Paleontology

**☁️ AWS Community GameDay Europe is coming! ☁️** We will join \~**50 User Groups across Europe** for a unique event: an **international, synchronized AWS Community GameDay**, powered by the European AWS community. Join us for an intense evening combining learning, collaboration, and competition — get hands-on with **AI, security, and cloud-native** challenges — no slides, no tutorials. This large-scale, synchronized event is a unique opportunity to test your AWS skills in a fun, engaging, and hands-on environment. Come with a friend, a team, or solo - we’ll form teams of **2 to 4 people on site**. **🧩 What is an AWS GameDay?** An AWS GameDay is a gamified learning event where participants are challenged to use AWS solutions to solve real-world technical problems as a team. Unlike traditional workshops, GameDays are open-ended and non-prescriptive, giving participants the freedom to explore and think outside the box. **🔧** Practical information: * Teams: 2 to 4 players — come with your team, or we’ll form one on site * Equipment: **Your trusty laptop** (internet connection provided) * AWS account: Provided on-site, no personal account required * Game duration: Around 2 hours of competition between local and international teams * Timing: This is a synchronized international event connected via a shared live stream across all participating locations. To ensure a smooth experience, **the GameDay will start on time.** **🎯 Who is this for?** The event is open to anyone with a general knowledge of AWS — no expert level required! **🕒 Agenda** * 18:30 – 19:00: Arrival & team formation * 19:00 – 19:20: GameDay introduction on the stream * 19:20 – 21:30: Game play * 21:30 – 21:45: European closing ceremony — prizes for the top teams Check the participating User Groups here: [https://www.awsgameday.eu/](https://www.awsgameday.eu/) **🎥 Photo & video recordings** Please note that photos and recordings taken during the event may be used for future promotional purposes. We look forward to seeing many of you there! And of course there will be drinks and 🍺 and food 🍕 provided 😃 **Sponsors** Dialectica provides the food 🍕 and event venue. Dialectica is a global information services company that helps businesses access the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.

**Join our 381st Club meeting**! Improve your communication skills! Overcome your fear of public speaking! Experience the incredible journey of Toastmasters! Together, we will practice our public speaking and communication skills in an open, fun, and friendly environment! We meet Tuesdays, alternating between English-speaking and Greek-speaking meetings. This meeting will be held in **English**. Please arrive at 18:45 to ensure the meeting will start promptly at 19:00. **Guests**: Always welcomed! Simply RSVP here and attend! In 2024, Toastmasters International celebrated 100 years of self-paced, peer-assisted education and training in public speaking and leadership skills! Join our meeting and find out how to become a confident speaker!

🎲✨ Your next favorite person might be one game night away. ✨🎲 Athens people, join us every Tuesday at 8PM at Yellow Square Athens. Whether you’re new in town or a seasoned local, this is your midweek reset — laughter, easygoing vibes, and board games for every level (no experience needed). 🎯 Tons of fun games 🍹 Drinks & tasty bites 🌍 An international crowd 😄 Guaranteed good energy Come solo or bring a friend — either way, you’ll leave with more than you came with. See you on there. ♟️✨ #AthensExpats #BoardGameNight #MeetNewFriends #ExpatLifeGreece #FunInAthens #GameOn

