Words by Stevie Bal

After a couple of years of drifting in and out of lockdowns, some of us are a bit rusty in the old game of small talk. Or, after all we’ve been through together, perhaps we don’t want to go back to just talking about the weather.

Inspired by our Talk Matters conversation card game, here are a few questions to liven up your next conversation with colleagues, acquaintances, family and friends.

What does an accessible city look and feel like?

A net-zero school in Encino, California is being designed with acoustic technologies and integrated natural materials to create a comfortable environment for neurodiverse students. How can we create kinder environments for all to thrive?

What needs does social media help you meet?

Social media gets a bad wrap for making us addicted to our screens and losing connection with the people right in front of us. What if the same tools help us to connect? Whether it’s reconnecting with an old pal or discovering an incredible brand to support that you may never have heard of otherwise, we’re sure there could be some good news here.

How can we cultivate hope during the climate emergency?

Anger, frustration, anxiety – emotions we most often associate with the climate emergency and that can play a role in moving us forward. How can we find hope? How will we innovate?

Would you eat lab-grown meat?

Air Protein is a start up making chicken, pork, beef and seafood out of thin air! Its creation process uses only 0.8 litres of water per kg of protein versus over 15,000 litres per kg that’s used for beef. Air Protein uses microbes and a fermentation process similar to the making of yoghurt or beer to turn recycled carbon dioxide emissions from factories into protein. But could you stomach it?

What's a future university subject that doesn't exist yet?

If universities are shaping our next leaders, thinkers and change makers, what subjects should we add to the curriculum? Could topics of consent fill up an entire semester rather than just an A3 poster on the bathroom wall?

Need a new activity for your next gathering? Our Talk Matters conversation card game is filled with important questions and divisive tidbits of conversation. Get ready for nuanced conversation, surprising discoveries and learning the future, together.