Date: July 8th

Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location: NAC, 1 Elgin St (see below for details) (sorry about not outdoors)

Topic: Bug Facts, or the Potential for Insect Welfare

We’ll meet at the couches and tables area on the first floor of the NAC (entering from Elgin St, walk straight towards the back to find).

Unfortunately, this one is not outdoors on the roof of the NAC because there will be free live music there from 7:30pm - 9pm (https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/38577)

I was having a hard time coming up with a topic. I almost went with Fish Facts, but I decided that Bug Facts were more cutting-edge. This is the kind of topic that involves a risk of feeling bad, e.g. about the capacity of bugs to suffer. If this goes well, maybe I’ll be brave enough to talk about AI risk at a future meetup.

As usual, I don’t expect us to stay on topic all the time. Hopefully I’ll be able to interject with bug facts for us to ponder.

Any preparing is totally optional.

Here’s a 23-minute summary with some bug facts https://open.spotify.com/episode/2CyROfeApef6eEEyPFt45p

Here’s an almost four-hour episode and associated transcript. I plan to primarily draw from this as my source of facts / theories / etc https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/meghan-barrett-insect-pain-consciousness-sentience

I'll wear a shirt that says 'GiveWell' to help identify us.

Google Maps link to the NAC: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tu62DEModgxKyKXY7 Inside the NAC: The meeting area is called the ‘Peter A. Herrndorf Place’, as on this map: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pg9Z3QCtqsMU8W7L7 i.e. not the Equator coffee shop, although you can bring your own food/drinks to the couch area.

I’ll also bring some snacks.

You're invited to join us even if we haven't met before or you aren't sure what this effective altruism thing is all about. We'd be happy to meet you!