START OF “QUESTION EVERYTHING!” (Adelaide) topics
Note: The format of QE is that each participant must submit a discussion question. Therefore every meetup date will feature multiple questions. Participants are also encouraged to come up with a list of about 10 contributing questions. The model is Socratic questioning.
Read More27. AP8 Why do brains go wrong? Who decides?
“All the world is mad but you and me, and even you are a little strange..” Unbalanced mental states range all the way from depression to killer crazy. In Australia in any given year 4 million people will experience a mental illness, and 1 million Australians have a disabling psychiatric disorder. The favoured treatments of…
Read More26. AP8 The Trust Problem. Some people and some countries have it. Some don’t. Why?
Whom do you trust? In a society, less trust = more laws. Signals of trust change between cultures, and even social class. In some countries public trust is almost zero. Also, can a “Facebook friend” or a face from TV be really trusted? An Internet romance? For some, religion signals trustworthiness. What is your solution…
Read More25. AP8 Donald Trump has won the US presidential election (imagine)!
An attempt to outline some scenarios, blow by blow, over the next four years under a Trump presidential regime. [Australia may be faced with some very tough choices]
Read More24. AP8 What is fashionable?
What drives fashion – in clothes, ideas, behaviour, motor cars, and all the rest. What forces work to disrupt it? How important is fashion, and to whom?
Read More23. AP8 How are children shaped ?
The kind of world we live in, whether it be work or play or love or even politics and the fate of communities, depends a lot on the experiences we had as children. Can or should this be influenced beyond the family? If so, how and by whom?
Read More22. AP8 Is globalization a failure, or can something worthwhile be rescued?
For a generation globalization has been sold as the yellow brick road to prosperity. What exactly is globalization? Can its benefits be cherry-picked? Where do we go from here?
Read More21. AP8 Count your lucky stars
What part does luck play in the success of individuals, enterprises and countries? Think of examples. From politics to careers to finding the love of your life, there has never been more advice available, yet at the end of the game, some people seem to have been lucky and others not. Why is this so?…
Read More20. AP8 What is the best way to fund research, and what kinds of research should be funded?
There are many kinds of research and many kinds of people involved in research. Sometimes what seems useless at the time can have huge consequences a generation later (and sometimes not). Some research results which seem a triumph at the time are show useless by later developments. A career in research requires dedication and talent,…
Read More19. AP8 A Universal Basic Income. $400 per week indexed to the CPI
Pay everyone $400 per week (current age pension), rich or poor, indexed to the CPI. Governments print the money (they do now), and the money goes around. You have an economy. Employers pay a margin above the UBI to attract workers if they want them (overall probably cheaper for them than now). A true market…
Read More18. AP8 Prisons: so what is to be done?
“ It costs … taxpayers $109,782.60 a year – or $301.60 each day — to keep a prisoner “on the inside”, according to the Australian Productivity Commission. Alternatively it costs $49,700 – less than half — to provide that prisoner with rent, food, a small four-cylinder car and money for any degree in Australia for…
Read More17. AP8 What is right and what is wrong in the training of medical doctors?
Comment: somewhere out there in medical-land there is a useful answer for many medical questions, but experience (mine at least) suggests that odds of finding a GP who knows is often slim. For someone with basic research skills, good answers tend to come better (and more cheaply!) from “Dr Google”. Also Dr Google soon shows…
Read More16. AP8 Questions about Cities
Cities are a complicated and fascinating subject. They pose endless questions. For example, as individuals, are our life opportunities more defined by particular cities than particular countries? How much loyalty and sweat should we invest in a particular city? What makes a good city? How important is it for a city to be well-known, and…
Read More15. AP8 Narcissism grew like an invasive plant throughout the 20th Century. Now it is in full bloom
Firstly a lot (not all) of “modern” art and poetry and even music stopped saying much about the societies which hosted them and became purely self indulgent, often pompously “abstract”. This mirrored a lot (not all) of what was happening in many areas of academic work, and a lot (not all) of what was happening…
Read More14. AP8 How much history should we expect most people to know, and what kind of history?
