Theory U

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **"Eugenics Then and Now,”** on a dangerous movement in science and its lessons for current research, with Carlo Quintanilla, molecular biologist and health science policy analyst at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-eugenics](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-eugenics) .] Global concerns about the return of eugenic thinking were reignited by Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s 2018 announcement of the first gene-edited babies, Lulu and Nana. He was quickly condemned by the scientific community and jailed for illegal medical practice, but he and others around the world continue experiments with goals echoing eugenic ambitions. As genetic technologies advance at extraordinary speed, society faces a new set of ethical questions about shaping the traits of future generations. Are we entering a new era of eugenics? If so, how should we respond? Hear such questions tackled by Carlo Quintanilla, who studied rare genetic mutations in human disease as a graduate research scientist and instructor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and now works at the intersection of genomic medicine, science, and society. Dr. Quintanilla will begin by discussing the origins and history of eugenics, tracing its development in the 19th and 20th centuries as an idea, a scientific movement, and a set of policies. He’ll examine the rise of Social Darwinism in the U.K., forced sterilization programs in the United States, and the atrocities committed by the Third Reich in the name of “racial hygiene.” From there, he’ll explore how our ability to shape human health and heredity have been transformed by modern reproductive and genetic technologies such as in vitro fertilization, prenatal and embryo screening, and genome editing. You’ll learn how these tools hold enormous promise when it comes to the prevention and cure of rare and debilitating genetic conditions, yet also raise profound questions related to their potential enablement of a new, technologically driven form of eugenics. Dr. Quintanilla will then delve into the ongoing debate among scientists, bioethicists, and policymakers over what should be classified as eugenics today. He’ll highlight recent controversial uses of genetic and reproductive technologies that are pushing ethical boundaries faster than society can define them, from embryo selection for traits like IQ and height to speculative military interest in genetically enhanced soldiers. These examples raise urgent questions: Where should society draw ethical boundaries? Who gets to decide? And is the term “eugenics” still useful for guiding policy and public debate? We’ll close by examining the social, political, and regulatory forces that will determine the future, considering whether they will restrain the push toward further genetic control or accelerate it. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: The frontispiece of the 1883 book *Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development,* by pioneering eugenicist Francis Galton (Wikimedia Commons / Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Weekly Draft night in NW. We currently meet up at Franklin Hall near 14th and Florida. U Street Metro is the closest stop. I'll have packs but feel free to bring packs if you have them. Entry is $17 (you can bring Play Booster packs to lower the cost by $3.50). If it is a special set, it will be more.

The corrupt officials of a 19th-century Russian town get word that an inspector general is coming to assess local conditions. A wandering fool arrives, and in keeping with the action in the play by Nikolai Gogol on which the movie is based, the locals assume that he is the inspector general in disguise. The madcap hijinks of the mayor and his cronies as they try to make the town appear well managed are matched by Danny Kaye’s antics as he tries to confirm their delusion. ■ Title — *The Inspector General* ■ Director — Henry Koster ■ Cast — Danny Kaye, Walter Slezak, Barbara Bates ■ Rating — Approved (suitable for general audiences) ■ ©1949 \| 1h 42m \| Comedy\, Music\, Musical\, Romance ■ Watch it free with ads on Fawesome: https://fawesome.tv/movies/10450611/the-inspector-general-1949 ■ Watch it free with ads on Flixhouse: https://flixhouse.com/video/697/the-inspector-general ■ Watch it free with ads on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/269893/the-inspector-general ■ Available free without ads to Amazon Prime subscribers: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.f0ceb48a-9fa5-4c23-99a0-1f1171620d5a ■ As with most of our online features, you can watch this one whenever you like. Members who watch at the scheduled time may enjoy exchanging comments with other members on this page. If you post a comment before the show, please avoid spoilers. Comments posted after the show may contain any content, but Oddball Cinema encourages members to always avoid spoilers unless there’s some particularly important details you need to mention. ■ Many of the movies on our online events from as far back as March 2020 are still available for viewing. However, titles sometimes move from one streaming service to another. If you find that the links on an old event no longer work, you can search for the current providers of any title here: https://justwatch.com

Think you aren't flexible enough for yoga? Afraid to get onto the floor? Living with physical aches or restricted range of motion? Then this is the perfect yoga class for you! Explore your body's strengths in a fun, supportive environment while maintaining and growing your range of motion, flexibility, balance, strength, and sense of peace. All are welcome in this therapeutic class. Come ready to try new things, laugh, ask questions, and support each other. **Please reserve your spot at www.piesfitnessyoga.com**. The session is offered both InStudio and OnLine. The Zoom link for the OnLine session will be emailed 15 minutes before class starts to those who are registered at www.piesfitnessyoga.com. **Sign up for sessions must be made at least 2 hours prior to class.** The address is 1322 Prince St Alexandria, VA 22314 Our entrance is located on the side of the building, parallel to West St. **Street parking is available and additional parking is located at Shiloh Baptist church, spaces 36,37,38,39.** The church is located across the street from the studio, on the corner of Duke St. and West St. Discount is available to seniors, teachers, students, emergency responders, and military. All can save by purchasing class packs.

