Philosophies & Movements
Secular Solstice
A winter gathering held around the December solstice by the rationalist community, built from songs, readings and a candle-lit stretch of darkness. Its themes are humanity's long struggle against the dark and the future still ahead, and in recent years programs have openly addressed the possibility that advanced AI could end that future. It is where many people first meet the rationalist and AI-safety community in person.
Origin
Created by Raymond Arnold, who organized the first one in New York in 2011 and wrote about it on LessWrong; it has since spread to dozens of cities, with the Bay Area event among the largest. Community listings are posted each year on LessWrong.