Conversation Questions

Science and Technology

What is technology?
What is science?
What is the difference between science and technology?
What are some of the greatest technological achievements?
What are the advantages of technology?
What are the disadvantages of technology?
In your opinion,what is the greatest technological invention? Why?
What do you think are the three most important or interesting inventions since 1850?
- How about since 1950?
Do you think pets should be cloned? Why or why not?
Do you think people should be allowed to clone people or organs of people? Why?
What do you think about GMO (genetically modified organisms) vegetables?
- Is it better to use natural food although it might not produce as much or should we use GMO crops?
What do you think about GMO farm animals?
- Would you eat pork from a GMO cow?
Are you willing to pay more for food that is really organic?
- How much more?
What do you think robots should be used for?
Do you think robots will cause unemployment (loss of jobs) in the future or make more work? Why?
Do you think using cell phones too much is bad for our physical or mental health? Why?
If you could copy your brain for future generations, would you?
How do you think face to face communication differs from communication using computers?
What social changes have cell phones made?
What are good and bad points of using computers?
Do you think to stop global warming that the amount of car driving should be limited or changed?
What are some local ways you have seen to reduce waste and pollution or conserve energy?
In your life time what changes have you seen in your environment for better or worse?
Do you think modern technology reduces or increases stress? Why?
Do you think money should be spent to explore space or is it better spent helping people on earth? Why?
What is your opinion about children playing violent video games or computer programs?
What do you think should be done to people who spread viruses, start hoaxes or create spam on the Internet?
How often do you buy things on the Internet?
Do you worry about identity theft or credit card number theft when buying things on the Internet or do you avoid buying things online because of this concern?
Have you used a chat site?
- Have you ever used voice chat?
- What do you think about it?
Have you used the Internet to learn English or read or talk in English?
- What are the pros and cons (good and bad points) about improving your English by Internet rather than with a teacher?
Have you heard of the Large Hadron Collider?
- If so, what do you know about it?
Do you have a smart phone?
Can you access the internet on your telephone?
- If so, how often do you use it?
- How often do you check email?
Are you a Mac or a PC user? What are some of the differences?
What do you think open source software means?
What do you know about software? What can software be used for?
Are you a Facebook, Mixi or Myspace user?
- If not, are there websites that are similar to these in your country?
Facebook often gets in trouble for not having very good privacy settings. Do you think that this really is a big problem?
How much private information are you prepared to share about yourself on the internet?
Do you feel comfortable with the idea of Artificial Intelligence (that robots can think)?
What science fiction movies have you seen?
- Do you think that what you have seen in these movies is possible?
What was your favorite science subject?
- Biology? Physics? Chemistry? Why?
Do you remember any interesting, fun or dangerous lab experiments that you did at school?
Do you think the stereotype of the ‘mad scientist’ is true?
Does the potential that science has to change the world scare you?
How will science change the world in the next 100 years?
What changes would you like to see science make to the world?
Do you think that one day science will find a way to make people live forever? If so, do you think that that would be a good or a bad thing?
How have technological advances affected our life?
Do you think technological advances are always good?
- Or can they sometimes be bad and harmful?
How have technological advances affected communication/ how we receive news/ the medical field/ education?
How have technological advances affected our life?
Do you think technological advances are always good?
- Or can they sometimes be bad and harmful?
How have technological advances affected communication/ how we receive news/ the medical field/ education?
Do you think couples should be allowed to choose the sex or other characteristics of their baby like eye color? Why or why not?