Ask HN: How do you satisfy the need for intelligent discussions?

With lockdowns and remote work, I grew more nostalgic for internet of old: Usenet groups, relatively small forums and so on, that provided good opportunities to engage intellectually with others, either actively participating or just by listing to diverse perspectives and people arguing their views. Hacker News is the closest thing to this I currently know but does not quite make it for me.

How do you satisfy such need in your life? And in case you are reluctant to point to some little-known online community on the high-trafficked website for the fear of overriding it with newcomers, how do you find such places for yourself?