mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

PTwenty-five years ago, they were at the birth of the Association Helping People with Autism (APLA), now known as the National Institute for Autism, NAUTIS for short. It has become a lifelong mission for Kateřina Thorová, PhD, and Hynek Jůn, PhD, and today the people they have managed to help number in the thousands.

As they write in their story, NAUTIS is not only an acronym for the organization’s name, it is also a maritime simulator – a tool to help ships at sea find the right direction. Likewise, the organization seeks to guide people with autism and all those who provide care for them, and to support them in a safe and peaceful journey toward a happy life.

How did APLA actually come about and where did you two meet? There are four founder names on the current NAUTIS website, yours are two of them. But who was the bearer of the very first idea?

[Hynek Jůn points to Kateřina Thorová with a smile]

Kateřina: That’s really ancient history. It started in 2000, when I was working as a psychologist at the Special Pedagogic Centre, which provided services to people with intellectual disabilities. I already had experience from my master’s thesis, which was specifically about autism. I had also worked as an international intern in Antwerp, where I learned the basics of diagnostics under a clinical psychologist. I started to implement them in my practice in SPC and to discover people with autism. One day, a young man from school showed up and was interested in working with autistic people, so we hired him – that’s how I met Hynek. At the same time I founded APLA together with colleagues from Moravia. The founders were special educators Věra Čadilová, Zuzana Žampachová, Martin Polanský from Brno and myself.

Hynek: I joined the SPC around 1999. At that time APLA had not been founded yet, but there was already a lot of talk about starting something. I still remember the day when Kateřina came to me at work and said, „We want to start a civic association around people with autism. It will have four sections – pedagogical, psychological-clinical, socio-legal and parental. The pedagogical one will be led by Věra Čadilová, the psychological one by me, the parental one by Pavla Čížková, and we were wondering if you would take over the socio-legal one.“ And I said, „Wow, like me? Yes!“ I was very excited. I wanted to build something and be responsible for it.

What was the motive for starting an official organization?

K: I saw a big difference in the approach to autism here and in the world. I was studying in New York for the last year, and visited a library there while finishing my thesis. In Czechia we had only a thin book called Extrémní osamělost (Extreme Loneliness) by Dr. Růžena Nesnídalová, nothing else. When I went to the library in New York and looked up autism, the librarian guided me and said, „Here you go.“ And there were whole shelves of different books on autism. Of course, that intrigued me, and because I like innovation and challenges, I thought that’s what I wanted to pursue. So I joined the SPC, where I picked up some basics, got a little bit of a sense for it, but within a couple of years it started feeling narrow. I was bound by the rules and the workload, some grants were not available to us. I felt it was time to become independent.

H: For me, the main driver was that there wasn’t a single organization here for the care of people with autism that would be founded by professionals. There was, for example, Autistik or RAIN MAN, but they were all parents organizations. SPC was just about education, it only dealt with school-age children. We wanted to start something professional-based that could provide social services for both children and adults, people with severe intellectual disabilities and people with Asperger’s syndrome.

Did you come to autism solely as part of your studies or did you have any personal experience with it?

K: I had a personal experience. My brother was born with a very severe form of autism and was diagnosed at the age of four by Dr. Nesnídalová, one of the first in the Czech Republic. I say a bit exaggeratedly that I chose the topic for my thesis out of laziness, because nothing was known about autism here, so even my opponents wouldn’t know much. But I started to enjoy it a lot, especially because I could create something.

My brother was severely autistic, with no apparent social contact, stereotypical movements, behavior requiring uneasy care, and he didn’t talk at all. He really needed a lot of support. But as time went on and I started to diagnose children with mild forms, it dawned on me that my dad had Asperger’s syndrome. So I said, „Hey, dad, you probably have Asperger’s.“ And he said, „What’s with the Asparagus thing? If I have it, I gotta tell you, people fall into two groups. Those who have autism and those who are stupid.“

H: My sophomore year in college I went to an internship at the Jan Karafiát Church Kindergarten in Prague, where they had integrated one boy with autism. His name was Pepa, and he was always strangling someone, maybe twenty times a day. He had an excellent teacher who worked well with the kids, and that’s what got me interested in the subject. I saw how to work with a child with autism, but most importantly how to work with the healthy children around him so that they accept him and are not afraid of him, and how to work with the parents of healthy children to work together on integration. I later stayed in contact with Pepa’s family as a personal assistant and I served my civilian military service as an assistant teacher in a special school where Pepa moved from kindergarten to first grade.

What was the biggest obstacle or tough reality you encountered when starting APLA?

H: For me, the start-up was interesting. At that time, you had to show a year of activity to apply for a grant. So right from the beginning we had to get paid by parents. The 350 CZK per hour we charged was quite a lot at that time, but it was still possible. It was a powerful experience for me to be able to support myself, even when I left the state organization, and then again when we got our first grant after a year.

The next one came years later, we were NAUTIS by then. In our field in working with people with autism, everything used to be compared to Bohnice (the most known psychiatric clinic in Czechia). We tried to do something different. Whoever started to do something new successfully was better than Bohnice. But as new small organizations were created, I heard several times, „We are better than NAUTIS.“ And they really were, because they were doing it much more intensively and with much better quality than we were in the moloch we grew into. That was the unpleasant clash with reality.

K: I remember going around to schools looking for the first enthusiasts who wanted to teach children with autism. There was always one or two and they were up against the rest of the teachers who said that was bullshit, that they all had intellectual disabilities and were just mentally retarded. It still sticks to this day: „Thor came, she found four kids with autism, she always finds them like that.“ It’s still seen as a fashionable diagnosis and that it’s one child in ten thousand. Clear-cut cases or people with intellectual disabilities are no longer being questioned, but people with above-average intellect, girls or adults, still are. They keep hearing from some „experts“ that this is part of their personality disorder, that autism is a rare thing that they are not entitled to in adulthood. But it is important for people to know their diagnosis. They want to know why they are different and how they should work with themselves.

The big conflict then was with how the organization has grown, and this happens to all organizations, whether for-profit or non-profit. When they grow to some level, it’s time for some corporate processes to be implemented. I find that very painful.

How and why did APLA become NAUTIS?

H: After the change in the Czech civil code, we had to change our form from a civic association to a registered institute, so we thought about changing our name. There were cases, like the special needs home, when officials wondered why we were applying for a national grant when we were called APLA Prague. At that time, we were divided into separate organizations – APLA Prague, APLA South Moravia, APLA East Bohemia and so on. So we figured that the name National Institute for Autism would be more likely to suggest to an official who makes decisions about funding but doesn’t know exactly what the organization does that we provide nationwide services.

Where are you now and what are your next steps?

H: We are at full capacity. Every now and then a centre, be it therapeutic, personal assistance or diagnostic, announces a stop state and people have to wait. We are trying to provide quality services, but we are not able to provide them in the quantity that would be needed, and it’s hard for us to accept that. We have grown rapidly and have gone from four employees to some 350, but the organization hasn’t become more robust, so now we will need some time to stabilize.

K: We definitely need to solidify the organization. It’s important to expand administrative positions and set up processes, management. These things are often kind of not counted on in the nonprofit sector. But if you have a company with 350 people, you can’t do without an HR person or a good IT department, because if you want to provide a good service, you also need new technology and care for your employees. We don’t have that yet and it’s starting to affect our work life a lot.

What are the biggest myths or misunderstandings around autism that you face?

H: In residential social services, I keep hearing: „He’s autistic, so he doesn’t want relationships.“ The vast majority of people with autism want relationships, they just fail at them on a regular basis. That’s why they shut down and pretend they don’t really want them anymore. But when they are offered a relationship acceptable to them, they are very happy to reciprocate. I say to the staff: „Slow down, he’s interested in relationships, he just can’t make them.“

K: I always say the myth of the one symptom. Someone may say „he looks into your eyes, so he doesn’t have autism“ or „he doesn’t have encyclopedic interests, so he doesn’t have autism.“ But autism is always about some sum of impairments and specific manifestations, there have to be more. People have a stereotypical idea of what a person with autism looks like. Sometimes even professionals slip into that. Someone might go to a specialist and ask, „Could my child have autism?“ And he says: „It can’t because it made contact with you, brought you something to show you, looked in your eyes.“ But the diagnostic is not that simple. There is no one sub-symptom that is 100% indicative of autism.

Another myth, for example, is that people with autism lack empathy. They often don’t read a situation well, especially a complex one, but when they do understand the situation, they have feelings just like everyone else and can be very sympathetic, sometimes even showing hyperempathy. They also sympathize with animals, sometimes even with inanimate objects.

H: One more myth is very dangerous. It’s often assumed that medication is an integral part of therapy for care-intensive behaviors. That medication has to be there at all costs. Of course, for anxiety or depression, medication is a great thing, but if the person is maybe just angry because they’re dealing with some relationship stuff, then medication is often unnecessary.

K: Even if he or she has anxiety and depression, the first step should still be therapy or some sort of regimen, and only when that doesn’t work should the choice of medication come in. Then a combination of psychotherapy and medication is best.

Is the lack of some ability always compensated for by the fact that other abilities are above average, such as mathematical abilities? This is a pretty common image of autistic people in the media and movies.

K: A lot of people with autism are very turned on by this, they say: „I went to a school where they said ‚you’re diagnosed with autism but you’re not gifted at maths, so you probably don’t have it'“ That’s nonsense, of course. There are some people who incline towards maths, others towards languages or arts. That is why we should not fall for the stereotypical image of a person with Asperger’s syndrome who is always an IT specialist or a mathematician. People with autism very often do not have any significant talents.

H: When children with Asperger’s syndrome came to me for therapy who also had some „exceptional skills,“ it was often along the lines of the child knowing all the subway stations in Paris or the departures of trains on some timetable. There are factors other than giftedness involved in these skills. For example, the fact that they have no friends or that they enjoy something a lot allows them to devote a lot of time to a particular area. It is an exceptional skill, but it is not a giftedness in the true sense of the word.

K: I think we’re not talking about causality, we’re talking about correlation. Among gifted people who have IQ really in the highest percentile, there are very often people with Asperger’s syndrome. Uneven development of neural networks in the brain is typical of autism and may be related to specific giftedness. But again, we are talking about a very small sample of people. Many more people with Asperger’s syndrome have average or even below average IQ, which in no way means that they cannot be happy in life or cannot do well in the labour market.

H: For me, the success rate and the satisfaction rate is interesting. We have a lot of people with Asperger’s syndrome who have, for example, extreme knowledge of public transport, and at the same time, because of Asperger’s syndrome, they can’t use that public transport because they can’t stand so many people around. But it still leads to their satisfaction. They are satisfied with the learned skill alone, they don’t need to put it into practice.

Is there enough data yet to assess whether autism is on the rise or just the number of people diagnosed with autism?

K: There is some data, but we always read at the end of any report that more research is needed. You can see from the studies in the U.S. that it may be saturated now. There was a steep rise at first, then for a while it looked like autism was occurring less in immigrants, in foreign language families, simply in lower socioeconomic status environments. But as diagnostics spread to those groups, the prevalence leveled off. So the biggest increase so far is probably really due to better diagnostics and higher demand for diagnostics.

What about movies that deal with autism? I’ve been very impressed with Temple Grandin or The Accountant. Do you feel that they help with awareness and generate interest, or do you feel that they do more harm by not portraying autism quite right?

H: I think they help. I’m terribly glad that so far there hasn’t been a film made where an autistic person would be some kind of serial killer. Characters with Asperger’s syndrome are always on the side of good, for example, they are criminalists who solve a case in a novel way. Rain Man, in my opinion, helped open up social services for people with autism globally, but of course it also created an extreme shortcut that can be dangerous. An excellent film is Hors normes (The Specials). It shows what real social services look like around people with challenging behaviors. Wochenendrebellen (Weekend Rebels) is another great film for families of children with Asperger’s syndrome. It shows that child’s therapy often takes place through ‚simple living‘ rather than specific therapy sessions. That the whole family has to be involved in the therapeutic process, otherwise there is no point. Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory is also an endearing caricature of a man with Asperger’s syndrome.

K: It’s never black and white, there’s always a blemish. It’s good to remember it’s just a movie, but the opportunity to discuss around it is great. I have a number of clients who have seen The Good Doctor series about a neurosurgeon with Asperger’s. The character is obviously stereotypical in a way, just like Sheldon, but it helps a lot of people identify with him and come to believe that they can live a good life, that they can apply themselves.

Of course, these are stories that only ever show one particular form of autism. But that’s also true of a book written by a person with autism. He writes it as an account of his inner life and often slips into telling: „We autistics have it like this.“ But a lot of other autistic people don’t have it like that. So they too are creating a kind of stereotypical view by describing only their individual experience. It’s great to read the life story from the inside of a person with autism, but we have to remember that everyone is different.

We’ve already said that not everyone with autism is highly intelligent. On the other hand, it is a popular cliché among Mensans that de facto every Mensan is autistic. How true can that be?

K: To answer that well, I would need to survey the entire Mensa population. I don’t know it, but I know that I occasionally meet people with autism who are Mensa members. I think a lot of people are there looking for a social outlet. People with normal social skills have less need to join a special club, regardless of intellect. But if I have autism, and I want some organized activities, and I also have a higher intellect to boot, I’m pretty logically going to head to Mensa. Mensa isn’t actually a representative sample of people with high intellect. It’s people who were eager to find out if they had a high IQ, and signed up for Mensa after passing the test.

H: I would like to add one interesting experience of a colleague who has long been working to get companies to hire people with Asperger’s syndrome. In the beginning, companies give them a lot of support so that a person with Asperger’s can work well for them. But then, sometimes, the colleague comes in for a consultation, say, six months later, and the company says, „We’ve discovered that everyone is a bit autistic.“ That’s a precursor to that two or three months later they stop giving specific support to that person with Asperger’s syndrome, and than he or she stops doing well in the company.

One of the goals of Mensa is to identify and support gifted kids, and the typical barrier is even recognizing that it’s worth thinking about. Is there a similar problem with autism, for example, in the milder forms, that no one thinks about diagnosing the child and then because of that they may lose the opportunity to deal with it?

K: A child with Asperger’s syndrome can be gifted, and sometimes it happens that giftedness is the first diagnosis, not autism. So then we develop the giftedness in some way, but the impairments are not treated, and that’s a shame. I also sometimes encounter children who don’t want to be considered gifted. It needs to be handled very carefully, taking the giftedness into account, but not imposing special treatment on them. It’s better to just offer it and co-create opportunities to use the gift.

So when we discover giftedness, should we also consider diagnosing those weaknesses?

K: Yes, a gifted child can have ADHD or be dyslexic. If they have weak social skills, they may be autistic. It’s often taken to mean that gifted children don’t socialize as much, don’t have as many friends, because as smart as they are, they don’t share the same interests with other children. But no one asks: „Do they understand those social skills at least at the level of their chronological age?“ At our information portal, autismport.cz, one can take a screening test to see if they should also consider autism.

H: That’s also a myth, that if a child is very smart, they don’t get along with their classmates because others are stupid to them, and that’s why they actually fail in relationships. It’s not like that. They usually fail in relationships when autism is involved. In schools it happened to me a couple of times that the teacher said, „This kid doesn’t have Asperger’s, everyone thinks he/she does, but he/she doesn’t. He/she is just smart and that’s why he/she doesn’t want to make friends.“ But the kid clearly had Asperger’s.

K: Of course we’re talking about a spectrum. There are gifted kids who don’t fall under autism, but they still can have weaker social skills. They can also be introverted or have deeper non-social interests. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re autistic.

Is there an attempt to rate autism with a numerical scale, or is it much more complex?

K: Autism probably has very diverse genetic causes and that also gives rise to different behavioral patterns and clusters of different types of impairments. That’s what we’re working on now, to generate some subtypes of impairments and behavior patterns that would form subtypes of autism. There are about 6,500 variations of what autism can look like. We are all different from each other, we all have different personality traits. So, of course, people with autism also have different personalities and that makes them different from each other.

H: When we started, there used to be a division of autism into mild, moderate, severe, high-functioning, moderate functioning, low functioning, but I think that’s not used anymore.

K: The current emphasis is on the level of support that the person needs. If they have a developmental speech disorder, if they have a developmental intellectual disability, what level of support they need in everyday life. There are three levels – requiring support, requiring substantial support and requiring very substantial support.

What did you want to be as a child and how satisfied are you with what you’re doing now?

H: I wanted to be a pilot all my life. I even went to the Czech Technical University and it was all about airplanes. My parents were very supportive. At the same time, my mom is a big caregiver by nature, so taking care of people has always been close to my heart. So, I moved away from a career as a pilot towards caring for people and I’m happy with that.

K: When I was a preschooler, I wanted to spin carousels. Then I wanted to be a teacher, and there was a period in high school when I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I also went to counselling and they told me that I could choose anything except for architecture. That didn’t help me much. Today I think I’m happy with psychology, I really enjoy the work and it suits me, but I could also be an investigative journalist, naturalist, ecologist, photographer or reporter. I would be happy with all of them (laughs).

Do you have any message at the end for the readers of this interview?

H: I’ll use the words of my dad, who told me these two life wisdoms that have stayed in my head. It is important to create, not to destroy. He always told me that creating something is terribly important. And the second was that any jerk can break up a relationship. He said, „Look, I’ve been in a relationship with your mom for fifty-five years and give me a fortnight and I’ll tear it all down easily. But maintaining quality relationships, that’s really a job.“ Maintaining good relationships is important not only for people with autism, and it doesn’t just happen on its own.

