Questions & Answers:
Q1. Who coined the term 'The Ingenuity Gap'?
A) Thomas Homer-Dixon
B) Stephen Hawking
C) Albert Einstein
D) Bill Gates
A1: A) Thomas Homer-Dixon
Explanation: The passage explicitly states that Thomas Homer-Dixon coined the term, making it a direct factual question.
Q2. The Ingenuity Gap refers to the deficit between:
A) Technological advancements and their applications
B) The complexity of problems and the required ingenuity
C) The pace of society’s evolution and technological change
D) Global financial instability and economic development
A2: B) The complexity of problems and the required ingenuity
Explanation: The passage discusses how the complexity of modern problems surpasses our current ability to solve them, defining the core of the Ingenuity Gap.
Q3. True or False: Technological advancements always reduce the Ingenuity Gap.
A3: False
Explanation: The passage mentions that while technology offers solutions, it also contributes to the Ingenuity Gap by creating unforeseen challenges.
Q4. Fill in the blank: One critical area where the Ingenuity Gap is evident is in _______________.
A4: environmental sustainability
Explanation: Environmental sustainability is specifically mentioned as a field where the gap is apparent, due to the complexity of ecological issues and human impact.
Q5. What does the rapid pace of technological change do?
A) It always solves complex global problems.
B) It contributes to the Ingenuity Gap.
C) It has no effect on societal problems.
D) It slows down societal evolution.
A5: B) It contributes to the Ingenuity Gap.
Explanation: The passage explains that the swift pace of technological advancements can exacerbate the Ingenuity Gap by overwhelming society’s adaptation capacity.
Q6. Which area is mentioned as another example where the Ingenuity Gap is evident?
A) Cyber security
B) Space exploration
C) Historical research
D) Oceanography
A6: A) Cyber security
Explanation: The passage mentions cyber security as an area where the rapid evolution of threats outpaces the development of effective defenses, highlighting the Ingenuity Gap.
Q7. Fill in the blank: The Ingenuity Gap suggests a rising concern about our ability to _______________ in the future.
A7: manage future crises
Explanation: The passage concludes by expressing concern over our ability to manage future crises due to the increasing complexity of problems and the lag in ingenuity.
Q8. What is the primary implication of the Ingenuity Gap?
A) Decreased reliance on technology
B) The need for more creative and innovative solutions
C) The reduction of global financial instability
D) A decrease in societal problems
A8: B) The need for more creative and innovative solutions
Explanation: The passage implies that as problems become more complex, there is an increased need for creative and innovative solutions, which are not keeping pace with the problems' complexity.
Q9. True or False: The Ingenuity Gap refers to the increasing pace of technological advancements.
A9: False
Explanation: The Ingenuity Gap refers to the widening gap between the complexity of problems and our ability to solve them, not specifically to the pace of technological advancements.
Q10. Which factor contributes to the complexity of problems mentioned in the passage?
A) Simplification of societal structures
B) Decreased human activity
C) Interconnectedness of issues
D) Reduced technological innovation
A10: C) Interconnectedness of issues
Explanation: The passage states that the issues we face are becoming more intricate and interconnected, contributing to the complexity of problems and thus widening the Ingenuity Gap.