Conversation Starters

A collection of conversation starters:

It feels like certain songs can define an era.

For example, if we say that every five years counts as an era, then a definitive track for 1985-1990 might be ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ by Rick Astley, while ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana is very 1990-1995, and ‘2 Become 1’ by The Spice Girls might define the zeitgeist of 1995-2000.

Again, it’s not that these were necessarily the best-selling tracks of that era, but they're all songs that everyone knows and are easy to place in time, because they tapped into the specific themes of their age.

My question to you is: In 2050, when people are looking back at the eras of 2015-2020, and 2020-2025, which two songs will come to be seen as defining them?

I've never quite understood ambient or electronic music. It's always been mystifying to me that some people would actively choose to listen to this dull, monotonous repetition, without drugs coursing through their system.

However, my daughter happened to be taking some of her first steps last week, while the Brian Eno album Music For Airports was blaring through the speakers, and suddenly it all made sense. I had this brief, wonderful, transcendental experience where the music heightened an already special moment, and it felt as if I was living in a Terrence Malick film.

So my question to you: What was the last work of art, or genre/song/film etc, that you completely changed your mind about? Something you initially hated or dismissed, that you came to really enjoy. And what led to this reversal - was it you that changed, and if so in what way, or did you simply find the right context to appreciate it in?

It's not often that somebody writes something wise on the comments section of the BBC News website, but I was struck by a remark I read this week. People were debating Trump, and one user wrote that Donald's supporters will always see past his faults because 'he hates all the same people they hate, and that's all that matters.' Which is somehow the simplest, yet best explanation I've heard for the success of Trump.

So let's say you get talking to a stranger at a party, and ask them to list the three famous people they hate the most. Which three names do they mention, for you to suddenly think you might have found a new best friend?

I've already asked a handful of Good Eggs for their most hated celebs, and their answers were:

1. James O'Brien, Kevin Pieterson and Paul Mescal

2. Gary Player, Tom Hanks and Emma Watson

3. James Corden, Jimmy Bullard and Dev from Coronation Street

4. Gary Lineker, Emma Thompson and David Tennant

5. Pep Guardiola, Clare Balding and Richard Osman

6.  Margaret Thatcher, Jimmy Saville and Lulu.

Any new best pals for you in there?

You can nominate one famous person to debate against Donald Trump in an upcoming TV debate, who would it be?

To be clear, your motivation is to destroy old mad Donald, to absolutely humiliate him, but it's no good picking somebody that can only convince half the audience - even parts of Trump's base have to admit that he was made to look pathetic. So who are you going for? It's amazing how few people fit the bill.

Here is an interesting and short essay from journalist and author Iain Leslie, discussing whether culture is disappearing thanks to globalisation and the internet. He references Oasis as being the last national pop group, and suggests that no album since Morning Glory has dominated Britain in the same way. So your conversation starter for the week is: what was the last book, song and TV show (especially sitcom) that had a massive cultural impact on British culture? Especially across multiple generations. (As in teenagers, their parents, and even their grandparents could all reference it, or had at least heard of it.)

What are the top 5 professions you would like to have in your inner friend circle?

When people ask the billionaire investor Peter Thiel for advice on starting their own company, he often asks them the following question: What important truth do very few people agree with you on? The obvious implication being that if you follow your convictions and are proved right, you'll have a head start on everyone else and might be able to monopolise the market. But it's also an interesting question in general: What's the one opinion you hold that hardly anyone else agrees with? That you're convinced will come good eventually?

If you were made PM tomorrow, what three changes would you make to the country? (i.e what three new policies would you implement?) They can be big or small changes, but have to be specific and effective - you can't just say 'more money for the NHS' without explaining exactly where the funds are coming from and how the money will be spent.

Are there any new songs from the past five years that aren't well known by the general public, that you're convinced people will still be listening to in 100 years time? Stone cold classics that most of us have missed?

Is it a bad thing if most of the content humans consume in the near future is AI generated? As long as we enjoy it, does it really matter if it wasn't originally formulated in the brain of a human being?

Lots of us feel guilty about eating meat but do so anyway. However, would there be anything morally wrong with killing and eating an animal genetically engineered to want to be eaten? Let's presume we could alter a pig's genes, so that its main desire in life becomes an insatiable urge to be devoured, and it won't feel like it's had a fulfilling existence unless this dream has been made reality. Would you not feel better about eating this animal? More than eating an animal that doesn't want to be eaten?

If you had to marry a famous person, who would it be? But wait, you have to take into account the actual practicalities. Are you going to be able to live with this person into old age, without them irritating you? Will you be able to cope with them being away all the time on tour/on set? Or is it better to pick a famous author for example, who'll probably be working from home every day? Is that even worse? Yes, Brad Pitt's attractive, but could you really cope with being married to someone that famous, with everyone throwing themselves at him 24/7? Yes, Dwayne Johnson has a good bod, but could you really put up with him going to the gym at 3am every day and constantly filling the house with protein farts? Yes, Benedict Cumberbatch seems interesting, but he's also best mates with Rob Rinder - do you really want to be having dinner parties with Rob Rinder for the rest of your life?

We've all seen the various sci-fi and Black Mirror plots that cover this sort of ground, but here's a specific question: Let's say your friend passes away, but WhatsApp gives you the option of continuing your conversations with them in the future, as they've used clever AI tools to perfectly replicate the deceased person's personality - so you know it's not them, but their replies are so accurate it really would feel like them replying. Would you go for it? If not, why not?

And here's the next hypothetical element: let's say everyone you know is gone - gas leak at your surprise birthday party - but WhatsApp only allows you to replicate a maximum of five people from your phonebook: who would you pick?

To be clear, this isn't really about who you care for the most, as we all have people we love dearly that are dogshit over text - this is about who you'd really miss conversing with on WhatsApp and why. Do you just go for five of your funniest friends? Stick a wise person in there? Someone who's always been a good digital listener? Add in that maverick who only messages once in a blue moon but always has something interesting to say? Or are you still keeping granddad, and wasting your quota on his nonsensical but touching messages once a year?