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/6/3/f/8/event_160705592.jpeg (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZA8SWMLWS7WHA) NOTES 1. The conversation course is continuing education, designed to excel students' Amharic conversation skill. 2. The course runs for 12 weeks. 3. We don't give placement test. The students place themselves and they can switch to a level up or down, after they examine themselves. 4. Class cancelled due to 'Force Majeure', will be recovered at the end of the course. 5. Arriving by Metro: The closest metro stations are Farragut West and Farragut North. 6. Meter parking is also an option. It is about $ 0.25 for 8 minutes. 7. The payment for each class is $ 15.00 per person per hour. It will be $ 20.00 per person per hour for walk-ins. However, it is depending on availability. 8. Students can bring friends and pay $ 20 for 2 persons per hour. But it has to be an advance payment.

We will meeting at a **New Location: GameOn** which is at 1330 U St. If taking the metro go to U St station take the 13th St exit and walk half a block. The bar is on U St between 13th and 14th. We will be sitting at the upstairs nook by the Mario Bros mural. We will be reading "We Are Legion (We Are Bob)" by Dennis E. Taylor. [We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1) by Dennis E. Taylor | Goodreads](We%20Are%20Bob) As per usual we are crowd sourcing book ideas and voting on the top books. We encourage you to add votes to the books [DC Science Fiction Book Club Suggestions - Google Sheets](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mprXaa6bcEW5EL_uprN16-RBcetO6pbqA4vHDTjtowI/edit?gid=0#gid=0)

Monthly meeting: Second Saturday of the month International House of Pancakes (IHOP) 775 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 7:00 PM – 10 PM. Late arrivals always welcome. Look for the table with someone wearing a red hat. Questions, please call 1-240-644-5230 Agenda: What are more things we can do to wake people up? What can we do to get more people involved? Other things people would like to talk about. This will be a joint meeting with: DC 9/11 Truth [https://dc911truth.org/](https://dc911truth.org/) dc911truth Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/groups/dc911truth/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dc911truth/) 911 Meetup Group [https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-kyegaoqu/](https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-kyegaoqu/) Central Bank Digital Currencies CBDC Meetup Group [https://www.meetup.com/central-bank-digital-currencies-cbdc/](https://www.meetup.com/central-bank-digital-currencies-cbdc/) Freedom of Speech Meetup Group [https://www.meetup.com/silver-spring-freedom-of-speech-meetup-group/](https://www.meetup.com/silver-spring-freedom-of-speech-meetup-group/)

This will be our second (and possibly last) meeting on *Nature's God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic*, by Matthew Stewart. For this meeting, please try to read chapters 4 and 6. (You can skim chapter 5, which is particularly confusing). **Where did the ideas come from that became the cornerstone of American democracy?** America’s founders intended to liberate us not just from one king but from the ghostly tyranny of supernatural religion. Drawing deeply on the study of European philosophy, Matthew Stewart brilliantly tracks the ancient, pagan, and continental ideas from which America’s revolutionaries drew their inspiration. In the writings of Spinoza, Lucretius, and other great philosophers, Stewart recovers the true meanings of “Nature’s God,” “the pursuit of happiness,” and the radical political theory with which the American experiment in self-government began. [LINK](https://a.co/d/bkTWJNb) This book is not always an easy read. You may want to make use of AI tools such as ChatGPT. You can ask it questions like: "What does Matthew Stewart say about happiness in his book Nature's God?" OR: What does Matthew Stewart say about Spinoza? This may be our last meeting on this book. If you want to have a third meeting later, on the last two chapters, let me know. I hope to see you there! Fred

* **Would you like to look deeper into the source of life?** * **Do you want to find your own answers to everyday questions?** * **Singing HU can bring you Love, Happiness, and Stability** **You’re warmly invited to join us at our** **Friday HU Chant at 7:00 pm** **You will be welcome to chant out loud or simply listen, whatever is right for you. The chant lasts about 20 minutes, followed by brief contemplative time and conversation with others of like heart.** **Attend In-Person at:** **The Maryland Eckankar Center** **1738 Elton Rd., Suite 104** **Silver Spring, MD 20903** **(Doors open at 6:30 pm)** **For more information:** **Call or text: (301)439-2120** **MEC@eckankarmaryland.org** **Presented by the DC & Maryland Satsang Societies, Inc. Chartered Affiliates of ECKANKAR.** **Copyright © 2025 ECKANKAR. The terms ECKANKAR, ECK, EK, MAHANTA, SOUL TRAVEL, and VAIRAGI, among others, are trademarks of ECKANKAR, PO Box 2000, Chanhassen, MN 55317-2000 U.S.A.**