It is often said that history is written by the winners. You might also say that popular history is written by Hollywood, or Facebook, or whatever political enclave you are living in .. Does any of this matter?
Read More13. AP8 Politics and Politicians : a volatile mix?
Politics is like medicine: sometimes useful, even necessary, in small amounts, but fatal if taken in an overdose. Politicians can be a useful species but are prone to going feral. Democracies often elect either mediocrities or confidence tricksters because large numbers of electors share similar qualities. In practical terms, is there a better way to…
Read More12 AP8 Half the jobs in Australia will disappear. What then?
Australia has over 600,000 not-for-profit organizations, and a quickly expanding “sharing economy” (e.g. Uber, Airbnb, eBay). Most of this is under the radar of news reports. What are the signs that NFP’s and the sharing economy can become a main career path for many when automation destroys half of normal jobs Australia & America in…
Read More11. AP8 What is your understanding of “Active Thinking”? What other kinds of thinking (human or non-human) are found in the known universe?
Over 140* people have now signed up to the Active Thinking meetup… So let us know (actively!) what you expect to happen when you and a 7 other people get together in the State Library to think actively about a chosen topic. How do you approach puzzling topics over and above giving a simple unexamined…
Read More10. AP8 Adelaide seems to be a media-challenged city
There are road accident reporters, but there do not seem to be investigative journalists and insightful commentators who interpret the city to itself. What is to be done?
Read More7. AP8 What are the limits of tolerance?
Can we reconcile “live and let live” with “drawing a line in the sand”?
Read More5. AP8 When should collective interests (e.g. those of a state) override the interests of individuals?
Example: Many Americans see “the right to bear arms” as a triumph of individual rights over the collective rights of the state.
Read More1. AP8 “Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men”. [Douglas Bader]
How can we interpret Bader’s idea?
Read MoreSTART OF TOPICS FOR ADELAIDE ACTIVE THINKING
Note: for a few weeks this meetup was called “Parliament of Eight”, so the abbreviation of the series is AP8
Read More22. BAT Start your own business – a mental experiment [Thor]
Imagine that you are starting a new business. What would it be? Why did you choose it? Why would you choose a personal enterprise over working for somebody else (or why wouldn’t you)? What rewards would you be looking for? What personal costs would you be prepared to tolerate? Would you attempt it alone, or…
Read More21. BAT Is the “white noise” of daily media distraction deliberate social control, or just modernity out of control? [Thor]
Everyone has only 24 hours in a day. In many countries the sheer struggle to survive occupies most waking hours. In some others, any “free thinking time” is carefully manipulated by state directed activities, propaganda and censorship. A possible third model is that ruling elites and governments may prevent criticism by distracting the main population…
Read More20. BAT Why do people take up religions, persist with them, and abandon them ? [suggested by Thor]
Whatever you think of religions personally, or any particular religion, they seem to have been around forever amongst (most) humans, and seem unlikely to go away entirely amongst the species as a whole. Clearly though, particular cultures in various historical phases have many members who are attracted to religions or substitute ideologies, but tend to…
Read More19 BAT When is censorship acceptable? Justify your argument [proposed by Thor]
Forty years ago the biggest social debates were about the acceptability (or not) of censorship related to sexuality. Now the preoccupation might be more with political censorship. There are many kinds of censorship, including self-censorship. Who should be drawing these invisible lines in the sand, and applied to what?
Read More18. BAT Should University Education Be Free? If not, why not? (proposed by Huyen. Scheduled 30 November 2014)
With the rocketing prices of tertiary education and the availability of free online open courses, will university education become obsolete? What needs to change in the system to adapt to the new realities of the workplace and technology?
Read More17. BAT Travel : Does travel broaden the mind, or just confirm prejudices? [proposed by Thor]
Australians travel quite a lot internationally, most Americans very little. How well is international tourism experience of Australians reflected in a greater tolerance of other ways of life?