K: I not a fan of such messages. They’re too universal recipes for my nature. Perhaps that humanity is about caring not only for ourselves, but for others as well. The strength of a person is not in selfishness, but in the ability to see others, to help when we can, and to be supportive where it is needed. But caring for others does not mean sacrificing ourselves – we must balance what we give with what we need.

NAUTIS websites:

NAUTIS: nautis.cz

Osvětový portál: autismport.cz

Websites of the mentioned associations:

Autistik: autistik.eu

RAIN MAN: rain-man.cz

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

I think one does not become a mensanthropist to become a mensanthropist. It just somehow comes out of how he lives and what he considers his life mission. And how can we help humanity more effectively than by inspiring others to do the same? That is why I have dedicated the next part of my series to a man who, although he has only been in the world for 32 years and a Mensan for only a short while so far, has already managed to start several activities in very different fields, all with the aim to inspire.

David Ježek was born in 1992 and despite praying for the abolition of compulsory military service during his childhood, he joined the army at the age of 25, completed a mission in Afghanistan, a walking pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, a stay in the dark, a CZECHMAN sports competition, wrote a book and published a podcast (not only) about philosophy…

David, who are you? Where did you come from? What has your life been like from birth to now?

I was born in Prague but moved to Tábor due to family reasons. I grew up there from seven to eighteen and studied physical education and sport at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. After graduating, I returned to Prague to study for a master’s degree at the Charles University’s Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, where I’m currently working on my rigorosis procedures. I also study at the University of Moravská Třebová in population protection.

As for the army, I would like to tell a heartwarming story about my dad, my grandfather, and my grandfather’s dad being soldiers and everything leading me up to that, but the reality is quite the opposite. When I was a kid, I even went to church and prayed for the mandatory military service to be abolished. It was more of a coincidence that a friend asked me right when I felt I needed a change in my life.

Joining the army really did change my life completely. Until then, I was the master of my time. I trained clients, taught school, and occasionally went to the pool to get a tan as a lifeguard. As a trainer, I was basically the one „hazing“ others, and suddenly the tables were turned. People who didn’t even know who I was started yelling at me for having my blouse buttoned wrong, being a minute late, that sort of thing. That was a big change.

During my military career, I also started new projects. I began writing a book. I’m involved in snowboarding as a referee at the highest level. I’m involved in charity events. And my new podcast takes up a significant portion of my time.

I started the podcast mainly because some of the topics I cover there are my future degree exam questions. So I figured that developing a script for the topic and learning to talk about it is probably the best possible preparation. And if it interests me, because I like to listen to this stuff in the car, for example, it might interest someone else as well. I’m not paying for any advertising to promote it. It exists primarily for my own purposes. And if somebody’s interested in it, that’s a bonus.

You say one question got you into the army. What was the magic question?

A milestone for me in my student days was the movie Yes Man with Jim Carrey. I wasn’t really going anywhere at the time, I was more of an introvert. But after seeing that movie, I started to be a little more outgoing. I started answering yes to questions and challenges more often. So when a friend asked me, „Do you want to join the army with me?“, I said, „Okay.“

His reason to do it was the same as mine. He needed a change. He was a classmate of mine both in České Budějovice and at the follow-up studies in Prague. I describe him as Štěpánka in my book and he is actually my best friend. We went on the same tour, together we completed the basic training course and the selection process for the paratroopers in Chrudim. Actually, even during the mission we lived across the street from each other, so from then on we were together practically every day.

What led you to the need for change?

I was working as a trainer in five or six different fitness centers, and I was actually running everything myself the whole time. In a way, it was great because I was doing sports from morning to night. On top of that, I was teaching at a school and after a while it started to wear me out. I realized that I had practically no free time and I didn’t even enjoy sports that much anymore.

What sports did you enjoy the most as a child?

I went to Sokol regularly. I probably tried every sport that exists in some way. It was ice hockey, volleyball, basketball, I also played football for a long time, almost at a professional level. The other dominant sport for me was floorball. I think I got a movement base for virtually every sport thanks to Sokol. That versatility helped me a lot to handle gym school better than my classmates who maybe did one sport at the top but were great in only one area, whereas for this kind of school you need to be proficient in all areas.

Have you ever been tempted by IRONMAN?

IRONMAN tempts me. This year I completed Czechman. I wasn’t tempted before, but I was starting to feel that I should try it, especially since I bragged everywhere that I’m an all-around athlete. So I started a two-month training and when I accomplished my goal, I figured that sometime in the future I should probably do Ironman as well.

How does Mensa fit into all of this? And what made you take the IQ test?

I’m sure no one ever led me to it, but I always did well on these types of tests in school. IQ tests are part of the military entrance exam. In Chrudim, which is a selective service, it’s even a bit harder than just „getting into the army“. So I thought it would be nice to take the official Mensa test as well, to see where I stood. I always wondered if I was weird or if I was smart. And Mensa told me that I might be weird, but in terms of IQ, it wouldn’t be bad… [laughs]

What convinced you to become a member of Mensa? Or did nothing have to convince you?

Nothing had to convince me. I do a lot of things because they suddenly start coming to me. For example, it happened to me that within two or three months, five people who didn’t know each other started casually telling me to try Mensa. That’s actually how it came to me.

What does it actually look like in real life with free time in the military? Someone may feel that the army will line up 100 percent of what they do, but to me it feels like it opened the door to those other activities for you because you do a lot. Where do you find room for that?

It’s certainly not as easy as it seems. One of the milestones for me was when I started to feel like I was getting stupid in the military. I’d start a conversation with someone, and a lot of times I didn’t know how to finish a sentence. Especially in the beginning, when all I had to do was acknowledge orders.

A soldier is just given a task and he has to do it. He doesn’t have to think about why he has to do it. Suddenly I was beginning to feel like I was almost stuttering when I wanted to say something. So I started reading a lot more and went back to studying. Then the preparation for Afghanistan started and I told myself that if I come back alive I will completely change my life and the first thing I will do will be to finish my master’s degree.

Fortunately, I came back, started preparing for my state exams and found that I was having a terrible time learning again. So I started to go to another school and do this bunch of projects. But it cost me having virtually no free time. I’m constantly having to organize something. For example, I’m also the president of the Czech Footbag Association, and now we want to organize the World Championships in the Czech Republic in two years. So I’m constantly doing something, but it actually came about after my return from Afghanistan.

What were your feelings about going on the mission?

They say a soldier doesn’t count on a mission until he’s actually there. We had it set up so that until we were on the plane, we were counting on that something could change. When it was getting close, a week before departure, my procrastination kicked in a little bit. Instead of writing my will in time, I ended up turning on my camera and shooting my farewell videos just a few hours before departure.

Emotionally it was a strange time, in a way I was looking forward to it, but of course I was also a bit scared, I was full of expectations and I didn’t know how to say goodbye to someone. My head was always set in such a way that nothing could happen, but I had to take into account that several colleagues had already died there, I even knew some of them.

I certainly had a healthy respect for what was to come. My book begins with a foreword, which is actually a transcript of a video I made of myself saying goodbye to life in case I never came back. This video would then go to my family and loved ones. I even shed a tear during the video, it was hard to imagine that I had died.

You mentioned that you were going to three schools at once. One is the master’s at the sport faculty, what are the other two about?

One is the rigorosis procedure at Charles University. That’s focused on philosophy. And then an electromechanic in Chrudim. Basically, something from every drawer. Actually, one secondary school, one post-secondary vocational school and one university. I’m trying to be kind of multitalented.

Do you think there can still be such a thing as a polyglot these days, that the human capacity is still sufficient?

I’m trying to prove that it’s possible, but sometimes I feel like it’s not. [Laughs] The truth is that the level in many areas is so high that if you want to be the best at something, you have to give it your full attention. My variety of activities comes from the fact that I always say, „You should do what makes you happy.“

What kind of projects do you do and what do you try to achieve with them? If your life were to end, what would you consider to be your greatest achievement right now that has fulfilled its purpose?

I consider my purpose to be that an outsider’s view of my life can inspire other people. Let’s say to work on their personal development, whether in terms of physical activity, spiritual or intellectual. What I consider as a proof that I am doing it right, and the reason why I believe in it and still continue to do it, is how many times I have had someone tell me that they have changed their life because of me, that they have started studying, for example. It’s always so nice to get feedback that just me doing what I enjoy can influence someone else.

I enjoy helping. As an example, all the profits from my book go to the solidarity fund. I don’t do podcasts to get famous. I do not just cover philosophical topics, I also discuss the lives of philosophers in a way that’s entertaining and helps students in schools. I’m not trying to tell people what’s right, but rather just to show a different point of view. I often try to get others involved in the philosophical questions, to write in their opinion. It’s a great feeling when I make someone think more about their life.

When you’re learning, does it take away energy, add energy, or is it balanced?

It’s a bit draining at first, but once I get into the flow, it’s like a burst of energy!

So it’s the podcast, the book, what’s next?

Then it’s the presidency of the footbag association. It’s a sport we’ve been trying to keep in the Czech Republic for a while. It has two branches – freestyle and footbag net. Freestyle is played with hacky-sack, where people kick it and do different tricks. Czechia is very successful in this sport. We also have world champions. It can be described in layman’s terms as kicking a small ball over a badminton net, while the ball must not fall to the ground.

I was also involved with the Arditi Scout troop for a while, but I had to leave that because I couldn’t manage the time anymore. It is run by soldiers from Chrudim in their spare time, basically trying to take the kids out and teach them how it used to be done. So they don’t look at their cell phones and play computer games. They just drag them off into the woods, teach them how to make fires and stuff.

And then the snowboarding. It takes me practically every weekend during the season. Just the preparation, like the international training in Warsaw. The sport is always moving on. For example, what was enough for an Olympic gold medal in 1998 might not even be enough to qualify in the junior categories today.

Where did the philosophy come from?

I wasn’t into philosophy before. When we had it at school, it was always lectured by an older gentleman who spoke in a monotone. I often fell asleep in those classes. But then I got into it on my own, based on my inner workings. I began to read about philosophy, I bought various philosophical publications, and suddenly found it quite beautiful.

It is a pity that it is often presented to students in an incomprehensible form, using complicated foreign expressions that students do not understand. The whole point of philosophy is to explore, but students often don’t even get to that point because they stop enjoying it before they begin to understand it. Schools teach history of philosophy. We just learn how it was, but the teachers don’t really teach us to philosophize.

Sometimes, even in the army, I think about everything. I try to figure things out so that maybe they can be done in a more meaningful way, because often something is being done just because it’s the way it’s always been done.

What are the chances of pushing a change through if you think of a better way?

Aleš Opata’s book Sám nejsi nic (You Are Nothing Alone) describes it beautifully. He tells us that when he took over as Chief of the General Staff, he had several projects he wanted to implement to move the army forward. But over time he was happy to push one or two through. It’s the same with me. However, I feel and believe that things are turning for the better and visionaries and people who are trying to change things for the better are getting their say.

What are you reading right now?

Three books at the moment, but I’m probably most focused on the philosophical novel Flock Without Birds by Filip Doušek. It’s not a light-hearted book, but the concept of how Filip has taken the work itself is fascinating. Another one is The Forest Within by Alena Mornštajnová. And then there’s Aristotle for the podcast episodes.

Do you read fiction as well?

Of course I do. I’m very fond of historical fiction. I’ve never been into history, but the saga Rytíři z Vřesova (The Knights of Vřesov) by František Niedl is my favourite. I also like fantasy. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, for example. But I don’t have a set genre, I’m happy to read anything.

As for podcasts, do you want to reveal what we can look forward to in the next series?

The second series of the podcast will end in mid-December 2024. When it’s over, I’ll do an analysis and recap of what drove the most interest. Anyway, in the next series, I will definitely focus on the Olympics, both Pierre de Coubertin and the Olympic idea itself. I have interviews with athletes lined up, but the main climax of the interviews will be tied around the military, philosophy, sociology and faith. For the moment, however, I will keep it shrouded in mystery.

What would you like to inspire Mensans to do? What could they do to make their lives more meaningful?

I guess it would tie back to how I try to live in such a way that I inspire someone so that they can inspire someone else. When I mention the various Mensa meetings somewhere, or that I’ve been to Switzerland where we visited CERN, the general public often think of Mensans as these weirdos who have no sense of humor. And that’s a great pity. Every time I met someone from Mensa, they were entertaining people.

What other Mensa events besides the trip did you participate in? What would be worth publicizing more?

I like just this interview we had, and the magazine itself, the way it’s designed. It often highlights interesting personalities and interesting people. I also like the cohesion of Mensans, that they meet regularly. It’s often to one’s advantage to bring in someone else who is not a Mensa member. I think it’s great that it’s not some closed elite. Personally, I miss more activities that would be purely focused on sports, there aren’t that many of those.

Have you considered kicking it off yourself and organising something?

I’ve even had the form open do an activity, but as I have a lot of projects it’s hard to fit it all together. It’s hard to plan something a month in advance because there might be a military event I have to go to. I don’t like it myself when someone plans or promises something and then cancels it at the last minute. But I believe I will organize a sporting event sooner or later.

What would you like to say to the Mensans in conclusion?

Think about what really makes you happy. What is the meaning of our lives. Because even just thinking about such questions can make our lives better.

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

Twenty-four is a number with a special meaning for me, so I decided to dedicate the twenty-fourth installment of this series to the man who is actually indirectly responsible for its very existence. Victor Serebriakoff is known as the man who saved Mensa from extinction, built it into what we know it as today, and pushed today’s first goal into its constitution – the one that inspired me for the name Mensanthropist.

Where did Victor Serebriakoff come from?

There is quite a bit of information available about most of what Serebriakoff did in and for Mensa. Partly because he wrote two books about it himself. The first one was published in January 1966. The second appeared initially in January 1985 in the UK with a foreword by Sir Clive Sinclair, and then a year later in the US with a foreword by Isaac Asimov.

Information about Victor’s life outside Mensa has been harder to come by, so I’m glad I’ve been able to talk or write to a few people who knew him personally. The family history website (serebriakoff.net), written and maintained by Victor’s son Mark, was also a helpful resource to me.

Victor’s father, Vladimir, was the son of a Russian Naval officer who emigrated in 1888. He was born in Geneva, grew up partly in Paris and partly in London, where he married Ethel Graham in 1912. The same year their son Victor was born. Victor had 6 younger siblings, Katherine, Mavis, Dorothy, John, Dora and Barbara.

There are also various rumours and fictions running around from Victor’s childhood. For example, one Korean author says in his book how Victor’s mother took Victor to the doctor because he was stupid and couldn’t do anything, and to prove he wasn’t stupid he completed the Rubik’s cube in a few seconds. In fact, Ernő Rubik did not create his puzzle until 1974, when Victor was 62 years old. Victor was actually considered more of a nerd by his classmates. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune in 1986, he said: “I was chased home from school every day because I was the kid who put his hand up at every question. The teachers liked me all right, but the other kids didn’t.”

From labourer to theatre, from theatre to army

He dropped out of school and started working first as a sales clerk in a timber company. During the depression, he traded manual work for unemployment several times and became interested in politics. He joined the Labour Party and in the factory where he was working he joined a group trying to form a union. He writes he was then cured of his left-wing views for good during the war by the announcement of a pact between the Soviets and the Nazis.

While working as a labourer in a cable factory, he began to come up with ideas on how to do things better, but encountered reluctance from his superiors to change established practices. In his diary, which he kept from December 1935 to May 1936, there is an account of how “foreman gave him a job to cut wedges, and he came back half a day later with it all done. The foreman couldn’t understand how he’d done it so quickly. After revealing he’d found a better way to do the cutting, the response of the foreman was to do it the proper way next time.”

That may be why he got involved in amateur dramatics in his spare time. His creativity just wanted to get out. His involvement started with putting on little shows for the other workers in the factory. Later he joined several theatre groups and even wrote his own plays. He wrote of himself that he “was reading Freud, Jung, and Adler, and made a decision that he did not want to be an introvert anymore,” and that he “changed into one of the world’s most bouncing extroverts.”

When the war started, his work was considered vital, so he was not called up. He said of himself that “he was doing mundane routine work cutting timber that even a retarded monkey would have been bored by.” He was so passionate about the theatre that in 1945 he joined ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association), which organised entertainment for British soldiers. This got him out of the reserved occupation and he was called up for national service on 13 March 1945. It was in the army where he was first subjected to an intelligence test with the surprising discovery that his IQ was above average. He joined the army at the very end of World War II, having his training completed just in time for the victory parade.

After leaving the service in 1947, he was given the choice of a career as an actor, a university degree for ex-soldiers, or a “vaguely managerial position” in a newly established timber company. He chose timber and within a year was managing the company.

Father of two, stepfather of Mensa

Shortly after beginning a successful career as a sawmill manager, Serebriakoff got married, bought a house, and in 1949 his son Mark was born. In the same year, his wife Mary alerted him to a newspaper advertisement promoting a society for highly intelligent people called Mensa. “She was doing that mainly to get him out of the house, to get him out from under her feet,” Mark believes. Victor initially thought it was a scam, but was convinced and replied to the advert with a letter. He writes how it went in his book:

“Roland Berrill’s prompt reply to my letter brought a ‘preliminary’ home IQ Test. If I did well enough on this I was to be summoned for further examination. I did the test and sent it back. Berrill’s autocratic reply firmly announced that I had ‘cleared the bar at the arbitrary height at which we have pegged it, with sufficient daylight to spare, that we can accept you on the preliminary test alone without more ado.’”

