Brain Teasers Sydney

Monopoly

Badminton training Granville - Beginner & intermediate 🏸

Training 🏸 for beginner and intermediate. Contact Kim on whatsapp 0416 379 688 for more information. By RSVPing to this event, the members and guests are explicitly and without exception deemed to have read and agreed to the Group’s terms of Disclaimer and Release of Liability. You can get personal injuries insurance for yourself by joining Sydney Badminton Association, please come and see me for details. Regards, Kim

Australian Skeptics in the Pub

**Speaker TBA** **After the presentation:** Following the presentation and question time, we will hand the microphone over to one audience member for a 5 minute chat on a sceptical topic of their choice. It can be a news item, your own sceptical "special subject" or an encounter with everyday scepticism. If you're interested in sharing something with your fellow pubbers, contact us before the talk. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- On the first Thursday of each month, Australian Skeptics and friends get together for Skeptics in the Pub. People generally start arriving at around 6pm after work. The talk begins at 7pm and lasts for about 30 minutes. The night finishes when the last person leaves. Enjoy a meal and a drink accompanied by lively discussion, free spoon bending lessons and the company of other sceptics, as we cover a variety of interesting topics. There is no need to belong to Australian Skeptics - all are welcome. Bring friends too. Please take a moment to read our [Code of Conduct](https://www.skeptics.com.au/code-of-conduct/). **REMINDER - If you are feeling ill or showing any signs or symptoms of a possible COVID (or indeed any) infection, please do not attend.** Parking is available nearby at: * 71 York Street Car Park (Wilson Parking) * Landmark Car Park (Secure Parking), 24 York Street * 321 Kent Street Car Park (Wilson Parking), ENTRY 86 Sussex Street * Queen Victoria Building Car Park (Wilson Parking), 111 York Street

Badminton training Granville - Advanced & intermediate 🏸

Training 🏸 for advanced and intermediate. Contact Kim on whatsapp 0416 379 688 for more information. By RSVPing to this event, the members and guests are explicitly and without exception deemed to have read and agreed to the Group’s terms of Disclaimer and Release of Liability. You can get personal injuries insurance for yourself by joining Sydney Badminton Association, please come and see me for details. Regards, Kim

Mission Escape room-Dr. M

Event full!!! Dr. M is a renowned chemist and strives to have his only son follow in his footsteps, pressuring him into taking studies in chemistry. His son, on the other hand, is only interested in astronomy and although Dr. M passes on all his knowledge, his son can no longer handle the pressure and commits suicide to avoid a life he doesn’t want. Regretful and devastated by the loss of his son, Dr. M attempts to bring him back to life, but even with his extensive scientific knowledge he is unsuccessful. Dr. M’s grasp on reality becomes distorted compelling him to experiment on living people in the hope of discovering some clue that may help him revive his son. You wake up in a room after a drug-induced coma and unfortunately for you and your friends, Dr. M intends to make you his next experiment. Can you escape the fate of becoming laboratory rats before Dr. M returns? RECOMMENDED FOR Large groups, team building Price: $45 will send my payID through private message

Deep Tea: Momentum

**Deep Tea**: **Momentum** is an experience designed to help people connect with themself to re-energise and prevent a midyear slump. Deep Tea is a movement that centres tea appreciation to acknowledge its contribution to history, culture, philosophy and art. The movement also recognises the role tea plays in providing participants with space and time for contemplation. You're invited to join the movement at **Kaolin** on **Sunday** **5 July 2026**. Drop in at any time from 8.30am to 5pm. **General admission** will give you access to our lounge area, where you can sip a complimentary welcome tea and meet other tea lovers, or spend it in sociable solitude. At the bar, we'll have free sessions on tea appreciation throughout the day you can join at your leisure. If you're looking for more, **add a session** for a deeper experience: * Boiled Tea Ceremony with Lulu of [Sydney Tea Hut](https://www.sydneyteahut.com.au/) * Bowl Tea Ceremony with [Cenk](https://www.instagram.com/teaandtantrasydney/) * Gongfu Cha with Matt of [Tea Angle](https://www.teaangle.com/) * Chanoyu with [Uncle Rob](https://www.instagram.com/robert.bruce0/) * Gongfu Cha with Lucie of [Tea in Season](https://www.teainseason.com.au/) * Tea Meditation with Po-Tien of [The Mindful Cup](https://www.instagram.com/the.mindful.cup/) * Chaozhou Tea Appreciation with Cathy of [Ms.Cattea](https://www.mscattea.com.au/) Appreciation. Reflection. Clarity is our mantra, and these concepts represent the journey undertaken with each sip, linking drinkers to ancient practices and modern connections all around the world. Tickets via **[Humanitix](https://events.humanitix.com/deep-tea)** *(Note a 'yes' RSVP does not secure your place. Please book and pay through the Humanitix link above.)*

Enshittification and the Power of Platforms: Is There a Way Out?