**Get ready to hop from bar to bar, sip on unlimited drinks, and dance the night away at the Athens Party Pub Crawl - it's gonna be legendary!** ## Highlights * Feel the rush of excitement of **meeting new people** and dancing the night away * Opt to include an **open bar for 1 hour**, including beer and wine or long drinks * Be led by **experienced and fun local hosts** and explore Athen's nightlife * **Dance, drink, and mingle** with fellow party enthusiasts from around the globe * Breeze past long lines at the nightclub and relax knowing **entry is covered** ## Full description Experience the ultimate night in Athens with 1 FULL HOUR of Unlimited Drinks (8€ - 35€+ Value!)\*, free shots, and Free Nightclub Access (10€ Value!) while meeting nightlife lovers from around the world! Get ready to celebrate like never before with the Best Pub Crawl in Athens! Embark on an epic pub crawl through Athens' hottest nightlife spots. Dance, drink, and mingle with fellow nightlife enthusiasts from around the globe. Enjoy an hour of unlimited drinks and free shots at each\* venue, while our energetic party hosts lead you through the night. Skip the lines and get access to the city's best clubs. Book now and make your night in Athens unforgettable! **\* We offer three ticket options:** 1\. The **Sober Owl Ticket**: Does not include an open bar \| Includes: A Free Shot at each Venue \- Drink Discounts \- Free Entrance & Skip the Line to Club 2\. The **Tipsy Owl Ticket**: Includes 1 hour of unlimited beer or wine\. \| Also includes: Free Shot at 1st & Last Venue \- Drink Discounts \- Free Entrance & Skip the Line to Club 3\. The **Drunken Owl Ticket**: Includes 1 hour of unlimited long drinks \(Gin/Vodka/Rum/Tequila\)\, beer\, and wine\. \| Also includes: Free Shot at 1st & Last Venue \- Drink Discounts \- Free Entrance & Skip the Line to Club ## Includes * Local Experienced event host(s) * Bar crawl: Visit 2 Bars & 1 Nightclub * 1 hour of unlimited drinks (depending on ticket option chosen) * 2-3 Free Shots (depending on ticket option chosen) * Discounts in Cocktails (1st Venue) * Skip-the-line & Free entry to Nightclub ## What to bring * Your Best Mood 🤩 * Comfortable shoes for dancing 🕺💃 * Camera * Charged Smartphone ## Not allowed * Intoxication ## Know before you go * This is an Adults only event. 18+ years old ## Booking Terms & Conditions - Code of Conduct By participating in any event (including pub crawls) organised and hosted by Athens Party Pub Crawl, you the participant & every person your booking is consisted of, agree to the following terms and conditions without restriction: [https://athenspartypubcrawl.com/terms-and-conditions-code-of-conduct](https://athenspartypubcrawl.com/terms-and-conditions-code-of-conduct "https://athenspartypubcrawl.com/terms-and-conditions-code-of-conduct")

Want to practice your public speaking and communication skills? Want to overcome stage fright? Come to our next Toastmasters meeting! We are an open, friendly and fun group of people that practice public speaking and evaluate each other. We follow the Toastmasters methodology that has developed over 100 years and is being practiced in Greece since 2005. Meetings are open to all and require no preparation. For more information please consult: https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556529585790 We meet twice monthly, every 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, from September until July (except of Christmas - New Year & Easter holidays). Αυτή θα είναι μία αγγλόφωνη συνάντηση. Για τις συναντήσεις μας στα ελληνικά επισκεφθείτε την σελίδα: https://www.meetup.com/ethos-pathos-logos-toastmasters-club

This community for anyone who enjoys exploring Athens through photography. Whether you shoot analog or digital, and no matter your experience level, these photo walks are about discovering the city together—its streets, neighborhoods, and hidden corners—while capturing moments along the way. No pressure, no expectations, just a shared curiosity for Athens and a camera in hand. This time, we’ll explore the areas of Kolonaki and Pagrati. There’s no fixed route—and since I’m new to Athens myself, we’ll simply follow whatever catches our eye along the way :)

