Philosophy

Welcome back to our meetup in June. * **06:00 PM** Registration, dinner, networking * **06:30 PM** Talk starts Talk 1: Practical AI from Gemini Embedding 2 for Simplified RAG Search with Rich Context and Less Preprocessing - Imagine the possibilities if you could find a document using an image, or find audio from a report, or find a video with a sentence. \- Simplifies RAG Systems \(one multimodal retrieval pipeline instead of multiple fragmented systems\) \- Less preprocessing \(e\.g\. no transcription needed\) less infrastructure complexity \- Richer context \(text \+ visuals \+ audio\) \- A major step from “document chatbots” to truly context\-aware AI systems Gemini Embedding 2 changes what Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) can fundamentally do. Instead of treating text, images, audio, video, and documents as separate systems, AI can now retrieve and reason across all of them together in one shared understanding layer. This means users can search videos with natural language, retrieve diagrams from spoken conversations, match screenshots to documentation, or ground AI agents with real-world multimodal context — capabilities that were previously complex or unreliable without multiple specialized pipelines. Talk 2: Designing Memory Systems for AI Agents AI agents need memory to maintain context across sessions, learn from experience, and handle long-running tasks. The challenge? Deciding what to remember, where to store it, and how to retrieve it when it matters. In this workshop, you'll learn a practical framework for architecting memory systems that actually work in production. We'll cover: \- Types of memory in agentic systems \- Storage patterns: Where to persist memories and how to structure them for retrieval \- Retrieval strategies: Combining vector search with metadata\, recency\, and other signals \- Memory lifecycle: When to create\, update\, or prune memories to keep your system performant You'll apply this framework by building memory into an AI agent and seeing how different design choices impact behavior. You will be provided with all the resources required to successfully execute the hands-on portions of the workshop, including Jupyter Notebook templates with pseudocode. During the workshop, you will replace the pseudocode in the templates with your code. At the end of the workshop, you will also be able to check your learning and earn a skill badge to share with your network! https://learn.mongodb.com/courses/memory-for-ai-applications ## **Future Talk: TBA** **Awaiting confirmation: Federated Layer to Manage a Multi-Agent Synthetic Workforce** Agents are starting to act as workers in real production systems, and workers need a management layer. The question everyone should take back to your laptop: in my own agent stack, what happens on the second concurrent write, and can I prove, today, under whose authority my agent acted? How do I manage my synthetic workforce in production.

**Meet new friends (or hang out with old ones) on a fun night out with games , food, and drinks!** **Individuals and groups are both welcome.** Pricing: * $10 for entry to the meetup with unlimited board gaming for the night * Add $2.50 for 1 non-alcoholic drink (excluding milkshakes and spritzers) (U.P. $7) * Add $6.00 for one 300ml draft beer or glass of house wine (U.P. $12) * 20% discount on all additional food orders for the night Prices are before 10% service charge. Prevailing GST is applicable. Please also note the following: * Do be courteous with your RSVP. If you have originally RSVPed but can no longer make it, do update your RSVP before 4pm on that day so that someone on the waitlist can still attend. If you have RSVPed but did not show up before 7.30pm, your spot at the tables will be given to someone else on the waitlist. By signing up for this meetup, I agree to the terms and conditions set above

Hanging out with Humanists is a free and easy ground-up social gathering where you can meet and mingle with other fellow humanists and make new friends over dinner. Location : Hans Union, Springleaf Conveniently located just outside of TE4 *Springleaf* Exit 2. Brown line What to look for : Look for a lively group of people gathered together sitting outside on the long high table, and spot the pink T-shirt with the slogan “Be Good for Goodness' Sake” draped over a chair—a nod to the same shirts we proudly wore at Pink Dot. If you are attending for the first time, be sure to observe the [HumanistSG General Rules](https://humanist.org.sg/about/general-rules/ "https://humanist.org.sg/about/general-rules/") when attending the gathering for a pleasant experience, and [read a bit about the society and what we do](https://humanist.org.sg/key-hss-articles/ "https://humanist.org.sg/key-hss-articles/") on your way there! Wanna know who’s going? Ask out loud in the public chat linked via [our Telegram announcement channel](https://t.me/humanistsocietysingapore "https://t.me/humanistsocietysingapore")

🏛️ **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/Dsjl0cwLVxR4tw1jTC1Osx?mode=gi_t), 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: * 19:00-19:15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the ‘official' start. * 19:15-19:25 - 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. * 19:25-20:45 - 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. * 20:45-21:00 - Bring everyone back together to discuss conclusions of the topic - each group gives a short 1-minute summary. Organizer concludes the meeting and everyone takes a group photo. * 21:00 - The official meeting is over but it’s a great opportunity to get to know people in a non-structured environment, so we often stick around, chat, and get to know each other. **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend! We just ask that if we are meeting in a café, buy a beverage! Some chapters rent a space for us to meet, and they may ask for donations to help contribute to the cost of rent. Donations will always be 100% voluntary though! 💛 **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 Sunday in the Whatsapp group. 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/Dsjl0cwLVxR4tw1jTC1Osx?mode=gi_t). * 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/Dsjl0cwLVxR4tw1jTC1Osx?mode=gi_t) 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/). **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY - Making Philosophy Available To All.** ✨ Practical Philosophy hosts weekly, in-person meetups in over 20 countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ \*\*\* Join our [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Dsjl0cwLVxR4tw1jTC1Osx?mode=gi_t) 👈 Follow us on [Instagram](www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/) 👈 Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈

Come get to know fellow Nudgers and BeSci enthusiasts! We'll be having dinner at POCHA! Korean Street Dining (Ion Orchard). Entry only reserved for a maximum of 7 particpants for this event, because we want to foster deeper conversations and not overcrowd the restaurant!

