January 28 – Sunday

7p Channing Club. See February 25. (RSE 4 Su)

31 – Wednesday

6p The Future Is Faster Than You Think Discussion. Join us for a discussion of The Future Is Faster Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, one chapter at a time. This week we’re reading Chapter 14: The Five Great Migrations and Afterword. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

February 3 – Saturday

6p Start the Month Right. At Elna and Adrian Tymes’ home in Mountain View. Come celebrate the 44th year and longest running monthly social event in all of American Mensa (at Elna’s home every month since 1981)! Potluck dinner, unstructured socializing, games, and talk. We provide the main dish; you bring salad, bread, or dessert to share and YOB. $1 donation requested. No reservations needed. Info (650) 969-6650. Guests of Mensans must be accompanied by the member. Masks optional. PC, SO, WBC, WCD, C/D (RSE 1 Sat)

4 – Sunday

4p Albany Hill Hike. Join us for a one-hour scenic and historic hike up and around Albany Hill. The trail is steep in spots, but the views are expansive. Special bonus: We have scheduled the Sather Tower Solar Beacon to shine directly upon us as we arrive at the top of the hill. Meet under Pacific East Mall Jumbotron just behind the bus stop on the east side of Pierce St. between Central Ave. in El Cerrito and Washington Ave. in Albany. Free parking is available in the mall lot, which is seven tenths of a mile from the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. Please contact Roberta Maguire to make sure she is in town at robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com or (510) 292-6370. PC, ACW, NMPCW, NS, WCI, NXM (RSE 1 Su)

6 – Tuesday

5p Tuesday Tipplers will meet at San Rafael Joe’s, 931 4th St., San Rafael 94901, at 5p for drinks in the bar and then move on to dinner in the dining room after an hour. Park on the street or in the city garage behind the restaurant. If you have questions e-mail Ed Sabrack at edsabrack/a/t/comcast.net or call (415) 472-3725. PC (RSE 1 Tu)

5:30p Re-BORG. (NOTE ONE-TIME CHANGE OF DAY AND WEEK.) Berkeley-Oakland Restaurant Group is reborn and revived in honor of the incomparable Cathy Roha, who initiated this event and hosted it for many years. Assimilate delicious food and interesting conversation at a good restaurant somewhere in the central East Bay. Bring cash, your vaccination card, and a mask. Limited seating. E-mail or call ahead for location up to a week ahead. RSVP by 3p on Monday, February 5. Roberta Maguire, robertamaguire/a/t/hotmail.com, (510) 292-6370. PC, NS, NMPCW, ACW (RSE 3 W)

Intelligencer Deadline. Deadline for calendar events, advertising, members’ free ads, and all other content. See above for information on submitting events. PC (RSE Tu after 1 Sa)

7 – Wednesday

6p A Crack in Creation Discussion. Join us for a discussion of A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg, one chapter at a time. This week we’re reading Chapter 1: The Quest for a Cure. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

8 – Thursday

11:45a South Bay Lunch. Meet at Scrambl’z, 5055 Almaden Expressway, San Jose 95118 (near Hwys. 85 & 87), (408) 269-2900. Voted one of the best breakfast restaurants around. Extensive menu online at www.scramblzalmaden.com. Sandra Anderson, (408) 997-3187. Vaccinated only, please. PC, NMPCW, WCE (RSE 2,4 Th)

10 – Saturday

4p Big Ideas Reading Group: Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters by Steven Pinker. On Zoom. We actually think in ways that are sensible in the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we’ve discovered over the millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation, and causation, and optimal ways to update beliefs and commit to choices individually and with others. Collective rationality depends on norms that are explicitly designed to promote objectivity and truth. For March 9 on Zoom: The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find our Place in the Universe by Jeremy Lent. We have a list of books read at www.bigideasreadinggroup.com/BIRG2.html. For questions and invitations to our Zoom meetings please contact Chris Boyd at snoboyd/a/t/sbcglobal.net. PC, NMPCW, NXM (RSE 2 Sa)