🗓️ Το **Causal Data Science Meetup της Αθήνας** σας περιμένει στις **19 Μαρτίου, 7:00 μμ** για την 6η συνάντησή του! Καλεσμένος μας ο **[Christos Diou](https://diou.github.io/)**, ο οποίος θα μας μιλήσει για **"Causal Representation Learning: From Pattern Matching to World Models"**. Στην ομιλία αυτή θα δούμε πώς το representation learning μπορεί να εμπλουτιστεί με αιτιώδη δομή. Μέσα από τη θεμελιώδη αρχή των ανεξάρτητων αιτιωδών μηχανισμών και αναφορές σε καθοριστικές εργασίες του πεδίου, θα παρακολουθήσουμε την εξέλιξη του causal representation learning από θεωρητική ιδέα σε ενεργό ερευνητικό ρεύμα που επηρεάζει τη σύγχρονη μηχανική μάθηση. Θα γίνει επίσης μια εισαγωγή στη νέα βιβλιογραφία των *world models*, που στοχεύει σε συστήματα AI ικανά όχι απλώς να προβλέπουν, αλλά να προσομοιώνουν και να συλλογίζονται για το πώς αλλάζει ο κόσμος. Το event θα περιέχει Q&A, networking και τα σχετικά συνοδευτικά. Ραντεβού **στο Impact Hub την Πέμπτη 19 Μαρτίου** στις **7:00 μμ**. Ευχαριστούμε για την υποστήριξη την **Plum**, την **Intelligencia AI** καθώς και το **κέντρο Beyond του Εθνικού Αστεροσκοπείου Αθηνών**. 🚀 Κάνε **RSVP** και μη χάσεις την ευκαιρία να βρεθείς στην 5η συνάντηση της Causal Data Science κοινότητας της Αθήνας! Η πλήρης περιγραφή της ομιλίας στα Αγγλικά: *Modern AI systems have become remarkably good at recognizing patterns, however statistical pattern matching alone is not enough to build systems that are robust, generalizable, or capable of reasoning about cause and effect. In this talk, we explore how representation learning, which aims to equip machines with structured internal models of their inputs, can be enriched with causal structure to produce more reliable and interpretable AI. We will begin with an introduction to representation learning and its limitations, then examine how incorporating the principle of independent causal mechanisms changes the way models represent and respond to their environment. Drawing on landmark papers in the field, we will trace how causal representation learning has evolved from a theoretical idea into a practical framework shaping modern machine learning research. We will also touch on the recently emerging world model literature, which envisions AI systems that go beyond reactive prediction to simulate and reason about how the world changes. The talk concludes with a forward-looking discussion of where this field is headed and what it may mean for the future of reliable, trustworthy AI.*

*The rain-slick streets gleam like silver on a circuit board and holographic signs paint the metroplexes in a river of neon. The city stretches as far as the eye can see, from the toxic coast to the city limits. Despite advances in technology most people continue to live as cogs in a machine, be it physical or virtual.* In **NEON CITY OVERDRIVE**, you are a **cyberpunk**, a desperate individual with valuable skills, willing to put your life on the line in return for a little cash, reputation or leverage. With a lot of effort and a little luck you may survive the dangerous streets and the Grid long enough to fulfill your goals and escape this life of violence and trouble. This is a one-shot. The game will be in **english** (unless everyone can and wants to play in greek), so it is assumed that players are comfortable with the language. Location will be close to Metro station Panormou, and will be shared with confirmed participants a few days before the game. Beginners are always welcome. We foster creativity and inclusivity. Come join us!

🌸 Spring Equinox Walk in Athens History • Tai Chi • Connection • Dinner Celebrate the Spring Equinox in the heart of Athens with a relaxed afternoon of movement, culture, and meaningful connection. On Saturday, March 21, we’ll explore the historic center through a gentle walk with short experiential stops, including a Tai Chi session to embody the balance of the equinox. ✨ What awaits you • A guided cultural walk with anthropologist & dance therapist Mariam Prokou • A short Tai Chi experience with instructor Autumn Hayes • Inspiring stories, beautiful views, and great company • Dinner together afterwards at a local café or taverna 📍 Meeting Point: Thiseio Metro Station 🕒 Time: 15:00 🎟 Free participation (donation box available) ⚠️ Limited spots available. Registration is required. 👉 Secure your place by filling out the form: https://forms.gle/29WmTouM8BG5SFPQ6 Come welcome spring, meet new people, and share a special experience in the city 🌿