*Note: Please avoid crashing the event without checking in with us in beforehand!* Catching their happy hour deal at opening time (1 for 1 cocktails and 10++ salmon don / chirashi bowl). We'll do as much reading as we feel up to that evening! ;) This is a limited seats, small group event, so do try to update your RSVP early if your plans change! Thanks in advance Nearest MRT: Orchard MRT

Here's an engaging photography meetup description for Tanjong Pagar: Join us for a fun photography walk around Tanjong Pagar! This vibrant neighborhood is full of interesting sights, from the towering Guoco Tower to the bustling Maxwell Food Centre. Bring your camera or phone and get ready to capture the vibrant colors, unique architecture, and lively street scenes. Join us if you are interested in photography. It doesn't matter if you are a pro or a beginner; we do it for the love of photography. We'll kick off with a short meet and greet before heading out to click pictures together. What can you expect to photograph? - Towering skyscrapers and modern architecture - Colorful shophouses and traditional buildings - Busy street scenes and local food stalls - Interesting people and their daily activities What to bring? - Your camera or mobile phone - Extra battery or power bank (just in case) - Comfortable walking shoes After our photo walk, we'll end at a nearby coffee shop to chat and share our experiences. This is a free event, but please RSVP to let us know you're coming. If you have any trouble finding us or have questions, feel free to call or text: Jay: +65 9352 0249 Sandeep: +65 8609 1667 Join our WhatsApp group for live location sharing: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IYNcf63yaXr2PAXyrjeHzi We share our live location there to help everyone stay connected — especially as people naturally wander off while shooting. Meeting Point: Tanjong Pagar MRT - Tanjong Pagar MRT — Exit J (Guoco Tower / Maxwell FC) Route: TP Plaza → Maxwell Food Ctr → Tras St

Welcome! Gist below! :-) 1. Bring a book to the meet! 2. Buy a drink (and a bite if you're hungry). 3. Say hi to the folks. 4. Read! 5. We'll do a short round of intros and a short sharing at the end too. :) Come in and find us (we're probably the only reading group)! In the event that the place is full, we'll find a back up nearby. :-) This is a limited seats, small group event, so do try to update your RSVP early if your plans change! Thanks in advance! Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE8)

I have been studying the question of "self" online with Prof. Ellie Anderson and so I thought a prompt on the "self" might be interesting. Full confession: I had Claude create this prompt and I like it, so here goes: Imagine a thought experiment that merges two classic puzzles: > You undergo a procedure, performed neuron by neuron, in which every biological component of your brain is replaced with a functionally identical synthetic substitute. At each step, your behavior, memories, and personality remain unchanged. When the last neuron is swapped, is the consciousness experiencing the world still you? And — more pressingly — was there ever a continuous "you" to begin with? ### Questions to Wrestle With * If consciousness is purely physical, does the *gradual* nature of the replacement matter, or is it equivalent to being destroyed and rebuilt? * Could there be a "self" without continuity of experience — even moment to moment, while you sleep? On a more practical level, consider the simpler case first: **hemispherectomy** patients — people who have had an entire cerebral hemisphere surgically removed — often retain a strong sense of personal identity and continuity. This suggests "you" are not rigidly tied to specific physical material. But does that vindicate the synthetic neuron case, or merely show that identity is more *flexible* than we thought — not that it can survive *complete* substrate replacement? I used Claude so I could get this out today and let everyone have some time to consider it. Hope to see you at the Oracle. Sorry about the location change two weeks ago. That's what I get for trusting local weather predictions!

**Welcome to the Women’s Columbus Bogleheads® Sub-Group** This sub-group is for **women who want to learn and discuss finances in a safe, supportive space**. For those interested in moving towards financial independence and retirement by learning investment basics, choosing your 401(k) investments, minimizing taxes, and more. We’re a local chapter of **Bogleheads®**, following a long-term, practical investment philosophy: [Investment Philosophy](https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy): https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy [Bogleheads Forum](https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php): https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php No question is too small, and no experience is too simple. Share, ask, and learn — at your own pace, without judgment, in a group of like-minded women. Let’s build confidence and knowledge **together**!

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.

*Note: this is a demonstration event only, you **will not** shoot you own images. However, if you bring your camera we can test it for compatibility with the studio lights.* Bondage elements can add an extra layer of emotion and artistry to your images. Sample images on the internet are however dominated by BDSM style shots that are often sexualized and emphasize the model being in distress. In this demonstration Rachel and I show ways to use bondage elements in an artistic way. We explore the types of accessories that work best in artistic images and the best way to photograph them. Our model is Rachel Adams, an internationally known fetish model with many years of experience in this genre.

Let’s meet and share discussion of the James Baldwin short story collection, Going to Meet The Man.

Join the weight loss in Columbus group at the Scioto Audubon Park for an in person meeting. We'll meet to chat casually, talk about goals and enjoy one of Columbus's wonderful parks. We'll meet at one of the outdoor shelters, which is covered in case of rain, is close to some walking trails, and there's also a climbing gym that people can try out (my favorite past time) if people are interested. Let's meet and see where we can take things!

We may pick a specific topic and post in advance or may discuss current events and various ad hoc topics . We would love to spend time hanging out and getting to know one another. Atheist, agnostics, other non-theists, and atheist-friendly people are welcome to join us. Note: COUNT operates a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions (http://www.facebook.com/groups/COUNT.discussions/) to promote discussions among members and visitors.