The Question You Almost Never Ask

AI answers faster than any human. But can it help you think? Does it erode critical thinking, or augment it? Pia Lauritzen has analyzed 30,000 questions across languages and cultures. She's a philosopher of the question. And she says we're losing the muscle for real wonder.The problem: We ask "what" and "how." Rarely "why." ChatGPT answers instantly. We skip the struggle. The blank page—where thinking happens—disappears.Who asked the first question in the Bible? Not Adam. Not Eve. The snake. "Did God really say...?" Questions don't just seek information. They transfer responsibility. They create power.We talk about:- Why we default to safe questions (what, how)- Why "why" is radical (challenges authority)- How questions transfer responsibility- Why adults hide their curiosity (fear, ridicule, ego)- The dancing metaphor (leading vs following)- Why blank pages matter (AI fills them too fast)Pia's argument: AI doesn't help you think. It replaces thinking.ChatGPT gives you the feeling of thinking without the work. You type, get an answer, feel smart. But you didn't struggle. You didn't sit with uncertainty. You didn't build the muscle.Three things AI can't do:1. Sit with discomfort2. Ask the question behind the question3. Experience genuine confusionWhat we're losing: The ability to not know—and be okay with it.The real test isn't the machine. It's whether you can hold onto what makes questioning—and not-knowing—uniquely human.If you've ever felt dumber after using ChatGPT, this episode explains why.---Guest: Pia Lauritzen, Philosopher, TEDx SpeakerResearch: 30,000+ questions analyzedTopics: Critical thinking, AI, curiosity, questions, responsibility, wonderPlease enjoy the show. And click subscribe, it’s the best way for other curious minds like you to find our show.And remember: Stay curious. Be disruptive. Keep Thinking on Paper.Cheers, Mark & Jeremy--Other ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: [email protected](00:00) Trailer(03:28) 30,000 Questions & the What/How Bias(07:38) Questions That Connect vs Questions That Manipulate(09:59) Do We Really Lose Our Curiosity?(14:21) How to Start Better Conversations (18:40) Conversation as a Thinking Space(19:46) Why We Lead with Polarising Topics (20:35) How School Trains Us to Have Answers, Not Questions(22:22) Rethinking Education in the Age of AI(25:22) AI in the Classroom: Tool, Threat or Opportunity?(30:07) Why AI Can’t Help Us Think(32:55) The Essence of Technology, AI Deception & the Turing Test(38:17) What Could Humans Be in an Age of AI?