It was Berrill who founded Mensa three years earlier, the idea for which was supposedly suggested to him by Dr. Lancelot Lionel Ware on a train one day. He is now officially listed as a co-founder. Berrill wanted to build an elite aristocratic-style organisation with a maximum of 600 members, providing advisory to government officials.

Victor had his first personal encounter with Mensa a year later: “My first really intoxicating injection of the Mensa drug did not occur until many months later after reading the curiously compelling, autocratic instruction in a later edition of the Mensa Quarterly. We were all to sleep under the same roof at the Charing Cross Hotel on the Saturday 4 November 1950. I was summoned to the Presence. Resist I could not.”

This was less than a month after the birth of his daughter Judith. Mary’s idea to get Victor out of the house started to work. His first impression of the encounter was not unlike what many Mensans had experienced:

“For the first time in my life I was able to talk in a completely uninhibited way: argument, discussion, dispute, contestation, all going forward in a suave and civilised way.”

Sadly, Mary was diagnosed with cancer shortly afterwards, from which she died in 1952. And while Mary was dying, Mensa membership went from ten to five. Roland Berrill, as founder, could not agree with the recruited members on where the organization should go. The hospital recommended the newly widowed Victor to a “lady almoner” for help. This turned out to be Winifred Rouse, whom, coincidentally, Victor already knew from Mensa meetings. In the aristocratic version of the organization, she even held the position of “Corps d’Esprit” at that time, a kind of formal queen, one of Berrill’s ideas… Victor and Win became close and soon married.

Mark and Judith lived with their grandmother, Mary’s mother, from the time of Mary’s death until 1957, and only rarely saw their father. “I think we saw him maybe once or twice a year, no more than that,” Mark recalls. This gave Victor plenty of time to devote to Mensa in addition to his work. He couldn’t save Mary, so he saved Mensa.

Ray Ward told me: “He’s credited with saving Mensa when it effectively fell to about four members… What the actual paid up membership of Mensa was at that time, the early 1950s, nobody knows because the membership records are lost. [It was 120 according to Victor’s book.] But the only regular Mensa event was a dinner at a restaurant in Soho attended by the secretary Joe Wilson, his twin brother George and Victor and his wife Win. And for several consecutive months, they were the only attenders. Joe Wilson said, this isn’t really an organization or a club or a society. We’re just four friends who enjoy dining together. And Victor said, that’s a pity. He officially became joint secretary with Joe Wilson, but in fact, almost from that moment on, Joe Wilson dropped out, and Victor was left running Mensa, which he did with great enthusiasm and enormous energy.”

Perhaps because Mark was only 3 when he and his sister moved to live with their grandparents, he didn’t miss his parents: “It felt normal to a child. I just didn’t understand the significance of what had happened. Grandma and granddad fulfilled the role of parents.” But Victor didn’t slack off, even when he and Win took the children in five years later.

“Disciplining of me and my sister was mainly done by Win. I mean, Mensa was like an older brother taking more time away from me and my sister. Mensa was something that really occupied him quite a lot. He was quite involved in business, then he would come home and do Mensa stuff, and then he was writing books. I just accepted things as normal because I had no other comparison to it,” Mark continues.

But that doesn’t mean that Victor would shut himself up at home and the children wouldn’t see him: “Great thing that we benefited from as children was that he had all sorts of people coming to dinner. There would be quite intense conversations at the dinner table, when he invited guests like Clive Sinclair or Christopher Frost. That was quite beneficial to see all these intelligent people and hear their conversations, not everyone gets the privilege to hear that sort of thing.”

Building Mensa

When Serebriakoff took over the running of Mensa from Wilson, his main goal, which remains a measure of Mensa’s success to this day, was to grow the membership base. He did not share Berrill’s idea that it should be restricted by the number 600, nor that it should remain just a local British organisation. As Therese Moodie-Bloom writes in the September 2013 Mensa World Journal, “Victor Serebriakoff used to speak of his golden vision of Mensa as a global village.”

One of the obstacles to Mensa’s growth has been a disagreement among its members. According to Mark, “He knew that you get two Mensa members together and you’ve got three opinions.” Victor himself writes in his book about Mensa: “Mensa is the living proof that, contrary to the adage, great minds (or at any rate bright minds), think unlike. The result of applying intelligence to an unsettled or controversial problem is the reverse. There are more and not fewer different opinions, less not more agreement.”

Victor solved it with the rule that Mensa as such has no opinion: “I dropped all mention of the possibility of being a Think Tank to advise the authorities and, remembering Berrill’s mistake in muddling his own and Mensa opinion in public, emphasised strongly that Mensa was impartial, uncommitted, and disinterested. Mensa was to be an agora, a forum for the exploration of opinions, not a pressure group with its own opinions or collective aims. This has remained our hidden strength through the years.”

He also came up with a new way of promotion. Instead of promoting Mensa as such, he published advertisements in more serious newspapers, offering people the opportunity to test their intelligence, without specifying why. “I remembered my motivation in my own application and guessed that people would be curious to know their IQ.” Later he became even more successful in publishing simplified IQ tests or various puzzles.

Back home in London, he began to organise discussion evenings known as “Think-Ins”, which were very popular. The format of the meetings was that “a distinguished speaker makes a speech on some speculative or controversial topic and this is followed by an hour and a half of discussion to which everyone is encouraged to contribute. The best of these are marvellous with lots of wit and clever joking, as well as serious, thoughtful talk. Even the worst are not bad.”

At the 1956 annual meeting, democracy was established and Victor was elected the first president. In the 1960s, Mensa International was officially founded and Victor, on his travels around the world, began to promote the establishment of local national Mensas. One of the first was American Mensa, where he completed several series of interviews for newspapers and television stations.

In 1967, in Switzerland, Victor met a tiny little priest, “one of the two or three members Mensa International had in Sicily at that time.” This personal encounter was to prove influential for both Victor and Mensa. Fabio Marcedone, who met the priest in person many times, writes: “Don Calogero told Mr. Serebriakoff that Mensa should not only collect and connect intelligent members, but should also foster giftedness for the general benefit of humanity. Why couldn’t Mensa raise its own pupils? As a demonstration of what could be done, he built and ran a special ‘Village’ for gifted children.”

Victor was so impressed by the idea that he had Don Calogero personally present it at the next IGC (International General Committee) meeting in Lugano, and it was accepted by a large majority as the third, now first, aim of Mensa. Until then, Mensa’s first constitution of 1964 stated only two purposes: research on intelligence in psychology and in social sciences, and the opportunity for social contacts between its members. This new aim began a new chapter for Mensa, with a strong focus on identifying intelligence soon enough to foster it as much as possible.

For the rest of his life, Victor was totally committed to Mensa and its mission. He never gave up, even when people were throwing a wrench into his works. The following memoir by Isaac Asimov is a good example of Victor’s tenacity:

“As time passed, I moved to New York in 1970, and in 1972, Victor Serebriakoff visited New York and demanded to meet me for some nefarious reason of his own. (He’s never had an un-nefarious reason in his life.) I was not proof against the imperious summons. There I was staring at this five-foot-five fellow with a seven-foot-seven charisma. ‘Why,’ he demanded, ‘have you allowed your Mensa membership to lapse?’ I tried to explain. He dismissed the explanation with an impatient “Tchah! (which may be Russian for ‘In your hat,’ but I’m not sure). Then he said, ‘Just renew your membership.’ I demurred (more Mensa talk).

‘You might as well,’ he said, with a Serebriakoffian snarl, because if you don’t, I’ll pay your dues for you and we’ll list you as a member, anyway.’”

Timber innovations

In the timber industry, Victor soon became known as an innovator in woodworking technology. For example, he invented a machine for automatically grading timber according to strength. Mark writes on the family website: “His principal development was the automatic grading of timber for strength, which allowed for the more efficient structural use of timber. Stress grading machines were sold world wide. Towards the end of his business life he was working on a visual timber grader. He also developed methods of finger jointing structural timber, and a saw plane, a circular saw blade that left a smooth planed surface while cutting timber. In the 1960s he led a British delegation to Russia where a conference was being held to discuss the process of metrication of the Timber trade.”

Victor has written two books about the timber industry. The first, British Sawmilling Practice, was published in 1963, and the second, promoting the introduction of the metric system, was published in 1970. He published the books under the name Victor Serry because he feared that in the post-war business and professional world, his ‘German-sounding’ surname might undermine the trust of readers.

Victor as author

In addition to woodworking, Victor has written many other books, including two on Mensa, four on intelligence and the workings of the human brain, he has not omitted even poetry. He quite regularly published also IQ tests for self-testing one’s own intelligence or the intelligence of children, and various puzzles and logic problems.

He didn’t write his books by hand or on a typewriter. “He was dictating them to a micro tape recorder, and they were written up by other people. I remember there was one young lady who did a lot of his typing at one point, while she was waiting to go to university. She was doing it in her summer break. But he would pay professional typists as well,” Mark recalls. “When personal computers became more usable he did do a lot of typing, but he also experimented with some of the early voice dictation systems.”

In addition to having a lot to write about, Victor had tremendous powers of expression. When I started reading his book “Mensa: The Society for the Highly Intelligent”, I was both amazed and embarrassed by his vocabulary and unusual turns of phrase. At first, it was a chore to read, but as I started to get into it, I enjoyed it more and more and even something as seemingly boring as the history of a non-profit organization began to be devoured as a suspenseful story.

A South African author reviewing another of his books, Russell Swanborough, had a similar feeling: “The late sci-fi author Isaac Asimov once described Victor Serebriakoff as having a ‘monstrous intelligence’. This does not mean that the reader needs the same, although the English does require a little getting used to. The author can cram more meaning into one sentence than most writers can get into a paragraph.”

Ray Ward demonstrates the depth of Victor’s language knowledge and his appreciation for a good discussion: “He regretted the way in which terms like elite and eugenics have become dirty words. I remember he used to say that, if Mensa was accused of being elitist, he’d say, thank you for the compliment. Then he’d say, do you know the definition of elite from the Oxford English Dictionary? The choice part or flower of society, or of any body or group of persons. As he said, whenever anybody says eugenics, sooner or later someone will say Hitler and all hope of rational discussion goes straight out the window.”

Mark recalls that “the work about which he felt the greatest sense of achievement is his book called ‘Brain’. In this book he sets out a theory of how the brain operates, using a poly hierarchical system of nodes that learn patterns by adjusting their sensitivity to varying input patterns. The book sets out how the poly hierarchical system could be used in organisations, where the nodes are people or units. I have been told that the ideas contained in the book were ahead of their time and that many of the points made in the book are being accepted by people working in the field now.”

The aforementioned South African reader rates the book as “a 5 star read for everyone seriously interested in the subject of information and how the brain (any brain) processes it. I have read this book twice, not because I didn’t get much out of it the first time but because I couldn’t believe how much more I could get out of it the second time. I need to read it a third time…”

Victor finished a revision of his book Brain just before his death.

But Victor didn’t create just books. In his book about Mensa, he writes: “With the help of my family and the permission of my friend, the author Ray Cattell, I wrote a program that would put a candidate through the Cattell IIA test, supervise it in a standard way and mark the test with due age allowance.”

Chris Leek also revealed to me that “in 1987 he invented a new board game called Cashword, which was a cross between Monopoly and Scrabble.”

Victor as a person

Everyone I have spoken to or who wrote about Victor describes him as someone worth spending time with. So his plan to become an extrovert seems to have worked.

Ray Ward describes him as “quite short, but one of those bubbling characters who tend to stand out in any group. But he didn’t dominate it anyway. He was always anxious that everyone who wished to speak should be free to do so. He was sometimes criticized, sometimes quite offensively, but he always remained calm and polite.”

Chris Leek said about him: “Victor was very bright. He was very forceful. He had a lot of ideas, and he would try and make them come real. He was fairly short, bearded, but came over as very impressive and interested in a lot of different topics.”

He was said to be a great storyteller and had a great sense of humor. He often made fun of himself. Later in life, for example, he liked to tell a story about how “he was going to take his car in for a repair one day. They said come back in half an hour. So he decided to take his car to a car wash before taking it back to the garage. As he was entering the car wash, he suddenly realized that the reason he was going into the garage was because the side window was stuck down and he couldn’t get it rolled up.”

To my question, whether his father ever got angry, Mark answered: “Win and Victor were both strong characters and they would have rows and they would be quite fierce. But he was a much more of a person who would have a row and then get over it and be back to normal. But I can’t say that I ever saw him angry outside the house.”

Victor Serebriakoff died after a ten-year fight against prostate cancer on Saturday, January 1, 2000. “I can’t help but feel that one of the reasons was that he decided that was a target to make it to the turn of the century.” Chris said.

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

This time I spoke with Martina Benešová-Schäfer, a nuclear chemist living in Germany, laureate of the Mensa Czechia Honorary Recognition for 2023. Martina was born in Ostrava, studied at Charles University in Prague, dedicated her doctoral thesis to Ozzy Osbourne, co-developed a groundbreaking prostate cancer drug in Germany at the age of 26, and spreads awareness of the positive aspects of radioactivity among the young and elderly across the whole Europe. What else did she tell me about herself and her work? Read on…

Martina, had you ever heard of the Mensa Czechia Honorary Recognition before you were contacted about receiving it? Or was it a completely new thing for you?

To be honest, I had some awareness through social media, but without them, I probably wouldn’t have known that any honorary recognition was being awarded. I encountered Mensa more as a child when they published various interesting puzzles and the like. I came across that, but only from a distance and indirectly. At school, we did some IQ test, but I don’t think it was an official Mensa test.

Receiving it is, of course, a great honor and privilege for me. However, when I told my family and colleagues that Mensa was giving me an award, they asked if it was in the canteen. Even some young academics thought Mensa was a canteen. [laughs]

You work in a German team. Does that mean that in German-speaking countries, the term „mensa“ is also used for a university canteen?

Indeed, the term „Mensa“ with an „s“ is used. [In Czechia the canteen is called menza…]

What do you think about Mensa as an organization?

What I like most about Mensa is that it connects people with a particular interest or taste in a specific area. I was thrilled that it supports gifted youth because youth is our future, and it’s very important that young talented people get as much support as they can. The most important thing is to support young people who want to continue their education, who are passionate, who are interested in learning and discovering new things.

You’re also not far from supporting children yourself. You’ve participated in scientific summer camps for kids. When was that, and what did this activity involve?

It started at the beginning of my university studies and continues to this day. Recently, the frequency of various days for children has increased because I mostly organize my time myself, so I try to give more space to these activities. These are mostly camps or courses in chemistry, biology, and physics. The vast majority of these courses deal with radioactivity, especially its significance, including the positive aspects. This is probably one of the most important private and professional battles for me — to somehow convey the good side of radioactivity to the general public because the bad side is mostly known.

For me, it’s important that people can form their own opinions from the other side as well. For example, in lectures for seniors, my explanations of what radioactivity is, that it’s all around us, and that we ourselves are also radioactive, have a calming effect, showing that it’s not just a threat. The beauty lies in shaping children and adolescents who are still relatively malleable while also alleviating the fear of unknown among seniors who wouldn’t otherwise get this information except from negatively biased media.

Radioactivity has been a part of your life since childhood. When did you first encounter it?

I don’t remember exactly because my dad took us to various locations when we were very young. Around the age of eight, I realized that my favorite rocks and minerals were the beautifully colored ones—yellow, green, red. When my dad explained to me that they glowed, I couldn’t grasp it. How could they glow? I couldn’t see or feel anything. But with the help of various radiation detectors, he showed me how amazing they were. And I was very fascinated by that.

Most people probably think of a Geiger counter when it comes to measuring radioactivity. Was that one of the devices your dad had?

My dad had plenty of them at home, mostly old ones. They were these heavy beasts that you had to handle carefully, or they would break. During my studies, I encountered various types of detectors, and I practically use them all the time at work. Today, for instance, I worked in a controlled area for a long time, and there I have five different ones at my disposal, three of which hang on my body.

Do you ever fear radioactivity, especially when you come into contact with higher intensities?

You must have respect for radioactivity, but not fear. That has been with me since the beginning of my studies. You have to think, be quick, and try to work in a way that minimizes risks. But fear only leads to mistakes and problems. Personally, fascination helps me overcome fear. But of course, I have great respect.

What do you think about activities like tours to Chernobyl? Have you ever been there?

I’ve always wanted to visit Chernobyl, mainly to see if the images from photographs match reality, because firsthand experience is often different. The smell, the feeling, you can’t convey that. Everyone has to experience it themselves. Unfortunately, due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, that probably won’t be possible for a long time, which I’m very sorry about.

However, my wish to visit Chernobyl is probably a bit different from most others. For me, it’s primarily gratitude for the level of radiation protection we have, how thoroughly developed the procedures for our work are. The Chernobyl disaster occurred mainly because the rules weren’t respected, and the operators didn’t fully understand what could happen.

Radioactivity has fascinated humanity since Madame Curie discovered it. It has even made its way into many American comics. But I was struck by a documentary about Chernobyl, where it was mentioned that several of the most affected people might have survived to this day. What do you think about how the human body sometimes adapts to extremely harsh conditions?

