Spacing out...

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Is it good that dispensing money on space travel is less popular than it was during the space race?  Or do we need the inspiration that space programs can bring?   Is this just a natural result of our nature as a “questing species”?   Should Slovakia get more involved and invested in the EU space program? What do you think about the space ark?

You say disorder, I say diversity. Let‘s call the whole thing off.

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How attracted are you to the idea of neurodiversity?  Is this just another form of modern relativism?  When can labels be helpful and when are they harmful in terms of describing human brains/personalities?  Do we lose something important when we drop the concept of normal/abnormal?

Not a labor of love

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Mercenaries have often been despised since they kill others for money rather than because of their beliefs or values (such as a desire to defend ones homeland or ethnic group).  Is it understandable to you that someone from a poor country would make a decision to work for a foreign army?  Is this a career just like any other (with its own moral ambiguities)?

Since I’m depressed, how about if I actively work to make my/our situation worse?

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I can certainly relate to the frustration which often results from trying to help a friend overcome depression.  What are your own experiences?   What do you think about the advice given here for dealing with this difficult situation?  Do we have a duty to help people in this situation even if there is a cost to our own happiness?

America everywhere you look

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This is the last entry you can comment on for late February to mid-March.

Do you feel that American culture is dominating the world?  Are other cultures being silenced or repressed as a result?   What can or should be done about this?  Do you agree with the author in her assertion that this cultural dominance serves US political interests? Are there any possible positive aspects to this situation?

Would you like a placebo for your headache?

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Do you trust doctors?   Is it sometimes necessary to lie to a patient in order to help them more effectively?  Or for researchers to lie to gain important information about human health and psychology?  This is not the only article I have read which indicates that placebos are somewhat effective even if the patient is aware that they are taking a placebo.   Why do you think this is the case?

Wedding Woes

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Do you like going to weddings? Are traditional weddings a good thing, or have these traditions become too restrictive?  Can you understand why brides (and grooms) are reluctant to spend a lot of time and money on a wedding, or maybe would like to avoid any ceremony at all?  Could the anti-bride trend help solve these problems or is it just a scam?

Emissions for me and negative impacts for thee

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Does it outrage you that the countries who are most to blame for global warming are (for the most part) not those who have to deal with its consequences?  What are some of the reasons for why money which was pledged  to fight the causes and effects of climate change is not used for this?  What can be done about this problem?  Would raising awareness help?

Focusing on the fashion and family of female politicians

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Reading about the woes of the former Finnish PM made me think about the situation of Čaputová here in Slovakia.  Do you agree with this article's claim that citizens do not have an overall bias against female politicians?  Their evidence for this is cross-national.  Might Slovakia be an exception?   What has your experience of the media coverage of women in politics been?  Should the media change how they cover female candidates and politicians?  How?

(Half) Gay Marriage

 This is the last entry you can comment on for mid-January to mid-February.

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This is an article about how two films (one Indian and one American) depict marriages between a gay man and a straight woman.  I am aware that this sort of thing often happens in Slovakia as well, seemingly because it allows gay men to hide their homosexuality from a hostile society and also to raise a family.  There are obvious problems with such arrangements of course.  Could making homosexual marriage legal help?   Looking at it from a different angle, can a marriage be happy without a sexual component?   (You can also comment on one or both of the films and how they depict this situation if you have seen them.)

Swift and sure

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What do you think about pop star fan groups being mobilized for political and charitable causes?  Once a star becomes famous and influential, do they have a moral obligation to use their influence to make the world a better place, or should they just stick to what they know best?  What about all of the politicians like Trump or Zelenskyy who were known as entertainment celebrities and had little political experience when they came to power?

Tracing the Romani Studies learning curve

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Are Slovaks learning enough about national minorities in the current educational system?  To what extent can education about Roma help to create better mutual understanding and undermine racism?  What do you think about how Ort describes Romani studies and its theory of knowledge (arrggh, TOK...) and research methods?  Would you be attracted to this field of study?   What do you think about Ort’s critical stance toward the concepts of “adapting” “integration” and “harmony”?

The power of politicians, protestors, or the pen?

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Is politician a dirty word in Slovakia like it is in Vietnam or Pakistan?  Should it be?  To what extent can anger help or hinder us in pushing for political change?  Do we have solo protestors in Slovakia?  Do we need more of them?  Is a journalist’s vocation to tell (their) stories? Which role is the most virtuous or most effective: elected official, activist or journalist?

Degrees of Uselessness?

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This piece is a bit longer than the others, but there are lots of interesting thoughts to tackle here.  What is the point of studying the humanities (like literature, culture or philosophy)?  Is too much or too little emphasis placed on them in the IB program?  In the Slovak educational system?    Should they receive less state funding than STEMs since they are supposedly less practical?  Are governments right to be wary of their influence?  Can they help make democracy stronger?

Nicking Cave’s style

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This is the last entry you can comment on for mid-November to mid-December

What do you think about how Nick Cave describes the creative process?  Is he right about the limitations and dangers of AI technologies like chatGPT?  Can chatGPT be used as a creative tool, or is it destined to always produce something inauthentic and derivative?