Ever wonder why so many digital services you rely on seem to be getting simultaneously worse and more expensive? More ads. Sponsored search results. Subscription creep. Auto‑renew traps. Dubious 'surge' charges. Sneaky fees. Forced sign-ins. Cancel buttons hidden. There's a term for this phenomenon: enshittification — the gradual degradation of platforms that once seemed like technological miracles offering us convenience, connection, and democratisation. But enshittification - the Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2024 - is just the surface symptom of something far more corrosive. Beneath the declining user experience lies a fundamental reshaping of our economy where a handful of tech platforms have positioned themselves as inescapable gatekeepers, extracting unprecedented wealth from workers, businesses, and consumers while accumulating dangerous concentrations of power — what some are now calling technofeudalism. What happened to the internet's promise of widespread prosperity and a stronger democracy? How did we end up locked into systems that seem designed to serve everyone except us? And most importantly: what can we do about it? Come join us for a vital conversation about reclaiming our digital future and building an economy that works for everyone, not just the platform owners. **Book: *Enshittification – Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It* (2025) by Cory Doctorow** **Book (Alternative): *The Age of Extraction – How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity* (2025) by Tim Wu** **Pdf Resource:** ***[Infographics and Summary Tables](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQB0CITwHhHJSaFBbJDhZmMEAcDSAace_BN1Q6aSYILezCI?e=edqfP9)*** (A prepared document of selected ideas from the two books) This month you have two options to read depending on your preference towards the level of analysis, style of writing, and your ease in accessing the book. *Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It* by Cory Doctorow is a punchy, provocative, and highly readable take on why so many digital platforms seem to decline over time. Doctorow, who coined the term ‘enshittification’, argues that platforms follow a predictable lifecycle—starting out user-focused, then shifting to business customers, and finally extracting for themselves—in each stage squeezing the group it previously courted. The book is fast-paced, example-rich, and written in an accessible, almost conversational style, making it ideal if you enjoy sharp arguments, memorable concepts, and contemporary tech critique. It’s particularly appealing for readers who like books that spark immediate reactions and connect directly to everyday experiences online. *The Age of Extraction* by Tim Wu takes a broader, more analytical approach. Wu situates the problems of digital platforms within a larger historical and economic pattern, arguing that we are living in an “age of extraction” where powerful actors systematically draw value from users, workers, and society. The tone is more measured and reflective, with a focus on big-picture thinking and long-term trends. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy connecting ideas across economics, history, and politics, and who prefer a more structured, conceptual framework over a punchy polemic. Please read one (or both), depending on your interests. *The Age of Extraction* is 226 pages (or 6 hours) and *Enshittification* is 340 pages (or 10 hours, not available on Audible but is available on other platforms). Join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 6th July, on the 2nd floor of the Keg & Brew Hotel in Surrey Hills (i.e. up two flights of stairs). The venue is conveniently located near Central Station and the Light Rail. Bring along an example of an app or digital service you used to really like that has since become enshittified—something you can have a quick rant about to kick off the conversation! 😊 Hope to see you there! P.S. Please adjust your RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to other people if there is a waitlist. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- These are just optional links to consider to supplement the reading of the books. Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section. **Videos & Podcasts** * Two-for-one: Cory Doctorow and Tim Wu together! (Curiously, as kids they were classmates in the same small primary school in Toronto!): [The Ezra Klein Show – We Didn't Ask for This Internet (1.5hrs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yepnhe1T-9U&t) [The Oxford Internet Institute - Enshittification and Extraction (1.5hrs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYxMQJ9c94) * Cory Doctorow Interviews: [Prospect Magazine (28mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9XRREj1DSo&t) [Doctorow on The Daily Show (15 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2e-c9SF5nE) [The Guardian (24 mins)](https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2025/nov/24/enshittification-how-we-got-the-internet-no-one-asked-for-podcast) * Tim Wu Interviews: [The Majority Report (40 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpnMk3IhV6U) [The Commonwealth Club (1 hour)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mRvMEzjTVw) * Explainer Video: [Why Every App is Getting Worse on Purpose (10 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjEGRXVKQCQ) **Written** * Pdf Resource: [Infographics and Summary Tables](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQB0CITwHhHJSaFBbJDhZmMEAcDSAace_BN1Q6aSYILezCI?e=edqfP9) (A prepared document of selected ideas from the two books) * Enshittification Summaries and Reviews: [Wikipedia summary of Enshittification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification) [Transcript of Doctorow Lecture on Enshittification](https://doctorow.medium.com/my-mcluhan-lecture-on-enshittification-ea343342b9bc) [CounterFire Book Review ](https://www.counterfire.org/article/enshittification-why-everything-suddenly-got-worse-and-what-to-do-about-it-book-review/) * The Age of Extraction Reviews [Prospect Book Review](https://prospect.org/2025/12/10/internets-tollbooth-operators-wu-review/) [HowAustraliaReallyWorks Book Review](https://www.howaustraliareallyworks.com/2026/02/book-summary-age-of-extraction-how-tech.html) [Washington Monthly Book Review](https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/02/age-of-extraction-tim-wu/)

