Dublin intellectuals 🤓🤔

Hello, intellectual friends!

A new event is coming up!
This time, we’ll be discussing social intelligence over delicious 🍕 at Little Pyg, which was voted the number one 🍕 in Europe by the Michelin Guide. Let’s see if it lives up to the hype!

The agenda remains the same:
• First hour: Getting to know each other, informal conversation, and enjoying our food.
• Second hour: A deep dive into our topic, sharing thoughts and perspectives.

If you’re new and don’t know anyone yet, don’t worry—we’ve all been there! This group is all about meeting new people in a welcoming environment.
Feel free to reach out to me via personal message if you have any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Introduction:

History is full of brilliant scientists, inventors, and thinkers—Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Stephen Hawking—yet very few of them have ever held significant political power. Why is it that the people who understand the world best rarely get to shape it? Would a government run by geniuses be a utopia or a disaster?

Possible Explanations:
• Different Skill Sets: Being a genius in physics or mathematics doesn’t necessarily mean someone has the charisma, negotiation skills, or political savvy needed to govern.
• Disinterest in Politics: Many intellectuals prefer research, discovery, and innovation over the messy, often frustrating world of politics.
• Public Perception: Highly intelligent people are sometimes seen as “out of touch” with everyday concerns, making them less electable.
• Threat to the Status Quo: Those in power may see intellectuals as a challenge to their authority and may resist their involvement in leadership.
• The “Too Much Thinking” Problem: Overanalyzing issues and considering too many perspectives can sometimes lead to indecision, which is a weakness in fast-moving political environments.

Philosophical & Ethical Questions:
• Would a world run by scientists and intellectuals be better or worse?
• Do we mistake political skill for intelligence? Are the smartest politicians the ones who simply know how to manipulate the system?
• Should there be a minimum intelligence or education requirement for political leaders?
• Are the best leaders the ones who surround themselves with brilliant minds, even if they aren’t geniuses themselves?

Fun Thought Experiments for Discussion:
• If Einstein or Tesla had been world leaders, how might history have changed?
• Would AI, as an ultimate “intellectual,” make a better political leader than humans?
• If you had to pick a scientist, philosopher, or genius from history to run your country, who would it be and why?

Hello, beautiful people!

Let’s get together for a stimulating discussion on a thought-provoking topic in a fantastic setting with delicious food.

The agenda for the evening remains the same:
• First hour: Informal conversation while enjoying great food.
• Second hour: Discussion on our topic.

Don’t worry if you’re new or don’t know anyone—this group is all about meeting new people and having meaningful conversations.

As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you all!

Introduction:

When Back to the Future Part II imagined the year 2015, it gave us a wild, exciting vision of the future—flying cars, hoverboards, and robotic waiters in retro diners. But looking back now, what’s even more fascinating is not just what they got wrong, but how limited their imagination actually was.

They thought a futuristic diner would mean a clunky robotic TV on wheels asking for your order—when in reality, we can scan a QR code and have a meal delivered to our door within minutes, no human interaction required. They stacked a bunch of old-school box TVs together and thought it looked advanced, never imagining the ultra-thin smart TVs we have now, where we can stream anything in an instant. And while they dreamt of holographic movie ads, they couldn’t predict that we’d all be carrying personal screens in our pockets, connected to everything in real-time.

So, have we actually outpaced the sci-fi vision of the future? And what does it say about the limits of human imagination when predicting what’s next?

Key Questions for Discussion:

1. Why did Back to the Future and other sci-fi movies focus so much on flashy, mechanical advancements (like flying cars) instead of the digital revolutions (like smartphones, AI, and instant global connectivity) that actually changed the world?
2. What predictions from the movie seem laughably outdated now? Did they underestimate how sleek and integrated technology would become?
3. Which things do we have today that are far better than anything the movie envisioned? (Think smart TVs, voice assistants, online ordering, AI recommendations, etc.)
4. Why do we still romanticize ideas like hoverboards and flying cars when we have things that are arguably more useful and transformative?
5. If the 1980s struggled to predict our world today, what are we likely missing when we try to imagine the future 30 years from now?

