The Israel-Iran Crisis

🗓️ Start: 19 June 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 19 June 2025 11:30 am

This week, in a change from our previously-advertised subject, we will now be discussing the escalating conflict that has erupted between Israel and Iran. Could it have been avoided, or was a military showdown between these implacable enemies always inevitable? And with missiles now raining down on both countries, is a peace deal even possible, and if so, who (if not the UN) has the trust of both sides to mediate it? Finally, as has already been suggested by Israeli PM Netanyahu, is it realistic to hope for an uprising by the Iranian people to overthrow Supreme Leader Khamenei’s authoritarian regime, and should Western powers be more openly supportive of that objective? Lots of questions, but no easy answers!

If you haven’t yet done so, there’s still time to join our mailing list, which will ensure that you receive those all-important Zoom log-in details… just click here: Subscribe to the Current Affairs group

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-israel-iran-crisis/

#u3acommunities computing meeting *today* is a demo of installing #linux ... simple for many, but a concern if you've not done it before.

See https://u3acommunities.org/event/installing-desktop-gnu-linux/

I understand many windows10 users are being forced to migrate to something ... that something could well be #linux.

Sign up here https://u3acommunities.org/subscribe-to-computing-forum/ ... 100% free and aimed at the #retired community.

#u3a #u3acommunities

The History of Timekeeping: From Stonehenge to Strontium

🗓️ Start: 9 July 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 9 July 2025 12:00 pm

Ever since the advent of agriculture, our ancestors needed a way to measure the passing of time; not just the time of day but, more importantly, the time of year as well. Nowadays, we are inundated with gadgets in our homes and workplaces which do this for us, but back then they had to work it all out for themselves. In this talk, John Cosier, of Bognor Regis u3a, will take a look back at the development of calendars and clocks over the last 10,000 years, and along the way he’ll also explain the origins of the seven-day week, the 24-hour day, the 60-minute hour, and the 60-second minute. I’m sure you’ll want to make ‘time’ for this fascinating story!

To contact us about the Science & Technology group, click here… Get in touch

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-history-of-timekeeping-from-stonehenge-to-strontium/

Meteorites

🗓️ Start: 8 July 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 8 July 2025 12:00 pm
📍 Location: Zoom

Speaker: Dr Helena Bates, Post Doctural Researcher Natural History Museum, London

Dr Bates is working to unravel the history of an unusual group of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites that are believed to be similar to a certain group of water bearing asteroids. These include meteorites which are the targets of sample return missions Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx.

Her aims are to compare these meteorites with those we have on Earth to learn more about asteroid evolution.

Subscribe to Geology

https://u3acommunities.org/event/meterorites/

Emails for next weeks #u3acommunities computing went out today - we'll be looking at desktop #linux installation. Focus will be on demo and discussions.

See https://u3acommunities.org/event/installing-desktop-gnu-linux/

#u3a

Deep geothermal: From the hottest of the hot to dissolved resources

🗓️ Start: 10 June 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 10 June 2025 12:00 pm
📍 Location: Zoom

Speaker: Dr Chris Rochelle

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Dr Rochelle will be talking to us about deep and hotter geothermal resources, abroad and in the UK, and dissolved metals, such as lithium.

Dr Rochelle has over 30 years research experience of various aspects of the geochemistry of fluid-rock interactions. Most of his work has strong linkages to ‘energy’ issues, and in particular securing sources of it and disposing of waste products from it.

Join us and find out more about how the role deep geothermal processes and resources have to play in our modern lives.

