in the industry. There will be an opening keynote session followed by breakout discussion groups on the topics which are important to you. Catering is of course included, with a steady stream of coffee as well as breakfast on arrival, lunch and even afternoon tea.

**Please note**: the RSVP count shown on Meetup reflects only part of the group, as most players book through other channels. This is an informal Open Play session for players of all levels who want quality table time in a relaxed but high-energy setting. There is no coaching, just the freedom to train, play games, and mix with others throughout the session. Most attendees come alone. The manager will suggest partner changes roughly every 15 minutes to keep things fresh, though rotation is optional. Spare bats are available to borrow at no extra cost. Capacity is limited to 20 players, so advance booking is strongly advised. **PRICES** Open Play Ticket (2 hours): £25 Book online in advance to secure your place. Walk-in Ticket (2 hours): £35 per person Pay the manager by contactless card at the start of the session.

You do not need to be deep in MLOps to attend. If you are a founder building with AI, a recruiter trying to understand what good AI engineering talent looks like, a fractional CTO/advisor, or a newer builder wondering what happens after a demo works, this event is about the real-world jump from prototype to something people can rely on. MLOps London is moving into its next chapter. The group has a strong history of practical talks and production-focused conversations. This first event under the new cadence is deliberately simple: a signal night for introductions, production-AI pain points, hiring/fractional CTO needs, and topics people want the community to cover next. The theme for the next few months is production AI: * agent systems after the demo * observability and evaluation * deployment and rollback * governance and ownership * what teams are learning the hard way No slides. No formal talks. No vendor pitches. The lightweight format: * builders mark what they know: agents, evals, observability, infra, deployment, governance, cost, rollback * founders/recruiters mark what they need: fractional CTO input, hiring signal, architecture review, speaker/topic suggestions * everyone leaves with a Production AI Bench Card: one useful intro target, one topic/failure mode for the June talk night, and one clear ask or offer Ram will give a short welcome around 7pm and outline the plan for the June talk night: "AI Agents in Production: What Actually Breaks After the Demo." Come if you build, deploy, evaluate, operate, hire for, advise on, or lead production AI systems. Free to attend. Please RSVP with enough detail for us to understand who is in the room. You should leave with a clearer sense of what breaks first when AI meets real users, what skills matter, what questions founders and recruiters should ask, and who in the room can help.

**Join us for an exciting AI agent engineering meetup where developers, architects, and AI enthusiasts come together to connect and learn from industry experts.** **We’re thrilled to welcome guest speakers from Snowflake.** **Jenny Zhou and Ioannis Doukas,** **experienced solution engineers who will share insights on Cortex AI and discuss practical approaches to building AI agents efficiently across different industries.** **The session will include:** * **Introducing AI and Cortex features in Snowflake** * **Agent use cases across different industries** * **Interactive discussion**

**🏛️ WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 📓 **HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 14:00-14.15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the ‘official' start. * 14:15-14:20 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 14:20-15:20 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 15:20-15:30 - We do a group conclusion of the things we discussed, and then we typically take a photo and go on our way :) If you don't want to be in the group photo, there's no pressure, it's just a way to close out the meeting. We occasionally have an unofficial social so the different groups can mingle afterwards too! **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend, and we operate on donations. If you'd like to donate to support our running costs, that helps keep our group self-sustaining. Donations are 100% voluntary, but your contribution is appreciated! QR codes to donate will be present. Tea’s and coffees and are paid by the individual should they wish to have them. **💛 WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY** 🗣 “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 (the topic was authority) and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * What will we talk about? What's the topic? The topic for the week is shared every week in the Whatsapp group before the session. We try to add the topic to the comment section on this event page as well but if you don’t see it, the topic and the jump-off points will be in our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS). * Do I need to study or read anything to attend? No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what YOU think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it, but it's not required. * Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on? The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * Is it mostly men that attend? Surprisingly, no! Although philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * Can I come alone? Of course you can, we encourage it :) * Can I be late? Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * Where do you meet? The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/practical-philosophy-locations/). 🤝**POLICY** To respect our members privacy, we ask that no one privately message a member without first getting explicit consent. (This looks like speaking in person and being asked to message privately.) Contacting or texting other participants without prior consent is not permitted and may result in removal from the group. Practical Philosophy reserves the right to enforce this policy at its discretion to maintain a safe and respectful environment. **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY - Making Philosophy Available To All.** ✨ Practical Philosophy hosts weekly, in-person meetups in 25+ countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ \*\*\* Join our [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/B6fqS6HGujq8gb3a0kl5pS) 👈 Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/?hl=en) 👈 Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club) 👈