Dear friends,

I look forward to seeing you all at this lovely restaurant for an intriguing discussion inspired by the movie Minority Report.

In the first hour, we’ll have an informal chat and enjoy some food while getting to know each other. Don’t worry if you don’t know anyone—remember, we’ve all been first-timers at one stage!

The second hour will be dedicated to discussing a fascinating topic: A World Without Crime: Is it Possible? Would it Be Better? We’ll dive into everything from the movie’s predictions to the moral, social, and technological implications of a crime-free society.

Introduction:

In Minority Report, set in the year 2054, a futuristic system predicts crimes before they even happen. Pre-crime units arrest people based on these predictions, leading to a society with no crime, but at what cost? Is a world without crime achievable, and would it truly be better? Or does the eradication of crime threaten our freedoms, individuality, and justice?

The movie challenges us to think about the price of a utopia where crime is eradicated before it even occurs. Are we willing to sacrifice personal liberty and the concept of free will to live in a world free of crime? Or do we risk creating a society that runs on fear, control, and a loss of personal agency?

Key Questions for Discussion:

1. Is it possible to create a world without crime through technology and predictive systems? Would we be able to predict every crime with 100% accuracy?
2. Would a crime-free world truly be better, or would it be a world where individual freedoms are compromised in the name of security?
3. What are the moral implications of preemptively arresting someone for a crime they haven’t committed yet? How does this challenge our sense of justice?
4. Could we live in a society where human behavior is fully controlled by technology, or would such a system inevitably lead to rebellion, corruption, or even new forms of crime?
5. Would eliminating crime lead to a loss of essential human experiences like redemption, growth, and the understanding of consequences?

Looking forward to an exciting evening of conversation and ideas. If you have any questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to reach out.

See you soon!

Dear friends,

I look forward to seeing you all at this lovely restaurant for an intriguing discussion.

In the first hour, we’ll have an informal chat and enjoy some food while getting to know each other. Don’t worry if you don’t know anyone—remember, we’ve all been first-timers at one stage!

The second hour will be dedicated to discussing a new topic:

Introduction:

Generations are shaped by the world they grow up in—economic conditions, social movements, technology, and cultural shifts. From Baby Boomers to Gen Alpha, each group tends to have distinct characteristics, values, and approaches to life. But what happens when different generations collide, and how do the realities of each era influence how we think and behave? Is it the world that shapes us, or is it our unique characteristics that redefine the world for the next generation?

Take Millennials, for example, known for their digital fluency, activism, and the shift towards a gig economy. Then there’s Gen Z, born into a world of social media and rapid technological advancements, often labeled as hyper-connected but also more socially aware. Gen X, perhaps seen as the more skeptical generation, grew up in a pre-digital world, making them uniquely adaptable to both old-school and modern technologies. And now, Gen Alpha is growing up with artificial intelligence, automation, and a fully digital world from the get-go.

How much of this generational influence is just the time and environment we live in, versus how much of it is a natural evolution of behavior?

Key Questions for Discussion:

1. How do historical events (e.g., economic crashes, wars, cultural movements) shape the collective mindset of a generation?
2. Are millennials truly more “entitled” or “lazy” compared to Gen X, or do they just operate under different economic realities?
3. How does social media influence Gen Z’s behavior and perspectives differently than it did for previous generations?
4. In what ways are Gen Alpha’s values and behaviors likely to be shaped by a world increasingly dominated by AI, automation, and global connectivity?
5. Can generational characteristics transcend environmental factors, or do they always reflect the world they were born into?
6. How can different generations learn from one another, and where might their behavioral differences lead to societal growth or conflict?

Looking forward to an exciting evening of conversation and ideas. If you have any questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to reach out.

See you soon!