📘 Part 3: Ideas

This episode's vocabulary

To operate (verb) - to (cause to) work, be in action or have an effect.

Hostile (adj.) - unfriendly and not liking something.

Agent of the state/state agent (noun) - a professional who is licensed by the state to perform their duties within that state.

Necessity is the mother of invention (idiom) - an expression that means that if you really need to do something, you will think of a way of doing it.

First principles (plural noun) - the basic and most important reasons for doing or believing something.

With/at the touch of a button - used to emphasize that something can be done very easily by pressing a button.

To undermine (verb) - to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually.

Questions and Answers

M: Whose ideas and opinions are highly respected in your country?

R: Generally, people who have invested the time and effort in developing their knowledge. So people like professors, doctors and lawyers, especially those who operate at a high level or deliver a high quality of service to people.

M: When do children begin to have their own ideas and opinions?

R: Oh, good question. I mean, from one perspective, they get them as soon as they are born, because they have the idea of what they want. And it's usually food and shelter immediately. But in terms of expressing those things, when they start to speak and form coherent sentences and get creative and original in their understanding of the world. It could be before that, but I can't think of any way to measure that because there's... How would you know without some kind of psychic or telepathy machine?

M: Will children always have ideas and opinions similar to those of their parents?

R: That depends on how close the culture is. I mean, a closed culture will be hostile to outside ideas, and invest a lot of control in the parents and the family as opposed to agents of the state. So children are less likely to be exposed to outside influences.

M: What encourages people to come up with new ideas or inventions?

R: There's like a saying for this, I think it's necessity is the mother of invention. So when we need something to meet some specific needs, then someone invents it. So for example, with mobile phones, people needed some sort of portable communication, or portable means of communication. So it was created for them.

M: What can schools do to encourage creativity in students?

R: Well, that's easy. You provide an environment where pupils are presented with opportunities to create things that meet a need. It could be an open space with a tree and some boards and rope. And they might make a swing, for example.

M: How do inventors and philosophers come up with new ideas?

R: I should read something, somewhere about a thing called first principles thinking, which is when you question the assumptions underlying something just by asking, does it need to be this way? Or could we do something different? So in the case of mobiles, people asked if phones absolutely had to have a hardwired connection. And the answer was no. So that's one thing that could be done, I suppose.

M: Should people read the ideas of famous thinkers of the past?

R: I don't see why not. History has a habit of rhyming rather than repeating, it could provide an insight into what's been tried before and failed, and why, in addition to what I just said. And it might help us understand how people in a particular period thought about things, which is useful for gaining some perspective as well.

M: Do you think technology has helped or hindered creativity in society?

R: Oh, wow. I mean, well, that will depend entirely on the field we are talking about and who is involved in it. I mean, AI has helped or enabled people to create interesting works of art just at the touch of a button. But that's undermining the creativity of human artists by putting some of them out of a job. And the other thing is that the increased connectivity from technology has allowed us to share and combine ideas more easily. Though, whether that means we're being creative or rearranging things is up to you.

M: Hey! Thank you, Rory, for your ideas and opinions!

Discussion

M: So, dear listener, in speaking part three, you remember that you don't talk about your opinions and about yourself. I mean, you don't say like, ooh, as for me, when I was a child, I expressed my opinions, or like, oh, my parents or when I was five, I... You see? So kind of you speak... Well, it's better to speak about some people, but other people in my country. I don't think that. You see, rather than like ooh, as for me, I like, I don't like. But if you have nothing to say, you can talk about yourself. But to get a band eight or nine it's better to talk about people in general, people in other countries all over the world. All right? Some people's opinions are highly respected. Okay? So like, we have famous writers, and authors, and their opinions are highly respected by society. Okay? So people respect them, and their opinions and they are highly respected. And Rory told us - people like professors, people like doctors, lawyers.

R: Although it's important to point out that I didn't just list the ideas, I did explain why they were so respected because they've developed their knowledge. Or they might operate at a high level and give a high quality of service to people.