Read More16. BAT Is the “white noise” of daily media distraction deliberate social control, or just modernity out of control? [proposed by Thor]
Everyone has only 24 hours in a day. In many countries the sheer struggle to survive occupies most waking hours. In some others, any “free thinking time” is carefully manipulated by state directed activities, propaganda and censorship. A possible third model is that ruling elites and governments may prevent criticism by distracting the main population…
Read More14. BAT The Best Script for ages 40–90? [proposed by Thor]
The Best Script for 40–90? : Biology and every culture offer fairly clear scripts for early growth, education, breeding and careers. Now the longest part of our lives is 40–90, and the script seems confused. How can this later period be optimized? [proposed by Thor]
Read More13. BAT How can Australia best arrange its international relationships? [proposed by Thor]
Since World War II Australia’s leaders have consciously positioned Australia as a client state of the United States of America. Defence forces are totally integrated, and foreign policy rarely deviates from the American line. Australia’s commercial culture is America writ small. Is this American patterning the best option for Australia in the future?
Read More12. BAT Social Media & human relationships [proposed by Thor]
Does social media improve the quality of human relationships, or not?
Read More10.BAT Fake It ‘Till You Make It — A viable way to succeed? [discussed 22 September 2014]
It’s all around us. From face lifts to luxury cars on hire purchase, from inflated CVs to exaggerated job titles, from company publicity material to the spin that governments put on their failures and deceptions. At what point does fakery become fraud? Would the world be a duller place without it?
Read More6BAT. The work problem [discussed 5 October 2014]
For most ordinary people, their job is not something that they enjoy much. However, without formal work they lose focus, become dependent on welfare, and become socially stigmatized. It seems that increasing numbers of people will never be able to have secure employment. What is a practical, long term national solution to “the work problem”…
Read More5BAT. Is border control inevitable? [proposed by Thor]
Before the 19th Century few people travelled much, and nation states as we understand them hardly existed. Now borders are rigidly defined, tourism is common, but emigration is a strict privilege. What are viable alternatives, if any, to the present pattern?
Read More4BAT. Property and life choices [discussed August 24, 2014]
How does owning (or not owning) real estate, and mortgage debt, influence the behaviour of individuals in their wider lives? What are the consequences of these patterns for whole nations?
Read More3BAT. The purpose of education [discussed August 10, 2014]
Is education most commonly treated purely as an instrumental tool (e.g. to get a job), or as a path to self-development, or both? How can a balance between objectives be achieved in public education?
Read More2BAT. The right to information [proposed by Thor]
The Australian Federal Government is proposing a new law to expand the powers of national security agencies and increase penalties for disclosing protected information. Would this law be in Australia’s best interests?
Read More1BAT. What are some illusions Australians live by?
What are some illusions Australians live by? .. and why would we want to dispense with illusions? Think of the imaginary countries we live in. Do all those people you pass on the street every day have their heads in the same place that you do? What are some consequences of NOT sharing the same…
Read More76. The Uses and Misuses of Reason
When can the use of reason lead to better lives and societies, and when can it undermine them? Thinking point: The Attorney General, George Brandis has just declared that arguments for climate change are irrational and that those who assert it should take a lesson from Voltaire … http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/climate-change-proponents-using-mediaeval-tactics-george-brandis-20140418-zqwfc.html#ixzz2zDYtpzHx
Read More75. When Do Means Justify Ends? [proposed by Thor]
Sooner or later everyone — individuals, governments, companies — has to make choices about whether to put aside certain values to achieve a desired end. Michael Pascoe, an Australian financial journalist, has recently discussed this at http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/abandon-principles-and-pay-the-price-20140331-35tz4.html
Read More74. Learning “grit” is the best way to beat failure and succeed (?) [proposed by Thor]
Everyone fails at something sooner or later. The important thing is how they handle failure. A recent educational fad in America is to teach students “grit” (http://www.npr.org/2014/03/17/290089998/does-teaching-kids-to-get-gritty-help-them-get-ahead ). How have you managed your failures, and has failure made you a better person?