Subscribe to Geology

https://u3acommunities.org/event/deep-geothermal-from-the-hottest-of-the-hot-to-dissolved-resources/

Art History Month

🗓️ Start: 24 June 2025 12:00 pm
⏳ End: 24 June 2025 1:00 pm

June will be our Art History month and we hope to have a couple of surprises for you. Once the programme is ready, I’ll post it on our website page

The Art History group will meet Tuesday, 24th June 2025 at 12 noon. The Zoom link and information will be sent out several days prior to the meeting. Hope to see you there.

https://u3acommunities.org/event/art-history-month/

Freedom of Speech

🗓️ Start: 19 June 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 19 June 2025 11:30 am

https://u3acommunities.org/event/freedom-of-speech/

Installing desktop GNU/Linux

🗓️ Start: 17 June 2025 3:00 pm
⏳ End: 17 June 2025 5:00 pm

17th June 2025 at 3pm UK

This month we look at installing desktop GNU/Linux.  The talk will be demo focused.

Plenty of time is reserved for discussions.

Joining details will be emailed to subscribers nearer the time.  If you aren’t a member, it’s free to join here https://u3acommunities.org/subscribe-to-computing-forum/.

https://u3acommunities.org/event/installing-desktop-gnu-linux/

Discussion on the biggest sales in literature

🗓️ Start: 27 May 2025 7:00 pm
⏳ End: 27 May 2025 8:00 pm

Using the historical aspect of this section of literature, we enter the world of cookery.

Elizabeth David tried to rejuvenate diets after the Second World War with cook books.

But her efforts are as much travel guides as culinary.

But it set the pathway for dozens of others to follow.

So why are chefs so popular?

Join us to discuss the topic.

https://u3acommunities.org/event/discussion-on-the-biggest-sales-in-literature/

From Artificial intelligence to Hybrid intelligence

🗓️ Start: 30 June 2025 3:00 pm
⏳ End: 30 June 2025 4:30 pm

Speaker: Professor Prof. Catholijn M. Jonker
Delft University of Technology

Prof. Jonker’s research moves beyond viewing AI as a replacement for human intelligence. Instead, she develops systems that collaborate with and enhance human capabilities, creating Hybrid Intelligence (HI)—a blend of human and artificial intelligence aimed at achieving goals neither could reach alone.
HI integrates the strengths of humans (like creativity, ethics, and context) with those of machines (such as data processing and scalability). It emphasizes co-learning, co-adaptation, and mutual understanding, focusing on empowering rather than replacing humans.
This marks a shift from AI for automation to AI for augmentation, advocating for the co-evolution of humans and machines through trust, learning, and ethical collaboration—envisioning AI as a partner, not a competitor.

If you are not already subscribed, subscription is free and you will receive joining details and news about forthcoming Leading Edge meetings https://u3acommunities.org/subscribe-to-leading-edge/

https://u3acommunities.org/event/from-artificial-intelligence-to-hybrid-intelligence/

Climate Crisis and Artificial Intelligence

🗓️ Start: 28 May 2025 10:00 am
⏳ End: 28 May 2025 11:30 pm

Artificial intelligence is playing a crucial role in fighting climate change by providing advanced tools for monitoring, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to its impacts. AI can analyze vast datasets from satellites, weather stations, and other sensors to improve climate models. AI optimizes the deployment, management, and integration of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. However, AI-powered processes can consume significant amounts of energy. It’s important to develop and implement AI solutions in an energy-efficient manner and ensure that the benefits of AI in combating climate change outweigh its own energy footprint.

Topic: Climate Crisis Meeting
Time: May 28, 2025 10:00 AM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82178391392?pwd=v9xCxwsjE44Gf0bxS7nf6JJUKiCgjd.1