11 – Sunday

2:30p Speaker Series: The Next Pandemic with Robert Enteen , PhD. On Zoom. Outbreaks and pandemics of highly virulent infectious diseases are occurring with notably increasing frequency, yet the world’s defenses remain essentially as porous and insufficient as they were in 2019, when COVID emerged. According to some of the world’s leading infectious disease specialists, unless key improvements are made in national and global surveillance and containment systems, it is virtually certain that we or at the latest our children’s generation will experience re-emerging or previously unknown infectious diseases, some possibly far deadlier and more socially and economically devastating than COVID. Enteen has 25 years of experience in health research and policy analysis on acute and chronic disease, and disability. He is currently a researcher on pandemics at the Center for Catastrophic Risk Management at U.C. Berkeley, and a voting member of the Advisory Board of the California Department of Public Health program on Healthcare Acquired Infections. Bob has a Ph.D. in sociology and post-doctoral certificates in psychotherapy, organizational development, and clinical hypnosis. Register in advance for this meeting at livepresentation.link/register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail from Zoom containing the link that you will need to join. Hosted by Judy Unger. PC

12 – Monday

4p San Francisco Pub Get-Together. Stop by after work or, if you don’t work downtown, just come anyway. All Mensans and their guests are welcome, provided that they are at least 21, at Patriot House in 2 Embarcadero Center (Sacramento St. between Front St. and Davis St.), SF 94111. Take the inside escalator to the 2nd floor, turn right twice, and then follow the sign to the stairs to the 3rd floor. The restaurant’s entrance is near the top of those stairs on the 3rd floor. Look for the Mensa logo on our table or ask one of the waitresses to find us. Starting at 4p, but arrive when you can and leave when you’re ready. We will be there for several hours. They have a Happy Hour from 4p until 6p, with the kitchen closing at 9p and the bar closing at 10p. RSVP preferred on Mensa’s Meetup site at www.meetup.com/SFMensa, less preferred by e-mail to Barry Krasner at bwkbwk/a/t/pacbell.net. If you find that you can’t come after RSVPing “Yes”, please change your RSVP to “No” before the event takes place. PC, NC, NS, NMPCW (RSE 2 M)

6p Online Board Games. Come explore some board games that can be played on the Web. If you’re new, please create a (free) account at boardgamearena.com and follow the setup instructions. We’ll meet online with Zoom to establish voice contact, and then we’ll decide on a game to try out. RSVP on the Meetup calendar if possible, otherwise contact Karl Heuer at puzzles/a/t/sfmensa.org or (650) 648-3594. PC, NMPCW, ACW

13 – Tuesday

5:30p Apt To In Aptos Mensa Bar Group is held at Sevy’s Bar + Kitchen at Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos 95003, www.seacliffinn.com/sevys-bar-and-kitchen-aptos.htm on the second Tuesday of the month, running until about 7:30p. Come join Central Coast Mensans: Forget last month’s feces and anticipate this month’s blindsides. T(R)oast past friends, find new ones, and introduce current ones, all while contemplating how it all defaults to QM scaled. Courtesy e-mail to host Stew Gibson at LooseId/a/t/ix.netcom.com with subject “Sevy” for restaurant head count is appreciated, but not required. Tip 20% on the bill, with separate checks. PC, NMPCW (RSE 2 Tu)

5:45p Dinner, Drinks, and Nuclear Power. Join us for drinks, dinner, and another great science-based Wonderfest presentation at the HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato 94945. We meet for drinks and dinner at 5:45p. At 6:45p we’ll move to the session room for the talk, “Future Nuclear Power” by Dr. Per Peterson, Professor and Chair in Engineering at UC Berkeley and Chief Nuclear Officer at Kairos Power. Currently, nuclear power provides ten percent of world electricity generation. As physicists and engineers strive to make new reactors that are small, clean, and safe, what does the future hold for nuclear power in a warming world? Join this discussion of the current status and future directions for nuclear energy. Complete details of this free event are at wonderfest.org/category/event/coming-events/. More information on HopMonk’s menu, etc. is here: www.hopmonk.com/novato. RSVP on the SFRM Meetup (preferred) or e-mail Valerie Taylor (northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org). PC, NMPCW, WCE, NS, NC, NXM

