DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Dick Tracy got an atom-powered two-way wrist radio in 1946. Marty Cooper never forgot it.

But learning how to talk to people and having good conversations really isn’t that complicated. There are just a handful of things you’ll want to keep in mind. 1.

Two veteran journalists fear the nearly 250-year-old American experiment is at risk if we can't get back to talking to each other in meaningful ways.