symposium

[vacuumfoam]

Here's to symposia of all ilk (but especially #4).
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... /Symposium
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sym·po·si·um
   /sɪmˈpoʊziəm/ [sim-poh-zee-uhm]
–noun,plural-si·ums, -si·a  /-ziə/ [-zee-uh]
1.
a meeting or conference for the discussion of some subject, esp. a meeting at which several speakers talk on or discuss a topic before an audience.
2.
a collection of opinions expressed or articles contributed by several persons on a given subject or topic.
3.
an account of a discussion meeting or of the conversation at it.
4.
(in ancient Greece and Rome) a convivial meeting, usually following a dinner, for drinking and intellectual conversation.
5.
(initial capital letter, italics) a philosophical dialogue (4th century b.c.) by Plato, dealing with ideal love and the vision of absolute beauty.

Origin:
1580–90; < L < Gk sympósion drinking party, equiv. to sym- sym- + po- (var. s. of pī́nein to drink) + -sion n. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.

symposium
1586, "account of a gathering or party," from L. symposium "drinking party, symposium," from Gk. symposion "convivial gathering of the educated" (related to sympotes "drinking companion"), from syn- "together" + posis "a drinking," from a stem of Aeolic ponen "to drink," cognate with L. potare "to drink." The sense of "meeting on some subject" is from 1784. Reflecting the Gk. fondness for mixing wine and intellectual discussion, the modern sense is especially from the word being used as a title for one of Plato's dialogues. Gk. plural is symposia, and the leader of one is a symposiarch (1603).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

[Slava]

Good word, vacuumfoam. I think we need to resurrect that last word, too. Symposiarch, now that's a title.

A good idea, too, the drinking and conversation of educated people. As long as the drinking doesn't get out of hand, that is.

Along those lines, does vacuumfoam have anything to do with slurping the head off a freshly poured beer?

[vacuumfoam]

Some of my friends would say it describes the contents of my head and has nothing to do with beer. I like your interpretation better.

Actually, I'm fascinated by quantum physics, though I can grasp only its most elementary concepts. Hence, vacuumfoam.