M: They operate at a higher level, which means that they are in the government. So they have some high-level positions. So they function at a higher level.

R: Well, it could be about the government or about institutions as well, like, you could be, well, if you're head of, I don't know, an association of psychologists, for example, or head of the department in a university, that's also at a high level. So it's not just about government thing, it's about higher level of proficiencies.

M: They're usually directors, heads. So senior managers, right?

R: They could be but think about English teachers, like a lot of the really good English teachers we know aren't necessarily directors.

M: Yeah. But you know, like, if you operate at a higher level, so you are like a renowned professor at a university, you are part of associations, you go to conferences, you're not just like, even if you are at school, you are some kind of like a senior teacher, right? Or you run like a group of teachers, you tell them what to do, you know? Not just like a regular teacher who does nothing. Still...

R: Well. If you're, if you're a teacher that does nothing, then you're definitely not regular, then you're just rubbish.

M: Yeah, so to operate at a high level, you kind of, you have, you need to do stuff.

R: It kind of has two meanings, doesn't it? Because it could be like a high-level institution, or it could be a high level of performance. So, for example, you and I are independent, and we operate at a high level of performance. I don't know about you, but I don't operate at a high level of institutions. I don't go to universities, for example, and lecture there, I wouldn't want to

M: Can you imagine our Rory goes to...

R: Doing that again,.

M: University of Scotland, Edinburgh University and deliver a lecture?

R: Why would anybody do that though? No one, I love lectures, but very few people listen to them or engage with them these days.

M: Children begin to have their own ideas or opinions. Okay? When? And Rory gives us different perspectives. So from one perspective, children get their own opinions as soon as they are born. Okay?

R: It's not a very sophisticated opinion, but it's an opinion.

M: So children usually have their own opinions about food, they want food and shelter. Shelter? They want to be at home, they want to feel safe. But from the other perspective, but in terms of expressing those opinions, so they start to speak coherent sentences, they start to form coherent sentences. Coherent means logical. So they start to speak, they start to form coherent sentences. When? Like we don't know when.

R: Well, when they start speaking, a coherent sentence is something that you will probably hear. So I said they start to speak and form coherent sentences and get creative and original because you can hear it expressed in their words, they might do that beforehand. But there's no way of knowing when that is because you can't see into someone's mind yet.

M: So usually, when a child, when a baby is like 18 months old they say single words. Okay? So for your, for your knowledge, dear listener. Then, by the time they are two, or two years old, they say, usually, most children say two-word phrases. So like phrases, like mommy go, and then by the age of three, a child can say three-word phrases. Okay? So maybe like by the time they are four, again, usually, usually, they start forming complete sentences. Okay? But we're not sure. When did you start speaking coherently more or less? Do you remember?

R: I don't remember.

M: Yeah, I don't remember either.

R: I think it will be at the age of four, like proper, proper sentences. But I couldn't tell you

M: Also, dear listener, you can say that children normally form their own views, their own opinions, views at primary school or during their primary school years. Because they go to classes, they start talking more and thinking. Right? So then, during primary school, kids usually develop their own ideas and opinions. Well, especially about each other, when they start bullying each other when they start hating each other. Call each other names. Well, you know, you've been there, dear listener. Right? Yep. If you're still at school, it will soon be over. Okay? So just soldier on, hang on in there. And then children can have similar opinions to the opinions of their parents. So similar to something. The question is a bit strange because similar to those of their parents. Those mean ideas of their parents. And Rory here told us that in depends on how closed the culture is. So the culture, where the child was raised could be closed, a closed culture. A closed culture is hostile to outside ideas. So hostile means...

R: Not accepting of outside ideas or not readily accepting. I'm probably not doing a great job of explaining that because it doesn't necessarily have to be hostile. It just maybe isn't accepting of them. They hear the idea and you're like, haha, okay, and then ignore it, that's not hostile, that's just not really accepting it.

