separating the wheat from the chaff

I posted this poll at my company's intranet.

Do you think we'll find life on other planets in our lifetime?
Choices
A. Yes, absolutely
B. No way
C. Maybe they found us already

One of my colleagues wrote in and asked if this was my way of separating the paranoid from the rest of the crowd.

Hmm...I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah, maybe.

I also posed these questions at my toastmasters club this week, where I called on people to give quick 1-2 minute responses.

1. If you could spend 30 days in someone else's shoes, who would you swap lives with? (If you haven't seen the 30 days documentary series by Morgan Spurlock on FX, you must see it. I watched it last night -- and it was a man with very strong anti-illegal immigrant views, and he lived for 30 days with a family of illegal immigrants. Such a powerful show. Can't wait for the next episode where a white American goes to India and works for an Indian call center for 30 days).

2. 6 out of 10 Americans disagree with Pres Bush's decision to veto a bill on more federal funds for stem cell research. I asked, do you think Bush made this decision based more on personal moral beliefs, or to gain a political advantage.

3. With the recent conflict in Israel and Lebanon, how do explain fighting and events like these to young children?

4. With the recent blackout in western Queens, it got me thinking, are you prepared for an emergency? Do you have an emergency kit?

5. Should we be spending money on space exploration or doing more to take care of the planet earth?

Anyway, how would you answer? It was interesting to hear how the people in the room answered at my club. I somehow managed to pick people who were perfectly suited to answer these questions. More on that later.