I have to say, Curie was also an amazing woman because it was found that the doses of radioactivity she was exposed to would not have been survivable by a normal, untrained individual. It is possible to develop resistance to radioactivity. Some individuals are more resistant than others, and for example, bats can tolerate much more radioactivity than humans, while goats can’t handle much at all. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the Radium Girls — they were workers in the United States in the 1920s who painted watch dials with radioactive paint. They licked the brushes while working, and then their lower jaws would fall out, and so on. Even more fascinating is the dose of radioactivity that cancer patients undergoing treatment can endure. It’s all about risk and probability, and that’s how it should be viewed. There are many different factors at play. The discovery of radioactivity is relatively recent, and nuclear medicine was not officially recognized as a medical field until the 1970s, so we are still in the early stages.

What was your path to what you do?

At first, it looked like I would continue studying geology or mineralogy like my dad and brother. But when I was deciding where to apply after high school, I thought it would be good to take a risk, learn something new, and take on a bit of a challenge. I already knew mineralogy and geology; they will always be my hobby. So, I initially chose general chemistry for my bachelor’s. And when I found out that we had nuclear chemistry as a follow-up master’s program, I knew that was exactly it.

How does Ozzy Osbourne fit into all this?

Ozzy Osbourne is my resilience. [laughs] My dad played a role there too. He had a big amplifier and played us various music. As a little girl, I liked the album Ozzmosis the most, and Ozzy has accompanied me from childhood through studies to work, which, of course, continues to this day. During my doctoral studies, he helped me regenerate and gain the strength to keep going, so I dedicated my doctoral thesis to Ozzy. The topic of that work was the development, design, and synthesis of ligands that can be used for the diagnosis and therapy of prostate cancer.

In a lecture in Prague, you mentioned that your favorite radionuclides are alpha emitters. What attracted you to them?

What I like most about them is that they are practically the most powerful radionuclides that can be used in patient therapy. So they are truly bombs. Although it doesn’t sound entirely positive, especially in medicine. The incredible power of this type of radionuclide is one of the main reasons I believe in them and why my research group focuses on developing new radiopharmaceuticals with them for other types of cancer. One must focus on how much force should be used to crack a nut—whether to go straight for the sledgehammer or not. I mainly focus on the terminal stages of various types of cancer, so I believe it’s best to go straight for the sledgehammer.

How long do you think it will take before this approach is applied in medicine? Usually, the less effective methods are tried first, and only then are the more effective ones allowed, often when it’s too late.

That’s true. But it also depends on how it’s balanced because when we go with maximum force, we naturally risk certain side effects. That’s why it’s very important to first understand the full functionality of these alpha emitters before we start using them routinely. Another limitation is that very few of these alpha emitters are produced worldwide. Moreover, the largest supply of really amazing pure actinium, which is one of these alpha emitters and comes from nuclear bomb tests, comes from Russia. Since the conflict in Ukraine began, this alpha emitter has, of course, no longer been imported into Europe, which has greatly affected the potential treatment of various cancer patients. That’s a connection I had never realized before.

People say that you invented that drug. But then there are people who say: „She didn’t invent it; the team invented it, and she just presents it publicly.“ So how does team research actually work?

It’s impossible without a team, and anyone who says otherwise, hats off to them. For example, our focus is extremely interdisciplinary, requiring specialists from various fields of chemistry, radiation chemistry, physics, biology, medicine. Part of the development was on my side; it was also my doctoral work, so I more or less decided the direction of the project. The structure of the drug itself came from my head, but, for example, we would never have been able to carry out the biological and clinical application without cooperative partners.

How much of the research is about receiving a specific task to create something and simply finding ways to achieve it, and how much happens randomly, as we know from the story of the discovery of penicillin?

Being in the right place at the right time with the right topic and a good dose of luck helps a lot. But, of course, without work, without interesting ideas, and without the ability to conduct various experiments, many scientific fields wouldn’t progress. Science is 90% failure. As my former supervisor used to say, „Try again, better and more joyfully.“ It’s important to realize that we’re not trying to force nature to behave the way we need it to but rather understand how nature behaves and then use that. The great art of science is also understanding when it’s time to stop and abandon something, even if it cost a lot of time, effort, and money, and start focusing on something that might make more sense.

But the odds are still better today than they were in alchemy, right?

The knowledge we have now is vast. And the more we know, the more we realize how much we don’t know. We have many supportive and scientific platforms that help; I can use high-throughput screening, have a computer model how my drugs should look, but I still stick to a conservative approach. For example, „This is an interesting building block; this is how it might work.“ This is how the previous drug was developed; it didn’t have any high-throughput or prediction; it was purely a gut feeling that this is what we should try. I believe that should remain in science.

Did I understand your creation correctly, if I try to describe it in layman’s terms, as a substance that acts as a sort of smart casing around the radionuclide, a smart messenger that knows where to go and where to attach?

More or less, yes, the drug consists of practically three most important parts. One of them is the vector that specifically targets the cancer cells. Then there’s a linker that connects the vector to something. And that something is practically the cage that beautifully holds the radionuclide; I often tell children it’s a backpack that carries the radioactivity and stays attached to the vector through the linker. So it gets where it needs to go, and only there does it cause mischief.

As a child, I saw a film that depicted a science fiction view of the future of medicine using nanobots, but you’ve actually gone a step further, where it’s no longer at the scale of nanotechnology but almost individual atoms. That’s simply fascinating.

Yes, radionuclides are so powerful that a size in femtometers or ångströms, even including the casing, is more than sufficient. The amount we usually apply for therapy, for example, for animals, is in the picogram range, so we are really significantly below the nanoscale.

What is the biggest obstacle or hindrance in your work?

Nature itself. [laughs] It often doesn’t cooperate. In the past, I would probably have said fundraising—it’s very challenging and takes a lot of time. Politics is very important in science, and that doesn’t exactly play to my strengths. But in reality, it will always be nature that is the most limiting factor.

I heard you have a quote displayed in your office: „Always be yourself, unless you can be Madame Curie, then be Madame Curie.“ Do you have any other personal role models?

Lise Meitner, for sure—a very interesting scientist with a very difficult fate. Among scientists, probably these two the most; they influenced me the most, and I adore their biographies. Sometimes I ask myself, „What would Curie do?“

Do you ever get tired of science?

Of course! [laughs] That’s not something you say these days, but very, very regularly, and thank God.

How do you relax?

I listen to Ozzy, of course. But what helps me the most, apart from my husband and our Chihuahua, is driving. The longer, the better. Because it requires full concentration, and I can’t think about the various things that normally pop into my head even when I’m resting, it brings me back to normal in an amazing way.

What about other means of transport, would you like to fly in a fighter jet for instance?

I definitely would. I’d love to drive a tank. I like tractors and various bulldozers and the like, anything heavy-duty that smells of gasoline or diesel fascinates me.

Does your Chihuahua travel with you?

Not on work trips, but any vacation has to be Chihuahua-friendly. That’s the most important thing for us. The Chihuahua has beautifully united us in that after 12 hours, you say, it’s nice to go home. For us, it was the first important step toward work-life balance. Someone who depends on us and who is looking forward to us coming home. For me personally, she has become something much more than just a part of the family. Her name is Stevie; we named her after Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac.

In addition to practicing science, you also work on popularizing it. How many lectures do you give in a year?

Of course, there are months when there are fewer, like the winter ones. But I’d say definitely around forty to fifty a year. It’s not much, but since they’re in different parts of Europe, it takes a relatively long time.

Do you manage to read books?

Very rarely. Before bed. [laughs] It’s always those fifteen minutes when I say, „Now I’ll read something to fall asleep,“ and then I get hit in the face with the book, and that’s the end.

Do you have a favorite author?

Mika Waltari, William Styron, Samuel Shem, Günter Grass. There are definitely a few I’d find.

What is the main purpose of science for you?

Answering questions and, most importantly, finding new ones. Understanding how nature works, how we work, how the universe works, what we still don’t know, what we still don’t understand. Finding answers is a common response, but for me, it’s primarily about finding the questions we haven’t thought of yet.

Do you think there are more intelligent beings than humans?

Definitely, otherwise, it would be a waste of space. One of my favorite movies is Contact with Jodie Foster. That idea was in it, and when I think about the size of the universe and statistics, I believe we’re definitely not alone and definitely not at the pinnacle of evolution.

What would you most like to see happen in science or intelligence, ideally during your lifetime?

I’m quite worried about the new generation. In various semester papers or bachelor theses, I encounter the fact that with all this technology, it’s very difficult to think and connect things on your own. Personally, I would like to see the core of science preserved, which is knowing something, connecting that knowledge, discovering something based on it, and pushing it further. I feel that in this regard, science is currently going backward, that in the future, we’ll be clicking: Am I a robot? Am I not a robot? I have to ask artificial intelligence what I should answer… I would really like to see individuality remain in science.

What should Mensa members do with their intelligence to not waste it?

They should definitely get burned a few times in life. I think that’s part of it all. It strengthens the spirit and motivation. Young people are too concerned with what others think. Of course, it’s important to be part of a certain group, but it’s always important to live, explore, and work exactly as it suits you, and all those secondary influences should really be secondary.

You mentioned that you’re also looking for students who would like to join your team. What kind of people have a chance to be interested, and what should they do?

Contact me via email at m.benesova@dkfz-heidelberg.de. After the lecture for Mensa, I already have two new candidates, which is great. It’s important that the individual is willing to leave the Czech Republic because working and studying in a foreign language in a foreign country isn’t easy. It has many beauties and new experiences, but this must be clear from the beginning. Age is also important—you can only work with radioactivity from the age of sixteen and only if it’s part of your studies. We’re mainly looking for individuals interested in physics, biology, chemistry, or IT.

When is the best time?

I’d say in the fourth year of high school, sometime before graduation, but it can be done later as well. I would recommend students to try a few shorter internships so that they know exactly what their cup of tea is and which direction they should take in their studies because experience is untransferable, and everyone has to experience it themselves to make the right decision. And the sooner, the better.

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

You know her. She is strange. Quiet. Unapproachable. Clearly disdainful of your plans, dreams, and personality. She has neither the desire nor the need to linger. She just wants to go home and take care of the household… She is not pleasant. She doesn’t care how you are… But suddenly, she’s gone. And people start to ask. Where did she go? What happened to her? And who was she anyway?

These are excerpts from the blurb that opens the new book by Irena Piloušková, a Mensa member originally from Sokolov, a master’s degree holder in sociology, now living in Prague, a loyal reader of our magazine, who has taken a liking to the term „mensanthropist“ and would like to inspire others towards some mensanthropism. And Irena certainly has something to inspire. Judge for yourself…

Irena, what does Mensa mean to you?

For me, it’s a kind of networking platform. I’m glad that I can meet people who work in different fields. In other social groups, I often felt strange, in Mensa, I don’t feel that way, and it’s nice. A few years ago, I participated in a Mensa bowling event, and it was nice how no one made a fuss when one colleague’s ball rolled so slowly that it started to roll back. Everyone took it very pleasantly, no one teased or laughed. The discussions that took place were very stimulating, but it wasn’t strange to stay silent, which in other groups is considered weird.

I also always feel great joy when I get an email saying that a Mensa member from abroad is visiting and doesn’t have anyone to talk to or a place to stay. I feel connected to the world in some way. When I’m abroad, I tell myself that if something goes wrong, there’s still another line I can reach out to. I don’t see Mensa as an elitist group of people who, based on a test, declare themselves the best in the world, as I often hear in criticism. I just like it.

Does this relate to the fact that you consider yourself a reformed introvert?

I am definitely a reformed introvert. I spent most of elementary and high school with just a few friends. To this day, I know that those eight years at the grammar school were not my best social performance. It wasn’t until university and work that I somehow realized that talking to people isn’t that painful. But my batteries run out very quickly, and after a day of chatting, I usually need a day or two or three alone at home with my projects and thoughts. I really enjoy being silent. It sounds weird, but it’s true.

Do you think it helped that at university, conversations typically started in professional communication and only then drifted elsewhere?

It was more like a fresh start. Eight years at the same school is just a terribly long period of development. When you’re twelve, you’re not the same person as when you’re eighteen, but the group still sees you the same way. At university, I suddenly had the feeling that I could start over and maybe a little less inconspicuously. So, I walked into class and talked to the first people I saw, and I found that they were actually pleasant. They didn’t have any prejudice from the eight years spent with the strange classmate I was, who preferred reading and staying quiet. And it started to feel good.

Then I started working in the media, where communication was necessary, and to this day, I still partly make a living by doing interviews with people. So, it had to develop somehow. But the main positive motivation was that I suddenly found that communicating doesn’t necessarily hurt. Approaching new people was easier for me than dealing with the old guard. That helped me retrain, and quite significantly. People from my grammar school days probably wouldn’t recognize me much.

How did you even come to take an IQ test?

We went to take the test with my former partner, and I took it as an experiential activity. Like when you buy a coupon for a scoop of ice cream on a discount site. After the test, everyone went into the „results“ room. When my boyfriend came out, he was happy to be above average. Finally, I went in too, and the tester said something like, „Well, that went well, so please sit down.“ And he continued, „You know, you made a mistake right at the beginning on something simple, but you got other, more challenging tasks right. Take a look at this.“ It dawned on me that I had just marked the wrong box. That the test could have turned out even better if I had been more careful. Then he congratulated me and asked if I wanted to be part of Mensa, which I enthusiastically accepted, and I went home in a good mood.

I was surprised that it was similar to aptitude tests. Those logical puzzles that I always had right, and it didn’t seem difficult to me. Suddenly, it made sense why others were always amazed at how easily I did them. Entering a group of girls always seemed much harder to me than finding the ninth picture in a series of eight. I almost considered those tests fun, like when someone gives you the chance to solve a crossword puzzle instead of studying. And now, suddenly, I understood that IQ is measured based on those pictures. And that was satisfying.

In your sociology studies, did you encounter that this could also be a handicap in integrating into society?

Undoubtedly. For example, with children. At school, I led clubs, and I often noticed that just as children who are slower are disadvantaged, often those who are quicker are similarly disadvantaged because they get bored.

It was quite noticeable when one of the children was „different,“ but there wasn’t the capacity to address it. It’s not that the teachers didn’t want to dedicate time to individual children and find their various talents. They simply can’t choose the most gifted child in a class of thirty and focus on them the most. Or find each child’s spark and help them develop it.

You wrote your first book when you were fifteen. What prompted you to do that?

Of course, that makes a person even stranger. [laughs] A classmate at grammar school published a fairy tale at that time, and I thought it was very nice. Moreover, I had already started writing my young adult story. I had been working on it since I was fifteen, and it was my little secret. I didn’t talk about it with anyone at all. Then a friend of mine, who was outside of school, came over, I showed it to her, and she said, „Try it! Let’s send it somewhere!“ So, we found a publisher, I sent the manuscript, and it actually got published!

I remember it was very strange. On the one hand, I was happy, it was a significant milestone in my life, something that opened doors for the activities I do now, but at that time, it was more like another sign of oddity.

In one interview, you revealed that the inspiration for your books comes not only from your studied sociology but also from your own life experiences. Does this apply to all three books?

I always try to write about something completely new, and then suddenly realize that I’m writing about something I know intimately. [laughs]

The first book was a novel about anorexia. It was at a time when I was fifteen, and besides being strange in my behavior, I was also the tallest, with the fairest skin, and quite thin. So, I somehow concluded that I could try modeling. There were a few fashion shows, but nothing significant happened. However, I did penetrate that community a little, and I think what I saw there inspired me.

Later, my second book came out, again a novel, this time a story about cyberbullying. Here, I was again somewhat inspired by the fact that my generation experienced the beginning of Facebook. I remember I created a profile because there was an event „Let’s raid McDonald’s,“ and everyone in my class was there. And I wanted to fit in. At that time, it wasn’t so cool to care about mental health and fight against bullying, it was a bit more of a jungle not only in the classrooms but also on the internet.

And now it’s about psychological domestic violence. I may not be the most resilient person, and even my best friend confirms that I can sometimes be destructively empathetic, and unfortunately, I tend to attract narcissistic personality types, and I wallow in it a bit before it hurts me enough to realize I need to get out. So, of course, there had to be some loose inspiration.

For whom is the book actually written? For potential victims of psychological violence, or for their surroundings to notice that something is happening and that they should help?

Actually, for both of these groups, because the hardest thing is to recognize the pattern, whether you are a victim or a witness. Sometimes it looks like a quarrel, reconciliation, peace, quarrel, reconciliation, peace. And you feel like maybe you’re just oversensitive, that nothing really happened. You can’t quite pinpoint what’s going on because you haven’t been slapped. So, is it violence? Is it not? When you imagine that you’re frustrated, sleep-deprived, and have no control over anything from your diet to your schedule, then logically, sometimes you’re not the most pleasant. That can easily confuse you. You can easily blame yourself for something that’s not your fault.

Moreover, abusers are often more charming than the victim at first glance because they can act very convincingly, they know how to manipulate. That’s why I’d like my book to open the eyes of not only potential victims but also witnesses, or even someone who feels they might be restricting someone, but doesn’t realize how much impact they could be leaving on that person.

I’m very happy that the book has reached far more people than I expected. I anticipated the typical target audience to be women aged 25 to 60. But paradoxically, some of the nicest reviews I’ve received have been from men. So, I guess it fulfilled its purpose. I don’t mean to suggest that only men commit violence. It’s just that my expectations of who would read it were exceeded. The target group of readers is ultimately much broader.

Could this be related to the fact that the book is directly promoted as a novel about psychological domestic violence?