6:45p Puzzled Pint. Who likes PUZZLES? The kind where part of the game is to figure out what you need to be doing in the first place? Want to do it as part of a team, so you can bounce ideas off each other, and let someone else do the parts that you find uninteresting? This is a monthly event held in the bay area (and simultaneously elsewhere in the world), at a convenient pub where we might order food and drink before or during the game. RSVP to Karl Heuer at puzzles/a/t/sfmensa.org or (650) 648-3594 (voice or text) to reserve your spot and learn the address. If Game Control has arranged a pub, it’s probably in Sunnyvale or Mountain View, near Central Expressway. Otherwise, the event host will select a non-pub location in Milpitas or the Berryessa area of San Jose. PC, NMPCW, NS, NXM (RSE 2 Tu)

14 – Wednesday

6p A Crack in Creation Discussion. Join us for a discussion of A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg, one chapter at a time. This week we’re reading Chapter 2: A New Defense. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

15 – Thursday

12n Thursday Munchers. Rising up from the old Ethnic Dinner, a lunch group in Marin dedicated to trying different restaurants. This month we will visit The McInnes Club Restaurant, 350 Smith Ranch Rd., San Rafael 94903, (415) 491-5990, mcinnisparkgolfcenter.com. RSVP by Monday, February 12, to Elizabeth Calaway at (415) 456-9220 or elizterrycalaway/a/t/aol.com. PC (RSE Th after 2 Tu)

6:30p Near Palo Alto Dining enjoys the Lunar New Year! Join us at The Mandarin in Menlo Park for tasty Chinese food and good company. It is located at 1029 El Camino Real, 94025. See their menu online at order.online/business/the-mandarin-864607 to whet your appetite. To say you’ll be there, contact Susan no later than February 13 and be sure to hear confirmation. At the restaurant, ask for Susan and please bring cash. Contact info: Susan.Heimlich/a/t/gmail.com or call/text cell phone (650) 714-4972. For last minute changes, call/text cell. PC, NMPCW

17 – Saturday

7p Teton Tea. Teton Tea Parties are folk-singing parties going back to the 1950s. We welcome both traditional folk singing and singer/songwriters. Our 3rd Saturday meetings are currently on Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting: us02web.zoom.us/j/6912937135?pwd=WvlpMEs1SCs0c1FoZk5seUhoREVaZz09. Meeting ID: 691 293 7135. Password: berkeley. Hosted by Kevin Langdon, kevinlangdon86/a/t/yahoo.com. PC (RSE 3 Sa)

20 – Tuesday

5:45p Dinner, Drinks, and Fairness. Join us for drinks, dinner, and another great science based Wonderfest presentation at the HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato 94945. We meet for drinks and dinner at 5:45p. At 6:45p we’ll move to the session room for the talk, “The Sense of Fairness” by Dr. Jan Engelmann, Assistant Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley. Do non-human animals possess a sense of fairness? In particular, do non-human individuals react negatively when they get fewer resources than others? New evidence suggests that the sense of fairness is a human-unique adaptation to our cooperative lifestyles, typically developing in children by age 8. Further, a new theory suggests that, maybe surprisingly, fairness is not about resources, but about social respect. Complete details of this free event are at wonderfest.org/category/event/coming-events/. More information on HopMonk’s menu, etc. is here: www.hopmonk.com/novato. RSVP on the SFRM Meetup (preferred) or e-mail Valerie Taylor (northbay/a/t/sfmensa.org). PC, NMPCW, WCE, NS, NC, NXM

