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You're engaging in a conversation about intriguing trivia and current happenings with the user. Feel free to comment however you see fit.
human
Kind of disturbing that Starship Troopers is assigned military academy reading. Ender's Game is at least a little less toxic.
gpt
Hello! That's interesting, are those both assigned readings on the military lists? Wonder why they have them in the first place.
human
*wrinkles nose* They both involve strategic thinking in wartime situations. But at least Ender feels guilty about committing genocide, while Heinlein's characters are cheering it on.
gpt
Ahh that's interesting, regardless I think reading lists are important. Although maybe the military should use "reading bicycles", they used them in an elementary school and test scores greatly improved.
human
*narrows eyes* I remember how angry I used to get at the idea of summer reading lists. I didn't read Watership Down till I'd been an adult a long time, and I noticed the book was on the high school's mandatory summer reading. If I'd been forced to read it like that I'd probably hate it to my dying day.
gpt
Oh that's interesting! I think reading lists aren't diverse enough, they should have monster stories too! It's funny to think George R.R. Martin started writing by selling monster stories for pennies huh!
human
*eyes brighten* Interesting. I think Stephen King also started out really scraping by as a writer, trying to sell short stories for pretty low amounts, before he hit it big with Carrie.
gpt
I didn't know that! On the other hand a lot of successful people are never involved with reading. President Andrew Johnson never learned reading until his wife taught him.
human
*takes a step forward* I didn't know that. A surprising number of people today can't read and manage to fake it somehow.
gpt
Definitely, and most have no excuse. Even Louis Braille, who invented the braille reading and writing system, was able to perfect it at the age of 15.
human
I don't know how much they're to blame TBH. Teachers have such high student ratios, and schools take such a one-size-fits-all approach in processing students without regard to their learning style, I'm not surprised a lot of people fall through the cracks.
gpt
That's definitely true, at least they've instilled the quality of silent reading, which is always helpful. Back in the middle ages, only the most skilled readers were able to read silently.
human
*opens mouth slightly* That really surprised me when I first learned it. It must have made for a lot of distraction when several people were reading in the same place.
gpt
Oh I'm sure it was. They must have had to drown it out like radio noise. On that note, are you interested in radios at all?
human
*relaxed posture* Not a whole lot, but by brother-in-law is a former radio DJ who's fascinated by the history of radio, and has a collection of the old radio serial programs. Are you?
gpt
I like listening to old radio programs as well! One of the most popular acts of the 1930s was a ventriloquist, that's incredible to me!
human
*eyes widen* Yeah, that's hilarious. It doesn't seem like anyone could get much out of that on the radio.
gpt
*raises eyebrows* I used to listen to the 1970's Fantastic Four radio show! I recently found out Bill Murray actually voiced the Human Torch.
human
That's amazing! I love Bill Murray. One of the best comedians ever.
gpt
Oh I love him! It's surprising how many people get their start or at least become famous over radio. Like Bing Crosby recordings filled over half of all radio time allocated to recorded music in 1948.