Talking point: Intelligence

This week's talking point is intelligence. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you meet up with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.

• Being good at school subjects like languages and maths is a sign of true intelligence.
• How should parents and society treat very intelligent children?
• Brains or beauty? Which brings greater success in life?
• Can you tell us about a time when you acted intelligently, or wished you had?
• Which animals do you think of as being intelligent? What about birds and sea creatures?

Do you … ?
1 have to solve unexpected problems on a regular basis
2 control your behaviour after learning from past bad experience
3 act intelligently, doing every day what you are supposed to do
4 think studying is a wise choice
5 regret not acting more wisely in a particular situation

Classify the statements into advantages and potential dangers of using technology, machines and robots. Add your own ideas.

1. Machines can’t interpret feelings, so interaction is more dehumanised.
2. We are too dependent on computers and technology, which is problematic if a machine breaks or crashes.
3. Machines don’t make mistakes, people do.
4. Workers are replaced by machines, which increases unemployment.
5. People stop thinking about how to solve problems because machines can do it for them.
6. Technology means more people have access to education, health care, etc.
7. Artificial intelligence can benefit society in numerous ways but it must be controlled.

To illustrate the point you can watch this EuroNews video on gifted children.