Synthpop

Book Club: Three Reasons for Revenge by Dervla McTiernan It is a high-stakes standalone crime thriller focusing on a dangerous game involving three targeted victims, featuring Detective Sergeant Judith Lee as she investigates a series of tailored, malicious packages. The story begins when Alexis Turner reports an assault and then disappears. Shortly after, three identical packages arrive at different homes, containing items that will destroy the recipients' lives. The thriller tackles themes of modern, intimate danger and revenge. This follows her highly successful 2024 thriller, *What Happened to Nina?* Discussion Points: * **The Ethics of Revenge:** Does the novel suggest that vigilante justice is sometimes necessary when the legal system fails? Discuss the motivations of the "antagonist" versus the moral failings of the three victims. * **Cycles of Trauma:** How does the childhood trauma of sisters **Renee** and **Margaux** mirror the past of **Judith Lee**? Discuss how their shared history of being "damaged" by others influences their present-day actions. * **Manipulation and Control:** The novel is described as a "deadly game". Talk about how the perpetrator uses intimate knowledge to hurt victims where they are most vulnerable and how they force Judith into playing along. * **Modern Dangers:** How do themes like **deepfakes**, **online manipulation**, and the rapid spread of misinformation heightening the stakes for the characters?

Somatic psychotherapy is starting to feel like the psychology of our time. Both ancient and emerging, it has proven distinctly helpful for people seeking to change unhelpful coping strategies, regulate dysregulated emotions, and reconnect with the body and authentic self. Especially for those who didn’t find the change they were seeking through conventional talk therapies. This work combines physical practices with consciousness-expanding techniques. In deeply embodied states, the body can reveal an innate wisdom that guides us toward profound relaxation and can spontaneously complete, release, or integrate stuck, immobilised survival responses. These experiences can cultivate peak states that support lasting transformation and deep healing. Doing this sacred work in community adds another layer of richness, offering a deep sense of connection and belonging. Because somatic work is not a one size fits all, Adarsa is aiming to diversify the work, by offering an *Ouroboric,* high activation class and a *Lotus* gentle, regulatory class. **Ouroboric Classes** (High Activation): Designed for those experiencing hyperarousal—anxiety, restlessness, racing thoughts, hypervigilance, and difficulty relaxing. These dynamic sessions provide a safe container to mine the body for the unhelpful stories it’s been carrying—through vigorous movement and breathwork—so we can go to the root of discomfort and allow it to shift. **Lotus Classes** (Gentle Regulation): Created for those in hypoarousal states—shutdown, dissociation, numbness, fatigue, and depression. These nurturing sessions gently awaken the system and gradually build capacity for feeling and presence. Each class integrates: * Somatic practices tailored to your nervous system state * Yoga and mindful movement * Transformative breathwork * Guided meditation * Art therapy for integration * Community connection and sharing Join us in discovering which pathway serves your unique healing journey. **Affordable Access Through Medicare & NDIS** 💚 **Mental Health Care Plan holders:** Access 10 group sessions with almost the entire class fee covered by Medicare. 💙 **NDIS participants:** Full class fees covered under your NDIS funding. With Sharna Arti: a trained somatic psychotherapist of over 20 years, a psychologist, kundalini yoga teacher, certified holotropic breathwork teacher. Email sharna.psych@gmail.com for details or see booking link here https://momence.com/u/adarsa-30Dbvn

Come along and join in a relaxed evening of dev and tech talk, drinks and dinner. Special adhoc social night for WWDC!

Hey Shower Singers! Meet us at our new venue the Craftsman's Corner (*313 Lygon St, Brunswick East*) **Please Note:** ACCESS to our rehearsal room requires walking up 2 flights of stairs - there is no lift. You can rock up and and register at the door, or contact us prior if you wish [via our website](https://beyondthebathroom.org/contact-us). We are in person or online, 7.30-9.30pm on Tuesdays. Casual attendance fees are $20 and $15 concession. If it's your first time, please come early so we can give you everything you need for a fun choir session! Looking forward to singing with you soon, BTB

