Blood Drives Sydney

Riverwood Meadowbank loop

Starting from Riverwood Station we'll cycle through the wetlands and on cycle paths to Bankstown, then on some quieter roads to Georges Hall before stopping for coffee at 14kms. Then on cycle paths to Meadowbank and on the newish cycle path on Heathcote Road to Voyager Point. Cross the river to East Hills, Revesby and back to Riverwood. About 36kms. Meet in William Road, Riverwood, near the station. Train leaves Central at 8.25 from Platform 23, arriving 8.55 at Riverwood for a quick start, or catch an earlier one if you prefer to take your time. After coming out of Riverwood Station, turn left and look out for us on the corner of Morotai Ave and William Road.

Monopoly (Monday)

20th Anniversay 4K Director's Cut Screening - The Fall (2006)

"Central to Lewisham" (part Greenway) Ultimo-Glebe-Rozelle-Leichhardt-12km!

**WHY WALK?** 1\. Walking increases blood flow to the brain\, improving memory almost instantly\! **NOTE: "Meeting Point" - Grand Central Station's "Transport Information Big Board" near Platform 4.** Café perfectly placed nearby if you arrive early. Meet other walkers. **Central Station Start**, down Railway Colonnade Drive to the famous "The Goods Line" then zig-zag our way to Wentworth Park. Go across to Glebe Rowing Club, sneak past **Blackwater Bay Park**, **Bicentennial Park**, **Jubilee Park** and **Federal Park**. From **Glebe Foreshore Park**, we cross over the Pedestrian Bridge at **Whites Creek**. Walk between **Rozelle Wetlands**, with some fun interesting pathway variations. We emerge at Cohen Park Tennis Courts. **Whites Creek Valley Park** to **Memorial Park.** Toilets and water fountains along these walkways. Exciting new areas of Sydney! **HALF WAY** stop for 22 minutes at **"Son of a Baker"** cafe/bakery. We can sit at tables/chairs inside or outside, the perfect spot, food to buy or grab from backpack! **"Hit the Road again"** wandering along to **Pioneer Memorial Park** & **Blackmore Oval**, then **"THE GREENWAY TRACK START"** to Lewisham. **Distance:** 12km **Difficulty:** Easy Walk, exit spots, trails, walkways, lanes, tracks, pathways, parks! **Walking Pace:** An easy steady pace at 4.25km-4.50km per hour. **Bring:** water, snacks, hat, sunscreen, a raincoat in case. Bring your happy personality too! **Payment Please:** $10 cash on arrival or **PAY ID** 0435801602 George Palasty. **Contact:** George 0435 801 602 if you have questions. (call or text) - More people arrive from our combined meetup groups for these **Walking Events.**

Grand Canyon Walking Track

**Whats App Group** [https://chat.whatsapp.com/KVhEOGKs4vnBQhcsOIvKcd](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KVhEOGKs4vnBQhcsOIvKcd) Trail DetailsLength: Roughly 6 to 6.5 km loop (3.7 miles). Time: About 2 to 3 hours to complete. Difficulty: Grade 3 (Moderate), featuring steep stairs, rocky sections, and creek crossings. Elevation Change: Around 300 meters (980 feet) of total vertical climb. What to Expect Scenery: Deep sandstone slot canyons, lush rainforests, flowing creeks, and small waterfalls. History: One of the region's oldest tourist walking tracks, originally opened in 1907. Starting Points: Most hikers start and end at Evans Lookout or the Neates Glen parking area **Book Carpool or Driver** [https://www.extremelyshy.com/sydney&ym6250](https://www.extremelyshy.com/sydney&ym6250) * **Carpool** You will be assigned a vehicle. Check your confirmation email for your driver’s details. Let your driver scan your QR code to access your carpool service. Please stay with your driver throughout the trip. * **Driver** Check your confirmation email to assign the passengers. Scan passengers’ QR codes to provide carpool service. You will then get paid in accordance with the [Payout Policy](https://extremelyshy.ca/pages/pricing) **What’s included** * Gas, Vehicle use, Driver effort. Split bill if any other expense is exist. **Meeting and Pickup** * Meeting Time: 8:00 AM * Meeting Point: Starbucks Capitol Square, g01, 730-742 George St, Haymarket * End Time: 7:00 PM * End Point: This activity ends back at the meeting point. **Refund Policy** * Refund Policy: Not refundable except if the event is canceled, rescheduled. Contact us by the end of the day. **Liability** * The organizer and any/all assistant organizers and other attendees are in no way responsible and liable for your personal safety and health state, before, during, and at any time after this event. * You acknowledge you are solely responsible for your health, safety, and well-being before, during, and at any time after the event as stated previously. * All attendees shall forever hold harmless the organizers and other attendees and unconditionally waive any liabilities resulting from attending and/or participating in this event.

