Field Trip to US Army Museum on June 25th

Plus Upcoming Events in July and August

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WashingtonDC RationalityMeetups & John Bennett
June 16, 2023

We have several events coming in the next two months:

  • Field Trip to the National Museum of the US Army - next Sunday, June 25th

  • Casual Board Games - "The Landing" in Crystal City - Sunday, July 9th

  • Dedicated Discussion Meetup on Substantive Due Process - Herndon, VA - Saturday, July 15th

  • Dedicated Discussion Meetup on Large Institutions as an Alignment Problem - Arlington, VA - Saturday, August 5th

  • Bryan Caplan’s “Capla-Con” Board Game Convention - George Mason University in Fairfax, VA - Weekend of August 12-13th

US Army Museum Field Trip

Much as the Air Force got jealous of the Marines' excellent memorial by Arlington Cemetery and demanded their own on the other side of Arlington Cemetery, the Army got jealous of the Marines' excellent museum in suburban Virginia and built their own in suburban Virginia. Inter-service rivalries are fun. Luckily Fort Belvoir is much closer than Quantico. My office is in the building next-door, I've been watching this construction for years. It opened in the most auspicious time possible, Fall 2020. I've been meaning to check it out.

The museum does not appear to be busy, I was able to get 9 free tickets (the maximum) for any time that day. I picked 2PM to be comfortably after lunch. We need to know if you’re coming, but you can RSVP day-of. We should be able to get more tickets if needed.

From experience, I know the bus is infrequent and inconvenient. I lasted six weeks bussing to the office in grad school before giving in and driving. If anyone needs a ride, I'm happy to pick up from the Springfield Metro station or anywhere in Arlington.

ACX DC Casual Board Games

Join us for casual board games and interesting conversation. We gravitate towards games that can be taught in a few minutes and take up to an hour to play, so that everyone has a chance to try something new. Some people have brought heavier board games, but there doesn't tend to be enough interest in games that will take a few hours.

Drop-ins are welcome and part of the group will be there at least a few hours. We usually have 2-3 games going at any one time, and the crowd typically breaks up a bit after 4pm. RSVPs on facebook are helpful but not required.

If you'd like, bring a game you enjoy and would like to teach. To get the party started, I'll be bringing:
- Wavelength
- Splendor
- Azul
- Concordia (Venus)
- Ticket To Ride (Europe)
- Snacks and Soda

New for July: I’m really into Concordia lately, and excited to teach it to anyone interested. I have the Venus version, which enables a variant for team play, but we’ll probably use the original rules with individual players. Here’s the Board Game Geek listing: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/124361/concordia.

The Landing is a food court and unofficial board-game hangout. We typically take over three - five tables, before the Spades gangs pillage through. It's in the mall connected to the Crystal City Metro Station, and parking is free in the underground garages on weekends. There are several food stalls in this wing of the mall, but ever since COVID only the Subway is consistently open weekends. Luckily, outside food is allowed and there are more options down Crystal Drive, including an Amazon Fresh. A Whole Foods is three blocks away on 12th St.

Other Upcoming

Dedicated Discussion Meetup on Saturday, July 15th at Ben’s condo in Herndon, Virginia. The topic will be "Does substantive due process have a place in American law?” Details to follow in a post next week.

Dedicated Discussion Meetup on Saturday, August 9th at John’s apartment in Arlington, Virginia. The topic will be "Are large institutions and bureaucracies a useful analogy for Artificially Intelligent agents?” Details to follow in a later post.

In lieu of our own board game event in August, we’re instead encouraging anyone interested to attend Bryan Caplan’s “Capla-Con.” This is his personal “festival of nerdity,” with a focus on board games and discussing the ideas underpinning the GMU Economics Department. Caplan’s writings are widely discussed in ACX and LessWrong circles, particularly on education as signaling, parenting styles, and mental illness as preferences. He confirmed to us that anyone on our mailing list is welcome. This year Capla-Con will be at Carow Hall on the George Mason campus from Noon to Midnight on each of August 12th and 13th. See his facebook event for details: https://www.facebook.com/events/257722733593745

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