DINNER PARTY INTEL...

The topics you have to be able to discuss this week

1. Click-and-drag surgery

Will tomorrow’s surgeons be all thumbs? Roger Kneebone, professor of surgical education at Imperial College, London, says there’s been a decline in the manual dexterity of students. The reason, he says, is that so many things now “are reduced to swiping on a two-dimensional flat screen”. People leaving school have become “less competent and less confident” in using their hands. “An obvious example is of a surgeon needing dexterity and skill in stitching … We have students who have high exam grades but lack tactile general knowledge.” He calls for a “more rounded education … where today’s young people learn to use their hands”.

2. Othello as a farce

Only one thing prevents Anthony Lennon from being one of British theatre’s leading black directors: he’s not black. Lennon’s acting career was going nowhere until he inserted “Ekundayo” between his first and last names and called himself black. Now he receives government funding intended for black artists and is artistic director at one of the UK’S few black-led theatres. Lennon, who describes himself as “African born-again”, admits he is white but says: “I have gone through the struggles of a black man.” Lennon, whose parents are Irish, is now under pressure to step aside and let real black artists benefit.

3. Avocado ousts arabica

Kenya is cashing in on a world craze for avocados and has replaced SA as Africa’s largest producer of the fruit. Exports have rocketed and local farmers say prices have nearly doubled since last year. A number of growers are replacing traditional cash crops like coffee and tea and planting avocados instead. Mexico is the world’s biggest producer, supplying 45% of the global market. The US is the biggest importer, followed by the Netherlands.

The avocado has soared in popularity due partly to its value as a health food. SA produces about 90,000 tons a year.