Hola good people, We are thrilled to announce our next GreeceJS meetup, happening on 18th of March, from 18:00 to 20:30, at a brand new venue in the center of Athens hosted by Yodeck! ⚠️ **Important:** This venue is new for our community and has a **capacity of 50 people**, so make sure to **secure your spot early**. 📍 **Location:** **Starttech Ventures — 1 Lykourgou Street, Athens 10551** Just a short walk from **Omonia Square**. Please note: the talks in this meetup will be conducted in **Greek (EL)**. Our speakers this time are **Thanos Karagiannis** and **Spiros Martzoukos**, two engineers with decades of combined experience across the JavaScript ecosystem, product engineering, and modern web architectures. Our event is proudly sponsored by **Yodeck** — a fast-growing SaaS company revolutionizing digital signage. As always, the event will be live-streamed via our YouTube channel, and we’ll be sharing the link in our Slack / Instagram, so make sure to join us there! We look forward to seeing you **@ Yodeck** 🎉 **Event Agenda** **18:00 – 18:30** **Networking & cold beverages** Come early, grab a drink, and meet the community! **18:30 – 19:15** **Thanos Karagiannis – “I Was Wrong About AI Coding” (EL)** **Staff Engineer at Causaly \| GreeceJS Co\-organizer** Thanos is a software engineer with 15+ years of experience, fluent across the JavaScript stack — from React frontends to Node.js services. He currently works as a Staff Engineer at Causaly, focusing on backend systems. He’s also a GreeceJS co-organizer. Outside of work, you’ll find him fueled by coffee and out on his bike. Most of us started with AI coding tools the same way — autocomplete, boilerplate, small refactors. Helpful, but not transformative. It was easy to be skeptical. But something shifted. This talk is a personal journey — from dismissing AI coding as “fancy autocomplete” to integrating it into real engineering workflows. Thanos will share what actually works, what doesn’t, and why the engineers who benefit most from AI aren’t the ones who write code faster, but the ones who make better decisions faster. **19:15 – 19:30** **A word from our sponsor: Yodeck** Yodeck is a fast-growing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company that is laser-focused on disrupting the $23B digital signage industry. Yodeck’s affordable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich solution has been developed to democratize digital signage and empower any and every business around the world. Yodeck was first introduced in 2016 and now powers over 220,000 screens across every type of business — from restaurants and retail stores to schools, stadiums, and conference halls. **[Check out their openings](https://2ly.link/25ysK)!** **19:45 – 20:30** **Spiros Martzoukos – Local-First Apps: Instant UX without the Spinner** Spiros Martzoukos is a Senior Product Engineer at Checkly with 20+ years of experience spanning full-stack engineering, product design, and product management. He has worked across startups and scale-ups including Contentful, Prisma, and Clerk, and is the founder of Makkuro, a next-gen project management tool for digital product teams. He is passionate about building lean, user-first products end-to-end — and making sure your AI apps work reliably well. In this talk, Spiros shows how local-first architecture can eliminate every spinner from your app, delivering instant sub-100ms interactions that feel like magic while dramatically reducing infrastructure costs. He will break down the seven principles behind this approach and share practical lessons about where it shines (B2B SaaS and productivity tools) and where today’s tooling still needs to mature. **21:00** **BeerJS 🍻** We’ll wrap up with informal chats over beers at a nearby place — details will be shared via **Slack**! **Venue Information** **Starttech Ventures** 1 Lykourgou Street, Athens 10551 **Doorbell:** 03# Starttech Ventures 🚨 **Important reminder:** The venue fits **50 attendees**, so please **RSVP early**. **Getting There** **By Metro** Take **Metro Line 1 (Green)** or **Line 2 (Red)** to **Omonia Station**. Exit toward **Panepistimiou / 3rd Septemvriou**. From the exit, it’s about a **2-minute walk**. **By Bus** Multiple bus lines stop at or near **Omonia Square**. From there, follow the short walking route to **Lykourgou Street**. **By Taxi** Ask to be dropped off at **“Lykourgou 1, near Omonia Square.”** Don't forget to **follow us on our socials** for more news about the event, updates, and prizes! 🎉

