In San Diego, we stay connected by gathering in-person on the third Sunday of each month. Our gatherings usually feature live music, a guest speaker (often a professor or researcher), social time with snacks, and events after the main programs: with opportunities to win the coveted Best Chili, Best Cookie, or Best Soup trophies.

If you want to catch up on a recent assembly you missed, see the recordings below. Not all assemblies are recorded, and each assembly has a designated media-free zone that will always be off video.

Our Meetup page shows our past events and activities. 

October 2026 guest speaker: 

Turning Science Into Art, Fashion, and Video Games

What do science and art have in common? Throughout history, creativity has been an integral part of these two seemingly different disciplines. Dr. Beata Mierzwa, a molecular biologist who uses her passion for cancer research to create art, will share how bridging these two creative universes can transform the way we teach and learn about science, creating unique ways to share even the most complex scientific concepts in intuitive ways. Using hand-drawn illustrations, science fashion, and interactive media, her mission is to spark fascination and curiosity for science, as well as inspire our next generation of creative scientists.

September 2026 guest speaker:

Regaining a Sense of Touch, aka Wormy Feelings

Why can some animals grow back missing body parts while we can't? What if we could rebuild parts of the nervous system after injury, like restoring a lost sense of touch? In Dr. Ricardo Zayas' lab, they study flatworms called planarians that can regenerate any part of their body, including their nerve cells. Cut one into pieces, and each piece can grow into a whole new worm; it sounds like science fiction, but it is actual biology. Dr. Ricardo Zayas, Biology Professor at SDSU, will explore what these strange but fascinating creatures can teach us about how stem cells make new sensory cells. Along the way, we’ll look at animals that can repair their nervous systems and ask what it might take for humans to do the same.

August 2026

We don't record our annual Campfire assembly. Join us next time!

July 2026 guest speaker: Democracy in Decline: What, Why, Where, and What Can We Do?

The last three decades of the 20th century saw a massive shift toward democracy around the world, as authoritarian and communist regimes collapsed and transitioned to democracy. Scholars deemed it a "wave" of democratization and some declared "the end of history," essentially declaring liberal democracy to be the end game. Today, the world is experiencing a "reverse wave" as both new and consolidated democracies around the world experience democratic backsliding. Political leaders are governing in a more authoritarian manner, oftentimes using subtle, and even legal, means of tilting the stage. Dr. Lindsey Lupo of Point Loma Nazarene University will offer evidence and examples of this trend, briefly discuss why it happened, and highlight the areas where people - the heart of any democracy - can regain some control. 

June 2026 guest speaker: Recent Evolution of the Kīlauea Caldera

Along the southeastern shore of the Island of Hawai’i (the “Big Island”) sits the island’s most active volcano, Kīlauea. It’s estimated that Kīlauea is between 210,000 and 280,00 years old, only popping up above sea level around 100,000 years ago. But its last 40 to 50 years have seen impressive changes in Kīlauea’s magma system. Dr. Ben Castellana, a geologist and emergency responder for the US Environmental Protection Agency, will fill us in on recent-ish updates on Hawaii’s most active volcano.