Two old-fashioned pay phones—one in San Francisco, the other in Abilene, Texas—are connecting strangers with different political views. San Francisco is known for leaning very liberal, while Abilene is considered one of the more conservative cities in the nation. The phones, set up by tech company Matter Neuroscience, invite people in those cities to pick up a receiver and talk with whoever answers. Some have discussed nonpolitical topics, such as cars and day-to-day life. Others have discovered that labels like “Democrat” and “Republican” don’t fully describe who they are. The project’s creators hope these small exchanges help people find common ground. As Arlene Kasselman, a business owner in Abilene, told a reporter, “The opportunity to have civil discourse in a time where there’s so much polarization is important for people.”