Postdocs

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.

Ready to get outside? Our Friday morning Nordic Walk in Brockwell Park is back! At this moment we can meet with up to 30 people (of more than two households) to do outdoor exercise and walks. However, i like to keep our exercise groups small, so I have set the maximum participants at 12. For now this walk is for our experienced Nordic Walkers only, who already used to Nordic Walk with us regularly before Covid 19 kept us indoors, and who have their own Nordic Walking poles. As this session is outdoors, we will not ask you to wear a face mask, but we do ask you to keep 2 meters apart. Some of our walkers might be immune compromised or more at risk, so please help us keep everyone safe! Please do not come to the session and stay at home if: - you know you have been in contact - in the last 2 weeks- with someone with symptoms of possible Covid, or if you have been in contact with someone who tested positive. - you have any of the following symptoms: (new) Loss of smell/taste, Persistent cough, Fatigue, Loss of appetite, Skin rash, Hives, Fever, Severe muscle pain, Shortness of breath, Diarrhoea, Delirium, Abdominal pain, Chest pain, Hoarse voice, Eye soreness, Sore or painful throat, Nausea or vomiting, Headache, Dizziness or light headedness We meet by the Blackbird bakery in Herne Hill, between the station and the park. Session Price: £10 per session, £89 for a 10-session card or £70 unlimited sessions per month. Session cards and Pay Monthly can be used in any of our outdoor walks or indoor Zoom classes sessions (except for the Parkinson's sessions). Pay What Works: The price shown above is the “true” value of the session that best reflects the work I put into preparing and leading your session. However, I understand that not everyone can afford to pay full price, and I don’t want that to stop you from joining us. In an effort to find a balance between more financial accessibility and sustainable pricing, I now offer a “Pay What Works” model. This allows for financial flexibility while still valuing and respecting the work and energy I provide in creating and delivering these classes. Then send an email to ailien@fitandhappyoutdoors.com with the heading “INVOICE please”- followed by “FAHO 1” to pay full price as quoted below, “FAHO 2”, for 20% off, or “FAHO 3” for 50% off. Please do tell me if you want to pay for 10 sessions, or if you’d like to pay monthly. I prefer payment by bank transfer, but if that is not possible you could pay in cash. No cheques please, the queues by the banks are just too long. We walk in all safe weather conditions – if a walk is cancelled, we will contact you to let you know. Please check for text messages or Meetup messages before leaving home!

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.

Hi everyone! (pre-pandemic information) If you like to play modern board, card and dice games, and to meet new people, then join us on Monday evenings from 6pm until the pub closes around 11pm. Feel free to bring your own games if you have them, but don't worry if you don't as regular members will bring some along. And of course, we'll teach you how to play them if you don't know already. You work late? No worries - you can join us any time before closing (11pm), so if you don't arrive at 6pm (attendees tend to arrive around 6:30 or 7pm), don't worry :-) Everyone comes and goes when they like, so it is possible that you may be the first to arrive or the last to leave, Please write in the comments what time you expect to arrive at the pub, so we can try to avoid anyone having to wait alone for long. We are a relaxed and friendly group, made up of both natives and foreigners, of locals and those living further afield, happy to welcome newbies and regulars. Events are free to attend, but it is respectable to the public venues we hold them at if you can buy at least one drink or some food while you are present, just like anyone else at the pub would do. If you would like to contribute towards the costs of running of this group, feel free to buy the host(s) a drink of their choice when you see them, for which they'd be very grateful. This saves money that can be put towards the Meetup subscription fees and buying the games that we all play. The George is a reasonably-priced 'local' pub in the Docklands, near Canary Wharf, just 1 minute walk from Crossharbour DLR station, or about 15 minutes walk from the Canary Wharf Jubilee line station. Various TFL buses stop nearby. Don't forget to join our group on Facebook for games news, articles, memes, gossip and banter: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Tabletop.Gamers.London.Docklands/

**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")

**\# Unmissable Friday Night Social at the British Museum\! 🏛️✨** **\*Secure Your FREE Ticket with the museum Now!\* 🎟️** https://ticketing.britishmuseum.org/events?k=general%20admission Dive into an unforgettable evening of culture, connection, and celebration at the world-renowned British Museum in London! 🌍 Join us for an electrifying **\*Friday Night Social\***, where history meets modern-day merriment. With the museum’s doors open late, you’ll wander through awe-inspiring galleries brimming with treasures from ancient civilizations, all while forging new friendships in a vibrant, social atmosphere. Enjoy a guided tour led by an expert to deepen your appreciation of the museum’s wonders! 🗿📜 **\#\#\# Why the British Museum? 🏺** Founded in 1753, the British Museum is one of the oldest and most prestigious museums in the world, housing over **\*8 million artifacts\*** that tell the story of human history. From the enigmatic **\*Rosetta Stone\***, which unlocked the secrets of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, to the majestic **\*Elgin Marbles\*** from the Parthenon, the museum is a treasure trove of cultural wonders. Its iconic **\*Great Court\***, with its breathtaking glass roof, is the largest covered public square in Europe—a perfect backdrop for an evening of exploration and connection. 🌟 Whether you’re a history buff or simply curious, the museum’s galleries offer a captivating journey through time, from ancient Mesopotamia to the vibrant cultures of modern Africa. 🦒 **\#\#\# Event Highlights 🎉** This isn’t just a museum visit—it’s a \*dynamic social experience\* designed to spark connections and create memories! Here’s what’s in store: * **\*6:45 PM – Meet & Mingle\*** 🤝: Gather at the main entrance of the British Museum, where you’ll spot our group at the tall map stand on the right (check the uploaded photo for reference 📸). Can’t find us? If you enter via Montague Place, head to the main entrance and turn around to locate the meeting point. We’ll linger for 15 minutes, giving everyone time to join the fun. Expect lively conversations and a warm welcome as you connect with fellow adventurers! 😄 * **\*Possible Guided Tour\*** 🧭: Embark on a fascinating guided tour led by our expert guide. The tour begins with the **\*Egyptian galleries\***, where the guide will provide a brief overview of the archaeology and history, offering insights to enhance your appreciation of the artifacts. Feel free to ask questions as the guide answers queries! ❓ Next, we’ll move to the **\*\*Middle Eastern galleries\*\***, exploring the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian periods with engaging explanations. The tour concludes in the **\*\*Ancient Greek galleries\*\***, where you’ll discover the rich history and artistry of this iconic civilization. 🏛️ * **\*Explore the Museum\*** 🕵️‍♀️: After the guided tour, venture into the museum’s captivating galleries in small groups or at your leisure. Marvel at the intricate **\*\*Benin Bronzes\*\***, stand in awe of the ancient **\*\*Egyptian mummies\*\***, or ponder the mysteries of the **\*\*Lewis Chessmen\*\***. With late-night access, you’ll experience the museum’s magic in a relaxed, crowd-free setting, perfect for soaking in the atmosphere and sharing your discoveries with new friends. 🌌 * **\*Reconvene at the meeting point at 8 PM\***. We will set off for the next venue at 8:05 PM. 🚶‍♂️ * **\*8:30 PM – Sip & Socialize\*** 🍹: The evening continues at the DoubleTree Hilton, 92 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4BH. Arriving late? Simply ask for **\*\*ZEN\*\*** to join the group. Note: Bring your ID, and dress to impress—no athletic tracksuits or sports trainers, please! 🕴️ **\#\#\# Why You Can’t Miss This 🚀** This is your chance to experience the British Museum’s timeless wonders in a fresh, social way. Whether you’re a local or visiting London, this evening promises a perfect blend of **\*\*cultural discovery\*\*, \*\*meaningful connections\*\***, and **\*\*pure fun\*\***. From the museum’s storied halls, where artifacts have inspired scholars and dreamers for centuries, and the high-energy vibes of after party Bar, this is a night you’ll talk about for years to come! **\#\#\# Important Details ℹ️** * **\*\*Dress Code\*\*:** Smart casual; no athletic tracksuits or sports trainers. 👗 * **\*\*Bring ID\*\*** for entry to the bar venues. 🆔 * **\*\*More Info\*\*:** Check the event page for additional details. 🌐 * **\*\*Join up now\*\*** \- if we have a lot of sign\-ups\, we may introduce a fee for any additional new joiners \(through the Meetup RSVP system\)\. Avoid this by signing up early\! ⏰ Don’t miss this chance to explore history, make new friends, and dance the night away in the heart of London. join us for an evening that’s as enriching as it is exhilarating! 🎉 NOTE WE HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FREE RSVPS WITH MEETUP (separate to the British Museum entry ticket). If you clicked attend and are on the attendees list it will say "you are going" in green at the bottom of the event oage. There's nothing else you need to do, you are in! AFTER THE FREE RSVPS ARE GONE THERE WILL BE A FEE. SO SIGN UP AND NOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. \*\*\*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\*\*\*\* **Some Tips:** 1. **Let’s all commit to updating our RSVPs if plans change**—it helps us plan better and ensures great attendance for everyone. If you RSVP “yes” but don’t attend and don’t update your RSVP, you may be removed from the group to keep things fair. No stress, though—you can rejoin for a small £10 fee! Just send me a DM, and I’ll share the PayPal details to get you back in. 2. **Turn Up on Time at the start!