Meeting ID: 821 7839 1392
Passcode: Saturn

https://u3acommunities.org/event/climate-crisis-and-artificial-intelligence/

Schrodinger’s Paradox, Intelligent Design and the Origin of Life

🗓️ Start: 11 June 2025 10:30 am
⏳ End: 11 June 2025 12:00 pm

In 1943, the great Erwin Schrodinger gave a lecture in Dublin (where he’d fled from Nazi Germany), entitled ‘What is Life?’, in which he approached the question from a physicist’s standpoint. At today’s meeting, Claudio Elgueta (Abingdon u3a), will revisit that famous occasion, beginning with the paradox arising from the Second Law of Thermodynamics, specifically, how is it that life creates order in the world, when disorder – or entropy, as it’s known – should (if the Law is correct) be the result of every physical interaction in nature? Next he’ll explain various theories of the origins of life, divided into two main groups: panspermia (i.e. extraterrestrial) and endospermia (i.e. emerging from within). He’ll then expose the pseudo-scientific character of the theory of Intelligent Design, founded as it is on the flawed concept of ‘irreducible complexity’, and still popular in the US despite a humiliating defeat in the courts in 2005. Finally, he’ll explain Richard Dawkins’ concept of ‘Mount Improbable’ which – although we still can’t be sure exactly where life originally began – nevertheless provides a robust, evidence-based scientific explanation of how complex life evolved naturally from simple molecules.

https://u3acommunities.org/event/schrodingers-paradox-intelligent-design-and-the-origin-of-life/

Email reminder will go out for the next @u3acommunities.org #u3a meeting tomorrow morning - about running #generativeai locally.

See https://u3acommunities.org/interest-groups/computing/ https://u3acommunities.org/event/local-generative-ai/

Use https://u3acommunities.org/subscribe-to-computing-forum/ to subscribe and get the joining details.

#u3a #u3acommunities #retired

Art History: Vengeance or Vision?

🗓️ Start: 27 May 2025 12:00 pm
⏳ End: 27 May 2025 1:00 pm

May is our Art History month. We will be exploring the life and works of Artemisia Gentileschi and asking ourselves, ‘Was her work a product of vengeance or vision?’

https://u3acommunities.org/event/art-history-vengeance-or-vision/

On Monday I gave the talk "how generative AI works" to the #u3a online learning events. Some great feedback showing there is interest for more technical talks to the #u3a

There were 164 attendees and 50 filled out the feedback from.

* 86% thought the event was interesting
* 92% thought they learnt something
* 90% thought it was at the right pace
* 88% thought it was of the right length

Not bad 🙂

#u3acommunities #generativeai

Emails have just gone out for the next @u3acommunities.org #computing meeting about running #generativeai locally.

See https://u3acommunities.org/interest-groups/computing/ https://u3acommunities.org/event/local-generative-ai/

Use https://u3acommunities.org/subscribe-to-computing-forum/ to subscribe and get the joining details.

#u3a #u3acommunities #retired

The JWST mission and particularly MIRI

🗓️ Start: 26 May 2025 3:00 pm
⏳ End: 26 May 2025 4:30 pm

Speaker: Professor Gillian Wright
Director of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre & Head of Site for the Royal Observatory Edinburgh

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is transforming astronomy with its advanced infrared capabilities.
Its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) enables deep-space imaging, detecting exoplanets, distant galaxies, and cosmic dust. MIRI’s unparalleled sensitivity reveals early universe structures, star formation processes, and planetary atmospheres, expanding our understanding of the cosmos.

If you are not already subscribed, subscription is free and you will receive joining details and news about forthcoming Leading Edge meetings https://u3acommunities.org/subscribe-to-leading-edge/

https://u3acommunities.org/event/the-jwst-mission-and-particularly-miri/

Local Generative AI

🗓️ Start: 20 May 2025 3:00 pm
⏳ End: 20 May 2025 5:00 pm

20th May 2025 at 3pm UK

This month, we discuss some of the options and issues about running your own Generative AI at home.  As well as avoiding privacy issues with online Generative AI and reducing AI bills, it’s always fun to have a tinker to find out what’s possible.  Will include several demos.

Joining details will be emailed to subscribers nearer the time.  If you aren’t a member, it’s free to join here https://u3acommunities.org/subscribe-to-computing-forum/.

Plenty of time is reserved for discussions.

https://u3acommunities.org/event/local-generative-ai/

Why did the Spanish Armada fail?

🗓️ Start: 22 April 2025 12:00 pm
⏳ End: 22 April 2025 1:00 pm

This month it is the history presentation with ‘Why did the Spanish armada fail?

https://u3acommunities.org/event/why-did-the-spanish-armada-fail-2/