At this event you'll discover how to better understand and control your subconscious mind, helping you overcome doubts and fears. If you have anger issues, depressions and anxieties. this event will show you how to overcome them.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/177185976-victim MOST ANTICIPATED: WASHINGTON POST, TIME, & MORE • There’s a fine line between bending the truth and telling bold-faced lies, and Javier Perez is willing to cross it. Victim is a fearless satire about a hustler from the Bronx who sees through the veneer of diversity initiatives and decides to cash in on the odd currency of identity. Javier Perez is a hustler from a family of hustlers. He learns from an early age how to play the game to his own advantage, how his background—murdered drug dealer dad, single cash-strapped mom, best friend serving time for gang activity—can be a key to doors he didn’t even know existed. This kind of story, molded in the right way, is just what college admissions committees are looking for, and a full academic scholarship to a prestigious university brings Javi one step closer to his dream of becoming a famous writer. As a college student, Javi embellishes his life story until there’s not even a kernel of truth left. The only real connection to his past is the occasional letter he trades with his childhood best friend, Gio, who doesn’t seem to care about Javi’s newfound awareness of white privilege or the school-to-prison pipeline. Soon after Javi graduates, a viral essay transforms him from a writer on the rise to a journalist at a legendary magazine where the editors applaud his “unique perspective.” But Gio more than anyone knows who Javi really is, and sees through his game. Once Gio’s released from prison and Javi offers to cut him in on the deal, will he play along with Javi’s charade, or will it all come crumbling down? A satirical sendup of tear-jerking trauma plots with a tender portrait of friendship at its core, Victim asks what real diversity looks like and how far one man is willing to go to make his story hit the right notes.

This is a regularly held in-person integration circle and a supportive container that centered on psychedelic experiences. We co-create a space of inclusivity, compassion, and care for all. We gather to help each other integrate our journeys, find "the others", and or seek wisdom about altered states of consciousness. Arrive ready to share honestly, openly, and from the heart. Bring your insights from journeys to unpack or your questions about plant medicines and psychedelic experiences to ask the more experienced journeyers. At 7 pm we will do a short grounding exercise and a brief check-in/ice breaker. At 7:15 pm we will begin the integration circle with honest and open processing of psychedelic experiences. Your facilitators are trained in psychedelic integration and or other coaching/facilitation modalities but we are not mental health professionals, we are community members called to service in mutuality. The event is by donation as we do need to pay for the space and supplies used. The suggested donation is $10-$20/person (cash, Paypal or Venmo). Surplus above and beyond covering costs will go towards future community event facilitation and or materials.

Pay attention! We’re delaying a week for those of you who may be on Spring break and/or celebrating the holiday. Ok, no pancakes, but waffles-a-plenty. Join the local UX and Digital Design community for a casual monthly breakfast. Look for us upstairs!

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

...and speaking of breakthrough roles: who can forget the first time we saw Tom Cruise singing Bob Seeger in his underwear? Often considered an updated 1983 version of The Graduate, the movie sparkles with memorable lines and original music. I only regret that I was never told that "Princeton could use someone like Bob..." See the movie first and join us for some "Cruisin'"

**The Data-Driven Brand: Using Analytics to Shape Perception** Can you use analytics to improve tacos? This being CBUSDAW, we think the answer is probably “yes”, but we’re not sure how to implement or test this theory. For our April meetup we’ve got Sara Kear, CMO of Condado Tacos, to investigate this delicious question. Sara will explore how she blends quantitative data and qualitative customer feedback to shape brand positioning and drive business decisions. We all know that marketing and analytics go way beyond attribution. Sara will show how Condado uses customer insights to inform product and pricing strategy. She’ll also highlight how Condado leverages customer feedback at scale to influence operational priorities, positioning marketing as the voice of the customer across the organization. In the last 12 years Condado has gone from one location in Columbus to 52 locations across 10 states, so we’re guessing there’s more to that growth than really good guac (though the guac probably helps). Ultimately, this talk focuses on the intersection of art and science—using data to inform creativity and build a brand that resonates with customers in a measurable way. **About Our Speaker** Sara Kear is Chief Marketing Officer at Condado Tacos, where she oversees brand, restaurant design, menu and pricing strategy, off-premise including catering, and customer data strategy. Since joining in 2021, she has helped grow the brand from 19 to 52 locations while building a data-driven marketing organization focused on loyalty and customer insights. Condado has since been named to the Inc. 5000, recognized as Breakout Retailer by Chain Store Age, and consistently ranked among FastCasual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

**Our April novel is: *The Hong Kong Widow* by Kristen Loesch** **This month’s novel blends gothic atmosphere with historical fiction and chilling horror, set against the haunting backdrop of China. The book is 368 pages in print and 10 hours and 42 minutes on audiobook.** In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse. Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life. It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge. Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .