This Meetup is a place to join others who are willing to question and challenge cherished dogmas of any stripe. Let's get together at a potluck, meet at a bar or a coffee shop, go hiking, you name it. Exchange ideas, news, share your success stories and get support from other free-thinking people. We're an "umbrella" for a few locations at once: SF, North, East, and South Bays, The Peninsula, and maybe more. Anybody brave enough to organize events in any of those areas is welcome to become an as …

NOTICE: October 2012: This group has relocated from New York to San Francisco. Prior meetings were held in NY but future meetings are being held now in SF. **** The purpose of this group is to read a philosophical text and then have some great, engaging, thought-provoking discussion about it in an appropriate public or private venue. Please also check out our sister group: SF Film & Philosophy, where we watch and discuss films in light of a text: http://www.meetup.com/cinephile/ **** "To philoso …

You thought I was going to say "Because the bible says so"... NOPE!!! What is science? Good science includes evidence that is testable, demonstrable, observable, measurable, repeatable, etc. So why do we insist on holding onto hypothesis like evolution when all we ever observe or demonstrate prove evolution is impossible. You won't find anybody saying "because the bible says so" in this discussion unless it comes from an evolutionist! lol No, here Young Earth Creationists pose hard facts already …

The Center for Inquiry is a transnational organziation whose purpose is to promote and defend reason, science, and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavor. It encourages evidence-based inquiry into science, pseudoscience, medicine and health, religion, ethics, secularism, and society. The San Francisco Center for Inquiry engages the local community in support of those aims by sponsoring events and providing outreach. Our website is http://centerforinquiry.net/sf Events that may be of i …

This is a group for those looking to get together and play the Nerf War game Humans vs. Zombies (http://humansvszombies.org). These meet ups will take place in Public Parks and Spaces, with a rotating set of venues. Slightly Varied Human vs Zombies rules apply: A small amount of zombies start the round, and if a Human is touched, they become a Zombie. Humans get a set amount of time to make it to the safe zone, and Zombies are "stunned" for 30 seconds if hit by a Human. Soft Foam (Nerf) weapons …

Ladies of the Book Club is perfect for queer, lesbian, bi-sexual, open-minded individuals who enjoy reading a variety of books and delving into provocative conversation about characters, plot, parallels to history and society, symbolism, and meaning. We will create a group of people who are excited about meeting monthly to build new friendships through insightful, creative, intellectual, and fun discussions.

Does 19th-century French philosopher, Henri Bergson, haunt your dreams? If he were still alive (and ambulatory) would you be stalking him? If yes to either, check into a mental health facility immediately, or check out our group. Bergson rated immediate experience and intuition above rationalism and quantitative science. For this he won the Nobel Prize in 1924. Bergson was first and foremost a philosopher of Time and viewed time (motion) as something inherent to matter, not something added to it …

Do you ponder the idea of the Good Life? Do you ask questions like, What is the nature of Truth? What is the meaning of Justice? Do you long to discuss these topics with others, in a friendly, informal setting? Look no further! The Philosophy Cafe of Walnut Creek is exactly what you need to satisfy your philosophical urges!

Families of K-3 students and siblings welcome! This is an academically inclined support group for families interested in shared learning opportunities in life skills, reading, writing, foreign languages,acting, math, science, history, music, geography. Our goal is to help children become long-term learners as well as enjoy building long-lasting friendships through studying together, joining playgroups, going on trips, etc. We are primarily based on Charlotte Mason method,  Montessori  method, a …

Confidence Builders towards Enlightenment: is a multi-disciplinary group that covers a range of diverse interest. The group meets and engages in a challenge each session. The concept of the winner takes all, is a perk. I believe to develop and build confidence the MIND must contiuously be challenged. The participants will brainstorm and develop critical thinking exercises, and we will also have light sessions where we share in our creativity. For the poet in us, we share poetry, creative writing …

If you are interested in establishing an active Humanist organization in San Francisco and the East Bay, please join this Meetup.  As meetings and events are organized, you will be invited.  We envision discussions, speakers, social activities and events to work for a better world.  For those who may not be familiar with humanism, below is the Humanist Manifesto III, which describes what many Humanists believe. HUMANISM AND ITS ASPIRATIONS Humanist Manifesto II Humanism is a progressive philosop …

Come Together For Health™ Improving access to affordable healthcare by promoting innovative technologies that transform healthcare. Health Technology Forum (HTF) is a platform for people worldwide who have a common interest in making healthcare better, more accessible and affordable. Our international network of technology and healthcare entrepreneurs, developers, regulators, and providers are advancing the pace of healthcare innovation by engaging in exciting and productive dialogue between e …

Digital distribution and the proliferation of reading devices are bringing great changes to what we think of as books, and their attendant industries. This meetup is about exploring all aspects of this change, from cultural, professional, technical, and experiential points of view. We welcome fans, critics, innovators, and skeptics, as we bring some thought and exploration of where we are headed.

We've been super enthralled with what the NYC Hack and Tell group has done, and we think it's high time to bring the same format to SF. If you've ever visited Hacker News, you've almost certainly seen the "Show HN" or "Ask HN" posts. Well, it's time to get off the Internet and tell us about it face to face. We'll provide you with our honest feedback, you provide us with a great hack, or idea. We'll give you 5 minutes to show off your tool, hack, library (did you just write a library to access th …

Are you ready to work miracles? Are you ready to live your best life? Don’t know how to get started? Then, read this book and join this group!. With May Cause Miracles, readers can expect incredible transformation in 40 powerful days: simply by adding up subtle shifts to create miraculous change. This is a concise, fun, contemporary, and intelligent guide to breakdown the limited self and expand into the full expression of who you really are. The knowledge shows you the door and the yellow brick …

Communication and leadership skills are absolutely critical to success. Better Communicators is a group of fun passionate Toastmasters practicing the skills required to change the world, secure career advancement, improve corporate effectiveness, and more. We are a Toastmasters International club. For more information about Toastmasters visit: http://www.toastmasters.org/ As a result of our Toastmasters format, we have the tools to ensure that each member efficiently progresses through stages of …

What if your sense that something is wrong with what society tells you that relationships "should be" was your intuitive sense that there has to be something better and more that what the culture currently offers? What if we all got together and considered a new, upgraded format for intimate relationships? Let's do it! If you are interested in human sexual psychology and want real insights into why many relationships don't work and what you could do about it, this is the place for you. If you wa …