Codes: ACW all children welcome; BYOB bring your own beverage; CO clothing optional; C/D cat/dog at residence; FE fictitious event; FFE fragrance-free event; FFO finger food only; LCR light carpet rules (no red wine or other staining substances; can also mean no shoes); MO members only; NC no children; NPC, PC no public calendar, public calendar; NMPCW new members, prospects, and candidates welcome; NS, S, S/NS, SO no smoking, smoking, provisions for both, smoking outside; NXM not exclusively Mensa event; RSE regularly scheduled event; WBC well behaved children; WCD, WCE, WCI, WCP wheelchairs difficult, easy, impossible, possible; RSEs are reprinted verbatim unless an update is received by the deadline for the issue in which a change is requested. Note: Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Web Calendar Policy: Our policy is not to list events on the Web calendar unless requested to do so by inclusion of the “PC” (“public calendar”) code. If the PC code is not included, your event will default to NPC (no public calendar) and will not be included in the Web calendar. Home addresses (and directions to same) are not listed on the Web, but city and contact information such as telephone and e-mail are unless requested otherwise.
Meetup: SFRM maintains a MeetUp group for events announced on short notice. See meetup.com/SFMensa
To List Your Event: Length limit: 120 words. Submit items to the Calendar Editor at calendar@sfmensa.org. Items must be received by the deadline listed in the calendar to guarantee inclusion. Items must include host’s name, date and time, location, and applicable codes (above), and should also include phone (including area code) or e-mail address. Notices are published on a space-available basis subject to the discretion of the Calendar Editor. The policy for inclusion in the calendar is based on the SFRM bylaws.
Note to Readers
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, most October events have been cancelled, and are so noted below. The few remaining events are virtual or employ effective social distancing. Please continue to check here for updates as well as join our Meetup group where we have several impromptu virtual events happening.
WEEKLY EVENT
None at this time.
End of September
September 27 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion : Is math something that humans created or something we discovered? Is looking at reality mathematically an accurate representation of how things work? See October 4. (RSE Su)
Channing Club is cancelled for September. PC (RSE 4 Su)
30 – Wednesday
Brainstormer Trivia Night is cancelled for September. PC (RSE last W)
6p Book Discussion : Sapiens : One chapter a week. Chapter 9 – The arrow of history . See October 7. (RSE W)
October 1-7
October 2 – Friday
Movies That Matter is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 1,3 F)
3 – Saturday
7p Online Board Games . Come explore some board games that can be played on the Web. To prepare, it’s best if you create an account at boardgamearena.com and walk through the “Can’t Stop” tutorial. We’ll meet online with Zoom to establish voice contact, 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
Start the Month Right is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 1 Sa)
4 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion : Would you ever join a mission to colonize another planet if it meant never returning to Earth? In case you were wondering, the cafe discussions have so far been lively, interesting, and you always come away with something to think about in the week to come. Drop in and stay for as long as you like. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE Su)
2p Monthly Gathering . Jacquie Gentry will talk about her three mystery novels: First Thing ~ Kill the Lawyers , Second in Her Class , and Third Man Theme . All three books are set in San Francisco and feature amateur sleuth Clara Quillen. Like Jacquie before she started writing full time, Clara is a lawyer and law professor, and she works with a veteran SFPD detective to solve murders committed in the Bay Area. According to Jacquie, Clara Quillen is somewhat like herself, but the book sleuth is better looking, nicer, younger, and much wealthier. Jacquie is a life member of Mensa and served on the AMC. She has traveled extensively and now lives with her husband in the San Francisco Bay Area. She enjoys classical music and classic movies, as well as show tunes and cool jazz. She earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in English before going to law school, and then earned a Juris Doctor degree. This is a Zoom meeting; see Meetup for details. PC
4p Albany Hill Hike . (NOTE: This event is on , since the trail is still open as of this posting and is amenable to social distancing. Contact Roberta as below just before the event to make sure that this is still the case.) 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
Tuesday Tipplers (as an in-person event) is cancelled for October, but watch the sources mentioned above in Note to Readers for Zoom Tipplers . PC (RSE 1 Tu)
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
Math Lovers’ Lunch is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 1 W)
6p Book Discussion : Sapiens : One chapter a week. Chapter 10 – The scent of money . We’re reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Instead of discussing the whole book in one sitting, we discuss the subject matter in more depth one chapter at a time. The chapters are so different that it is no problem if you are only joining this week. This is a Zoom event. The login details are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC (RSE W)
October 8-14
8 – Thursday
South Bay Lunch is cancelled for October. (RSE 2,4 Th)
6p Podcast Discussion : Space Archaeology . Brian Cox and Robin Ince look at what science can reveal about human history, from space. This meetup will be like hanging out in RG Hospitality after a talk. BEFORE Thursday, set side about an hour to listen to the podcast. We will use the podcast to start off the discussion. This is a Zoom event. The login details and a link to the podcast are listed on Meetup. Hosted by Pia Smith. PC