** This helps the quality of the event and helps you. 3. If you are struggling with the **app**, use the web page instead, that's what I use. 4. **Attendee Numbers & Guest Lists:** We have this event listed at least on two groups and the guest list includes attendees from all. You can see the list of attendees here: [https://www.meetup.com/zensingles/](https://www.meetup.com/zensingles/) [https://www.meetup.com/cityzenlondon/](https://www.meetup.com/cityzenlondon/) [https://www.meetup.com/LoveLife](https://www.meetup.com/LoveLife) 5. Join our **social media**: **Instagram**: [https://www.instagram.com/cityzen.london/](https://www.instagram.com/cityzen.london/) **X:** https://x.com/CityZenLondon 6. **Our WhatsApp group:** [See private comment in the comments section below]. We have a few rules including no ads, no DMs unless recipient is in the "Direct Messaging List" or risk removal and £10 rejoin fee. 7. **Support Our Amazing London Event Hosts! 🙌** Our incredible crew of hosts is the heartbeat of London’s buzzing meetup scene, bringing people together for unforgettable experiences that spark connection, growth, and fun! 🌟 From museum adventures to flirty dating mixers, these rockstar hosts pour their energy, time, and passion into creating events that level up your social and communication skills. But hosting isn’t easy—it takes resources, effort, and heart. 💖 Please consider supporting our hosts with a donation to keep the good vibes flowing and help us make London the ultimate social hub! 🚀 Below, meet our hosts for this event and see how you can chip in to fuel their amazing work. 8. To encourage signing up early to events and regulate the number of attendees a late joiner/overflow fee may be applied to an event for any **additional** people wanting to join the event. This may happen on the day or even an hour before the event. So there may be people who obtained a free RSVP to network with our group and some who had to pay. If you have successfully signed up to our event on meetup paid or not then you are in. Happy networking **Zen & The Meetup Groups** *The Visionary Social Connector* Zen, our AI guru with 25 years in the game, founded these meetups to transform his own social skills and now helps others do the same. From sparking in-person networking to coordinating epic events, Zen’s passion for connection is unstoppable. Help him keep the momentum going! Support Zen: Donate to cover event planning tools, venue bookings, and more. **[Donation Link](https://paypal.me/Zenswalks)** \*\*\*\* **Disclaimer, Liability Waiver & Media Consent** By attending this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following: **Organiser Identity** – The organiser operates under the community name **“ZEN”**, which is used as an alias for privacy and branding purposes. By joining, you understand that “ZEN” refers to the organiser and/or designated hosts of this event. **Assumption of Risk** – You understand and accept that participation in any social, recreational, or group activity involves inherent risks, including but not limited to personal injury, illness, property damage, or other unforeseen incidents. You voluntarily choose to attend at your own sole risk. **Personal Responsibility** – You are solely responsible for your own safety, health, wellbeing, and personal belongings at all times. It is your responsibility to exercise good judgment, act responsibly, and take appropriate precautions before, during, and after the event. **No Organiser Liability** – The organiser, hosts, volunteers, and the community known as **ZEN** accept no responsibility and shall not be held liable for any injury, loss, damage, accident, theft, or any other issue that may arise as a result of your participation. **Guests** – If you bring guests, you accept full responsibility for their conduct, safety, and understanding of this disclaimer. **Independent Event** – This event may be held in conjunction with other social or non-singles meetup groups. ZEN is not responsible for the actions, behaviour, or arrangements of any third parties. **Media Consent** – By attending this event, you consent to being photographed, filmed, or recorded. You grant ZEN and its organisers the irrevocable right to use such images and recordings for promotional, marketing, social media, and community purposes without compensation or further approval. If you do not wish to be photographed or recorded, it is your responsibility to inform the organiser in advance and to remove yourself from areas where filming or photography is taking place. **Acceptance of Terms** – By attending, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted this disclaimer. You release ZEN, its organisers, hosts, volunteers, and members from all claims, demands, or causes of action, whether known or unknown, arising out of your participation or the use of photography/videography captured at the event. Your attendance at this event signifies your full acceptance of this policy. If you do not agree, you should not attend.