Παρασκευή 20 Μαρτίου, από τις έξι το απόγευμα μέχρι αργά, σας περιμένουμε στο Μουσείο Μπενάκη της οδού Πειραιώς για καφέ και ατέλειωτο startup networking! Επί σκηνής θα βρεθούν: – Ο [Άγγελος Τσερέκλας](https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelos-tsereklas-zafeirakis-67823167/), Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος, θα παρουσιάσει την [Sotiria Technology](https://www.sotiria.tech/). H εταιρεία αναπτύσσει συστήματα υποθαλάσσιας νοημοσύνης για εφαρμογές εθνικής ασφάλειας, ωκεανογραφίας και γεωφυσικής. – Ο [Ελευθέριος Καραμπατσάκης](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekarabatsakis/), συνιδρυτής και CEO, θα παρουσιάσει την [PlugSecure](https://plugsecure.com/). Η εταιρεία, με αρχική χρηματοδότηση 720 χιλιάδων ευρώ, διασφαλίζει την λειτουργία κρίσιμων υποδομών ενέργειας έναντι κυβερνοαπειλών. – Οι [Αλέξανδρος Χριστοδουλάκης](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandros-christodoulakis/) και [Κωνσταντίνος Φαλιάγκας](https://www.linkedin.com/in/konstantinos-faliagkas/), συνιδρυτές, θα παρουσιάσουν την [Wealthyhood](https://wealthyhood.com/). Η εταιρεία, με συνολική χρηματοδότηση 10 εκ. ευρώ, παρέχει μια πρωτοποριακή επενδυτική εφαρμογή που καθιστά τις χρηματοοικονομικές επενδύσεις εύκολες και προσιτές για όλους. Η προσέλευση ξεκινά στις 6 το απόγευμα, για καφέ και catchup στο μπαρ του Μουσείου Μπενάκη, Πειραιώς 138. Οι παρουσιάσεις στο αμφιθέατρο ξεκινούν στις 7. Αμέσως μετά, επιστρέφουμε στο μπαρ για networking ως αργά. Η είσοδος είναι δωρεάν και ελεύθερη για κάθε ενδιαφερόμενο. Μπορείτε να δηλώσετε τη συμμετοχή σας και να δείτε τη λίστα συμμετεχόντων εδώ & [εδώ](https://www.linkedin.com/events/7435243238082551808/). Συνδεθείτε από πριν με άλλους που θα είναι εκεί! Από το 2007 έως σήμερα, το Open Coffee έχει καθιερωθεί ως το σημείο συνάντησης της startup κοινότητας. Κάθε μήνα, entrepreneurs και startup enthusiasts ανανεώνουν το ραντεβού τους με σκοπό να γνωριστούν, να ανταλλάξουν εμπειρίες και επαφές, εν τέλει να συνεργαστούν στην επόμενή τους προσπάθεια. Πείτε το στους φίλους σας και να είστε εκεί!