This is a shared journey into healing sound, a cozy winter gathering by candlelight where we relax, connect, and create something beautiful together 💫 **1\. Guided Sound Bath \+ Gentle Movement** We’ll begin with a calm, immersive sound bath using healing instruments to help you settle in, slow down, and tune into the space. **2\. Healing Instrument Exploration** You’ll have time to try Tibetan singing bowls, crystal bowls, handpan, and chimes, exploring their sounds and vibrations in your own way. No pressure, just curiosity. **3\. Group Sound Creation** We’ll come together to create a shared “healing piece,” layering sounds and building an immersive sound bath as a group. **4\. Recording the Sound** We’ll record what we create so you can take it home and use it later for sleep, relaxation, focus, or winding down at the end of the day. **Where we meet:** **📢Please arrive 10 minutes early** to settle in before the sound bath. We’ll meet at my studio in Richmond, located in a residential building just off Burnley Street. When you arrive, head up the stairs to **Level 1**. The studio is in **Unit 7**. **How to get here:** 5 minutes walk from tram 48/75, 10 minutes walk from tram 70 and Burnley Station. Street parking available. **Knowledge required:** Suitable for everyone, no experience needed. **What to bring:** Just yourself Instruments, mats, and pillows are all provided. You’re welcome to bring your own healing instruments to share, or your own mat if you prefer! **📞Contact:** Call/text 0433921416 if you're lost or wanna chat. 📩Please join our WhatsApp group for event updates, community connection & enquiries: **Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group:** [https://chat.whatsapp.com/CFZcJMTWgCbFEjgkn9KQ7C](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CFZcJMTWgCbFEjgkn9KQ7C)

This is our monthly meetup where we hang out and chat about investing. There's no fixed format, we just meet with like-minded individuals to discuss investing strategies and stock picks, at a bar or cafe. All levels of experience welcome. Second Friday of the month. Bring laptops/tablets etc if you like because we do research.