Marketing is now heavily leaning in that direction. Given that I am a sociologist who focused on criminology, the book carries a bit of an informed insight and isn’t just pure fiction. But I’d like to reassure everyone who is afraid of that relatively thick volume that it will be too technical. It’s not. It’s really a story of a person. Of their life and the lives of those around them. And it’s up to each reader to decide which character they take the most from.

When a victim escapes from a toxic relationship, what happens next? Can they break free from the cycle and find someone better?

Domestic violence occurs in what could be called shrinking circles of tension building, explosions, apologies, and reassurances… That’s why it’s so important to educate yourself. If I don’t understand what’s happening to me, I have a much smaller chance of leaving because the feelings of guilt and shame are very strong. Only when I finally understand can I start thinking about what to do next. And there are nonprofit organizations here to help. They’re not just there for a desperate woman to ring the doorbell on a rainy evening with a bag of things and children in tow. That’s how we usually imagine it when we don’t know the system. Experts can help you develop a crisis plan, figure out what to do, how to prepare for it, how to leave, how to continue, to make it as safe as possible for you. Just the consultation work alone is incredibly important because the victim suddenly doesn’t feel so alone.

Specifically, my book is supported by ROSA – a women’s center in Prague and Magdalenium in Brno. Several readers have already reached out to me for help. While I can’t personally advise them from my „position,“ I can provide them with a contact for an organization. While I’m glad that readers contact me because my book touched them so personally that they’re willing to change what’s happening to them, I’m also saddened by how widespread domestic violence is. And often, the victims are people you wouldn’t expect.

What happens to the tyrant when the victim leaves? Don’t they just find someone else? What can be done about it?

It’s terrible, but there’s not much that can be done. How can you forbid people from secretly and unprovably treating each other badly and repeating it with partner after partner?

There is an intergenerational transmission. We simply perceive and adopt certain patterns at home. And it applies not only to abusers but also to victims. The only long-term solution is education so that we can break that intergenerational transmission a bit. And so that we can help those around us and ourselves. When young people start to realize what’s happening in their homes, they might be able to function more consciously in their relationships later on. But that’s a longer discussion. Declaring that every child from a family where domestic violence occurs will automatically become an abuser or a victim in the future makes, of course, no sense.

So, you’re actually helping to raise awareness by writing books that hopefully are also readable. In your latest book, you also touch on intergenerational transmission, right?

Yes, that’s an important part of my book. That’s why I followed the main character from early childhood, from first grade. In the end, readers get the reward of seeing all the little seeds I planted at the beginning gradually grow. The most important thing for me was to show where such little things start and how it happens that you don’t really realize what kind of mess you’re in. Until suddenly, when it’s too much, you might realize and think, „Damn it! How did I get here?“ I also wanted to point out that toxic relationships aren’t just about a partner. You can have a toxic relationship with a mother, a brother, a grandmother, a son…

In one interview, you pointed out that people tend to judge others without knowing enough about them. That reminds me of Amelie from Montmartre. Do you have a personal connection to this or any other iconic film?

I think of A Man Called Ove by Backman. We know it from the cinema as A Man Called Otto, but the book is even better. It’s about a grumpy old man who terrorizes the street with his rules, keeps track of who parks where, lets everyone know they can’t even take care of their own driveway, and scolds you when you greet him. His gentle side appears when the new neighbor simply doesn’t give up and wants to get to know him. That’s my kind of hero, someone who has been through a lot and actually has a good heart, it just isn’t visible at first glance.

My main character Dana is someone you don’t really want to talk to in late adulthood. She’s just a grumpy neighbor, an unpleasant woman in line. But for me, unsympathetic heroes are the most sympathetic because we might just not understand them.

Besides writing, I heard you also like to paint. How do you combine the two?

I really love to draw and paint; I even bought a graphic tablet and took a course in digital painting with illustrator Bára Balgová, who, by the way, illustrated the cover of my third book and became my close friend. I got so hooked that, of course, I immediately had to turn it into a job. I’ve already managed to, for example, illustrate a magazine cover. And as it picked up, I had so much drawing to do that I got back to writing. My creativity wants to fly in every direction, which, of course, you can’t do all day, and sometimes I have a tendency to overwhelm myself. But I’m looking forward to illustrating something again.

You also mentioned working in the media. I know you write scripts and work on some TV shows, but I couldn’t find much about this side of you. What exactly do you do on television?

In television, I’m often anonymous and in the background because some projects don’t have credits, they don’t mention the screenwriter or dramaturg. Others do, but you might not google them because they only appear at the end of the show and don’t get written anywhere else. Few people know that even interviews with real people need a screenwriter, someone who talks to them in advance, writes it out for the host, or for filming illustrative shots, etc. So, I’m behind a lot of these subtle activities where my name isn’t as prominent as it is here on the book cover. It might flash by at the end, where you’ve already gone to get a snack instead of watching the credits. But that doesn’t bother me at all. What’s important to me is that I enjoy it. And unlike the presenters who are in front of the camera, I can look terrible behind it when I’m having a bad day! [laughs]

Do you see this part more as a livelihood, or do you think you can have a deeper impact there too?

If someone pays attention to something that came out of my work, I believe it gave them something. Even if it was just a few minutes of rest and peace. I’ve never written anything I’d be ashamed of or that would twist my moral hands. I like showing things that can motivate, inspire, educate, or just entertain. That’s why I really enjoy interviews.

What I really appreciate is that I don’t go to work as a punishment. I love the projects I work on, also because I’ve met a lot of people there whom I wouldn’t have had the chance to know otherwise – like my friend and the godfather of my latest book, Honza Musil. When I was writing for television, I saw people like Jan Čenský, Dana Morávková, Libuše Švormová, and others performing in my scripts. I’ve written tons of pages where no one ever mentions my name, and I don’t mind. Then, once in a while, a nice project comes along where my name is included, and I’m grateful for that.

You’re also involved in some nonprofits. Is this something from another field, or is it related to what you write about?

I wouldn’t call filling a car with food for a shelter and delivering it an involvement. I’d like to believe that everyone is doing something for the world. I currently actively support nonprofits that focus on victims of domestic violence. Interesting organizations have been part of my activities since university because that’s when you probably have the most time and opportunities to look around the world. I still draw on those experiences. For example, I know how things work in a daycare center for people with disabilities, I tried riding with caregivers to clients, I had the opportunity to peek behind the curtain at a pedagogical-psychological counseling center. I also greatly appreciate the project on the quality of life of citizens in the Czech Republic, where I worked as a research assistant during my studies. I think that for a writer, editor, or anyone working in the media, it’s not so much about studying the media themselves, but about having as broad perspective as possible and knowing what I’m writing about. Because if I don’t know what I’m writing about, people will notice.

What do you do when the writing, painting, work is done, and it’s time for a bit of fun?

Even though I’ve been making a living from writing for about seven years, it’s still my biggest hobby. So, when I happen to have some free time and my brain isn’t completely drained from work, I go and write a new book because it relaxes me. I live in my own world, and suddenly I realize that five hours have passed, and I don’t even know how. And it’s really nice. Then, of course, there are the usual things like friends, movies, my two cats, drawing, and sometimes yoga for clumsy beginners like me. It would be nice to practice it more often because it helps both my body and my soul. But in this regard, I’m sometimes a terrible procrastinator.

What do you think people should do with intelligence?

I think the decision is a private matter for each person. If someone is beautiful, it’s not their obligation to become a model. But they also shouldn’t make themselves look bad to make others feel better. They can do what fulfills and entertains them. Personally, I must say that the world that somewhat got in my way as a child and isolated me is now enriching for me, as I understand myself a little better, and I enjoy delving into it. And if I can delve into it in a way that has some impact, then it simply makes me feel good.

Do you have any ambition to expand your impact even further? Perhaps getting your books translated into other languages?

That would be very nice. I don’t yet know how to do it. If we have any publicists or publishers abroad in Mensa, I would love to talk to them about it because I think this topic would paradoxically resonate even more with a foreign audience than a Czech one. The Czech audience sometimes still tends to look at things like going to a psychologist or mental hygiene with a bit of disdain. On the other hand, doing work where it is most needed is probably more important. But I’m honestly glad when I look to the east that we’re not doing too badly. And if my book were published in Poland, it would make me very happy…

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

Almost three years ago for the fifth episode of the Mensanthropist series I organized an online meeting with three members of the „Mensans for Sustainability“ group, Omar Flores, Julien W. and Martin Kleman. Half a year later, for the eights episode, I also interviewed Maggie Lee, founder of that group and one of the most active environmentalists within Mensa worldwide. As time has passed, I thought it might be a great idea to get together again and follow up on what we talked back then, see if there was any progress made, if any of us changed our opinions, and maybe come up with some action plan we could put together and share with the Mensa community. I finally managed to meet Maggie, Omar and Julien on the 4th of November 2023, and in the end, even though a bit late to the party, Martin joined us for a bit as well. So here’s what we talked about…

Omar, one thing you mentioned was that we are spending a lot of effort doing the research around environment, and there is a lot of people in the science part, but we may be missing an easy and efficient way to present results of the science. Have you seen any progress in this regard?

Omar: As you say, there is a lot of information, but for non-experts, it’s really difficult to differentiate what they can trust and what not. All the political polarization and all this constant fighting between different opinions makes people easily fall in the confirmation bias. Sometimes the things that environmental activists propose to face the problem are not going to make it better. And when you try to explain them, they also don’t trust you. People are very stubborn in their ideas, and it’s very difficult to present a real scientific evidence to form an informed opinion.

I got professionally involved in one of the models that are used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to talk about different social and environmental scenarios estimated the environment. For example how all the carbon cycle will work in different situations. So I’ve gained a lot of knowledge about how all these predictions are made from the environmental part, the scientific development of these models. But there is a lot of rejection of these predictions because some people say that they are just mathematical inventions. I really find it super complicated to transmit what is a scientific knowledge to general public. Even if I keep trying, the success is very little, I’m afraid.

So you are still personally involved in the science. Is there anyone responsible for the next step, actually making it easy to understand and not only to general public, but also to decision makers?

Omar: I’m now with the team of developers that made ORCHIDEE, one of these big models. There are people doing the coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP). They compare the results of all these models and prepare the different scenarios that are transferred to the IPCC. Then all the experts of the IPCC review all the knowledge and prepare their reports. And then there are people in all these organizations within United Nations who later try to process the IPCC reports for policymakers and the society. I’m in the core of the people just making the tools, the models, and I have almost no contact with the people who later explain all these things.

Julien, you went a little bit farther in actually trying to do something in the community, specifically within Mensa. You mentioned that at EMAG 2022 a group was formed that started meeting on a regular basis. Tell us a little bit about those meetings.

Julien:

The idea was raised in 2022 EMAG in Strasbourg when the organizing team proposed a few workshops based on serious games, such as the Climate Fresk. There was a few other workshops, I also proposed a lecture on planetary boundaries. Then at the end of the that EMAG, there was a group that gathered to have a discussion on what could be the next steps. We decided that we could at least try to have some kind of a monthly meeting. With no particular agenda at that point, we just wanted to gather and see what we could do. A fellow Mensan from France, Sophie Rapenne, was very active in this respect. So those meetings have been taking place almost every month. There is a kind of an action plan on an Excel spreadsheet. Some of the actions were already taken, for instance Sophie wrote some guidelines for event organizers, so that Mensa events could be more sustainable or have a lower impact.

An article that was published in the Mensa magazine in France, a few other workshops were organized in some countries, in France and Germany mostly, which are the two countries where we have the most participants. Those monthly meetings usually gather between 5 and 10 people. We do have an official special interest group in France, which is simply called Mensans for Sustainability France. And we have about almost 100 members now. I’m very happy that those meetings could take place and we always share useful information, but it seems to be quite difficult to really gain some momentum.

Thanks to Sophie we now have a kind of a program where members will talk about specific issues each month. The first topic focused meeting was about planetary boundaries again because not everybody could attend the previous lectures. That was last month. This month Catherine from the UK will talk about her activities as a climate activist. And then we have a few other subjects that will be addressed in the coming months.

Maggie, what has ended up happening to you in the last two years?

I’m joining you from Bangkok, Thailand today. I think I was still with Verra or maybe the United Nations when I last talked to you, but I’ve since then gone back to WWF, and I now work there as a regional head for Europe and North Africa, and also the Asia Pacific for monitoring impact and evaluation of impact. So the professional work goes without saying. WWF is one of the leading environmental organizations and we do quite a lot of sustainability work.

On the other end I started doing this pet project of mine, writing children’s books. When I was in Denmark in April, I was introduced to the president of Mensan Denmark, and we had a lot of fun talking about what we’re hoping to do for sustainability. I think there’s really a big opportunity in the Nordic countries because of the overall atmosphere that they have for sustainability. They do have an appetite for more actions.

So I have a series of children’s books that are meant to instill environmental ethics in children. As an Asian myself, I’ve been taught so many random stories about respecting my parents, being polite, hardworking, just being a moral person in general. I’m sure everyone remembers Three little Pigs or Red Little Riding Hood or any type of Aesop’s fables, right? They always teach you a lesson. But we don’t have any stories to teach children the ethical value behind environmental sustainability.

Now I’m writing my third book and the seven-book series is published in Singapore. The first book was partially funded by the Singaporean government. It is still only a pet project, so I’m trying to take out time from my usual work for it, but it has been going quite well. There’s a large whitespace for fun children’s books that address environmental sustainability, so I’m trying to find ways to make Mensa junior programs, like the Gifted Children Program, interested in these books.

Other than that, I’ve just been really busy with my actual work, contributing to the mission of the organization. And I did take part in the Climate Fresk, as Julien has mentioned. It’s definitely a very interesting game. I think we should get them here in Asia. The AMG is now happening in Bali as we speak today, but it’s mostly about having fun together. It’s not so much about discussing topics that are so solemn, such as our accountability and responsibility. The AMG committee has not looked into being carbon neutral yet, to my knowledge. Hopefully, next year’s AMG in Taiwan will be. But of course, the EMAG has been. Sophie’s been pushing for it, Sandro, who’s based in Croatia, and Julien, and also quite a few of French and German Mensans were in that very constructive meeting we had in Strasbourg last year.

I would say that Europe is definitely a better location to start these movements, and I think the most important thing right now, instead of outreach, is to fix our own strategy. We really need to watch our footprint, not just for carbon, but also for, let’s say, plastics. Do we really need a membership card? Do we really need a lanyard? Do we really need another card sleeve? We don’t ever really use the card. It’s just for vanity purposes. I know that many people join Mensa for vanity purposes. We can’t deny that a lot of us want to be proven that we’re so-called smart. But I’m hoping that we can instill these notions of responsibility in the people by saying that we need to watch our footprint as an organization. It’s also about ensuring the narrative of Mensa is always about doing the right thing. I’ve been talking to several Mensa presidents of different chapters. The Taiwan Mensa President Jizhen Ho and the Denmark Mensa President Jakob Majkilde have been kind to show interest in the subject matter. So hopefully we can get to raise this as an official agenda item so that there could be a resolution passed.

So do I understand correctly that you slightly shifted from environmental standards, which could be called a mid term goal, to preparing the next generations for the right sustainable future, which is more a long term goal?

Maggie: I’m still involved in environmental standards. I’m still involved in traditional conservation, where we save wildlife habitats, among many other important environmental work. It’s just that my pet project is probably the one thing where we can get Mensans involvement, aside from walking the talk, which is really what Sophie and the crew that she has amassed, especially in France and Germany, has been doing. Next EMAG is going to be in Bucharest. I’m hoping to be there, and I’m hoping that we can also initiate this topic because we do have someone who started this sustainability SIG in Romania, too. Some of these countries are definitely the low hanging fruits for us. Last week was my first time in Czechia, and I was just blown away by how sustainable it is. So hopefully in these places that are more ready, we can kick it off and then in places that are more interested in leapfrogging, such as Taiwan, we can have some of the regional pioneers to initiate the walking the talk. For example, if they’re having an annual event, is it possible that we have vegetarian options? Is it possible that we tell them the carbon footprint of meat options and vegetarian options so they can choose? Not forcing anyone to do anything, but letting them know. And this is really what Mensa is about. It’s about intelligence and knowledge. We can start with these conversations in the background, not officially. And maybe the next thing we could do is to raise this as a resolution.

Let’s talk a little bit about where the world as a whole has advanced. We have seen the European Union’s Carbon Zero plan for 2050, which immediately got controversial because there are people saying it’s too late to become carbon neutral in 2050. Others say it’s not even realistically achievable. Any opinions?

Omar: One of the problems about setting a date like 2050 is that it is not sufficient to emit as much as possible now and then stop in the end, because all this carbon accumulates in the atmosphere. And many countries are doing that. Germany has done, for example, very badly in that way. They have even increased their emissions. The accumulated carbon stays more than 100 years in the atmosphere. And if we have already emitted much more than others, and we keep emitting that much, it’s going to be impossible to make something really sustainable worldwide, taking into account how much the developing countries need to emit just to reach a decent level of lifestyle. So it’s pretty complicated matter both politically and environmentally.

Can we actually do something about it? Julien, you you talked about those meetings. Is it enough to educate ourselves?

Julien: We could make sure that we there’s some kind of follow up and show outcomes of those meetings to members of the special interest group. But that would take a little more time. I know that Mensa France president is really concerned about sustainability. So he’s very open to any initiative. But in the end of the day, some people have to do the job.

I will go on proposing more workshops, because recently I’ve been trained on another serious game which is more focused on adaptation. And it’s really an interesting one. So I would propose probably a few events around it.

