Keeping a conversation going with zero knowledge?

The old and mostly forgotten dark art of ✨keeping a conversation going✨ can experience a revival if we remember to show genuine interest. 

Don't know how to show interest? This party trick will mimic genuine interest: ask open but related questions. 

Link: https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1702713502425887024

Veerasamy: one of my best 'party tricks' is that I can have an interesting conversation with any subject matter expert about anything for an hour despite me having 0 prior knowledge of the thing. core thing is to ask earnest "I'd love to learn more" questions

5 minutes? just ask the person how they got into the thing that they're into. when did you first get into astrology / neuroscience / norse mythology / mongolian throat singing? How did that happen? Wow, no way!! And then? You're kidding. What?? Yea I see it. Damn! How else?

What do newbies like me typically get wrong about X? Why do think that is? What's your favorite thing about X? Why? What's the biggest source of drama in the X community right now? are you on either side or do you see both merits? etc etc. 3 hours have gone by.

"X" here is not shorthand for "the bird app" but for "the topic under discussion". Just saying.