Read More73. How should nations deal with past crimes against humanity? (proposed by Robert Orsted-Jensen)
examples — Germany, Turkey (Armenians), Soviet Union, Iran, South Africa Rwanda, Australia (Aborigines) etc etc
Read More71. How can we raise the success rate in education without lowering the academic bar? (proposed by Stephen)
Additional billions have been spent on education without a marked improvement. Some argue for and against exams, and others argue for a competency based assessment method. Others argue that it is the quality of teachers that is the key factor, whilst others argue that based on the concept of the bell curve there will always…
Read More70. What will be the dominant ideologies of the 21st Century? (proposed by Bill [topic 12], modified by Thor) — discussed 11 January 2014
The 20th Century revolved politically around competing interpretations of Capitalism, Communism, Socialism and Fascism. These are all ways to organize the lives of people on a large scale. Are real alternatives or new interpretations likely to emerge in the challenging years ahead? What might they look like?
Read More69. Utopia. Is there such a thing? What kind of world would you really like to live in? (proposed by Bill)
Please present your model of a utopian society, and why you think it would work. Or are you reasonably happy with the present system? Are there any significant changes you would like to make?
Read More68. What does it mean to be a good person? (proposed by Annette Faith Dexter)
Have there been any outstandingly good people in human history, or have the life stories of those held up as good (e.g. Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King) been “photoshopped” to suit the purposes of others? Do our concepts of what is good progress over time anyway, such that what once was…
Read More67. Eugenics is the only reasonable strategy available to us, given the fact of evolution (proposed by Dominicus)
Humans are not static. Evolution is an ongoing process. Humans will inevitably change over time from various selective pressures on survival and reproduction. That much is certain. Equally certain is the fact that the individual and collective decisions of humans will have various direct and indirect effects on this gradual change. The only question that…
Read More65. Creating Meaning in Life (discussed 30 Nov. 2013 — proposed by Annette)
Humans have a short physical existence on a planet that will eventually cease to support life at all. In this context, what strategies should humans use to impart meaning to their own lives? Some possibilities are listed. Which of these have you used, and how effective have they been? Are different approaches appropriate to different…
Read More64. How far should we go in raising an indifferent public’s awareness of important social, moral or political issues? (discussed 14 December 2013; proposed by Mehdi)
Some believe “ignorance is bliss”, and the more they know the more they get worried. On the other hand we definitely can’t be indifferent about many things. From a social perspective, through which we try to manage our relationship with others in a friendly manner, what is the borderline between legitimate worry (which leads to…
Read More63. Are there any compelling arguments against having Daylight Savings in QLD? (proposed by Bill)
In SE Queensland’s summer, the sun rises as early as 4:45am, and sets around 6:30pm. Over 3 million people (70% of the state’s population) live in this region. Why doesn’t QLD have daylight savings?
Read More62. Sharia law in Australia. (proposed by Annette)
Sharia law in Australia. Is it possible for Islamic law to coexist with Western principles in Australia? Are efforts to create parallel legal systems legitimate for Muslim Australians? How does this compare with parallel legal systems where they exist for indigenous Australians?
Read More61. Marriage laws–how broad should they be? (proposed by Annette)
Marriage laws–how broad should they be? Gay marriage is a current topic in many countries around the world, and it is likely that it will eventually become the norm in most Western countries. What other forms of marriage might we be prepared to accept? Polygamy is a form of marriage that is technically not legal…
Read More60. Recreational drugs–should they be decriminalized? (proposed by Annette)
Recreational drugs–should they be decriminalized? In 2001, Portugal became the first European country to abolish criminal penalties for personal possession of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. (This goes well beyond policies adopted in Holland, which has not legalised soft drugs, but does not enforce the existing laws.) Is decriminalising drugs a good idea?…
Read More59. Coal seam gas–a technology for a green future? (proposed by Annette)
Coal seam gas–a technology for a green future? Most projections of future energy use include an increasing proportion of natural gas as part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas is increasingly produced by “fracking”, and has already led to a decrease in US CO2 emissions, but it is a controversial method.…
Read More58. Drugs in sport (proposed by Annette)
Drugs in sport. What should be our response to the use of performance-enhancing substances in professional sport? Should athletes be allowed to use any and all drugs? What about blood transfusions? What about genetic therapy or surgical enhancement? Is it possible to have a clean sport?