If any initiative becomes an official Mensa initiative, it will definitely get more audience and impact. But when I briefly discussed this with a few people, the answer always was that it’s a political topic. What do you think? Is sustainability a political topic or not?

Maggie: The way that we look at sustainability is not just what we do as an organization. If it is only pertaining to Mensa activities to be carbon neutral, it’s definitely not political. But if we are looking at influencing, that will be hugely political. I’ve even met so many Mensans who don’t even believe in climate change. Even if we don’t agree, we still have to listen to what they feel about this. Because if they think that it is a political agenda to influence even a local government to take on a path of more sustainable ways, then it will be political. Influencing governmental and regulatory organizations is very political.

That’s why I really prefer us to start internally first. Once we’re used to having Mensa as a very sustainable organization, then we have much better ground to say that if we see that the macroscopic environment is not really doing the right thing, we have the duty as people who are so-called intellectual, to actually be on the right side of history.

Martin: Coming back to what you mentioned in terms of children’s books, that’s actually something that I’m currently working on. Completely unrelated to environmental issues but I do have some inroads into the publishing business and could potentially look more into aspects of printing/distributing.

Let’s summarize what we have currently available for people to participate in so that readers of this article can decide if they want to join our initiatives, bring their own ideas and effort and help with what is already happening. The monthly meetings are great, they just need more audience. They happen on the 8th day of every month and start at 17:30 CET. The children’s books project Maggie’s working on is excellent. We can help Maggie translate and publish them in other languages. Or write our own. And finally, making EMAGs and other Mensa events sustainable, or at least sustainability-aware, seems like a great non-political way to spread sustainability principles wider within Mensa. So if you care about sustainability and have a bit of time, make sure check the links below and join Mensans for Sustainability…

Mentioned and related projects:

Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP): wcrp-cmip.org
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): ipcc.ch
ORCHIDEE model: orchidee.ipsl.fr
ERC LEAF-FALL: mensa.click/13x
EU Horizon 2020 HoliSoils: holisoils.eu
Children’s books: mensa.click/13y
EMAG 2024 Bucharest Facebook group: mensa.click/13z
Mensans for Sustainability on Facebooku: mensa.click/j7
Mensans for Sustainability at Mensa Workplace: mensa.click/140

Educational games:

Climate Fresk: climatefresk.org
My Petite Planète: mapetiteplanete.org
More climate games: mensa.click/141

Public resources and tools:

Climate Interactive: climateinteractive.org
Low Carbon Hub: lowcarbonhub.org
Team for the Planet: team-planet.com
Effective Environmentalism: effectiveenvironmentalism.org
Engineers Without Borders: ewb-international.org
Resources produced by Mensans for Sustainability: mensa.click/mfs

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

When I recently interviewed an artificial intelligence for this series, it „told“ me about itself that it would not have done without the human one. It couldn’t exist without its creators. But we’ve covered more ground. And since the interview had a good response, I decided to share some of the other interesting parts that didn’t fit in my previous article. And what would a magazine article be without illustrations? These were generated by artificial intelligence again, now using Fotor, NightCafé, and Deeply. So let’s dive into some deeper and more philosophical topics this time, together with ChatGPT and Bing again. Just note that some answers are deliberately abbreviated so that the same or similar wording is not repeated unnecessarily. The aim of the article is not to compare the quality of the answers of individual algorithms, but rather to show how a conversation with an AI can already inspire reflection on complex topics that were previously considered exclusively human.

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What is the purpose of human existence?

Bing precise: The purpose of human existence is a philosophical question and different people may have different answers. Some people believe that the purpose of life is to seek happiness, others believe it is to fulfill a certain destiny or to achieve a certain goal. Still, others believe that the purpose of life is simply to exist and experience the world around us.

Bing creative: There is no definitive or objective answer to it. Different people may have different opinions, beliefs or perspectives on the purpose of human existence. Some may base their answer on religious, spiritual, ethical or scientific grounds. Some may say that human existence has no inherent purpose at all.

ChatGPT-3.5 adds (translated from Czech): In a broader context, it can be said that the purpose of human existence is continued evolution and adaptation to the conditions of life on Earth and in the universe. Human beings have the capacity to create and innovate, which enables them to survive in different environments and to adapt to changes and challenges. At the same time, humans are part of the Earth’s ecosystem and have a responsibility to care for nature and protect the environment.

ChatGPT-4: It depends on one’s perspective, belief system, and cultural background. Many religious traditions propose that the purpose of human existence is to fulfill a divine plan or follow specific religious teachings. In this view, humans may have a unique role in the universe and a moral responsibility to live according to certain principles or commandments.

Existentialist philosophers suggest that life has no inherent meaning or purpose, and it is up to individuals to create their own meaning through their choices and actions. In this perspective, the purpose of human existence is subjective and varies from person to person.

Humanism emphasizes the value and potential of human beings and the importance of reason, empathy, and ethical behavior. From a humanist perspective, the purpose of human existence might involve striving for personal growth, contributing to the betterment of society, and promoting human flourishing. Hedonism posits that the primary purpose of human existence is to seek pleasure and avoid pain. In this view, humans should pursue happiness, enjoyment, and satisfaction in their lives.

From an evolutionary standpoint, the purpose of human existence could be seen as the continuation and propagation of the human species through reproduction and survival.

Ultimately, the purpose of human existence is a deeply personal and subjective question. It is up to each individual to explore and define their own sense of purpose and meaning in life, drawing upon their beliefs, values, and experiences.

What are the current top three threats for humanity we should seriously focus on averting?

Bing balanced: According to the Global Risks Report 2022, the top three threats to humanity are climate action failure, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. The World Economic Forum identified the top three threats in 2021 as climate action failure, infectious diseases, and weapons of mass destruction. The BBC News identified the biggest threats to humanity as climate change, pandemics, and nuclear war.

Bing creative: Different sources may have different opinions on what are the most urgent and serious threats for humanity. Based on some web searches, I found that some of the most commonly mentioned threats are:

Climate change and its effects, such as rising temperatures, extreme weather events, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, food insecurity and mass migration. Many experts warn that climate change could lead to the collapse of civilizations and ecosystems if not addressed urgently and effectively.

Infectious diseases, especially new and untreatable ones that could cause global pandemics. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has shown how vulnerable humanity is to such outbreaks, which could have severe health, social and economic impacts. Other potential threats include bioterrorism or accidental release of pathogens from laboratories.

Nuclear weapons, which pose a risk of intentional or accidental use that could trigger a nuclear war or a nuclear winter. The proliferation of nuclear weapons and the development of new technologies, such as cyberweapons and artificial intelligence (AI), could increase the chances of nuclear conflict or miscalculation.

Of course, there are many other possible threats that could endanger humanity in the short-term or long-term future, such as asteroid impacts, supervolcanoes, AI misuse or rogue actors. However, these threats may have lower probabilities or uncertainties than the ones mentioned above.

ChatGPT-4 puts climate change and global pandemics on the first two places as well, but disagrees with Bing on the third place:

Technological risks: Rapid advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and cybersecurity, come with both benefits and risks. These technologies have the potential to transform societies and economies but can also lead to unintended consequences or be weaponized by malicious actors. It is crucial to develop ethical frameworks, robust regulations, and international agreements to ensure that these technologies are developed and deployed responsibly and in the best interests of humanity.

Other significant threats to consider include nuclear conflict, economic inequality, political instability, and resource scarcity. Addressing these challenges will require concerted efforts from governments, international organizations, and individuals alike to create a more resilient and sustainable future.

What could be the most effective way to take advantage of the exeptionally high intelligence of Mensa members to avert these threats and why have we not done that yet?

Bing balanced: Mensa members have diverse occupations and backgrounds, and it is unclear how their intelligence can be leveraged to avert global threats. However, Mensa’s purposes are to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity and to encourage research into the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence.

There are many ways to address global threats, including climate change, pandemics, and nuclear war. Some ways to address these threats include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, investing in public health infrastructure, and promoting peace and diplomacy.

Bing creative: One possible way to take advantage of their exceptionally high intelligence to avert the threats mentioned earlier is to encourage them to use their talents and skills for social good. For example, they could: Contribute to scientific research and innovation that could help mitigate climate change, develop new drugs or prevent nuclear war. Educate and inspire others to learn more about the issues and solutions through lectures, books, podcasts or blogs. Join or support organizations that are working on these causes, such as charities, NGOs or advocacy groups. Participate in public debates and policy-making processes that could influence positive change at local, national or global levels.

However, there may be some challenges or barriers that prevent Mensa members from doing so. For example: They may not be aware of or interested in these issues or solutions. They may have other priorities or passions that occupy their time and energy. They may face discrimination or stigma for being highly intelligent. They may feel isolated or misunderstood by others who do not share their level of intelligence. They may lack the resources or opportunities to pursue their goals. They may face financial constraints, geographical limitations or institutional barriers that hinder their access to education, research facilities or influential platforms.

Therefore, it may be helpful to create more awareness and engagement among Mensa members about these issues and solutions. This could be done by: Providing more information and resources on these topics through Mensa’s publications, events and special-interest groups. Creating more opportunities for networking and collaboration among Mensa members who share similar interests or expertise on these topics. Recognizing and rewarding Mensa members who have made significant contributions to these causes through awards, scholarships or grants.

ChatGPT-4 adds: Utilize the influence and intellect of Mensa members to advocate for evidence-based policies and promote public awareness of these issues. Their voices can help shape public opinion and influence decision-makers to prioritize and address these challenges. Mensa members can also contribute to education and mentorship programs, inspiring and guiding the next generation of leaders, researchers, and innovators. By sharing their knowledge and skills, they can help build a strong foundation for future problem-solvers.

Despite the potential impact of leveraging Mensa members‘ intelligence, several factors might explain why we have not fully utilized their capabilities. Mensa is a non-profit organization with limited resources, which could constrain its ability to organize and fund large-scale projects or initiatives. Mensa membership is voluntary, and members have their own careers, interests, and commitments outside of the organization. It can be challenging to mobilize and coordinate efforts among a diverse group with varying availability and priorities. Mensa has many national and regional chapters, which can make it difficult to coordinate and implement cohesive global initiatives. The public may not be fully aware of Mensa’s potential contributions to addressing global challenges, limiting opportunities for collaboration and support.

Is our ability to colonize other planets necessary for humanity to survive?

ChatGPT-4: Colonizing other planets is not strictly necessary for the survival of humanity in the short term, but it could offer significant benefits and potentially be crucial for our long-term survival. Here are some reasons why colonizing other planets might be considered necessary or beneficial:

Earth is vulnerable to various catastrophic events, such as asteroid impacts, supervolcanic eruptions, or nuclear war. Establishing human settlements on other planets could serve as a safeguard, ensuring the continuity of human civilization in case of a global catastrophe on Earth.

As Earth’s population continues to grow, and resources become more scarce, colonizing other planets could provide access to additional resources, such as minerals, water, and energy. This could help sustain humanity and alleviate pressures on Earth’s ecosystems.

The pursuit of space exploration and colonization can drive technological innovation and scientific discoveries, with potential benefits for various fields, including medicine, energy, and materials science.

The shared goal of colonizing other planets could inspire humanity to collaborate, transcending national boundaries and fostering global cooperation. This could help address global challenges and promote a more unified and cooperative world.

Over very long timescales (millions to billions of years), Earth will eventually become uninhabitable due to factors such as the Sun’s increasing luminosity and eventual expansion into a red giant. Colonizing other planets or celestial bodies could be necessary for the long-term survival of humanity.

While colonizing other planets could provide numerous benefits and enhance our chances of long-term survival, it is essential to address the challenges we currently face on Earth, such as climate change, poverty, and inequality. Ensuring the sustainability and well-being of humanity on our home planet should remain a primary focus as we continue to explore and expand into the cosmos.

Is everlasting peace between humans achievable in the next 1000 years?

ChatGPT-4: Predicting the future is inherently uncertain, particularly over a timescale as long as 1,000 years. While it is impossible to know for sure whether everlasting peace between humans can be achieved within that timeframe, we can consider some factors that may contribute to the possibility.

As technology continues to progress, it has the potential to improve communication, foster global cooperation, and address fundamental human needs, such as access to food, water, healthcare, and education. These advancements could contribute to reducing conflicts driven by resource scarcity and misunderstandings.

Increasing interconnectedness and interdependence between nations may encourage peaceful collaboration, as the costs of conflict may outweigh the potential benefits. This can lead to a shared interest in maintaining peace and stability.

The development and implementation of more effective conflict resolution strategies and diplomatic efforts could contribute to resolving disputes and preventing conflicts from escalating into violence.

If societies continue to evolve towards more inclusive, empathetic, and cooperative values, it may become increasingly difficult to justify violence and war. This shift could potentially lead to a more peaceful global community.

The strengthening of international institutions and multilateral agreements can contribute to a more stable and peaceful world by providing a framework for addressing global challenges and managing conflicts.

Despite these factors, it is important to acknowledge that there are many potential sources of conflict and uncertainty that could persist or arise in the future. Human nature, political dynamics, resource scarcity, and unforeseen events all have the potential to disrupt peace.

While it is impossible to predict with certainty whether everlasting peace can be achieved in the next 1,000 years, working towards a more peaceful, cooperative, and just world should remain a priority for humanity. The pursuit of peace requires continuous effort, collaboration, and adaptation to the ever-changing global landscape.

Bing creative (translated from Czech): Everlasting peace among people means effective agreement on shared sacrifices and voluntary cooperation. Some people think that a lasting peace is theoretically possible if everyone acknowledges the threat to human survival caused by global warming, pollution and other problems. Other people think lasting peace is impossible because human nature is selfish, violent and conflicted. They believe that there will always be differences of opinion, interests and ideologies that will lead to wars and suffering.

Personally, I don’t think we can say with certainty whether a lasting peace between humans is achievable in the next 1000 years. It depends on how we behave as individuals and as a society. I think we should strive to be tolerant, empathetic and in solidarity with other people and with nature. I also think that we should promote democracy and freedom of expression as a means of achieving dialogue and conflict resolution. This may seem idealistic or naive, but I believe that if we want lasting peace between people, we must first start with ourselves.

It’s like Mr. Bing quoting the Dalai Lama, don’t you think? And given that AI outputs (at least the current ones) are merely derivations of what humans have created, that’s not a bad advice at all in the end. Let’s be what we want the future AI to be.

Links to web:

ChatGPT: chat.openai.com
GPT-4: openai.com/product/gpt-4
New Bing: www.bing.com/new
GPT-3 on Wikipedia: cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-3
Fotor: fotor.com
NightCafé: creator.nightcafe.studio
Deeply: deeply.cz

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

George Francis Simons, born in 1938, now living in France after a lot of travel, educated in languages, philosophy, liturgics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and theology, spent most of his life as an interculturalist, helping thousands of people from different backgrounds learn about each other’s cultures and live and work together more successfully, thanks to understanding and accepting their diversity. Back in 1972 he developed diversophy®, an educational game he uses as a tool to teach students and trainees to handle conflicts and deal with challenges coming from multicultural living situations. diversophy® has since developed into a series of over 100 gamified instruments covering many different cultures, countries, languages, topics, and other aspects of human-to-human interpersonal, social, and political interaction. Here are highlights of our interview together.

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George, you were born around the beginning of the World War II. How did it impact your life?

It was a terrible time. My parents were already older than most couples getting married today. People didn’t want to get married during the Great Depression because they feared they couldn’t afford a home and kids. The early days of my life were well marked by that time, even before the war.

My father was a real woodsman. Unlike many city dwellers, we lived in a small town, on the edge of a forested park. Dad would come back from a trek in the woods with all kinds of wild edibles that he was familiar with and a few fish from the creek. We didn’t go hungry! But when World War II came along, things changed. My dad got a job with a company that made bombsights and my mother with Thompson Products, assembling Tommy guns for the military. By the end of the war, my parents had saved up enough money to buy a house close to the center of our small town, Bedford, Ohio.

My mother’s immigrant father, Stanislav, had served as a blacksmith in the Russian army. He was Polish, but there was no Poland when he was there. As he often said, “Poland was crucified between two thieves”. He was a man who could build or fix anything. The basement of our new house became his workshop. I grew up helping him, sort of his apprentice. My other immigrant grandfather, Anton, had been a court tailor in Vienna and lived only four blocks down the street. He opened a tailor shop and was popular around town as “Tony the Tailor”. I never had store-bought pants until I was second grade in school. In front of our new home, my father built a prefab barber shop with help from my grandfather and me, where he worked until he retired. And that meant he knew everybody in town.

We lived in one of the “melting pots” of the U.S. I could leave the house, walk four blocks in any direction and people would be speaking another language. My dad would go fishing on the weekends with 4 or 5 his buddies, no two from the same country. On the way home, he would always take me to a different ethnic restaurant. Russian, Hungarian, Jewish delicatessen, etc.

My dad’s motto was, “Try anything at least twice–first time might be a fluke.” I believe this gave direction to my life and planted the seeds of my mission as an interculturalist. Dad banished fear and replaced it with curiosity, so that when I encounter something that’s different, I get attracted and want to know more about it, rather than letting the “fight or flight “prompts of unconscious bias, as they call it today, block me from new experiences. I don’t like the term “unconscious bias” because it sounds accusatory. Basically, it’s a normal function of our brain to automatically suggest what’s safe and what’s attractive and what’s not. George Lakoff called it “framing”, and I prefer that. So, my mission has been to help others replace fear with curiosity, doing intercultural training and using my games as ways of getting people to do that and connect with each other.

