About us
Curiosity Connections is a community of curious, engaged people who enjoy intellectual discussions and learning from one another. Like a salon, we come together to engage in open, respectful, thoughtful dialog on a wide range of topics from current events to ancient philosophies. Our objective is to encourage meaningful conversations about interesting and thought-provoking material.
Curiosity Connections hosts a variety of events, some in-person and some over Zoom. We have a podcast club, which is just like a book club, except instead of reading books, we all listen to the same podcast before the meeting and then come together to discuss it at the event. The podcasts focus on probing interviews with recognized thought-leaders in the fields of science, philosophy, psychology, politics, business, and technology. Our virtual podcast events are typically held every Monday. Occasionally, we hold in-person events in San Francisco as well.
We also have a book club, where we take time with our books to get the most out of them. Typically, we read about 50 - 75 pages per week and discuss them at the meetings.
In addition, we have added a new walking and conversation group called Curious Walks, which take place in Pasadena, CA. Here, everyone comes with a deep question or idea that they'd like to discuss, and the group goes on a 5-mile walk diving into those themes.
If you are a curious person who enjoys sharing and exploring ideas with others, we would love you to join us!
Upcoming events
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Podcast Club ONLINE: Insights into the U.S. - China AI and Tech Race
·OnlineOnlineFor this week's meeting, we'll BOTH listen to a podcast and read an ARTICLE.
China is widely considered the United States' primary and most formidable competitor in the global technology and artificial intelligence race. Now, rather being years behind the US in AI models, it is believed that China is a mere 3 to 9 months behind. Some experts say that, consequently and for other reasons such as trade, geopolitics, and ideology, the US and China are in or at the precipice of a Cold War. How does China's approach to AI and technology differ from that of the US? How do the Chinese people generally view AI and technology as compared to the average American? What's going on with US export controls on the sale of certain technology, particularly advanced semiconductor chips, to Chinese companies? How serious are Chinese cyberattacks and espionage? The US seems to be at an important crossroad with AI here at home (guardrails or full speed ahead?). China certainly is a part of the equation. So how should we deal with what seems to be a potentially very dangerous AI and tech race with China?
This week's podcast which was recorded before Trump and Xi's summit in China, is Interesting Times with Ross Douthet. The guest is Kyle Chan, Fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institute. Chan's research focuses on China’s technology and industrial policy across a wide range of sectors, including AI, robotics, semiconductors, electric vehicles, and batteries. He writes an influential newsletter, High Capacity, and is writing a book about China’s tech-industrial policy (under contract with Princeton University Press).
Chan's work has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and major media outlets, such as The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and the Financial Times. He has testified as an expert before the US House Select Committee on China and the US - China Economic and Security Review Commission. Chan is also host of the High Capacity podcast.The required article is entitled What the Trump-Xi Summit Revealed, and Left Unsaid, About U.S.-China Tech Competition. Published by the CSIS (Center for Strategic & International Studies) on May 20, 2026, it was authored by Lauryn Williams, deputy Director and Senior Fellow in the Strategic Technologies Program at the CSIS, and Kuhu Badgi, Program Coordinator & Research Assistant at the Strategic Technologies Program.
1. PODCAST -
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/opinion/china-trump-ai-xi.html (includes edited transcript)or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chinas-not-the-problem-we-are/id1438024613?i=1000767725652
(53 mins.)
2. ARTICLE
Please access the article HERE. Also, the text of the article has a lot of hyperlinks that provide helpful background, including explanations of technical terms and broader context. Those hyperlinks are very interesting and informative -- please use them! The article also is accompanied by an audio reading of the article (probably by AI); the audio is NOT recommended.What's a podcast club?
It's like a book club for podcasts. Each week we discuss an interesting and currently-relevant episode from podcasters like Ezra Klein, Michael Shermer, or Russ Roberts. We start off as a large group and spend most of the time talking in small break-out groups, which we remix 3 times during the course of the evening. Our conversations are casual and open. We ask that everyone speak respectfully at all times, and we encourage free and concise discussion relevant to the week's podcast topic. To do this, we try to adhere to Grice's Maxims: https://bit.ly/2p4uSQmUltimately, the idea is to help each other think a little differently, learn a thing or two and have some fun.
7 attendees
Curious Walks (in Pasadena, CA)
Tournament Park, S. Wilson Ave, South of California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, USPlease join us for the first of many 5-mile walks aimed at cultivating deep, thoughtful, and interesting conversations! Ultimately, we hope to spark connection, learning, friendship, and community — all while getting exercise in the great outdoors and being curious!
How does this work?
The concept is simple! Before the event, come up with a thought-provoking, weighty question or idea that you’ve been thinking about or would like to explore. You need this for the event! When we gather, we’ll all briefly introduce ourselves and share our question or idea. Then we’ll start walking and use those questions or ideas as launching pads for conversation. The intention is to leapfrog over small-talk and get into meaningful discussion. During the walk, please move fluidly among different walkers if you’d like to!About those questions or ideas, . . . don’t sweat them too much. Anything thoughtful or thought-provoking will do. Have fun with it! Here are some examples:
“How would you want to be remembered after you’re gone, and why?”
“I’ve been thinking about the concept of time, how it’s experienced, what speeds it up or slows it down, and I’d like to explore that today.”
“Can we ever really know who we are when we’re never fully unbiased in thinking about ourselves?”
“What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done, and how did it affect you?”The route runs through incredibly beautiful neighborhoods around the Caltech campus, particularly to its south and east, as well as through the lovely campus itself. Portions of the route are shaded by mature trees.
Is this event right for you?
We are walking 5 miles on mainly flat terrain at a moderate (~20 minutes/mile) or moderate-plus pace. This should allow for conversation while getting in some nice exercise. Please ascertain that this distance and pace is comfortable for you, as there is no “sweep.” The organizer is an unpaid community volunteer who wants everyone to have fun and stay safe, but you are fully responsible for your own safety throughout the event. At the start of your first walk, you'll need to sign a liability waiver that covers all Curious Walks you attend. You’re encouraged to read it ahead of time HERE.How to Find Us/Location & Parking
Curious Walks start and end at Tournament Park, Pasadena, CA. The Park address is 1200 E. California Blvd., BUT it is accessed from Wilson Ave. To find the Park entrance from California Blvd, turn south on Wilson Ave. Proceed ~1 block until Cornell Road is on your right (do not turn onto Cornell). Look left, and you will see two signs for Tournament Park and its driveway entrance. The Park is at the end of the long driveway/parking lot. You may park at any of spaces, even if they're marked for Caltech permits; all are free to the public during weekends.
We will meet near the bathrooms at the granite plaque commemorating the terminus of the first transcontinental flight.More Info
Walks will be on Saturday or Sunday mornings on most weekends. Please bring whatever you need for a 5-mile walk, which likely would include water, comfy shoes, and sunscreen. We look forward to walking and deep-diving with you!3 attendees
Past events
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