Read More57. Trust — Caution — Suspicion -> What is a healthy balance of these in personal relationships, a community, a workplace, between nations? (proposed by Thor)
America has obviously just gone into severe trust deficit with NSA intercepting everyone’s private communications. Is this just about countries though? Is the “trust index” dropping everywhere, even at a personal level? How do cultures differ in this?
Read More56. The Precariously Employed — that’s you, today or tomorrow — A Search for a New World Order (Proposed by Thor)
New writing by Thor: “The Precariously Employed — that’s you, today or tomorrow — A Search for a New World Order”. This is a work in progress. Revision and extension is likely. The topic is immense, but immensely important. Ideas and contributions are welcome… see http://thormay.net/unwiseideas/Precariat.htm
Read More54. Are diet and exercise really personal choices? (proposed by Thor; scheduled for 22 March 2014))
A human epidemic of obesity / near-obesity has correlated worldwide with the spread of manufactured food & beverage, and motorized transport. Diet & exercise though seem to be intensely personal choices. How can this dilemma be solved?
Read More53. What is creativity? How can it be taught? How is it important? And should creative, arts and performance skills be a compulsory part of the education curriculum? (proposed by Bill & Thor; discussed September 8, 2013)
Politicians and management gurus tell us endlessly that innovation is critical to national survival. Yet innovation requires creativity, and creativity needs a mindset which does not usually spring from accountants and process workers. In fact, the most dynamic part of many economies worldwide is (and always has been) found in arts, music, film, performance skills,…
Read More46. Some people consider themselves to be “spiritual”. What does this really mean? (proposed by Bill) debated October 19, 2013
Are we all in fact spiritual? Is this term simply a vague, redundant description? A reading list for this topic is online at http://thormay.net/unwiseideas/DiscussionTopics/SpiritualPeople.htm (Suggestions for additions are welcome)
Read More45. Is love an evolutionary instinct? Is there more to it? (proposed by Bill) — discussed 3 November 2013
Is love an evolutionary instinct? I.e., is it an innate, unconscious impulse that has been encoded into our genes over millions of years as a mechanism to ensure the survival of (the whole or individual members of) the species? Or is there more to it? Is there another way to explain it? Do all animals…
Read More42. Are we too wealthy? Do we demand an unsustainable and unrealistic quality of life? Does our desire to be wealthy place too much pressure on the economy and on the environment? Is it possible that we may have to think about accepting less (proposed by Bill) — Scheduled for 22 February 2014
Read More35. Is embryonic stem cell research ethical? (proposed — Bill)
Embryonic stem cell research may offer revolutionary medical treatments because the embryonic stem cell is the only cell we know of that can differentiate itself into any other type of cell, and can replicate itself indefinitely. However, embryonic stem cell research is considered controversial because some consider that a blastocyst (a fertilized egg), from which…
Read More34. Is English the most important language in the world? (proposed — Soon; discussed 23 August 2013)
Is English the most important language in the world? Is all language translatable? Which parts of which languages are incompatible with other languages and how do different groups of individuals deal with that? Will globalization accelerate the loss of certain native languages? What are the consequences of focusing on learning the dominant languages and not…
Read More33. What’s beyond democracy? (proposed — Soon) discussed on 13 July 2013
Is there any alternative government structure better than democracy? What’s beyond democracy? Is it important to have everyone’s voice being heard or is it the majority opinion that counts? Does the whole voting system represent a nation? What if voting is not compulsory in Australia?
Read More32. Do the arts matter? (Proposed — Soon)
Do the arts matter? What does Arts Education means to Australians and how do the Arts formulate the character of a Nation? Can the arts inspire change, provoke thoughts in human life or are they a complete waste of time? Is it just extra money spent satisfying our need for entertainment? Is Arts education as…
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