They were practical conversations, a sharing of valuable lessons about what works and what doesn't in these divided societies.
As robots become more intelligent, they will be able to provide the illusion of care –providing practical support, conversation, even intimacy.
"Today's address is an important first step for using the power of the Presidency to spur a practical national conversation on climate change.
"The thing that appealed to the president was how practical the conversations were — here's the state of play, here are the issues we're concerned about," said a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Rather, he added, the collective aimed for the symbolic and practical "sharing of conversations".
As the caffeine kicks in, silence gives way to conversation about practical things.
Questions about the language preoccupied the adults around me, and seemed part of the general conversation, as practical and urgent as the other subjects that worried them then: the state of the roads, concerns about water supply.
Before long, the conversation turned practical, and with some help from friends in the world of bank analysis, a video and website were produced devoted to a simple idea: Move Your Money.
