The perpetually unfinished experimental message-board that Cal and I made is coming up with some particularly interesting debates at the moment. Here are a few of my favourite ongoing discussions:
- No Such Thing As Talent
“So for my degree I had to study ‘Art, Creativity and Excellence’ from a cognitive psychology perspective. After a few months of scepticism I reluctantly admitted my professor was right and that there is no such thing as talent- skills are acquired only through practice.” - Wealth, Power and Race – is it just that the white guys want some things more?
“Unless of course the levels of greed and family-destroying workaholism that lead to such high positions are, culturally speaking, predominantly a white male thing…..?” - Is there any utility derived from anti-globalisation, anti-capitalist, anti-g8 rallies and demonstrations?
“Speaking of violent anarchist action specifically, does this counterproductively alienate the common person from their cause, rather than promote it?” - Gay Pop Music
“Apparently, it’s Gay and Lesbian Awareness Month, at least on the public radio, and so they did this profile thing with three pop albums that document the history of gay civil rights.” - Girls Rule, Boys Drool: The New Gender Gap
“I am not sure if the switchboard is the right place for this, but let’s start here and move the topic if necessary. According to this article in Business Week, girls are snapping up all the top spots in schools, while boys lag behind. And it’s a major cause of worry for the future.”