3-5 y/o Human child can ask around 437 questions per day. Can you imagine some scientist who need to babysit curious kid who in one second can ask question about quantum physics and before you can even start to answer the same child ask you why cheese is yellow? -- Anon Guest
"One question at a time, please. If you want answers, you must wait to hear the answer."
"Why?"
"If you do not wait, you do not get an answer."
This seemed like a fair exchange to the small Human, who pulled themself up to peer over Analyst Gork's desk. "What'cha doin'?"
Short answers seemed to be preferable to Human Sal, so Gork said, "I am looking at the scans from the last planet your Pripa[1] went to."
"Where Pripa got sick?"
"Yes," though the illness was not related to the life forms and chemical compounds located there. "Pripa got sick from the virus going around our ship. Nothing Pripa found hurt hir."
"Why?"
Gork parsed that as 'why do you know?' rather than a 'why did that happen?' though it could pass for either. "The first thing we do when someone gets sick or hurt is to try and find out what made that happen."
"What's that?" Human Sal pointed to the image on one of Gork's screens.
"That's a fruit from the planet we were all looking at."
"Does it taste good?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out by looking at the scans."
"Secpa says I gotta try stuff before I know if I like it. Why aren't we trying them?"
"Because we also have to find out if it's safe to eat."
Human Sal didn't even pause. "Is that math?"
"No, but it is big numbers."
"What kind?"
"These numbers are the count of chemical compounds we've found, these numbers are the genetic codes, and these numbers are the chances that we can recreate these compounds in various ways?"
Human Lele arrived, out of breath and slightly singed from hir duties. "It's been a sideways day. Sorry I was late. Have you been a pest, squirt?"
"No?" said Human Sal.
"We have been discussing analysis," said Gork.
"What? Little mx mile-a-minute with the questions?"
"Good science begins with asking questions," said Gork.
"And waiting for the answers," said Human Sal. "Waiting for the answers means you get answers."
"Oh, I welcome this progress. Bad news, champ. We still can't visit Pripa, yet. Ze's still sick and there's still a risk ze can give it to us."
"Uuugh," whined Human Sal. "I'm getting sick of cheesy stuff."
"Does that mean you want to try one of Pripa's recipes?"
"Nooooo..."
Parenting. It was a never ending challenge.
[1] In families where both parentals are nonbinary, and both of them could be 'Rennie', the terms of address are Pripa (primary parental) and Secpa (secondary parental).
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / megainarmy]
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