Riverwood MIISC - Indoor Intermediate & Advanced Socials

Clock off, grab your paddle, and roll straight into high‑level, after‑work pickleball. Our weekly Wednesday night session is built for intermediate and advanced players who want real pace, real rallies, and a smooth Next Up rack system that keeps the games flowing. $10 (excluding service fees) \*Indoor Facilities, No weather Impacts, Stay Dry & Warm this Winter **Secure your spot only on Eventbrite:** [https://MIISCSocialPickleball.eventbrite.com.au](https://MIISCSocialPickleball.eventbrite.com.au)

Unhurried Conversations - Sunday

Bring yourself, we will go over how Unhurried Conversations works.

Manipulation: What It Is, Why It's Bad, What to Do About It

How often are your decisions really your own? Every day we are surrounded by advertising, social media, political campaigns, news headlines, influencers, sales techniques and well-meaning advice — all competing for our attention and trying to shape what we think, feel and do. But where is the line between persuasion and manipulation? Can manipulation ever be ethical, or is it always something to resist? And in an age of personalised algorithms and increasingly sophisticated AI, are we becoming easier to manipulate than ever before? Come and join us as we explore these fascinating and relevant questions of modern life. **Book: *Manipulation: What It Is, Why It's Bad, What to Do About It* (2025) by Cass R. Sunstein** **Companion Reading: *[A Guide to Understanding Manipulation](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQDHXT_8qUk6SaS0K3l8wqrwAQGmTmBNSjEbvmGyDm5emUM?e=A1kJfd)*** (prepared for this meetup) Cass Sunstein is almost uniquely placed to write this book. He is the co-creator of nudge theory (with Richard Thaler), a former senior adviser in the Obama White House, and one of the most cited legal scholars in the world. He has spent decades studying how human psychology shapes decisions, and has seen from the inside how governments and corporations exploit that knowledge. The result is a book that is simultaneously rigorous and readable: part philosophy, part law, part behavioural science, and part catalogue of the tricks being played on us every day. Sunstein moves from abstract definitions — what exactly separates manipulation from persuasion, and why does it matter? — through case studies of dark patterns, deepfakes, deliberate bureaucratic friction, and the social pressure traps of platforms like TikTok, before arriving at what may be the book's most important question: as AI makes manipulation more precise and more powerful than at any previous point in history, do we need a new legal and moral right — a right not to be manipulated — in the same way that a previous era recognised, for the first time, a right to privacy? This is one of those discussions where prior reading is not just encouraged but genuinely necessary — the conversation will move quickly into territory that only makes sense if you already understand Sunstein's conceptual framework. The companion reading guide is designed to make that framework accessible quickly, so even if time is short, a read-through of it will set you up well. But if you can get hold of the book itself, we think you'll find it genuinely easy to read or listen to — and it comes with a notable endorsement: Tim Wu, whose book we discussed just a couple of months ago, has named it as one of his top book recommendations. So join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 5th October, 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. We look forward to seeing 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 others if there is a waitlist. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- These are just optional links to consider to supplement the reading of the book and document. Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section. **Videos** * Cass Sunstein in an overview, seminar and podcast: [Overview of the book (3 mins)](https://www.cambridge.org/news-and-insights/talking-manipulation-with-cass-sunstein) [Online Seminar - Fifty Shades of Manipulation (43 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9sopDkcLYM) [Sunstein on Manipulation vs Influence](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aPzxitrWCE&t=2s) * 5 Insights on the book (The Next Big Idea Club) by Sunstein. Note that the audio version is more detailed than the written summary below it: [These Are the Silent Manipulations Most People Don’t Notice](https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/silent-manipulations-people-dont-notice-bookbite/56807/) **Written** * A Cass Sunstein article in The Guardian: [Why we need a right not to be manipulated](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jul/27/why-we-need-a-right-not-to-be-manipulated) * Cass Sunstein in an interview: [Cass Sunstein on Manipulation and AI](https://apablog.substack.com/p/cass-sunstein-on-manipulation-and)