Seektag is a **sneaky outdoor spy game** that's like **competitive hide and seek! 🏃** The goal is to **spot other players without getting seen** (+5pts) and to tag checkpoints (+3pts) 👀 Watch the **Player Tutorial Video** to learn how to play: [https://youtu.be/zuxzIOce8DA](https://youtu.be/zuxzIOce8DA) \*\*\*\*\*\*\* **📍 LOCATION/HOW TO FIND 📍** Travel to Barbican station on the Circle/Hammersmith/Metropolitan line. Exit the station, turn left and walk up the main road for 1 min until you see The Shakespear pub on your right. We'll meet opposite the pub **[https://maps.app.goo.gl/TryyRr4zNrURKkZT9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/TryyRr4zNrURKkZT9)** \*\*\*\*\*\*\* **Play with a friend or go solo!** Games last 10mins and we usually play about 6 games in total. There are lots of ways to play – some people like to run around, while others like to **be more sneaky!** If you like hilarious situations, outdoor fitness, social times, group activities, games, adventures, sports or new ways to exercise, **you will love Seektag!** It's also a fantastic way to **make friends for life!** ❤️ Our Gameplay Meetups are **100% FREE** and open to everyone (kids are allowed if accompanied by an adult). We are LGBTQ+ friendly and encourage everyone to be who you are - **we love you for you!** \*\*\*\*\*\*\* **📱 Get the PlayCulture App:** You'll be using the 100% free PlayCulture app to play at our meetups. Get it here: **[www.playculture.com/app](https://www.playculture.com/app)** (and if you're feeling creative, start designing your avatar!) **❤️ Support PlayCulture!** If you are loving our free gameplay meetups please consider supporting us on Patreon! **[patreon.com/playculture](https://www.patreon.com/playculture)** or drop us a one-off donation **[playculture.com/donate](https://www.playculture.com/donate.php)** \*\*\*\*\*\*\* **REVIEWS** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ *Fun, engaging and intense, my new favourite workout!* \- Adrien ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ *The extremely welcoming and wholesome vibes, the beyond awesome people that you could connect with immediately, I could let out my inner kid again* \- AnonymousLemur ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ *Seektag means feeling like a kid again!* \- Stefan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ *I had so much fun! Definitely a very welcoming environment with lots of great people. It was a great way to unwind/de-stress - AnonymousGoat* \*\*\*\*\*\*\* **🚀 WHAT HAPPENS AT OUR MEETUPS? 🚀** Your friendly game leader will explain the rules and hand out your numbered vests, then we'll play some games! Games last 10 minutes, with about 5 minutes of social time in-between to laugh about who saw who and who didn’t! At the end of the meetup we get food and hang out until the owls are hooting **⚡ HOW DOES THE GAME WORK? ⚡** Every player wears a vest with a number on the front and back. Players open the PlayCulture App ([playculture.com/app](https://www.playculture.com/app)) and if you spot another player, put their number into the App. You can also tag zones for extra points. At the end you will see a leaderboard showing everyone’s scores **🎈 CAN I BRING MY FRIEND? 🎈** Absolutely! If you want you can stick together and play as a ninja team! Just select extra tickets if you are bringing someone with you **🥾 WHAT TO BRING** 🌊 \- Smartphone with mobile data\, fully charged battery and PlayCulture App installed \([playculture.com/app](https://www.playculture.com/app)) \- Comfy shoes \- Bottle of water **🛍️ WHAT NOT TO BRING 🎒** Please try not to bring a bag/backpack as we don't have anywhere to store bags. If possible try not to wear your hair down/long or wear a hoodie, as this could obscure the number on your back **📜 RULES 📜** Seektag takes place in public spaces, so please remember these rules: \- Non\-players always have priority \- Safety first: don’t do anything to endanger yourself or anyone else \- Don’t run around blind corners or across roads\, no risk\-taking\! \- Smile and enjoy\! **❤️ MORE INFORMATION 🤔** We're very happy to answer any questions you may have, just message us on Meetup, or email info@playculture.com, or visit [www.playculture.com](www.playculture.com) **📷 PHOTOGRAPHY 🎥** Please note that we may film or take photos at our events, either for promotion or for our YouTube channel. By attending our events you agree to feature **📢 REMEMBER 📢** These events are free-to-attend social meetups organised by passionate people. You are responsible for yourself and for your own safety. By attending you are agreeing to our terms (available here: [playculture.com/disclaimer](https://www.playculture.com/disclaimer)) Take care out there in the big wide world, and let us know if anything is troubling you **❤️**

