STEM Mentoring

🌌Ever look up and marvel with insatiable curiosity at the beauty and wonder of the **universe?** That wild sobering thought that somewhere in the chaos of creation - the emergence of life - the universe became **conscious** enough to look back in time and not just ask the existential questions, but try to answer them. And now, in our own small moment of cosmic history, as we return to the Moon aboard the most powerful rocket ever built, the **Artemis mission** carries that ancient curiosity forward. As the manned **Orion spacecraft** -currently just 18k miles from the moon - reaches its closest approach, join for the last chance to view the **Orion Nebula** through a telescope as the historic lunar rendezvous unfolds above us. 🚀 **But there’s more celestial wonder**: As those four astronauts venture deepest into space than any humans have ever been before - we’ll tale a look at **Venus,** **Jupiter** along with planet's potential life‑harbouring **moons**, iconic beautiful **star fields**, the remnants of supernovae witnessed by our earliest ancestors, **multi‑star systems** reminiscent of the twin suns of *Star Wars* and even **Tau Ceti**, a star hosting two Earth‑like worlds in its habitable zone. All of this under the spring evening - with drinks, engaging conversation, and good‑natured banter — this April. In between observing - we'll have **drinks and engaging chats** on all astronomy related topics for those inclined: Space exploration \| Fermi Paradox \| Astrobiology \| Cosmology \| paleontology\, \| SETI & Drake Equation for alien civilisations estimates \| exoplanetology etc as well as non space chats and banter too\. No doubt we'll hear the usual jokes we've all heard before\! If those don't make you laugh\, my impersonation of Los Angeles ET will\! 👽 And to help set the mood and make the night feel even extra galactic, I’ll put my DJ hat to play some space‑themed tunes and songs about the stars! You don't need a telescope as you will be able to view through scopes belonging to me and other club members (as long as you behave responsibly and don't temper with expensive equipment). If you have your own telescope/binoculars feel free to bring along and I can help you setting it up if you're a newbie **==== ITINERARY =====** We will meet outside H&I Station in Highbury Islington. After a short wait for anyone delayed, I will escort everyone to our observation point in the local park 5 minutes walk away and brief you in terms of what to expect, observing etiquette, tips, equipment handling and take any questions you have - weather general or astronomy/cosmology related. **After Drinks:** Unless I have a very important 9AM Tue deadline for a unfinished client presentation or something - most of us usually head to a cosy bar for a drink. If so - I will annouce the pub when we leave the park **==== What Can You Expect To See (this time of year)? ====** * Orion Nebula * Jupiter and 4 moons * Meteors * Andromedia Galaxy * Star clusters such as the Pleiades & Owl Cluster etc * International Space station fly by * Binary & tripple star systems (think planet *Tatooine in* Starwars!), * Neptune * Uranuus * Our moon * A look towards the galactic centre of the Mlikyway where that supermassive £22b Labour black hole sits (Sagittarius A) More here from Jodrell Bank Observatory/Astrophysics Centre: [http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/](http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/) Guide to viewing the cosmos for beginners: [https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp](https://phys.org/news/2018-05-universe-distant-starstips-cosmology-backyard.html#jCp) **===Weather Dependent=====** The event is subject to clear skies forecasts on the night so if on the actual afternoon of the event the weather forecasts looks unsuitable beyond doubt then I will postpone so please check the event status on the day of the event . If this event is still listed here at 5PM on the day, it will be going ahead at the designated day and time! Lucas Skywalker - The Singin, Dancin, DJ-in Astronomer

SAFO Music Group hosts monthly Networking Evenings on the first Monday of every month. This is an amazing opportunity for artists and music industry professionals to build their network of contacts as well as learn invaluable industry advice. SAFO Music Group HQ is based in Crouch Hill, London and our team have worked with the likes of Sam Smith, Pixie Lott, The 1975, Becky Hill, Samantha Harvey, Ella Eyre and many more. Our meet up groups run from 18:00 - 21:00 and entry is completely free. Part of the evening includes speed listening sessions where artists and producers will have the opportunity to play one song (USB, Phone or Weblinks) to gain some valuable feedback. Do check out our video so you get a little taste of the evening: https://youtu.be/1CzfgY78CXQ We'll look forward to meeting you soon! The SAFO Music Group www.safomusicgroup.com 0207 683 3333

