Rationality Meetups

Rationality Meetups is an organization that coordinates and supports rationality-focused community meetup groups around the world. The rationality community first emerged around 2007, growing from the blogs Overcoming Bias and LessWrong. Over time, in-person meetup groups formed in cities worldwide, eventually growing to approximately 50 active communities and occasional meetups in nearly 200 cities globally. The organization was formalized around 2022, when Mingyuan, then serving as the ACX (Astral Codex Ten) Meetups Czar, launched the rationalitymeetups.org website and organized the first organizer retreat in the San Francisco Bay Area in July 2022. That retreat brought together roughly 50 meetup organizers from around the world to build an international support network. Subsequent regional retreats were organized for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) in 2023 and for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in 2023. In early 2023, Skyler Crossman (also known as Screwtape) took over as ACX Meetups Czar and Global Coordinator for the Rationality Community. Skyler operates on grants from the Long-Term Future Fund and coordinates the global meetup network from rationalitymeetups.org. His responsibilities include providing support materials for organizers, coordinating the biannual ACX Meetups Everywhere initiative, running the meetup expense reimbursement program, organizing large community events like the East Coast Rationalist Megameetup and NYC Secular Solstice, and serving as a general champion for community practices and materials. The organization received a $140,000 grant from Jaan Tallinn through the Survival and Flourishing Fund (SFF) in 2022, channeled through the Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR). Skyler Crossman also received a $22,000 grant from the Long-Term Future Fund in April 2023 specifically for support of ACX Everywhere meetups. The organization runs a reimbursement program for ACX meetup expenses, targeting approximately $10 per attendee for costs such as food, supplies, and venue rentals. For larger initiatives, it directs organizers to apply to the Long-Term Future Fund or the EA Infrastructure Fund. Rationality meetups operate under various names including ACX meetups, LessWrong meetups, and local independent names. The community emphasizes truth-seeking and sound reasoning, acknowledging that the human mind is prone to predictable mistakes and cognitive biases, and working to maintain accurate beliefs and achieve goals effectively.