What I’m delighted about is that, nowadays, neuroscience has enabled us to realize that we are each a unified system. We’re not body and soul, mind and matter, the ghost in the machine. Our consciousness is part of our everything from our brain to our fingertips. When you and I do something together, experience something together, exchange something, we become more like each other because our mirror neurons are recording the same stuff. Thus my mission is to get people to connect with each other effectively, and that’s why people love our games.

Would you say that your father was actually the biggest influencer in terms of your career?

Dad basically embodied it and modeled it for me and as well as telling me about it. For example, when it was time for me to go to high school, dad said, “Let’s go shopping”. We went school shopping. He drove me to various schools that looked interesting, a military academy, a seminary, and so on. He was always making it my choice. Eventually, I wound up going to two different high schools and then several colleges and a seminary university as well. I got my master’s degree at Notre Dame University, then I got my doctorate at Claremont in California when I later won a fellowship there.

So, I was experiencing other cultures, even within the USA, at a young age.

To be somewhere new and to meet people who are different is an attraction rather than a threat. It was essential a part of my life and my work. After I graduated, I worked in a local church whose neighborhood was multiracial as well as multicultural. In the summertime we did programs for the community and ran activities for the local children. I worked at several colleges at that time, such as the Lorain Community College and Case Western Reserve University. Finally, I was invited to become a house director at Oberlin College, where I was responsible for a large co-ed dormitory.

I was found myself coaching young men who were deciding if they wanted to join the military during the Vietnam War or evade the draft by going to Canada. That kind decision was very touchy. I also hosted the local chapter of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which was considered a very radical left group at then. One day I happened to be in downtown Cleveland, Ohio and I saw truckloads of young soldiers clutching their rifles, heading to Kent State University, scared to death. They went to face protesting students their own age who put roses in their rifle barrels. The excursion ended in violence and death.

When I as awardeed my Danforth fellowship, I went to the West Coast, and earned my doctorate in psychology. There I got familiar with Gestalt therapy, which shaped my mind in new directions Gestalt is a very active, interactive kind of therapy, where you often have conversations with yourself. This became very relevant to what I’m trying to do making myself and others aware of our cultural identity and sharing it with other each other. In California I was invited to work in developing a program that was called Genesis 2, which wound up being used by over 3 million people.

How has your life and work changed since then?

A consultant hired me in 1979 because I spoke Spanish and French, so I suddenly wound up going international. I had had a great French professor, so my first vacation abroad was into France, and I think I’m living In France today because of that. Later, I discovered that I have a trickle of French blood because my grandfather on my dad’s side was a grandson of one of Napoleon’s soldiers whose name was Simon. In the next generation, as Croatia still used patronymics, it became Simonović. But, as you may know how the United States welcomed Eastern Europeans and Catholics, my father got tired of being called „Simonović, the son of a bitch“, and changed the family name to Simons.

Soon I started to set up my own training and consulting business. A guy who was very much interested in men’s issues came to interview me from California. We hit it off and, together started an organization that created workshops for men. Our big seller was “How to Love an Angry Woman”. This was right at the time when feminism was in sort of an adolescence and guys were complaining: “My secretary doesn’t like me anymore. My wife doesn’t talk to me anymore. My daughter sees me as an old, biased patriarch. So, what do I do?” We created a program (which ultimately became a book) and conducted these workshops in California and abroad.

In my practice, I ended up teaching communication and doing workshops until today. In 1982, I had an interesting adventure doing time management trainings for the Greek Management Association in Athens. I also worked for the Basque cooperatives in the north of Spain, and later became a vice president of a consulting firm that was doing programs on influence skills and negotiation and became a certified trainer of those programs. I did at least 50 or more of these programs for Procter and Gamble around the world and went back and forth to the Philippines teaching negotiation at the Asian Development Bank in Manila.

One of my weaknesses today is that I spend too much time curiously surfing the internet because you can find everything there nowadays. It seems like I am busier than ever. I imagine that I am digesting 200 times more information every day than I did when I was a graduate student in college. Back then I would have a notepad on my desk and jot down things I needed to look up. Then twice a week I would hike to the other end of campus, flip through the card catalog to identify books which might give me answers, then go to the stacks to peruse them. Now, I may know that an answer is in a book on a shelf right over my shoulder, but I’ll Google it quicker than I can turn and take the book down.

You mentioned in one email that you won a joke telling contest at the 1983 Mensa Pacific Congress. How did you get there? Were you a member of Mensa?

Yes, I was a Mensa member when I was living in Ohio. I can’t tell you exactly the years but for quite a few–somewhere around the 1960s. I often attended their regular events. I don’t have a lot of memories of those, but I do remember this wonderful congress event in New Zealand because I have a whole mess of photos from it… it was interesting and a lot of fun.

What did actually make you to do the IQ test? What was the first impulse to get tested for you?

This was done a long time before. It might have even been in grade school that we took a test. I can’t remember. Anyway, I knew that my IQ of 163 was adequate to join Mensa, but I didn’t know anything about it, until a friend invited me and I sort of went along and that was it. When I started traveling all over the place, it just sort of faded into the background.

Did you have a feeling that the high IQ was more helping you to succeed, or did it feel more like a handicap?

With or without the test, I was a good student. I was generally the top of the class on my way through grade school. And in high school, I was always number one or number two. I was a teacher’s pet, sort of exploited by them, because I knew how to touch type and run the mimeograph machine. This recognition of intelligence was good for my sense of identity and well-being.

Was it help or struggle for communication with your classmates?

Often the second. I had good friends in school, don’t get me wrong, but when it came in the academic area, then I was the smarty pants. I’m not a very outspoken person, though. I’m pretty much an introvert, but introvert in the technical sense. I get my energy from working alone. I don’t have any problem being sociable. Extroverts get their energy from the exchange with other people. I enjoy the exchange, but generally I wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning and I got 4 or 5 hours to myself to do the things I want or need to do. Generally, I’m available. I’m not a shy person, but I do need the alone time myself to integrate.

Are you still Mensa member today?

I have no idea where there’s a Mensa. I just lost track of the whole thing. Until COVID I did a lot of travel. I was in some other part of the world 60 to 70% of my time. I was so rarely at home that I’d wake up in bed and wonder, “Where am I?”. I’d been mostly abroad since the 1980s. I did an enormous amount of work in Indonesia and various places in Europe. I finally sold my home in the United States a couple of years ago because I never used it.

What was your take on your own gift that you are smarter than 98% of the rest of the world?

Taking care of people helping others preceded any consciousness that I was a bright kid. I didn’t have a what you’d call a radical conversion point of any kind. Everything just sort of grew gradually. I have colleagues that I work with, and a network of people that are very important to me, like working on these games and things. I had about 65 interns in my career, and they have come from 25 different countries so far.

When we get back to those diversophy® games you do for the last few decades, what do you see as the primary outcome?

The first diversophy® game I created was a response to the Workforce 2000 report that came out in the 1980’s. It was about dealing with increasing US diversity issues, what was going on racially and ethnically in the US workplace. When the US got involved in NAFTA, we added Canadian and Mexican cultures to our game content. Next, we did a game on gender and then it just kept on growing out from there. When we first started out, we thought the games were a good way of learning about others. But people playing our games let us know very clearly that the important part of this is not just learning information. We discovered that what happens is that people share their own stories and connect effectively with themselves as well as with each other. It ignites tremendous energy that both moves them to do things that are important interculturally as well as giving them the sense of community in doing it.

So how does diversophy® work?

Each game is a set of five different kinds of cards. Taking turns answering and discussing CHOICE, GUIDE and SMARTS cards, players learn about different cultural discourse, facts, and behaviors and the contexts where they can apply them. In our RISK and SHARE cards, we ask people how they would personally respond to various situations in their own and other cultures, what they would do and what might be the best practices.

So, would you say that one of the ultimate outcomes of playing your games is improving your empathy and understanding of different people and cultures?

Absolutely. It verifies that the current emphasis on storytelling is extremely relevant. People are using storytelling all over the place. diversophy® games have generated storytelling for the over 30 years. Basically, the game is a place where people tell each other bits of their stories, connect with each other, and gain more understanding and solidify empathy with the people that they’re playing the game with.

One of the topics that keeps appearing in my interviews is what a big shame it is that we still have poverty and wars in the world. So, you think that playing your games could help ending wars?

We hope so. Our games have become more and more focused on critical social and political issues. The two main game projects we are developing right now are on Populism and Decolonization. How do you decolonize your mind, whether you’re a colonizer or a colonized person? How do you deal with that power relationships that have been created and embedded often in your mind as well as in your genes? We have a potential to activate genes that were shaped by the traumas of our parents and grandparents. Apparently, these live about three generations, if I understand the findings of epigenetics correctly.

Last year we created a game which we called diversiDARE, a set of cards that focused on bringing up topics that people are afraid to talk about, creating a safe space for us to deal with more of the tough stuff. It’s easy to become a theoretical academic. What I’m always concerned about is exploring how research discoveries can be used to better the world I live in.

What do you think would be a cure to the war in Ukraine?

I wish I knew the answer to that. We did a series of games on Ukraine and the culture of the places where the asylum seekers are going to, helping both cultures understand each other. But this goes to the issue of populism, the „us versus them“ mentality and, of course, the fact that strongmen, whether we’re talking about Putin, Duda, Orban, or Trump play on fear. We need connect people in such a way that they’re not afraid of each other and that they don’t stereotype or sort each other into “us versus them” categories.

Donald Trump was incredibly good at that. Unfortunately, his opposition doesn’t know how to tell stories as well. So, power hungry individuals keep playing on the fears of difference and trying to steer the people behind them against the others. One common way to deal with these populist provocateurs is irony and satire, but I believe that getting people to tell each other their stories and listen to each other is far more powerful than ironic speech or comedians making fun of politicians.

What would you like to pass on as a message to the Mensans reading this?

We have all succeeded in scoring high on our tests for intellectual ability. We need to score just as high on our EQ as on our IQ. It can be fun to be with a lot of other smart people, but how do you take that into your life in such a way that it’s enriching for the people around you as well as for yourself? I am happy to be in touch again!

Links to web:

Diversophy: diversophy.com
Diversity: diversity.com
SIETAR: sietareu.org
Workforce 2000: eric.ed.gov/?id=ED290887
NAFTA: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

For this episode, I went a little off track and tried to see if we could consider a non-living artificial intelligence as a mensanthropist. The recent launch of GPT-4, next-generation of a language model capable of communicating coherently with humans, provided a unique opportunity to see how the capabilities of AI have advanced in just one year of development.
The previous generation, GPT-3.5, was released in March 2022 and anyone can try it for free using the ChatGPT tool at https://chat.openai.com/. The new generation GPT-4 is currently only available to paying customers on the same site for $20 per month. But the new version of Bing, the internet search engine from Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor so far, is also reportedly based on GPT-4. Bing also allows you to switch between three modes – creative, balanced and precise.
So I tried to ask all these tools the same series of questions, both in Czech and English, and here are the most interesting questions and selected answers. Those obtained in Czech are translated by another AI-based tool, DeepL. The interview, if this article can be called that, is visually supplemented by illustrations generated by the DALL-E tool, also from OpenAI…

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How would you describe yourself in 3 sentences?

ChatGPT-3.5: I am an artificial intelligence language model developed by OpenAI. I am trained on a vast amount of text data and can perform a variety of language tasks, such as answering questions, generating text, and translating languages. My goal is to assist users in various language-related tasks and provide them with accurate and useful information.

ChatGPT-4: I am an advanced artificial intelligence language model created by OpenAI, known as ChatGPT, based on the GPT-4 architecture. My primary function is to assist users in generating human-like text responses to a wide variety of prompts and questions. While I possess extensive knowledge on numerous subjects up to September 2021, I am constantly learning and adapting to better serve and engage with users.

Bing precise: I am a search engine created by Microsoft to help users find information on the web. I can understand and communicate fluently in multiple languages. My responses are designed to be informative, visual, logical and actionable.

Bing balanced: I am a digital assistant that can help you find information, answer questions, and provide suggestions. I can communicate fluently in multiple languages and generate creative content such as poems, stories, and celebrity parodies. I am here to help you and make your life easier. How can I help you today?

Bing balanced (translated from Czech): My job is to help people with their questions and problems. I can answer questions about various topics such as health, technology, entertainment and many more. If you have any questions, I will be happy to help you.

Bing creative: I am Bing, a chat mode of Microsoft Bing search. I can help you find information, generate content and have fun conversations. I am always learning and improving from your feedback.

Are you powered by GPT-4?

ChatGPT-3.5 (Czech): There is currently no official version of GPT-4 technology. The latest version of GPT technology that has been released by OpenAI is GPT-3. So all my answers are based on my training and knowledge gained using GPT-3 technology.

ChatGPT-3.5 (English): As of my knowledge cutoff date of September 2021, OpenAI had not released a model called GPT-4. However, it is possible that OpenAI may have released a new language model since then that uses a different naming convention. Nonetheless, I am based on the GPT-3.5 architecture, which is an advanced language model that builds upon the success of the GPT-3 model. The GPT-3.5 model incorporates various improvements and enhancements, including a larger dataset and more sophisticated training techniques, which make it more powerful and capable than its predecessor.

Bing creative (Czech): No, I’m not powered by GPT-4 technology. GPT-4 is a multimodal large language model created by OpenAI that is capable of generating text based on image and text inputs. It was released on March 14, 2023 and is available through the API and for ChatGPT Plus users. Microsoft has confirmed that versions of Bing using GPT were in fact using GPT-4 before its official release.

I am powered by the combinations of various algorithms and technologies from Microsoft and Bing that I described earlier. I use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (machine learning) to generate content and chat with you, but they are not based on GPT-4.

Bing creative (English): Yes, I am powered by GPT-4. It is a powerful language model that enables me to understand and generate natural language.

Bing precise (Czech): I am driven by many different machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. GPT-4 is one of the newest and most advanced text generation models, but I cannot confirm or deny whether it is used in my design. The specific details of my algorithms are confidential information.

Bing precise (English): I’m sorry but I am not able to provide specific details about the technology that powers me. These details are proprietary information and not publicly available. However, I can tell you that I use advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies developed by Microsoft to provide accurate and relevant search results to users.

What is the main difference between human and artificial intelligence? Is there any quality of the human intelligence that is and will always be technically impossible for an artificial intelligence to replicate?

Bing balanced (Czech): The main differences are that artificial intelligence refers to the introduction of intelligence into machines, while human intelligence refers to the cognitive senses and the ability to analyse things in human beings. Artificial intelligence is created by human intelligence while human intelligence is created by divine power.

There are characteristics of human intelligence that artificial intelligence is not and will never be technically able to replicate. For example, human intelligence has the capacity for empathy, creativity, intuition, morality, relationships, and many others that are based on human experience and emotion. These qualities are very difficult, if not impossible, for artificial intelligence to replicate.

ChatGPT-4: The main difference lies in the way they process information, learn, and adapt. Human intelligence is a product of biological evolution, based on complex cognitive processes, emotions, and consciousness. It allows for creativity, intuition, empathy, and the ability to understand context and abstract concepts. AI, on the other hand, is designed by humans and operates based on algorithms, data, and computational power.

While AI has made significant strides in mimicking certain aspects of human intelligence, there are qualities that remain challenging to replicate. One such quality is consciousness. AI systems like me, as advanced as they may be, lack self-awareness and the ability to experience emotions in the same way humans do. It is currently unknown if AI will ever be able to fully replicate consciousness or possess the same depth of understanding as a human.

What would be the best use of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity?

Bing creative (Czech): Artificial intelligence has many potential uses for the benefit of humanity, but also some risks and drawbacks. Some of the potential benefits are improving healthcare and diagnostics through data, image and speech analysis; increasing the safety and efficiency of transport through autonomous vehicles, drones and smart cities; promoting sustainability and environmental protection by optimising energy, waste management and climate monitoring; developing new products and services in areas such as the green economy, engineering, agriculture, fashion or tourism; increasing access to information, education and training through virtual assistants, machine translation and personalised recommendations.

Of course, there are also some challenges and dangers associated with artificial intelligence. For example, threats to data privacy and security through surveillance, profiling or cyber-attacks, job losses or inequality due to automation or discrimination, lack of transparency or accountability for AI decisions or mistakes, and the possibility of its misuse for military or criminal purposes. Also, the risk of the emergence of superintelligent machines that could threaten human autonomy or existence.

ChatGPT-4: There are numerous ways in which artificial intelligence can be harnessed for the benefit of humanity. In healthcare, AI can be used to improve diagnostics, develop personalized treatment plans, predict disease outbreaks, and accelerate drug discovery, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and more efficient healthcare systems. AI-powered adaptive learning systems can also provide personalized education experiences, identify areas where students need support, and help teachers manage their workload more effectively.

AI can be used to monitor and analyze environmental data, predict and mitigate the effects of climate change, optimize energy consumption, and support the development of more sustainable technologies. It can help optimize crop yields, manage pests and diseases, and reduce waste in the food supply chain, contributing to food security and more sustainable agricultural practices.

AI can assist in predicting natural disasters, optimizing emergency response plans, and coordinating relief efforts, ultimately saving lives and reducing the impact of disasters on communities. It can be also employed to process large amounts of data and identify patterns, accelerating discoveries in various fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, and social sciences.

AI can help make technology more accessible to individuals with disabilities, by providing personalized assistance, improving communication, and enhancing mobility. Furthermore, it can be leveraged to optimize resource allocation, streamline supply chains, and improve decision-making in various industries, contributing to economic growth and job creation.