Play Theatre Games in the Park! (Parramatta)

Join us at Parramatta River Walk to play Theatre Games with friendly and awesome people! Afterwards, we go for a drink at a nearby pub. Everyone is welcome, no matter your level of Improv expertise! Our host Paul is signed up for the Parramatta Half Marathon in the morning 🏃‍♂️He’s resolved to back up by running Theatre Games in the afternoon. Come along and help stretcher him off when he collapses! 😵 For an example of the type of fun that can go on in our days see: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a23t0evG3xI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a23t0evG3xI) There is a $3 fee per event, or you can pay a $25 annual membership fee. This covers the costs of running the group. The fee can be paid in person, or by transferring to the following account: Name: Theatre Games BSB: 923 100 Acc No: 313632027 Use your name in the reference line so the Treasurer can keep track of your contribution. If you choose to pay the annual membership fee, it would be a great help to us if you would note your membership start date, and renew your membership when needed. This will avoid us spending time on account-keeping, which means we can instead focus on making the games as fun as possible! We have Facebook and Instagram pages, on which we post group photos and occasionally other announcements. Feel free to Like :) [https://www.facebook.com/Theatre-Games-in-the-Park-Sydney-487255451682498/](https://www.facebook.com/Theatre-Games-in-the-Park-Sydney-487255451682498/) [https://www.instagram.com/theatregamesintheparksydney](https://www.instagram.com/theatregamesintheparksydney?fbclid=IwAR2fMlbCnv1PVQXX0xO7d6d_4mMDsXtT3dcs1awToamKK-ag1AAQhVYyPLQ) **FAQ** **Location & Parking** [https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yed3pMB9eC1oeAXA7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yed3pMB9eC1oeAXA7) Between Church St and Sorrell St. Near the river. Down the stairs from the Riverside Theatre and to the east along the path. If you have trouble finding us, please post in the event comments as we'll keep an eye on this. Parking is free and usually ample in northern Parramatta, in Sorrell Street and surrounding streets to the north of the river. **Instructional videos for newcomers** For those completely new to the concept of theatre games or improvisation, you might find the following instructional videos helpful to you: 1. The importance of facing the audience in the right way [https://youtu.be/VO7EXv-dVYA](https://youtu.be/VO7EXv-dVYA) 2\. The importance of not saying "no" to everything in a scene: [https://youtu.be/GjptDwG96e8](https://youtu.be/GjptDwG96e8) **Why is my status saying "Unpaid" even though I have paid?** This is due to a bad design feature of the Meetup website, please ignore it! **Keeping up with the latest news and related fun events** Go to our Facebook Discussion Group. This is a fun way to share improv/comedy clips, discuss improv and generally chat with the cool members of our group! [https://www.facebook.com/groups/2112357978921450](https://www.facebook.com/groups/2112357978921450) **What if it rains?** The bridge has been chosen for this reason! A large concrete apron exists under the bridge - easily measuring 5 metres deep and at least 10m long. More than enough space to perform in and yet still provide shelter from rain. **Can you help promote my event / group / cult?** Yes.. but within reason! We love to help our members who are doing awesome and creative projects. The problem is that because we get asked to promote things so often, we cannot do so via social media posts. As this would cause our members to be "spammed" and announcements about upcoming events to get buried. However, there are still two ways we can help to promote your project. Firstly, please feel free to post on our Facebook Discussion group. Secondly, you are also welcome to post in our [Meetup Forum](https://www.meetup.com/Theatre-Games-in-the-Park/discussions/), where your post may be seen by our 1,800+ members. Lastly, we may be able to help in additional ways if you wish to share an opportunity for our members to perform. In this case we may be able to send a Meetup Message to our members, or to announce it in person at our events. **What if I have other questions?** If possible please post any questions in the comments area below rather than directly messaging us, so that others can see the answer too. This will allow us to spend less time answering messages, and more time making the games as fun as possible!

Chess club at Esperanto House

If you want to make new friends, have fun and play chess in a stimulating environment, come join us every Wednesday at Esperanto House! There’s informal chess playing and socializing. Players of all levels are welcome. Looking forward to meet and welcome you to our club!

Unhurried Conversations - Saturday

Bring yourself along, we explain how it works.

FP-Syd meeting!