🍻 **Join Us for Tech Startups in the Pub!** 🍻 Hey there! 🌟 We'd love for you to join us for our next edition of *Tech Startups in the Pub*. It's a relaxed evening at The Windmill, our go-to spot for tech chats and good vibes. We have been running for 3.5 years, and it's always a joy to see familiar faces and meet new folks. Whether you're a regular, a tech founder, an enthusiast, a budding entrepreneur, or simply curious about the tech scene, you'll fit right in. This isn't about panels or pitching, just good old-fashioned networking with like-minded people over a drink (and maybe some pizza) on a Friday evening. 📍 **Where:** The Windmill, 27 Tabernacle St, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4DE 🕕 **When:** From 6 PM on the 3rd Friday of every month! **House Rules:** * Find Oliver, Pedro, Rob, or the other Rob (or anyone in a burgundy T-shirt) to introduce yourself so we can welcome you properly. The pub isn't reserved exclusively for us, so we don't want you mingling with someone's birthday party by mistake! * No hard selling or heavy pitching. This is a chill, friendly after-work get-together. * Not drinking? No worries! You're more than welcome to come hang out and enjoy the conversation. Mark your calendar and come down for some fun tech talk. See you there!

**​Founders Running Club (FRC)** brings founders, investors, tech, creative people and startup enthusiasts together for weekly easy runs and networking. We like to be comfortable when we run and finish with coffee and conversations. Choose your pace or follow a pacer—pets, friends, family, are welcome. ​9:15 Bag drop at the Regent's Bar and Kitchen, Regent's Park: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MmZdAVM8yXT9euKc7 ​9:30 Warm Up starts at the Inner Circle & York Bridge, South Gate: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/qw45ehLmDQY7maMD6](https://maps.app.goo.gl/qw45ehLmDQY7maMD6) 🗓️ Launched in San Francisco, July 16, 2022 🌍 Now in 27 cities 📅 Running + Networking events + Community **Join the community [http://foundersrc.com/chats](http://foundersrc.com/chats)** **Stay updated:** **Instagram [http://instagram.com/foundersrc/](http://instagram.com/foundersrc/)** **Podcast [http://podcast.foundersrc.com/](http://podcast.foundersrc.com/)** **LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/](http://linkedin.com/company/foundersrc/)** **Strava [http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC](http://strava.com/clubs/foundersRC)** **Website [http://foundersrc.com/](http://foundersrc.com/)**

Claim your free life coaching session by RSVPing to this event! And I will contact you directly. We have amazing life coaches who can help you in different areas of your life! No matter what is going on, we understand that sometimes it can all be very overwhelming and feel like you have no idea what to do! Come and speak to one of us so get some help!

You want to do your best! You want to realise your potential! You want to make the right decisions at the right time! Obviously- you want to be a success! Do you have all the skills in place? Do you have areas in your life or personality that are weaker and you feel can stop you or hold you back? Would you like a free personal consultation to help locate your strengths and weaker areas? We can help you to maximise on your potential. If you would like a free 1 hour consult then register now! We have various times available for your own personal consultation This is hosted at the Scientology Life Improvement Centre in London. We use the Oxford Capacity Analysis test. https://www.scientology-london.org.uk/personality-test/

We are bringing Microsoft Build sessions to Columbus Ohio! The Central Ohio Azure Meetup and Central Ohio .NET Developer's Group (CONDG) are coming together to bring some of the labs and breakouts from Microsoft Build to your backyard. In this free, 1 day event, you are going to Build stuff with us! And yes, there will be free food. Please RSVP via [Microsoft Build //localhost:columbus | Microsoft Reactor](https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/reactor/events/27247/).