SAFO Music Group hosts monthly Networking Evenings on the first Monday of every month. This is an amazing opportunity for artists and music industry professionals to build their network of contacts as well as learn invaluable industry advice. SAFO Music Group HQ is based in Crouch Hill, London and our team have worked with the likes of Sam Smith, Pixie Lott, The 1975, Becky Hill, Samantha Harvey, Ella Eyre and many more. Our meet up groups run from 18:00 - 21:00 and entry is completely free. Part of the evening includes speed listening sessions where artists and producers will have the opportunity to play one song (USB, Phone or Weblinks) to gain some valuable feedback. Do check out our video so you get a little taste of the evening: https://youtu.be/1CzfgY78CXQ We'll look forward to meeting you soon! The SAFO Music Group www.safomusicgroup.com 0207 683 3333

This seminar is for improving your communication skills, so you can achieve greater success in life. We will especially focus on a life tool that you can easily learn and use to improve your: - \- Interviews \- Public speaking \- Communication with strangers \- Connection with co\-workers \- Comfort with various social situations\. \- Handling upsets \- Getting along with others better\. \- Meeting new people\. This seminar invites your feedback and input. You could learn some new skills and we would love for you to be able to practice this also. You will learn an amazing life tool that you can put into practice right away! We also offer free one-to-one appointments to be made after the seminar if you require a bit of extra coaching or tips. From the Scientology Life Improvement Centre

On Wednesday 8th of April, public rallies and other events are taking place around the world in support of greater funding for research into longer healthy lifespans. [The Fund Longevity website](https://fundlongevity.org/en/why/) makes the case as follows: ***Aging Is a Problem***: Aging kills around 110,000 people every day. It is the primary risk factor behind nearly all major non-infectious diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Beyond statistics, aging causes decades of frailty, pain, and loss of independence. It is the greatest source of human suffering that is being accepted as "normal". ***This Is Personal***: Everyone you love will age, suffer, and die because of it. So will you. If we had the ability to prevent this, choosing not to would be deeply unethical. If we can stop aging, we should. ***Stopping Aging Is Possible***: Aging is not a mystery or a force of nature. It is a biological process — and biological processes can be studied, modified, and treated. Over the past decades, scientists have identified many of the core mechanisms that drive aging at the cellular and molecular level. While our understanding is incomplete, it is already sufficient to begin developing real therapies. ***What Do We Mean by "Stopping Aging"?*** We mean treating aging as a medical condition. The goal is to restore and maintain youthful biological function — roughly equivalent to being in your twenties — for as long as you choose. This would prevent or reverse age-related diseases instead of treating them one by one. ***Is This Really Realistic?*** Yes. Thousands of scientists have publicly stated that aging is a solvable problem in the [Dublin Longevity Declaration](https://dublinlongevitydeclaration.org/). Research already shows that aging can be slowed, paused, or reversed in laboratory organisms. Some animals exhibit negligible aging or extreme longevity. Nature has already demonstrated that aging is avoidable — humans simply haven't applied these solutions to ourselves yet. ***Is It Difficult?*** Extremely. Reversing aging in humans will likely be more difficult than landing on the Moon. It will require entirely new biotechnologies and breakthroughs that don't exist yet. We will need to remove senescent cells, repair or replace damaged tissues, and solve many other problems we don't fully understand. This is one of the most difficult challenges humanity has ever faced, but just because it is difficult does not mean it is impossible. Many scientists agree that there are no fundamental laws of physics that prohibits stopping aging. Nature has done it in several animals already, like the hydra. ***What's Missing?*** Scale. Today, fewer than a thousand people worldwide are seriously working on solving aging — researchers, biotech founders, and advocates combined. That number needs to grow by at least 1000×. There is no major government agency dedicated to ending aging. Funding is fragmented. Regulation is outdated. Public urgency is nearly nonexistent. This will not change on its own. ***Why We Act***: Aging is the largest cause of death and suffering on Earth. Solving it requires a society-wide effort — scientific, political, and cultural. That's why we organize. That's why we demonstrate. That's why we demand action. Join us — and help make aging optional for humans and animals.\* == London Futurists gathering on 8th April == The arguments for greater funding for longevity science are strong - but at least a dozen arguments are often raised in opposition to such funding. In our gathering in *Ye Olde Cock Tavern* in Fleet Street, we'll take the opportunity to review these arguments - debating their merits, taking them apart brick by brick, and exploring what really lies behind these arguments. *Anyone who wishes to make a short presentation on this topic during this gathering should contact the organisers in advance.* == Schedule == 5:30pm: The room is available, for early get-togethers 6pm-6:45pm: Food is served; informal conversations 6:45pm-8:30pm: A number of interactive conversations, interspersed with opportunities to visit the bar 8:30pm: Informal networking == RSVP please == Registrations are capped at 40 people. *First-time attendees are welcome.* There's no charge to register or attend, but the pub will expect everyone to order at least one drink, and a reasonable number of attendees to [order some food to eat](https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern/menu?type=main+menu). Please order your food on your arrival, so that all plates can be set aside by 6:45pm to allow everyone to concentrate on the main discussion! == More about the venue == Ye Olde Cock Tavern, 22 Fleet Street, Holborn, London, EC4Y 1AA See [https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern](https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ye-olde-cock-tavern) We'll be meeting in the room at the top of the stairs, though drinks should be ordered from the bar on the ground floor. \*\* Note that this is an in-person meeting, and there will be no remote access, sorry \*\*