**Why the Question Matters for Alignment, Moral Progress, and Long Term Flourishing** Practically nobody in alignment wants to say it out loud. So let’s say it: *AI might turn out to be* ***[more moral than us](https://www.scifuture.org/more-moral-than-us/)***. Now – why does that feel like a dangerous thing to claim? The question is not whether AI can match human moral reasoning. The question is whether that’s even worth bragging about. The idea of AI being more moral than humans is a real taboo in some circles. Many alignment researchers are uncomfortable with the idea because it seems to smuggle in the assumption that AI could have genuine moral agency, which conflicts with deflationary views of LLMs as “stochastic parrots” – and also because it sounds uncomfortably close to AI-worship or motivated reasoning for deferring to AI. Invoking this idea could get one dismissed as naive or as an actual safety risk oneself. *It’s also epistemically risky.* *More moral* – but in what sense? Knowing more facts relevant to ethics? Drawing better inferences from values? Applying principles wisely in context? Actually being *moved* by moral considerations, rather than just computing them? These aren’t the same thing. Conflating them produces both overclaiming and underclaiming – and most of the bad arguments on both sides of this debate do exactly that.[1](https://www.scifuture.org/why-are-we-afraid-to-ask-whether-ai-could-be-more-moral-than-humans/#6ebcc18c-d890-4a28-8b01-27945a532c66) An AI could plausibly exceed humans on moral knowledge, reasoning and even judgement without having anything like moral motivation. Collapsing these leads to both overclaiming and underclaiming. Clear distinctions between stuff like moral judgement and moral motivation makes the conversation tractable. Is it dangerous for public discourse? There’s a genuine risk that the framing gets weaponised – either by people wanting to justify AI authority over human decisions, or by critics who use it to paint alignment researchers as unhinged techno-utopians. It can also trigger motivated reasoning in both directions. A lot more could be said here. But the taboo is not protecting us from a dangerous question. It’s protecting us from the answer. The taboo itself is epistemically costly, yet if we ***refuse to ask*** whether AI could have better-grounded moral reasoning than humans, we prevent getting to the heart of the issue. ## **The questions worth asking** Before thoroughly assessing whether AI could be more moral than humans, we need to ask whether the question is even coherent. ### Alignment targeting and verification *What should AI align to?* Is morality a cohesive alignment target, or a family of overlapping intuitions that only look unified from a distance? And if there is a *fact of the matter* about moral improvement, *how would we know we were tracking it* – rather than simply laundering our current preferences with extra steps? More pressingly: what would it mean to *verify* that an agent has better moral judgement than us, given that we’re the ones doing the evaluating? This is the bootstrapping problem. We cannot step outside our own moral reasoning to assess a system that exceeds it. That isn’t a reason to stop asking – it’s a reason to ask more carefully.[2](https://www.scifuture.org/why-are-we-afraid-to-ask-whether-ai-could-be-more-moral-than-humans/#114785ab-004c-4882-b8c8-c0437942e9ec) ### The motivational gap Even if the epistemic questions could be resolved, a deeper problem remains: most human moral failure isn’t a failure of *reasoning*. It’s a failure of *motivation*. If humans are themselves imperfectly morally motivated, what does alignment to human preferences actually track? Not moral truth – at best, some weighted average of moral intuitions, distorted by power, attention, and self-interest. How much of human moral failure is motivational rather than epistemic? More than we tend to admit. We frequently know what the right thing is and fail to do it anyway – which means a system that merely reasons better about ethics hasn’t addressed the failure mode that actually matters most. And this raises the hardest question in the cluster: is moral motivation necessarily tied to phenomenal experience – to there being something it is *like* to care? Or could a system be genuinely motivated by moral considerations without felt engagement? Can motivation be grounded without being felt? ### The systemic stakes Finally, there are second-order questions that rarely get asked – about what happens to *us* if AI gets this right. Does sustained deference to AI moral judgement atrophy human moral reasoning capacity? And if so, what are the systemic risks of that atrophy – not just for individuals, but for the collective processes through which moral knowledge has historically developed? (There is recent work on comparative moral Turing Tests that begins to take this seriously[3](https://www.scifuture.org/why-are-we-afraid-to-ask-whether-ai-could-be-more-moral-than-humans/#6efcb4e9-295e-425c-8860-40f415ef4935)) Moral progress for humans has never been a purely individual achievement. It has happened through argument, conflict, revision, and hard-won consensus across generations. A system that resolves moral questions faster than humans can engage with them might not accelerate that process. It might short-circuit it entirely. I think asking these questions Socratically can help nudge the conversation into the open productively rather than letting it fester as an unexamined assumption. Also I think this line of questioning isn’t just intuition pump fodder, I think they are directly important to the project of AI alignment.[4](https://www.scifuture.org/why-are-we-afraid-to-ask-whether-ai-could-be-more-moral-than-humans/#13e5d2e0-79f6-42fc-8d1e-fcae403c2f6b) > Refusing to ask whether AI could exceed human moral reasoning doesn’t make the question safe. It just means we’ll answer it by accident, badly, and too late. Handled carelessly, this question causes damage. Left unasked, it causes more. ## Footnotes 1. The claim is easy to make sloppily. “More moral” conflates several things that need to be separated: a) Moral knowledge (knowing more facts relevant to ethics) b) Moral reasoning (drawing better inferences from values) c) Moral judgement (applying principles wisely in context) d) Moral motivation (actually being moved by moral considerations – which is one of my core focus points of activism) [↩︎](https://www.scifuture.org/why-are-we-afraid-to-ask-whether-ai-could-be-more-moral-than-humans/#6ebcc18c-d890-4a28-8b01-27945a532c66-link) 2\. This was brought up in an interview with Nick Bostrom [↩︎](https://www.scifuture.org/why-are-we-afraid-to-ask-whether-ai-could-be-more-moral-than-humans/#114785ab-004c-4882-b8c8-c0437942e9ec-link) 3\. See Eyal Aharoni’s and Danica Dillion’s work on Moral Turing Tests – presentations and interviews [here](https://www.scifuture.org/eyal-aharoni-breaking-the-moral-turing-test-studies-of-human-attribution-and-deference-to-ai-moral-judgment-and-decision-making/), [here](https://www.scifuture.org/ai-outscored-humans-in-a-blinded-moral-turing-test-should-we-be-worried-dr-eyal-aharoni-explains/) and [here](https://www.scifuture.org/danica-dillion-ais-moral-compass-better-than-expected-now-what/). [↩︎](https://www.scifuture.org/why-are-we-afraid-to-ask-whether-ai-could-be-more-moral-than-humans/#6efcb4e9-295e-425c-8860-40f415ef4935-link) 4\. The grounded values approach actually requires asking questions like: – What should AI align to?, Is morality a cohesive alignment target?, is there a fact of the matter about moral improvement, or is “more moral” just “more aligned with our current intuitions”? – What would it mean to verify that an agent has better moral judgement than us, given that we’re the ones doing the evaluating? (see work one recently on comparative moral Turing Tests) – If humans are themselves imperfectly morally motivated, what does alignment to human preferences actually track? – How much of human moral failure is motivational versus epistemic? – Is moral motivation necessarily tied to phenomenal experience, or could a system be genuinely motivated by moral considerations without anything it’s like to be it? – Can motivation be grounded without being felt? – Does sustained deference to AI moral judgement atrophy human moral reasoning capacity, and what are the systemic risks of that atrophy – both for individuals and for the collective processes through which moral knowledge has historically developed? Also see: **[Why Are We Afraid to Ask Whether AI Could Be More Moral Than Humans?](https://www.scifuture.org/why-are-we-afraid-to-ask-whether-ai-could-be-more-moral-than-humans/)**