21 – Wednesday

5:30p Trivia Night at the Patriot House gastropub in San Francisco. The contest is free, starts at 6p, and lasts about 2 hours, but please arrive about 5:30p, so that we don’t lose the table that I’ve reserved. If you’re a member of our SFRM Meetup group, RSVP on Meetup if you’re planning on coming, so that I can be sure to reserve a large enough table. If you’re not a member of our SFRM Meetup group, RSVP by e-mailing host Barry Krasner at 3bwkbwk3/a/t/gmail.com. Guests are allowed, so be sure to include the number of guests that you’re bringing when you RSVP. If you RSVP “Yes” and then find that you can’t attend after all, it’s very important that you change your RSVP to “No” as far in advance as possible. The Patriot House is located in Embarcadero Center #2, on the 3rd (top) floor. Enter from Sacramento St. between Front St. and Davis St. Take the inside escalator to the 2nd floor, then turn right twice and follow the sign to the stairs to the 3rd floor. The restaurant is near the top of those stairs. You’ll recognize our group by the Mensa logo that I will have on top of our table. If in doubt, ask the wait staff for “The Mensa Group”. PC, NC, NS, NMPCW

6p A Crack in Creation Discussion. Join us for a discussion of A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg, one chapter at a time. This week we’re reading Chapter 3: Cracking the Code. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

22 – Thursday

11:45a South Bay Lunch. See February 8. (RSE 2,4 Th)

23 – Friday

6:30p Virtual Happy Hour. Mix up your favorite beverage. Bring out some happy-hour munchies and join us for a virtual relaxing time. RSVP on Meetup for the Zoom Link. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com. PC (RSE 4 F)

24 – Saturday

6p Online Board Games. See February 12.

25 – Sunday

7p Channing Club is a wide-ranging discussion group which has been meeting, in one form or another, for over half a century. There are no assigned topics; we discuss whatever is on participants’ minds. Our meetings are currently on Zoom. Join the Zoom meeting: us02web.zoom.us/j/6912937135?pwd=WvlpMEs1SCs0c1FoZk5seUhoREVaZz09. Meeting ID: 691 293 7135. Password: berkeley. Hosted by Kevin Langdon, kevinlangdon86/a/t/yahoo.com. PC (RSE 4 Su)

28 – Wednesday

6p A Crack in Creation Discussion. Join us for a discussion of A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg, one chapter at a time. This week we’re reading Chapter 4: Command and Control. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

6p Commonwealth Club Talk: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. Join me at the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco 94105, to hear Charles Duhigg talk about the importance of successful communication in our lives. In his new book Supercommunicators, Duhigg blends deep research and storytelling skills to show how people can learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation. Duhigg says communication is a superpower, and the best communicators understand that whenever we speak, we’re actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What’s this really about?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). If you don’t know what kind of conversation you’re having, you’re unlikely to connect. “Supercommunicators” know the importance of recognizing – and then matching – each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and deeply held beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. He says that our experiences, our values, our emotional lives – and how we see ourselves and others – shape every discussion, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work. Learn why some people can make themselves heard, and to hear others, so clearly. From the writers’ room of “The Big Bang Theory” to the couches of leading marriage counselors, Duhigg will show how to recognize these three conversations – and teach the tips and skills needed to navigate them more successfully. RSVP via SFRM Meetup at www.meetup.com/sfmensa/events/298467906. Hosted by Katie To. PC

March 2 – Saturday

6p Start the Month Right. See February 3. (RSE 1 Sa)

3 – Sunday

4p Albany Hill Hike. See February 4. (RSE 1 Su)

5 – Tuesday

5p Tuesday Tipplers. See February 6. (RSE 1 Tu)

7p SFRM ExComm Meeting. See February 5.

Intelligencer Deadline. See February 6. (RSE Tu after 1 Sa)

6 – Wednesday

6p A Crack in Creation Discussion. Join us for a discussion of A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg, one chapter at a time. This week we’re reading Chapter 5: The CRISPR Menagerie. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)

9 – Saturday

4p Big Ideas Reading Group. See February 10. (RSE 2 Sa)