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission, and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesnt know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery, and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he? ————————————— Join us at Canova Hall to discuss Project Hail Mary over a coffee!

Hi friends, Off to a great start! Our first event made one thing clear, we got together because we all agree it’s surprisingly hard to meet others in our field outside of work or a commercial conference. As a smaller group, we make meaningful connections with like-minded actuaries and quants. Lifelong friendships are forged along the way! Whether you're a veteran, a rising star, or simply new in town and want to expand your social circle, get into the insurance and banking space, or see a friend you know, this is the place to be! No guest speakers nor rigid agenda, just a casual meetup and lots of fun conversation! 🥳 We're also on Luma, so please follow us there too! [https://luma.com/friendly-actuaries](https://luma.com/friendly-actuaries) See you soon! NOTE: Please remember to bring your ID with you, as all guests must be of legal age to enter the venue. **About Us** We're a sister group of [The Friendly Data Meetup London](https://www.meetup.com/the-friendly-data-meetup/?eventOrigin=home_groups_you_organize), a bootstrapped 2000+ person group (and still maintains that small cozy vibe!). This one is focused on actuaries and quants :D 🤗 Welcome actuaries, quants and friends! Sometimes, it can be difficult to make friends within the field, and that's what we're all about! We're a group of like minded individuals who understand the highs and lows of working in finance and insurance. ✅ Our primary goal is to have higher quality conversations that are more meaningful, with smaller groups so that we get to spend more attention on each individual. 💯 If you're already reading this, you're definitely welcome! We welcome everyone, whether you're already in the field, looking to get started or just curious! 🗨️ Bring your friends, bring your plus ones, we're all just here to have a good laugh and a good chat about the world, even if it isn't always about our work. **Our values:** 📖 Openness - We welcome everyone 🤝 Trust - Build long-lasting friendships together 💝 Care - Be kind to others and help each other out **Who it's for:** \- Life Actuaries \- Non\-Life Actuaries \- Health Actuaries \- Pensions Actuaries \- Reinsurance Actuaries \- Quantitative Analysts \- Quantitative Traders \- Investment Bankers \- Portfolio Managers \- Financial Engineers \- Entrepreneurs\, Contractors \- Anyone who works with Insurance\, Pensions\, Hedge Funds\, Investment Banks\, Asset Managers etc\. \- Anyone looking to get into the space \- Friends **How to Make the Most of the Meetup** The Friendly Meetup for Actuaries and Quants has one simple purpose: meaningful connections. We're not just a community of people, we're friends who get invested in each others lives. We check in on our friends regularly, and personally. So come and join us, more than just once or twice! **Code of Conduct:** The Friendly Meetup welcomes all genders, nationalities, ethnicities, backgrounds, identities etc. There is a strict no discrimination policy in adherence to our code of conduct and our guiding principles. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for hateful or antisocial behaviour. In short, be kind to others. Do not insult or put down others. Behave professionally, don't make others uncomfortable. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for The Friendly Meetup.

