Essay topics - Day 1

1. The director Spike Jonze is credited with saying that "the past is just a story we tell
ourselves." Is it? If so, could reconstructions of the past help us agree on what the story is—
or will different people reconstruct different pasts?
2. What would you ask someone who was alive a thousand years ago, if they popped out of a
very high-tech time capsule? Of everyone who was alive in the world back then, who would
you want to talk to?
3. "Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it" is a phrase many people repeat, but
is it possible that those who do study history are doomed to absorb the worst things about it?
Would it be better if we could scrub history clean and start over again with no memories of
what came before us?
4. Has the pandemic forced a healthy reimagining of past practices, like attending school and
working at a real office, or should we go back to the way things were?
 Day 2
1. Is space exploration an inherently human endeavor, or should we prioritize the development
of AI and robotics to take on the challenges of space exploration and colonization?
2. How close did we get to artificial intelligence?
3. “Is artificial intelligence less than our intelligence?”
4. “By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that
they understand it.” Do you agree with the quote? Argument your answer.