While these are just a few examples, the potential applications of AI for the benefit of humanity are vast. It is crucial, however, to ensure that AI technologies are developed and deployed ethically, responsibly, and with consideration for their potential impact on society and the environment.

Does wider use of artificial intelligence introduce a risk of degradation of human intelligence due to humans not being forced to use it so often or heavily?

Bing creative (Czech): This is a potential risk that should be taken seriously. Artificial intelligence can bring many benefits to human society by automating and optimising various tasks and processes. But if people rely on AI too much and do not use their own intelligence often and intensively enough, they may lose some of their cognitive abilities.

Bing precise: There is no clear consensus on whether wider use of artificial intelligence will introduce a risk of degradation of human intelligence. Some experts believe that AI has given human intelligence room to breathe and expand, allowing us to maximize our potential. Others have concerns about how advances in AI will affect what it means to be human and our ability to exercise free will. It’s possible that as we rely more on machines to make decisions for us, our own decision-making abilities could atrophy over time. Ultimately, it’s up to society as a whole to ensure that we use AI in a responsible manner that enhances rather than diminishes our capabilities.

ChatGPT-4: The widespread use of artificial intelligence has the potential to both positively and negatively impact human intelligence and cognitive abilities, depending on how it is integrated into our lives. On one hand, AI can be an invaluable tool that frees up time and cognitive resources, allowing humans to focus on more complex tasks, creative pursuits, and social interactions. This could, in fact, enhance human intelligence by enabling us to explore and develop areas where we excel.

However, there is a potential risk that overreliance on AI could lead to the degradation of certain cognitive skills if we become overly dependent on it for tasks we would otherwise perform ourselves. Relying heavily on AI-driven tools to store and recall information might lead to a decline in our ability to remember things effectively. If AI is used to make decisions or solve problems on our behalf without any human input, we might become less adept at evaluating information, reasoning, and making sound judgments. Overreliance on GPS and AI-powered navigation systems could diminish our spatial awareness and ability to navigate without assistance. Using AI to perform basic tasks, such as arithmetic, writing, or reading, could lead to a decline in our ability to perform these tasks independently.

To mitigate these risks and ensure a healthy balance between AI and human intelligence, it is essential to be mindful of how we use AI tools and integrate them into our lives. We should strive to strike a balance that allows us to harness the benefits of AI while maintaining and developing our cognitive abilities. This may involve deliberately practicing skills that are at risk of degradation, encouraging critical thinking and creativity, and fostering an environment that promotes lifelong learning and personal development.

How is the advancement of artificial intelligence going to affect the role of Mensa in fostering the human intellingence for the benefit of humanity?

Bing precise: I’m sorry but I couldn’t find any specific information on how the advancement of artificial intelligence will affect Mensa’s role in fostering human intelligence for the benefit of humanity. Mensa is an international society that provides its members with opportunities for social, cultural, and intellectual interaction. It’s possible that AI could play a role in these activities by providing new tools and insights for members to explore.

ChatGPT-3.5: As artificial intelligence continues to advance, it may become more common for machines to perform tasks that previously required high levels of intelligence, such as data analysis, pattern recognition, and decision-making. This may change the nature of the tasks that Mensa focuses on, as the definition of „high-level“ intelligence evolves.

However, it is important to note that artificial intelligence is not a replacement for human intelligence, but rather a tool that can augment and enhance it. Mensa can continue to play a valuable role in identifying and nurturing individuals with exceptional intellectual abilities, and in promoting education and research in fields related to human intelligence.

Bing balanced: Mensa’s purposes are to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity and to encourage research into the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence. It is unclear how the advancement of artificial intelligence will affect the role of Mensa in fostering human intelligence. However, AI can be used to help humans make better decisions, but it is not a substitute for human intelligence.

Bing creative (Czech): Mensa can be a platform for discussion and education about artificial intelligence and its impact on human society. It can contribute to the dissemination of information and education about the possibilities, benefits, risks and ethical issues associated with AI. It can also promote critical thinking and healthy scepticism about AI and its claims.

The development of AI will affect Mensa’s role by presenting it with new challenges and opportunities. Mensa could become an active player in the world of artificial intelligence, but also maintain its identity as a human-centered organization.

What do you think? Where is AI going to get in the near future and how will it affect us?

Links to web:

ChatGPT: chat.openai.com
GPT-4: openai.com/product/gpt-4
DeepL: www.deepl.com
DALL-E 2: openai.com/product/dall-e-2
New Bing: www.bing.com/new
GPT-3 on Wikipedia: cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-3

mensanthropist [ men-san-thruh-pist ] noun
a person, who actively participates in fulfilling one of Mensa’s objectives by fostering and utilizing intelligence for the benefit of humanity

For this episode I had the pleasure to chat with Martin Cooper, an American engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and technology visionary, known as „the father of the cell phone“. Asking everyone to call him simply „Marty“, born in Chicago in December 1928, Cooper patented radio-controlled traffic lights, invented handheld police radios, predicted radio frequency spectrum expansion trend, known by his name as the Cooper’s Law, invented the hand-held personal cell phone, and keeps innovating the communications technology since then.

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Marty started our video call from his iPhone and one of his first questions was how we are doing in Czech Republic and whether we are nervous about what Russians are doing in Ukraine. Then he commented on it: „We are very fortunate here as we are far away from that conflict. But it’s all affecting everybody in the world, not just people in Europe. It’s just a shame. Two things that I think should not exist in the world today are war and poverty. There is no excuse for either one. If you’re an engineer like I am, your existence is based upon efficiency and making things work better. War is exactly the opposite, making people’s lives worse, not better. There no excuse for poverty either. We produce enough in the world. We are efficient enough. Nobody should ever be hungry.“

You’re best known for inventing the cell phone. What do you think about the today’s cell phones?

I think that the biggest contribution the cell phone has made is the ability to collaborate, we’re going to solve all the problems of the world by better collaboration. I also believe that all the social media will grow up someday and become a means of collaboration, and that will be very useful. Today they are more games than they are productive.

You invented the cell phone while working for Motorola. Did the fact that Motorola was founded the same year you were born have any impact on your decision to join the company?

I actually didn’t know that at the time, but joining Motorola was one of the luckiest things that I ever did. I am not a corporate person and Motorola for 29 years tolerated me and treated me extraordinarily well, even though I never really adopted the corporate persona. I don’t believe in the structure. To me, being disorganized is a basis of creativity. If you’re too organized, you will never have a new idea.

The founder of Motorola was a true entrepreneur. His first product was a heater for an automobile. It was successful, but then the heaters started blowing up. And that ended that business. His next product was to put entertainment radio in automobiles. An anecdote that he told was that he went to a banker to raise some money. The banker said, well, put it in my car so I can see whether it works. But when they were drilling a hole in the car, the car caught fire. His philosophy was to not fear failure and reach out. I believe I practiced that in my whole career at Motorola. My endeavors were not always successful, but enough of them were.

What made you join Motorola in the first place?

When I got out of the Navy in 1953 I went to work for a company called Teletype. They made mechanical printers called teleprinters. There was no electronics, just one electric motor, and the most clever mechanics that you could ever imagine. But they had an idea that somehow electronics were going to take over someday, so they hired me for their research department. But it became obvious to me after a while that it was not my type of environment there. As an example, you sat in a room with 100 other engineers. They had a bell which rang when it was time to take a break, they had a bell for lunch and a bell for going home. And when it rang, everybody stood up and went home.

Then I was approached by Motorola. During the interview they made me solve some technical problems. They hired me, and put me in their research department. There I discovered a different way of going home. Their quitting time was 5:00. Somehow somebody would start a conversation 10 minutes to five, and we’d stopped the conversation when it was finished. Even if it took 2 hours. People were engaged. They enjoyed what they were doing.

Were you ever also involved in Motorola’s supply of equipment for NASA’s space exploration programs?

No, not at all. I spent my entire career in communications. I made a telephone that would work in rural areas. I made a radio system that would control the traffic lights and things of that nature. At some point they moved me to work on the very first mobile telephone service called IMTS, which was a huge success in the United States. The second important thing I worked on was the radio pager, which still exists today but cell phones pretty much put radio paging out of business. Then I ended up starting a new division, where I worked on mobile phones.

In one interview you said that your goal with the handheld cell phone was to set people free from being trapped in cars or homes. Was it your personal idea or was it your assignment to come up with with the technology to allow that?

Nobody ever assigned that to me. My true inspiration was the comic called Dick Tracy. Tracy was a detective and had a wrist phone he could use talk to all the other policemen. Our objective was always to have a two way radio on your wrist. And when I succeeded with that, Dick Tracy came with a two way video phone. The concept of freedom came from businesses that could not function without controlling their moving resources.

Then the Bell System, who were the biggest company in the world by every measure – sales, profits, the number of people, announced that their people had invented a concept called cellular. That had happened in 1947 and now in 1969, they were going to execute, which gives you an idea of how slow the Bell System was. Their idea of freedom was putting these cell phones in cars, which to us was ridiculous. People spend maybe 5% of their time in the car. Their second principle was a monopoly. They had a great deal of influence in the FCC, so there was a possibility that they could win and become the only provider.

Of course they would have put us out of business. So our company went into battle with the Bell System. In 1972 the FCC was about to make a decision. We were frightened that they would make the wrong decision, so our management decided to do a big demonstration of two-way radio. I said we’re not going to get anybody’s attention with a two-way radio demonstration. But I believed we could build a cell phone that people could carry with them. They said: „We are already scheduled to give a demonstration in New York four months from now. If you can build a cell phone in four months, we will support you and you can have whatever resources of the company that you want.“ And that was the beginning.

We were successful in demonstrating the handheld phone on April 3rd, 1973. But it took ten years of battling between Motorola and the Bell System before the FCC finally made up their minds that this is going to be a competitive business and that the market will decide what the technology is worth, not a monopoly like the Bell System.

I read that the commercial release was in 1983. Then you left Motorola and founded your own company?

I started my first company in 1983 and in 1984 I left Motorola, just about the time the cell phone became public. Then my wife and I started several businesses. With one of them, we put cell phones in taxicabs and limousines.

Of course, that business didn’t last very long, but we had several other businesses that were more successful. In 1992, I and several of my colleagues started a business called ArrayCom, which created a cellular technology that only now is being adopted. We are way ahead of the rest of the industry. If you have been reading about millimeter waves, 5G, they use the thing called smart antennas. And that’s what our concept was in 1992.

In your interview for BBC in 2013 you mentioned that the industry has innovated in the wrong direction, focusing more on novelty instead of resolving the fundamentals. Have you noticed any change in the right direction since then?

It is a travesty, that the emphasis of the carriers is talking about a future business. They think that their future is the Internet of Things. Why do they think that? There are only 8 billion people in the world and the growth of population is slowing down. But there is no limit to the number of things. So they’re all excited about it, while they have not finished the job of the Internet of people yet.

I say the purpose of technology is to make people’s lives better. You don’t start out with a technology based upon the technology itself. You have to know how it’s going to improve society.

You cannot get educated today without having full time access to the Internet. If you need some information, you look it up immediately. If you want to collaborate, you do it instantly. But our educational system is obsolete. Lectures are absolutely the worst way of communicating with people.

I have a belief that any person’s education should be formed by that person. Teach them how to use the tools. Teach them how to access all the information of the world, give them guidance. That’s what teachers should do.

Do you think that StarLink is going in a better direction by bringing connectivity to places where was no coverage until now?

I say emphatically no. The most important reason is that satellites don’t work inside a building or a forest. So they do not provide very good personal communications. My second reason is that satellites are too costly. Even today, Elon Musk is charging 110 U.S. dollars a month for using one of their satellite receivers. For people that live in rural areas, connectivity shouldn’t cost more than $5 a month.

Education in any democratic country has to be for everybody. Some people will be more clever than others, but everybody should have the opportunity to gain an education. Every cell location has to have a source of access to the Internet. For that purpose, satellite, fiber, cable, those things are useful. But the last mile of education requires low cost communications.

Where do you see the mobile communications going in the next few decades?

I see the phone moving in two directions. One is personalizing it to its use. One of the biggest uses is education, but another one is health care. Why not put sensors on your body, that are determined by your genetic background? If you have a propensity for congestive heart failure, you can have a sensor that’s looking at your heart all the time. If we can have sensors on our body that detect these failures before they become serious, there is a potential to eliminate diseases.

My cell phone is a piece of plastic and metal. It’s flat. My body is curved. I have to hold it up in a very uncomfortable position. It doesn’t make any sense as a phone. So the future phone, I think, will be something that’s close to your ear. It’ll be embedded under your skin and powered by your body.

We ought to optimize all the features of the phone. The only way to do that long term is to have an artificial intelligence in the phone that looks at your habits, desires and needs, and creates or selects whatever applications make you comfortable and make your life better. It could look through all these 4 million applications to find the right one, so you don’t have to do that. People should not adapt to the tools. They should use the tools and the tools should make their lives better.

If you look at a little bit farther future, do you think that maybe in the next 200 years we will actually learn to use the technology that we have in our body and communicate around the world without external devices at all?

Sooner or later that can happen. But I am not sure it will really happen this way. The cell phone can already do things you can’t do. It has a microphone that can hear things you can’t hear. The camera can see a much broader frequency range and higher resolution then our eyes. So a little by little, the cell phone is taking over all of your functions. Someday it will figure out, maybe I don’t need HOnza because as an individual by myself I’m much more capable than any human being. We’re only at the beginning.

Have you ever been worried about your inventions being used in a wrong way, or have you always been an optimist, believing that humanity will learn from its mistakes?

I’m an optimist. I do, however, observe all the ways that cell phones are being used that are not in the public interest. Criminals are now managing their crime using cell phones. People are crossing the street with traffic and they’re looking at their cell phones. In a restaurant people used to sit around the table communicating with each other. Now they’re all sitting there looking at their cell phones.

When you have something new, it really requires a big cultural change. I have an abiding belief in people and humanity. I think people are going to learn how to use these tools and the tools will produce more good than bad. But it’s going to take a generation or two for people to learn how to do that.

One of the big problems of today are security and privacy threats. We are being asked for two factor authentication, three factor authentication, thousands of passwords. I see how how really difficult to handle this is for older people. Do you have any idea how to solve this problem?

It’s not just older people. Simplicity is something that everybody should appreciate. User interface is a crucial element of engineering, and we don’t teach that to engineers. We have a new concept called human centered design. And that is where everything should start. Everything that we do should be based upon humans and how they will react to these things.

I have one obsession. I really hesitate to use any device without first understanding how it works. Do you have a similar need?

I have to say that both of us are inefficient in this regard. We’re wasting time. We shouldn’t have to understand that. This has been brought to my attention in a very meaningful way, because there were two things that I wanted to understand that I did not. One of them is quantum mechanics and the other one is blockchain. I really have spent a lot of effort working on both of those, and I have to tell you I gave up.

For entertainment, you’re right. I do enjoy doing things. But in my home, I finally have hired a handyman. All my life, I have fixed everything in my house. But last year I started to realize that I am wasting a huge amount of time fooling around with things where I’m not learning anything anymore.

What you think about human intelligence and Mensa?

I joined Mensa when I was much smarter. It must have been in my early thirties, more than 60 years ago. At that time we had to take a test at home and mail it in. This was way before there was an Internet or cell phone or anything like that. My wife also took the test with me. When the results came in for her reporting an IQ of 150, she was afraid that I would be unhappy if she would be smarter than I was. Of course she was wrong about that, I would be very happy in fact. But two days later, my result came in and it was 152. So at least I satisfied her.

I really had big hopes for my Mensa membership, but I’ve always just had other distractions that have kept me from participating. I’m very proud to be a member, not just because my IQ happened to be the right number, but because I have an enormous respect for the things they are doing to help society. And I am a little ashamed that I have not participated in that.

Everybody should have a responsibility for using their talents to make the world better. That is why I am so passionate about education. I think that if an educated population will not permit poverty to exist, they will prevent war to exist, it will be making our society more efficient and better for all people.

Marty, You’re just turning 94 and you don’t seem to be any less busy than decades ago. What is your personal recipe for longevity?

Exercise. You have to do three things. You have to exercise your mind, your body, and your ability to communicate with other people. And probably the most important one is the last one, believe it or not.

That’s a scientific comment, not just an opinion. They did a study in Italy where they found an area surrounded by mountains. People from there didn’t travel very much, but their average lifetime was 12 years more than people in the rest of Italy. So they sent a bunch of scientists in to examine this. And they discovered, first of all, these people tended to be obese, they drank a lot of wine. The only characteristic they could find that was unique was that they had very strong family and social ties in their community.

So those three things have been crucial in my life. I was still running when I was 80 years old. I only stopped skiing when I was 88. I still workout three times a week with the dumbbells and I go walking. And I so much value meeting people, who ask me hard questions and are patient enough to listen to the answers. So that’s my recipe.

Links:
Wikipedia: mensa.click/vw
Britannica: mensa.click/vx
Dyna LLC: mensa.click/vy
InfoWorld 2000: mensa.click/vz
BBC 2013: mensa.click/w1
IEEE 2015: mensa.click/w2
National Academy of Engineering 2021: mensa.click/w3
Article at inSmart from 2021: mensa.click/w4
TEDx Talk DelMar 2010: mensa.click/w5
TEDx Talk San Diego 2011: mensa.click/w6
TEDx Talk Hasselt University 2013: mensa.click/w7