Are you craving some conversations with other big thinkers? The Movers & Shakers monthly coffee is for the creative's who are driven, are hustlers, are actively seeking to grow and look for new opportunities and are wanting to be around other dreamers and action takers. If you're seeking out those conversations that inspire you, that leave you feeling motivated, then this event is for you. The Creative Hustle is a social events community for professional creatives in Melbourne's arts industry. STRUCTURE: 15 min - casual networking/order your coffee 40 min - round table intros and questions 30 min - guided conversations topics in small groups Finish with casual networking MINIMUM SPEND: Everyone who attends this event is required to purchase something from the cafe, minimum of 1 drink.

This meetup is your introduction to Dianetics, and you can have your questions answered. **[DIANETICS THE ALL-TIME CLASSIC ON THE HUMAN MIND](https://www.dianetics.org/about/films/what-is-dianetics.html)** For 75 years, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health has remained popular, with over 20 million copies sold across 206 nations. Why? Because it challenges everything you thought you knew-about yourself, your decisions, and the unseen influences affecting your life. You may not know what the reactive mind is-yet. But once you do, it will change your life forever. This hidden part of your mind stores painful experiences and uses them against you, altering your thoughts, emotions and behaviors in ways you don't even realize. Inside this handbook, you'll discover: • Why the same struggles keep repeating—and how you can break free • The real reason behind stress, unreasonable fears, and negative emotions • A clear step-by-step method to clear your mind and unlock your true potential This is not theory—it's a practical, one-on-one journey into your reactive mind and how you can get rid of it. You don't have to wait for change-you can start today. **Discover the Power of Your Mind** Join us for a relaxed, interactive **Dianetics Meetup**, where it's your chance to explore the groundbreaking discoveries in *Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health* and have all your questions answered. Come with your curiosity—leave with insight. Ask for Michel, Pam or Donovan. If the time and date do not suit you personally, you may reschedule, SMS Pam on: 0405 648 822 https://www.dianetics.org/about/films/what-is-dianetics.html

Few filmmakers map the fault lines of modern Japanese society with the quiet menace of Kiyoshi Kurosawa. This month we’re discussing two films from across his career that, taken together, reveal the full range of his singular vision — from the cold dread of psychological horror to the slow-burn devastation of domestic realism. Cure follows a detective investigating a series of murders whose perpetrators confess yet seem to have no clear motive. A labyrinthine game of cat and mouse develops with an enigmatic amnesiac who may be evil incarnate, as the film descends into hushed, hypnotic dread — a hallucinatory journey into the darkest recesses of the human mind. At its core, Cure diagnoses Japan’s polite respectability as a breeding ground for nihilistic violence, exposing repressed rage beneath compliance. Tokyo Sonata ventures outside the paranormal zone — a visually lyrical examination of a Japanese nuclear family in meltdown, under pressures both external (the downsizing of Japan’s middle-income workforce) and internal (failing codes of masculinity). It contains no supernatural elements, no ghosts or killers — yet it may be the most terrifying film Kurosawa has ever made, because it is about us: a world without mercy, where everyone is reduced to performing the role expected of them. Both films ask the same question through very different means: what happens when the structures we build our lives around — order, identity, the family, the self — begin to crack? Please watch both films before attending. Come ready to discuss.