Kiama Illawarra Coast Day Trip

**Whats App Group** [https://chat.whatsapp.com/GnICxJKNRFyIhhdbs0SbeX](https://chat.whatsapp.com/GnICxJKNRFyIhhdbs0SbeX) * **Drive Time**: 1 h 45 min (100 km south via Princes Hwy) * **Route**: Sydney → Princes Hwy → Kiama → Blowhole → Coastal Walk → Gerringong → Return * **Highlights**: * **Kiama Blowhole**: Natural rock formation where waves shoot water 20+ meters into the air. * **Kiama Coastal Walk**: Scenic clifftop trail with ocean views, rock pools, and hidden coves. * Gerringong: Quaint seaside town with historic cottages, cafes, and beaches. **Book Carpool or Driver** [https://www.extremelyshy.com/sydney&ubnq9q](https://www.extremelyshy.com/sydney&ubnq9q) * **Carpool** You will be assigned a vehicle. Check your confirmation email for your driver’s details. Let your driver scan your QR code to access your carpool service. Please stay with your driver throughout the trip. * **Driver** Check your confirmation email to assign the passengers. Scan passengers’ QR codes to provide carpool service. You will then get paid in accordance with the [Payout Policy](https://extremelyshy.ca/pages/pricing) **What’s included** * Gas, Vehicle use, Driver effort. Split bill if any other expense is exist. **Meeting and Pickup** * Meeting Time: 8:00 AM * Meeting Point: Starbucks Capitol Square, g01, 730-742 George St, Haymarket * End Time: 7:00 PM * End Point: This activity ends back at the meeting point. **Refund Policy** * Refund Policy: Not refundable except if the event is canceled, rescheduled. Contact us by the end of the day. **Liability** * The organizer and any/all assistant organizers and other attendees are in no way responsible and liable for your personal safety and health state, before, during, and at any time after this event. * You acknowledge you are solely responsible for your health, safety, and well-being before, during, and at any time after the event as stated previously. * All attendees shall forever hold harmless the organizers and other attendees and unconditionally waive any liabilities resulting from attending and/or participating in this event.

Dracula by Bram Stoker | Sun 4 Oct 2026

Unhurried Conversations - Saturday

Bring yourself along, we explain how it works.

Machine Learning to mRNA: How I Built a Personalised Cancer Vaccine for My Dog

**Speaker bio:** * Paul Conyngham is the founder of Gamgee, a Y Combinator company developing personalised mRNA cancer vaccines for dogs. After 17 years in machine learning, Paul taught himself genomics and used AI to design a personalised vaccine for his dog Rosie, whose responsive tumours shrank by 50–75%. **Presentation outline:** \- Rosie’s cancer and why existing treatments were not enough \- Using AI to cross from machine learning into genomics \- The journey from tumour sequencing to an administered mRNA vaccine \- What worked\, what failed and what one patient can teach us \- Turning a year\-long manual process into repeatable software \- Why Gamgee is starting with dogs and where the technology goes next * Join our community on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14297125/ to stay up-to-date on all our upcoming events We are grateful to our new hosts and sponsors the Centre for Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (BIDA) at the Business School, University of Technology, Sydney