**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 **Abstract** Web Forms gave .NET developers a powerful abstraction for building reusable UI controls long before design systems were a thing. Web Components finally bring that same idea to the browser natively. This session explores how the Web Forms mindset translates into Custom Elements, Shadow DOM, and HTML templates. We’ll examine how Web Components enable design systems that work across frameworks, how they differ from server‑driven controls, and why they’re becoming a foundational layer for modern UI. Whether you’re maintaining legacy apps or building greenfield projects, you’ll leave with a practical understanding of how to apply familiar patterns in a modern, standards‑based way. **YouTube Link** TBA

# **Band and caller TBA** Beginner lesson at 1:30, regular dancing begins at 2:00 pm NOTE THAT WE ARE TEMPORARILY DANCING IN THE AFTERNOON INSTEAD OF EVENING. Dance with us in the afternoon then you can still go out in the evening! **Sponsor: All Soles Contra and Square Dancing, First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd., Columbus OH 43214** WHAT IS CONTRA DANCING? Picture the Grand Ball scenes like you’ve seen in period films such as “Pride and Prejudice”, where the dancers are lined up in long lines, across from each other. That’s English Country Dancing, the predecessor of contra dancing. Now, add moves like “swing your partner” and “do-si-do,” like you’ve seen in square dancing. Set it to fabulous, high energy, live music with fiddles, guitars, percussion and more, alá “Riverdance.” Finally, set the whole scene down in the middle of Woodstock, with a hip, groovy atmosphere, a bit of tie-dye, and hints of counter-culture attitude. THAT’s Contra Dancing! Wear cool and comfortable clothes (you will get warm) and clean shoes that won't mark up our nice wood floor. Be sure to come for the beginner's lesson from 1:30 - 2:00, followed by dancing 2:00 - 430. All dances are taught; we will help you learn! Beginners always welcome, no need to bring a partner. Cost is $10.00 adults, $5.00 ages 12-26. Under 12 free. Free parking in church lot. Please bring your own refillable water bottle.

**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: Type Annotations with John Cassidy 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

It’s time to take control of your mental health. How do you get rid of stress, anxiety and uncertainty? These emotions are buried deep in your reactive mind. Find out what the reactive mind is, and in the process find yourself. Have you ever suffered from a traumatic experience, a deep loss or been through a painful breakup? Has your ability to communicate suffered as a result? And after that, even though you "moved on" did you find that things were never quite the same? Have you ever looked at childhood photos, or reminisced your early life and wondered where that happiness and spark went? Are your emotions out of your own control? Have you ever felt, even if you aren’t aware of it, that possibly you are getting in your own way of your happiness and success? How does this affect your self-confidence? Find out what is at the root of all stress, anxiety, depression and self-doubt. Find out how and why you hold yourself back from achieving your goals and having the life you have dreamed of. As soon as you learn what is at the root of these unwanted conditions, you’ll see it is something you can DO something about. You will not be labeled or categorized at this MeetUp.

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia

Feeling down? Sometimes depressed? Can't focus? Negativity & stress? Recent losses? Creativity in career and personal life hindered by mental blocks? Sometimes we never fully recover from traumatic experiences. Whether it was yesterday, last week or a year ago, traumatic experiences - a loss of a loved one, losing a job, a breakup - can leave you scarred. You talk about it and feel a little better, but it never goes away. After you hang up the phone, it's still there; the sadness, the cloud, the over-thinking, the worry, the guilt. You try to focus, but you're blocked. You try to look forward into new experiences, new relationships but a cloud is hanging over you, casting a shadow on what you once considered a bright, cheerful future. What happened to your courage? Your strength of character? You're 'why not' attitude? Whoever said 'time heals' must have had a special time machine, because after weeks, months, years, you're wondering - when exactly does that kick in? Sometimes it seems like drinking or drugs are the way to go. But they wear off, and now the problem is still there with added side effects from the drugs. At this free local Meetup event we will talk about: * What causes grief, anxiety and depression to become chronic. * Is it possible to regain your joy and happiness even after traumatic experiences? * How to break away from negativity and focus on the future * What are the steps to take to get control of your mind and your emotions? Learn about a safe, gentle, do-it-yourself counseling that can be done in the comfort of your own home. Let's explore safe, effective solutions for healing from traumatic experiences. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to the event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center.

ASH is Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists of First Unitarian Universalists of Columbus Ohio TBD Snacks are usually available, and you are welcome to bringing something to share!