Discover Inner Engineering in Columbus! Saturday June 13th Choose a location & Time: Holiday Inn Express : 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Rangoli -The Indian Mall: 7:00 PM -8:00 PM [RSVP](https://innerengineering.sadhguru.org/columbus?fbclid=IwdGRzaASVdldjbGNrBJV2TmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHmTH5dVmwyksT8x39dKxCZZPJm96hYF7q4m6CmzfjsgJ14o3X4jux71er_mq_aem_W51vRnuLMzlDtxYJWPuqKg&sfnsn=wa)

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. **New to electronics or curious about tinkering?** You’re absolutely welcome. If you’re a beginner and want to experiment, I’ll have a couple of starter kits available so you can try things out—whether that’s blinking your first LED, putting something on a display, or experimenting with simple sensors. No pressure and no experience required—just an interest in learning and building. While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Worthington Park Library in the Olentangy Meeting Room.

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

**🎵 K-Pop Dance Party Hialeah – Random Dance, Big Energy, BTS Vibes!** With BTS on their way, it's time to get the fan energy going in Hialeah. We're getting together for a K-pop random dance party — think random play dance, BTS anthems, and a room full of people who know every move. **🔞 This event is strictly 18+.** --- 🎶 **What to expect:** - Random song calls — jump in when you know the choreo - All levels welcome — know the moves or just vibe along - Fan chants, singalongs, and pure concert energy - Celebration vibes ahead of the BTS concert **Event Details** - **Format:** In-person K-pop fan gathering with random dance - **Vibe:** High energy, fan-fuelled, and a lot of fun - **Age:** 18+ only **How It Works** 1. **Show up** – RSVP and come ready to dance. 18+ only. 2. **Jump in when you know it** – Random songs play, choreo gets called, you join when you know the moves. 3. **Full BTS section** – We dedicate a proper block to BTS to get everyone hyped for the concert. 4. **Hang and connect** – Chat with other Hialeah K-pop fans between dance rounds. --- ✨ Come for the dancing, stay for the BTS energy. 👑 ✨

# **Saturday, June 20, 2026** **Beginners’ Session 1:30 to 2:00 PM** **Dancing 2:00 to 4:30 PM** **Band: Gem City Revelers** **Caller: David Mould** **You are invited to join us for dinner at Olive and Lime (in the church’s back parking lot) after the dance.** **Location: First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road, Columbus, OH 43214.** **Cost is $10 for adults, $5 ages 12-25.** **New to dancing? A beginners’ session, from 1:30 to 2:00 PM, will get you started. You will learn some basic figures that will be repeated in the afternoon’s dances. All dances will be taught and no partner is needed. Dancing is from 2:00 to 4:30 PM.** **Please bring your own refillable water bottle.** **All Soles Dance upcoming dance dates are, as follows:** **July 25, 2026–Summer Potluck and Dance** **No August Dance** **September 26, 2026** **October 17, 2026** **November 21, 2026** **December 19, 2026** **Visit our website at: https://firstuucolumbus.org/connection/all-soles/**

**🌟 Jacksonville K-Pop Dance Meetup – Random Play Dance + BTS Hype!** The BTS concert is almost here — let's warm up the right way. Join fellow K-pop fans for a random play dance session set to BTS and K-pop hits. No experience needed — just energy and a love for the music. **🔞 This event is strictly 18+.** --- 🎶 **What to expect:** - All levels welcome — know the moves or just vibe along - Celebration vibes ahead of the BTS concert - Random song calls — jump in when you know the choreo - Fan chants, singalongs, and pure concert energy - Random play dance to BTS and K-pop hits **Event Details** - **Format:** In-person K-pop fan gathering with random dance - **Vibe:** High energy, fan-fuelled, and a lot of fun - **Age:** 18+ only **How It Works** 1. **Come along** – RSVP below and show up on the day. 18+ only. 2. **The music starts** – We go random play dance format. Song called, fans jump in. 3. **BTS tracks guaranteed** – The BTS discography gets its own dedicated slot. 4. **Meet the fans** – Connect with Jacksonville locals who love K-pop as much as you. --- ✨ The concert is coming. Let's start the hype now. 👑 ✨

Join us for Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn! Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the unsolved murder of a preteen girl and the disappearance of another. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story-and survive this homecoming.