6:17p Bay Area Restaurant Group (BARG) . A new version of BARG-It-Yourself : Please support one of your local restaurants by ordering take-out or delivery to enjoy in your own home. Tip generously! And for great conversation, consider phoning one of your Mensa friends. PC (RSE 2 Th)
9 – Friday
Delta Happy Hour Hunters is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 2 F)
6:30p M Weisley’s Café . Ever wanted to hang out with all the space pilots at Mos Eisley’s cafe ( Star Wars 1977)? Unfortunately Tatooine is rather a long commute just for a Happy Hour so we wisely located M Weisley’s in hyperspace where it can easily be accessed instantly by Zoom . No matter where in the universe you are located, you will not experience any light speed delays in your communications. So now you can experience all the ambience of our seedy cantina crowded with numerous alien races in our virtual meet up. All aliens and humans are welcome at M Weisley’s. Mix up your favorite beverage, gather up some munchies and join in our out of this world Happy Hour. To attend as an alien visit Snap Camera snapcamera.snapchat.com and download their software. Choose from hundreds of available avatars which will move and act with your movements in Zoom. If you’re creative, you can use their software to create your own avatar. Or of course you could do it the old-fashioned way and actually put on a costume. See Meetup for the Zoom information. PC (RSE 2 F)
6:30p Maybe Mid-Month Mex (MMMMex) . Depending on whether Tito’s dining room has reopened, we might meet, eat, and rest our feet at Tito’s , 15508 E. 14th St., San Leandro 94578, 1,500’ NE of the exact geographic center of the Bay Area. Twixt 580 and 880, and close to Bay Fair BART, this is where Mensans might meet in the middle and go, “MMMM!” Conditionally come for the Mensans and the margaritas (or just for the Mensans), along with the marvelous Mexican meal you’ve been missing after 7p. Cohosted by Hank Stephenson, hank888/a/t/earthlink.net or (415) 793-0300 cell, and Peter Midnight. Come when you can to see why Tito’s has been there for more than 60 years, directly across E. 14th St. from Bay Fair Mall. Someday we’ll see you again at Tito’s! No Pets. PC, WCE, NMPCW, NC, SO, NXM (RSE 2 F)
GenX Food and Movie Night is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 2 F)
10 – Saturday
4p Big Ideas Reading Group : Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past by David Reich. (NOTE: We are meeting online via Zoom . E-mail host Chris Boyd as below if you might want to be included in the online meeting or to be updated on any changes in venue.) Reich allows readers to discover how the human genome provides not only all the information a human embryo needs to develop but also the hidden story of our species. Provocatively, Reich’s book suggests that there might very well be biological differences among human populations but that these differences are unlikely to conform to common stereotypes. Drawing upon revolutionary findings and unparalleled scientific studies, he offers a captivating glimpse into humankind – where we came from and what that says about our lives today. For November 14 on Zoom : Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime by Sean Carroll. We have a list of books read at www.bigideasreadinggroup.com/BIRG2.html . For questions and directions please contact Chris Boyd at snoboyd/a/t/sbcglobal.net . PC, NMPCW, NXM (RSE 2 Sa)
11 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion : If Aging can be slowed down and reversed. What would change if we lived to 150? See October 4. (RSE Su)
12 – Monday
Monday Munchers is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 2 M)
San Francisco Pub Get-Together is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 2 M)
13 – Tuesday
6:45p Puzzled Pint . (NOTE: If shelter in place is still in effect, this will instead be a virtual event on Zoom . Contact Karl as below for instructions on how to connect.) 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; it’s almost always either Sunnyvale or Mountain View, near Central Expressway. PC, NMPCW, NS, NXM (RSE 2 Tu)
14 – Wednesday
6p Book Discussion : Sapiens : One chapter a week. Chapter 11 – Imperial visions . See October 7. (RSE W)
October 15-21
18 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion : How are gender roles created? See October 4. (RSE Su)
21 – Wednesday
6p Book Discussion : Sapiens : One chapter a week. Chapter 12 – The law of religion . See October 7. (RSE W)
October 22-31
22 – Thursday
South Bay Lunch is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 2,4 Th)
6p Podcast Discussion : The End of the Universe . Brian Cox and Robin Ince are back, for now, with a look at how the Universe might end. See October 8.
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. Join the Zoom Meeting. See Meetup for the link. Hosted by Judy Unger, junger2040/a/t/gmail.com . PC (RSE 4 F)
24 – Saturday
6p Online Board Games . See October 3.
25 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion: Nothing. Is there such a thing? Is Zero better? See October 4. (RSE Su)
Channing Club is cancelled for October. PC (RSE 4 Su)
28 – Wednesday
Brainstormer Trivia Night is cancelled for October. PC (RSE last W)
6p Book Discussion : Sapiens : One chapter a week. Chapter 13 – The secret of success . See October 7. (RSE W)
FUTURE FLASHES
November 1 – Sunday
12n Cafe Discussion : What is intelligence / intelligent life? See October 4. (RSE Su)
1p Ballot counting for 2020 SFRM Election . Members can send an e-mail to for Zoom details to observe the count virtually. PC
3 – Tuesday
6p Tuesday Tipplers . PC (RSE 1 Tu)
4 – Wednesday
11:30a Math Lovers’ Lunch . PC (RSE 1 W)
6p Book Discussion : Sapiens : One chapter a week. Chapter 14 – The discovery of ignorance . See October 7. (RSE W)
6 – Friday
6p Movies That Matter . PC (RSE 1,3 F)
7 – Saturday
6p Start The Month Right . PC (RSE 1 Sa)