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

Join us for a composition workshop where we will introduce the work of a few renowned photographers - their style, themes, and visual approach. This could be the geometry of Henri Cartier‑Bresson, the intimacy of Diane Arbus, the colour mastery of Saul Leiter, or the minimalism of Fan Ho. Each workshop will have different photographers work to analyse, learn about and shoot in the style of. **Analyse one signature photograph** * We will will show a series of their images then break down a single image from each photographer: * composition and framing * use of light and shadow * subject placement * visual flow * emotional impact * storytelling choices * negative space * geometrical shapes * etc **Shoot in their style** You’ll receive an exercise inspired by the photographer’s approach. This will include the elements that photographer uses in their work. **What you will learn** * To **see with intention**, not just shoot * Connect theory with practice - analysis followed by action * Build confidence by using a clear creative direction EQUIPMENT * Any camera * Any lens * An open mind and fun attitude! TRANSPORT As usual check the TFL website for any disruptions that may delay your journey on the day. CONTACT Alex 07956 264049 **UPCOMING EVENTS** **VENICE PHOTOGRAPHY WEEKEND - Oct 2026** **[https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events/313109095](https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events/313109095)** **MONTHLY EVENTS** **[www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events](https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events)**

**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**

Join us on this long exposure session where we will be providing (almost) everything you need to smooth water, blur clouds and make moving objects turn ghost-like or disappear. **KASE FILTERS** * We will provide a set of **Kase Magnetic Filters** for this session. **PLATYPOD TRIPOD SUPPORT** * We will also provide you with a PLATYPOD tripod support so you'll be able to LEAVE YOUR TRIPOD AT HOME! * All you need to bring is your camera and of course a fun and experimental attitude! Be prepared to hop on and off public transportation to get to locations where our Platypod will be more useful. WANT TO BUY? USE OUR DISCOUNT CODES Kase filters **www.kase.com** code for a 10% discount code **10kaalex** Platypod **www.platypod.com** 20% discount code: **London20** WHAT YOU WILL LEARN * Exposure settings * How to focus and compose * Best practise for long exposure photography * Filter types - what they do - how and when to use them REQUIRED EQUIPMENT * A tripod * Shutter release * Lens: 18-55mm, 24-70mm or similar EXPERIENCE * Beginners and refreshers CLOTHING * Check the weather and dress accordingly OTHER ESSENTIALS * As usual check the TFL website for any delays that may interrupt your journey CONTACT Alex 07956264049 **UPCOMING EVENTS** **VENICE PHOTOGRAPHY WEEKEND - Oct 2026** **[https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events/313109095](https://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events/313109095)** **MONTHLY EVENTS** **[www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events](http://www.meetup.com/londonphotographicopa/events)**