M: So if something is hostile, it's unfriendly, so a hostile crowd of people. So a hostile unfriendly group of people, it's a C1 adjective. Okay, dear listener? Advanced level. So, some cultures could be hostile to outside ideas. Okay? So, parents are quite controlling, and children have the same ideas as those of their parents.

R: Yeah.

M: And who are the agents of the state?

R: That's anybody that acts on behalf of the wider government. So a common example would be people like the police are agents of the state because they enforce the laws of the state. But it could also be things like nurses or doctors, if you have a nationalized health care service or traffic wardens, if they're employed by the government, civil servants, social workers, they're all agents of the state.

M: Okay. So some children may not be exposed to outside ideas or influences. So they are not given. They don't see the ideas outside of their house. So other ideas from their parents' ideas. So you can say that children are less likely to be exposed to outside influences. So they only have influences from their parents and their parents' ideas. We can come up with new ideas. So we make up new ideas, we have new ideas and inventions. Inventions? People invent things, and some questions here could be about inventions and inventors. And here Rory mentioned a saying. It's not an idiom, but a saying. What was it?

R: A saying is like a phrase that is commonly thrown around. And the phrase or the saying here is necessity is the mother of invention. But that just means if you need something, then you will create something to meet the need. And then I explained further with a similar explanation.

M: Yeah, necessity is the mother of invention.

R: But I don't know if that's the exact phrase, but it is a close approximation. And as long as you say that to the examiner, like, I think it's something like this, then it will be fine. As long as the English is correct. Yeah, it's a necessity is the mother of invention. Yeah, it's a proverb.

R: Is it? Oh, wow.

M: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

R: Cool.

M: Pretty much means that the primary driving force for new inventions is a need. So I need to travel from one place to the other. And some people invent a car. I need to do this. So some people invent new things to kind of, to address my needs. And Rory gives an example here, for example, with mobile phones. So people needed some sort of portable communication. Portable? That you can carry with you. You can put it in a bag, it should be small, it should be easy to carry around, not this old phone which we used to have at home. You see? This massive thing was connected to electricity. So it's not portable. So people need it, this portable device so it was created for them. So necessity is the mother of invention. No articles. Schools can encourage creativity in students or discourage students from being creative, right? And Rory's answer was like, oh, I think that's easy. Kind of it's easy to encourage creativity. It's easy to answer this question.

R: Well, people are creative naturally. I mean, we have to be in order to live.

M: Schools should provide an environment.

R: So a place.

M: Safe place where pupils. Pupils or students can create. So they can create things to meet a need. So people invent things, they create things to meet any needs, to address a certain need. To address my needs, and people's needs. And then some more examples, like, where can students create things? So it could be an open space, like a nice open space. Like...

R: In a yard or a garden.

M: Yeah. With some boards and rope. Yeah. So you give children some boards, wooden boards and a rope, so they can make a swing. A swing is this ooh, ooh, ooh. So children, usually on a playground, they sit on a swing, like back and forth back and forth, this thing, you know, and by this Rory meant that you put children in a room, you give them some paints and paper, and they can create a painting. Philosophers or inventors come up with new ideas. So they make new things. They invent things. And Rory told us about a principle, which is called first principles thinking.

R: Yeah, but it's just the assumptions that support the way things are at the moment. So the assumption used to be... Or the first principles for teaching used to be there must be a classroom, and there must be a class of many students. And what we did was question why does it have to be that way? Why can't it be outside of a classroom? Or online? Why does it have to be many students? Why can't to be one?

M: Yeah. And here, you can talk about Apple. Yeah? You can talk about mobile phones. So imagine our old phones. And then an inventor could ask themselves like, does this form have to be connected to electricity? Does it have to be this big? Oh, no, I can make it smaller. Hey! And I think Apple would be a nice example.

R: No. What did Apple do? They connected a phone to the internet and said you can carry it around with you and access the internet.

M: Like, what did they do, really?