**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** *Customize the IDE: Building Extensions for Visual Studio Code* Visual Studio Code is one of the most widely used development environments today, and much of its flexibility comes from its extension ecosystem. Extensions allow developers to customize the editor with new features, integrations, and workflow improvements tailored to their needs. In this session, we’ll cover what extensions are and the different types available, including full extensions written in TypeScript or JavaScript, along with lighter-weight extensions such as color themes, language packs, language support, code snippets, and keymaps. We’ll also look at practical reasons a developer might create an extension, from automating repetitive tasks to adding custom tooling. The session includes a hands-on walkthrough of creating a new extension, testing it locally, and understanding the basic project structure. We’ll close with a brief overview of how extensions are packaged and published to the Visual Studio Marketplace and other distribution options. **YouTube Link** TBD

Welcome to Drunken Philosophy, a casual, curious, social discussion club. Come grab a drink and a seat at The Oracle. **Optional topic for this meetup: Where is everybody?** In 1950 the physicist Enrico Fermi was talking about aliens over lunch and asked a question that still has not gone away: if the universe is so vast and so old, and even a fraction of those billions of stars have planets, where is everyone? By the numbers the galaxy should be crowded with civilizations. Instead we look up and hear silence. That gap between "they should be everywhere" and "we see no one" is the Fermi Paradox. One of the most unsettling answers is the idea of a **Great Filter**: somewhere on the road from dead chemistry to a galaxy-spanning civilization, there is at least one step that is almost impossible to get past. Maybe the filter is behind us. Maybe life starting at all, or simple cells becoming complex, or intelligence ever evolving, is the freak accident, and we already cleared the hard part. Or maybe the filter is ahead of us, and advanced civilizations reliably wipe themselves out before they spread. Here is the part that messes with people. If we ever found life somewhere else, even pond scum on Mars, most people would call it the greatest discovery in history. But it might be the worst possible news. It would mean life is common, the early steps are easy, and the hard step is still in front of us. So the eerie silence overhead might actually be the best sign we could ask for. **Questions to wrestle with:** * Is it better to be alone? Would you rather we find alien life and learn we are not special, or find nothing and quietly improve our odds of surviving? * Where do you bet the filter sits, behind us or ahead of us, and why? * If it is ahead of us, what is it? Nuclear war, climate collapse, AI, something we cannot even picture yet? And can we do anything about a filter we cannot see coming? * Two principles pull opposite ways here. The principle of mediocrity (the Copernican principle, Sagan's "no privileged place in the universe") says we are ordinary, so what happened on Earth probably happened everywhere, which makes the silence scream louder. The anthropic principle says of course we find ourselves somewhere life was possible, since we could not observe anything else, so our being here may say almost nothing about how common life is. Which lens do you trust, and does the silence still demand an answer once you account for observer selection? * And if we did confirm life out there and had to accept we are not special, what would that do to belief in a higher power, and would shedding (or keeping) that belief help or hurt our odds of pulling together as one species? * Does any of this change how you live, or how humanity should be spending its time and money right now? As always the prompt is optional. Come for the conversation, stay for the drinks, and bring your own questions.

We are going to build together with all the CLIs! E will be doing it at Columbus Code and Coffee Agenda --- Hosted By James Power, Organizer Pete Gordon, Organizer Just a Software Guy in the age of the Internet. Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-columbus-presents-ai-improv-lets-build-a-game-together-with-claude-code-codex-and-gemini-and-be-the-judge/.

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!

Christians in Tech is a community at the intersection of faith and technology. Our meetups are designed to spark meaningful conversations, promote knowledge sharing, and encourage growth—both in your career and your spiritual walk with God. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your tech journey, CIT welcomes you. Our Website [https://linktr.ee/citcbus](https://linktr.ee/citcbus) Sponsors and Partners * Improving (Venue Sponsor) * Bethel World Prayer Center (Fiscal Sponsor) * Fruits & Roots (Coffee Partner)