It is time for FP-Syd in June, with a talk about logic programming and the opportunity of lightning talks. Our June meeting will be held on **Monday 22 June at Microsoft, 1 Denison St (L27), North Sydney** (opposite the Victoria Cross metro station). We will have people downstairs to get you up to level 27 (please arrive between 6pm and 6:15 if possible). **Important: Please RSVP no later than Friday 19 June to be on the guest list.** As usual, we will start with networking over snacks and drinks, and start the talk(s) of the evening around 6:45pm. The main talk of the evening will be *Three lenses, one mess: logic programming for the rest of us* by Burin Choomnuan (abstract below). Before or after the main talk, the stage is open to impromptu *Lightning talks*. Have you recently found out something interesting about programming? Read a good paper? Crafted a new algorithm? Tell us about it, with or without slides, with or without preparation. The stage is yours! See you on Monday 22nd, with or without lightning talk! Burin Choomnuan: **Three lenses, one mess: logic programming for the rest of us** Most of us last touched Prolog in university and haven’t seen it since. Quietly, logic programming has become a practical tool again — not for academic puzzles, but for the kinds of questions that imperative code answers badly: *Who can do what?* *Is this consistent?* *Can this state actually happen?* This talk follows one concrete RBAC bug (“alice has admin · admins can delete · alice can’t delete”) through three different lenses, all in plain Clojure data: \- Prolog enumerates who — including transitive role inheritance\. \- Z3 / SMT\-LIB detects the contradiction and names the minimal conflicting subset\. \- Mermaid → Prolog turns a state diagram into a reachability proof obligation\. A short live REPL demo sits in the middle. The talk closes with five minutes on why MCP — exposing solvers as LLM tools — turns out to be a structural fit, not hype: solvers don’t hallucinate.

🔥Asian Background Social: Lounge Asia Sydney (Easy English) 6pm

**⚠️ IMPORTANT: TONIGHT’S RULES ⚠️** **🎟️ NO TICKET = NO ENTRY** **(If you are on the WAITLIST, you cannot enter tonight.)** **🪑 SIT IF EMPTY** **Please take a seat if you see one to help create more space.** **📧 SHOW SCREEN AT DOOR** **Have your confirmation email/screen ready for Chris & Kev.** **NO WALK-INS. THANK YOU!** **“The perfect Saturday night to meet new friends in a warm, relaxed atmosphere”** **✨ 5,000+ Members have joined across Australia** **✨ Early RSVP FREE / Last-Minute Ticket $5** **✨ Relaxed & Friendly (Not a loud party, perfect for conversation)** **Why Join Us?** **First-timers welcome: About 70% of people are new every time!** **Easy to join alone: Most people arrive by themselves and leave with new friends.** **Language friendly: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese & English OK 🧋** **📍 WHEN & WHERE** **🗓 Every 2 weeks on Saturday** **🕕 6:00pm – 10:00pm** **📍 Harts Pub (The Rocks) Located in the heart of historic Sydney!** **🚶‍♂️ Super Easy Access:** **• 5 min walk from Circular Quay Station** **• 8 min walk from Wynyard Station** **Easy to drop by after exploring The Rocks!** **💰 Cost:** **Early RSVP FREE** **Last-Minute Ticket: $5** **⚠️ Limited spots available — we highly recommend reserving early.** **👉 HOW TO JOIN** **Please click “Join” on Meetup.** **Follow & DM us on Instagram: @_lounge_asia** **⚠️ HOUSE RULES & SAFETY POLICY** **To ensure a safe and comfortable environment for everyone, Lounge Asia has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for the following behaviors:** **🚫 No Solicitation:** **Any form of business recruitment, MLM, religious proselytizing, or poaching is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.** **🚫 No Harassment:** **Unwanted pick-up activities, persistent pestering, or making others feel uncomfortable will not be tolerated.** **Action:** **Any attendee reported for misconduct will be removed immediately and banned from future events without warning.** **⚠️ IMPORTANT** **Photo ID Required:** **Passport or Driver’s License only (Student IDs NOT accepted).** **18+ only:** **The venue is a licensed bar, and ID checks are required under NSW law.** **🎁 BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER (VIP)** **We are building an official app to connect our community safely!** **Join the VIP list for early access and priority invites to special parties.** **👉 [Join the VIP List here]** **https://forms.gle/T2KukvgEiGWEz3VR9** **━━━━━━━━━━━━━━** **初参加・一人参加も大歓迎です！** **혼자 오셔도 편하게 즐길 수 있어요!** **欢迎大家轻松交朋友！** **歡迎輕鬆認識新朋友！** **มาคนเดียวก็สนุกได้ครับ/ค่ะ** **Mọi người đều được chào đón!** **Welcome ang lahat!** **Semua dialu-alukan!** **Semua orang diterima dengan hangat!** **👥 Your Host:** **🎤 Chris – Your friendly Sydney host, ready to welcome you**