R: I think that's what they did. They combined technologies. So this is a very interesting question about being creative, isn't it? Because is being creative coming up with something completely original? Or is it actually just coming up with something to meet a need by combining old ideas? Perhaps changing them slightly to fit the situation. It's an interesting question.

M: Yeah. How can we use the word pioneered?

R: Oh, my God.

M: Because when we talk about inventors, we can use this pioneer.

R: Well, what... If we talk about, I think, apple, but again, you don't have to be factually correct in IELTS. I think Apple pioneered the use of internet connections in mobile phones with touchscreen technology. That is pioneering I would have said.

M: Yeah, so to be the first, to be one of the first people to do something. Right? So he pioneered something or he was a pioneer. It's C2 word, it's proficiency level, dear listener. So a person who is one of the first people to do something - is one of the pioneers of modern science. So he's a pioneer heart surgeon. So he makes operations on the heart. Famous thinkers of the past, famous philosophers of the past. Should we read their ideas? And here Rory told us that history has a habit of rhyming rather than repeating. Oh, I didn't get that. What do you mean? Rhyming rather than repeating?

R: Well, what it means is there are similarities between what happened in the past and what happens today. Or what happens earlier in the past and what happens next, but it's not exactly the same thing. Because people talk about history repeating itself, but it doesn't actually. It repeats parts of itself, or it repeats itself in a different form. That's a rhyme. That's not a repetition.

M: You see, dear listener? And a rhyme is when, well, literally, words have the same sound. For example, blue, flu. It's a rhyme. C2 level, dear listener. Proficiency level.

R: But it's not the same word.

M: Yeah, it's not the same word, we spell it differently, but like flu, blue. It rhymes. Usually, they use it in poetry. Well, I still don't get the idea about rhyming and repeating. So if you don't understand what Rory is saying, it's okay, dear listener, just forget about it.

R: Well, what I read was that we can learn something from the past but not exactly how to deal with the situations that we face now. Because that was then and this is now.

M: Ideas or famous thinkers can provide insight into something. Okay? So we should read it to get insights from them on different subjects and topics

R: Or just listen to Maria and Rory.

M: Has technology hindered creativity? So to hinder is a very good word. And this means...

R: Well, just to slow down or stop something from happening.

M: Also C2 level, proficiency level, dear listener. Hinder, to limit the ability of someone to do something, or to limit, limit, reduce the development of something. So this is negative, we usually say like "hinder success". Her relationship hindered her success. So maybe she had unhappy relationships. So it hindered success. Another example is a poor diet can hinder mental and physical growth.

R: Or hinder you being alive.

M: Yeah. And here like technology. Has technology hindered creativity? Has it limited creativity in society? In society? No article. And then Rory reacted to the question. What did you say? Like, oh, wow.

R: Oh, wow.

M: Oh, wow. And it's absolutely legal. You can do this, dear listener. React to the question. Like, oh, wow. Like, wow. What a topic. What a question.

R: Well, people have been talking about that from the beginning of time.

M: Yeah. Yeah. So artificial intelligence. AI has enabled people to create works of art. Okay? Chat GPT and all this, you know, other programs create pictures, paintings now, visual arts. So artificial intelligence has enabled people to do this, to create works of art at the touch of a button. This is the phrase. Mind the articles. People can create works of art using artificial intelligence at the touch of a button. At the touch of a button.

R: Yeah, but that just means like easily by using a computer.

M: But it's undermined the creativity of human artists, by putting them out of a job.

R: Yeah. But that just means by, well, contributing to the loss of their jobs.

M: You can also say that the increased connectivity from technology helped us to combine ideas more easily. So we have the technology, we are connected to technology, and technology is connected to everywhere. And sharing and combining our ideas is much easier now. Hey! Thank you, dear listener, for listening! Okay? Now you can listen to our answers and questions again, and choose the words which you want to use about this topic. Okay? Maybe choose like, five, or seven words, expressions, or phrases you want to use in your IELTS test. Okay? Bye!

R: Bye!

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