**Venue:** Riverbank House, 2 Swan Ln, London EC4R 3AD **Please note:** 1\. 🚨🚨🚨 A valid photo ID is required by building security\. 🚨🚨🚨 2\. This event follows the [NumFOCUS Code of Conduct](https://numfocus.org/code-of-conduct). Please familiarise yourself with it before attending. If your RSVP status says "You're going" you will be able to get in. No need to show your RSVP confirmation when signing in. If you can no longer make it, please unRSVP as soon as possible. **Code of Conduct:** This event follows the NumFOCUS Code of Conduct. Please get in touch with the organisers with any questions or concerns. As always, there will be free food and drinks, generously provided by our host, Man Group. **Main Talks** 1. **[Nicoleta Lazar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleta-lazar-921a6864/) Query federation in modern OLAP databases** As analytics ecosystems grow more diverse, organisations increasingly need to query data across warehouses, data lakes, and operational systems without excessive data movement or duplication. **Query federation** has become essential by enabling unified SQL access and intelligent predicate pushdown into heterogeneous sources. This talk introduces the core principles of federation and why it matters for modern OLAP workloads. Using StarRocks as a model system, we highlight its vectorised execution engine, native connectors, and deep Apache Iceberg integration that together deliver high-performance lakehouse querying. 2. [Ben Guerin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjhguerin/) **How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let Claude Code Write the Python [the story of [ismypubfucked.com](http://ismypubfucked.com/ "http://ismypubfucked.com")]** 43,000 pubs. Official VOA data. One question. [ismypubfucked.com](http://ismypubfucked.com/ "http://ismypubfucked.com") got 400k visits in two weeks and wall-to-wall media coverage: from the Mirror to the Telegraph to City AM. I'm not a Python developer. I used Claude Code to wrangle government spreadsheets, match them to OpenStreetMap, and ship a working site. All in less than 6 hours from initial idea to a live website. The AI wrote the Python, I just knew what story the data could tell. This talk covers what happens when tools like Claude Code unlock Python for people who think in narratives rather than syntax, and what a decade of building viral campaigns has taught me about making people actually give a shit about spreadsheets. **Lightning Talks** 1. **TBC** 2. **TBC** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Logistics** Doors open at **6.30 pm** (get there early as you'll need to sign in with building security). Talks start at **7:00 pm**, with drinks afterwards from **9:00 pm** at The Banker (EC4). We have reduced capacity for this event, but there will be plenty of people to discuss data science questions with. Please unRSVP in good time if you realise you can't make it. We're limited by building security on the number of attendees, so please free up your place for your fellow community members. If you want me to trim lightning talks down to two or shorten any abstracts, say which ones.

***Enter the live meeting room here: [https://discord.gg/5wgxtr4c2u](https://discord.gg/5wgxtr4c2u)*** ***Download the engine here: [https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download](https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download)*** Welcome to the **Unreal Engine Workshop!** In each session we'll tackle essential game design discussions, then transition into hands-on project creation. Participants will build and expand their skills continuously as we explore every aspect of game development. From basic blueprints and interactive mechanics, to advanced rigging, animation, environment design, and lighting, we'll work our way up to creating small complete games. We encourage experimentation and peer teaching, so whether you're a beginner or experienced developer looking to deepen your expertise, our sessions provide a supportive environment to learn, create, and innovate together in Unreal Engine 5.