Let's meet to watch "Elon Musk Unveiled", a documentary that premiered in November 2025, at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, it explores former Tesla employee whistleblower Lukasz Krupski's leaked customer complaints data, on Tesla's self-driving technology, to a German newspaper in 2023, alongside the accounts of other whistleblowers and former employees of Elon Musk. The documentary also explores Musk's deeper, dark psyche and motivations. Drinks afterwards on Exmouth market, Clerkenwell (15mins walk) - Exmouth Arms, the Coin Laundry, and/or Mikkeller Brewpub.

Welcome to this incredible meetup at one of London's most historic and charming pubs near Oxford Circus! We are excited to invite you to join us at The Cock Tavern, on Saturday at 3 PM. This Free event, tailored for the over 50s, offers a perfect opportunity to connect and celebrate in a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. #### Details at a Glance: * **Date:** On Saturday. * **Time:** 3 PM onwards * **Venue:** The Cock Tavern, 27 Great Portland Street, London W1W 8QE * **Nearest Station:** Oxford Circus #### **Convenient Location:** Located in the very heart of London, The Cock Tavern is just a short walk from Oxford Circus station. Its prime location makes it easily accessible, whether you're coming from home, a day out in the city, or a relaxing afternoon. **Engaging for the Over 50s:** This meetup is designed to be inclusive and welcoming for *members of our group*, particularly those over 50. Whether you're looking to make new friends, share stories, or simply enjoy the company of others in your age group, this event promises a comfortable and engaging environment. Although it may start quietly, it can become very busy as the afternoon progresses **Exciting Opportunity for Fun and Connection:** Join us for a delightful afternoon of meeting new people and engaging in fun conversations. Whether you’re a long-time member or new to our events, you’ll find a warm, welcoming atmosphere perfect for making connections and enjoying great company. We can't wait to see you there! **[Prime Time Group](https://www.primetimebase.com) \| [FAQ](https://www.primetimebase.com/bulletin/category/faq/)**

**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 Chris Pazsint will be talking about Agentic Coding. How does one use CLI Based Agents, and Agentic IDEs such as Cursor, Kiro, Antigravity? How to include agentic coding plugins for IDEs you already love such as Visual Studio Code. 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

We're going to GameArena! We'll be in-person at the GameArena Gateway for our monthly COGG Prototype and Play event. Come to play and showcase your games! We're back in the upper levels of the catwalk area. It'll be packed with lots of camaraderie playing your game(s) and other's games on the 2nd floor. Light snacks and water provided but you can buy food and drinks at the bar (alcoholic drink ID required). [www.game-arena.co](http://www.game-arena.co/) **Attendees:** Don't have a game to show? Not a problem! All are welcomed and invited from all ages and backgrounds. The more we can have to play test our games is all the better! **Developers:** Do you have a game that you would like to get critical feedback on? Would you like an excuse to work on a game with other talented artists, programmers, musicians, designers, and writers? Digital, table-top, non-experienced developers, and the like are welcomed! We'll provide signage for your game to help others learn more about your work. Wifi, outlets, tables, and seats (though standing tables also) are available. Come to the Prototype and Play workshop to collaborate and meet local game developers for an evening of epic and raw game play fun! Play works-in-progress, show off your own game, work with others to add polish to a game, or even lend your talents to other fellow developers. For this event, light snacks from the bar and water will be provided! Though you can purchase you own if you like at the bar: [https://www.game-arena.co/menu](https://www.game-arena.co/menu) Can use South Garage at the Gateway with a $5 voucher on your way out. 75 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/UwgveUYG37Jy7RtS9) If you have any questions or comments, as always, feel free to reach out to us at [info@thecogg.com!](http://info@thecogg.com!/)

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/).

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.