Talk to strangers about science

Curiosity is hard to satisfy alone and most people do not want to be asked whether we are alone in the universe on a weeknight. A stranger who picked science does want that question, and will happily follow it wherever it goes without needing credentials from either of you.

• Whether there is anyone else out there
• The fact that still genuinely amazes you
• What you would study with unlimited time and money
• Climate, energy and what actually moves the needle
• The limits of what we can know

• “A science fact that still amazes you?”Use this
• “Are we alone in the universe?”Use this
• “Field you would study with unlimited time?”Use this
• “Biggest unanswered question in science?”Use this
• “A discovery you wish you had witnessed?”Use this
• “What did you want to be at ten years old?”Use this

• Ask about a fact that blew their mind. Everyone has one, and it gives you both something to marvel at or fact-check together.
• Ask what they would research with unlimited funding. It is a fun way into what they care about, whether or not they work in science.
• Talk about the science in everyday life, like cooking, weather or the human body. It keeps the chat accessible to anyone.

Being condescending about what someone does not know shuts a conversation down; curiosity is the whole point. Avoid giving or taking medical advice from strangers. And if a chat turns into “the science they don’t want you to know” with a product or course attached, keep a healthy dose of scepticism.