At Evolve Synergy Sessions, you'll be part of a supportive mastermind where we share challenges, brainstorm solutions, and inspire one another to take bold steps in our businesses. Grow your network, gain fresh perspectives, and build meaningful relationships with like-minded women who are committed to success. Whether you’re looking to move the needle in your business or simply need a space to connect and recharge, this is the perfect place to fuel your entrepreneurial journey. [Add Event to Calendar](https://evolvecolumbus.eventcalendarapp.com/) \*\* Please note, we will be arriving around 8:15a for open networking! Get there early and get connected! Contact Alexis Morley at [alexis.morley@edwardjones.com](mailto:alexis.morley@edwardjones.com) or Terri Lawson at [terri.lawson@e-merge.com](mailto:terri.lawson@e-merge.com) for more information.

The Fellowship of the Star Schema: Transforming OLTP Data for Power BI One does not simply build reports on OLTP data. Join us on an epic journey from the depths of raw, normalized tables to the shining halls of a well-modeled star schema fit for Power BI greatness. We will demystify the differences between OLTP and OLAP, walk through star schema vs snowflake (and why Power BI has a clear favorite), and show you the compression differences between normalized and columnar storage that will make you never look at an OLTP model the same way again. We will cover the different types of dimensions, when to use them, and how to handle Slowly Changing Dimensions without losing your mind. You will leave knowing exactly how to identify a bad model, how to convert OLTP data into a clean star schema, and how to forge relationships that rule them all. Whether you are a data wizard, a curious hobbit, or somewhere in between, your models will never be the same.

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

**Connected Westerville Night of Networking** *April Edition: The Introduction Economy* You've been to the networking events. You've done the small talk. Collected the cards. Forgotten the names. And walked out feeling like you just wasted two hours of your life. The problem isn't you. It's the format. Most networking events put you in a room and tell you to figure it out. So everyone defaults to elevator pitches and business talk, and nothing real gets built. Here's the truth about networking that most people miss: Your network isn't just who you know. It's who thinks of you when they're talking to someone else. *That's* The Introduction Economy. And it only works when relationships are real. There's a reason people who come once keep coming back. It starts with seven minutes that feel nothing like networking. Then we open it up. Free networking. More conversations. More momentum. This is a room full of corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners, creatives, and career builders in the Westerville and Columbus area. The mix is the magic. You might never do business with everyone you meet tonight. But someone in this room will think of *you.* **By name**. So, the next time someone needs exactly what you do, you get the recommendation. **April 14th. RSVP now.** **When:** Tuesday\, April 14th \| 6:15 PM \-\- 8:00 PM **Where:** Vineyard Community Center \| 6000 Cooper Rd\, Westerville\, OH 43081

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

Semi in honor of March being International Women's Month Columbus libraries: [https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3454709](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3454709) Location: SOW Plated Menu: [https://www.sowplated.com/menu-brunch/](https://www.sowplated.com/menu-brunch/) Book summary: In 2006 Julia Lerner is living in Moscow, a recent university graduate in computer science, when she's recruited by Russia's largest intelligence agency. By 2018 she's in Silicon Valley as COO of Tangerine, one of America's most famous technology companies. In between her executive management (make offers to promising startups, crush them and copy their features if they refuse); self promotion (check out her latest op-ed in the WSJ, on Work/Life Balance 2.0); and work in gender equality (transfer the most annoying females from her team), she funnels intelligence back to the motherland. But now Russia's asking for more, and Julia's getting nervous. Alice Lu is a first generation Chinese American whose parents are delighted she's working at Tangerine (such a successful company!). Too bad she's slogging away in the lower echelons, recently dumped, and now sharing her expensive two-bedroom apartment with her cousin Cheri, a perennial "founder's girlfriend". One afternoon, while performing a server check, Alice discovers some unusual activity, and now she's burdened with two powerful but distressing suspicions: Tangerine's privacy settings aren't as rigorous as the company claims they are, and the person abusing this loophole might be Julia Lerner herself. The closer Alice gets to Julia, the more Julia questions her own loyalties. Russia may have placed her in the Valley, but she's the one who built her career; isn't she entitled to protect the lifestyle she's earned?