We are in Professor Faggioli’s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Ah, Ravioli, I apologize. I forgot to inform you that our session is being recorded by a CCTV camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli points to the camera mounted on the cabinet beside the desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: But don\u2019t worry, the recording will be published on YouTube\u2026 I mean\u2026 it won\u2019t be made public. It will only be viewed by your superiors, if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: That\u2019s fine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The session continues, and while Ravioli speaks, Faggioli notices his gaze repeatedly drifting toward the bowl of chocolates resting on the desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Would you like a chocolate, Ravioli?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Umm\u2026 I\u2019d accept, but I\u2019m trying to\u2026 quit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli picks up the box of chocolates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Quit, huh? Then here\u2019s what we\u2019ll do\u2026 I\u2019ll hide them here\u2026 in my drawer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli hides the chocolates in his desk drawer and then excuses himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Excuse me, Ravioli, but I need to step out for a moment\u2026 if you\u2019ll excuse me\u2026 I\u2019ll be right back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Yes, professor. No problem, you know\u2026 I suffer from incontinence too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Good, good! Just stay comfortable\u2026 I\u2019ll be back in a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli gets up from his chair and enters the bathroom. Instead of using the facilities, he hides behind the door and spies on Ravioli\u2019s behavior. Ravioli nervously rubs his stomach, then, after glancing around, stands up, opens the drawer, reaches inside, and quickly stuffs his pocket with chocolates. At that very moment, Faggioli steps out of the bathroom and catches him red-handed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: What are you doing, Ravioli? Are you stealing chocolates?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli turns as red as a tomato.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: I\u2019m sorry, Professor Faggioli! I\u2019m\u2026 mortified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Don\u2019t worry, Ravioli! It was just\u2026 a test. I was testing you to verify some information in your file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: I\u2019m so sorry, so sorry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Tell me, Ravioli. Earlier, you said you were trying to quit\u2026 why is that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Well, let\u2019s just say that once I start\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: \u2026 You can\u2019t stop, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli, embarrassed, admits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Uh, yes. That\u2019s exactly it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: I see, so you\u2019re addicted to chocolate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: No! What are you talking about, Faggioli? For your information, I haven\u2019t had chocolate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Really? And how long has it been?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Faggioli, I haven\u2019t had chocolate since\u2026 this morning! At breakfast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: But, Ravioli! It\u2019s still 9 a.m.!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Um\u2026 I know it seems like nothing, but this is my\u2026 personal record! Maybe this time, I\u2019ll make it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Yes, but I just caught you stealing chocolates\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: No, but I wasn\u2019t going to eat them\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Oh, give me a break, Ravioli! Everyone at the observatory knows about your addiction. And besides, it\u2019s written right here in your file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: What? What does chocolate have to do with my job?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Chocolate has everything to do with it, Ravioli. And your nervous hunger is one of the issues that brought you here today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Excuse me, professor, but I still don\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: You don\u2019t understand, huh? Then let me explain it to you. Here on your file, there\u2019s a record of several incidents where this little obsession of yours\u2026 cost the company dearly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Incidents? What incidents?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Let me refresh your memory, Ravioli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli quickly skims the file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Here it is! For example, that time you cloned the company card to buy your sweet \u201csnacks\u201d from the vending machine at the airport\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Hey, who ratted me out? It was Papaia, wasn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli remains silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (irritated): I knew it! But he probably left out the part where he asked me to withdraw cash! And then he even tried to attack me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: That\u2019s not my concern, Ravioli. But it is your problem now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli resumes reading the file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: And, on top of that, I have plenty of other cases like this one here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli is left speechless, unable to justify himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli (reassuringly): Anyway, don\u2019t worry\u2026 we\u2019re here to fire you\u2026 I mean, to help you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Thank you, professor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Let\u2019s see here\u2026 it also says in your file that you suffer from nervous hunger. Apparently, this has even compromised the results of your measurements on several occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Yes, that\u2019s true. The boss has scolded me many times for my distractions, which only get worse as lunchtime approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli (rubbing his hands): Very well. You and I have already made some progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli glances at the camera, ensuring the red light indicates the recording is on. He then smiles at the camera and gives two triumphant thumbs up before turning back to Ravioli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: You see, Ravioli, our work requires patience and focus. We can\u2019t afford distractions. If you want to stay here at NASAL, you\u2019ll need to learn to control your nervous hunger, especially as mealtimes approach. There are exercises you can do at home. For instance, staying up all night and skipping breakfast. I suggest you start tomorrow morning by skipping breakfast. This will help you mess up even more\u2026 I mean\u2026 strengthen your self-control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli: Oh, Faggioli! That\u2019s impossible for me. I don\u2019t know if I can do it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Ravioli, let me be direct with you. The situation is this: either you manage it, or you lose your job!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ravioli (resigned): Ugh!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli: Heh, heh! You think this poor fool believed us? What do you think, Tony?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faggioli pulls an old sock from his desk drawer and puts it on his hand like a puppet. It\u2019s his imaginary friend, Tony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tony: Oh yes, Faggioli! The fool totally bought it! Ha, ha, ha! Now he\u2019ll show up to work tired and starving, and he\u2019s bound to mess everything up! Ha, ha, ha!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Papaia and Banani are waiting in the lobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Ouch! That extra large swab is still hurting me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Don\u2019t even get me started. Listening to Ravioli always leads to something like this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Looks like we\u2019re going to be waiting here for a while!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor: Knowing Ravioli, I\u2019m sure he has plenty of material to share with the psychologist!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Good thing I brought my grandfather’s book with me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani keeps reading for a while, then suddenly pauses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Hey, Papaia, did you know that in chapters 7 and 8 of Genesis, it talks about a global catastrophe where the Earth is completely submerged?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yeah, of course. Who doesn\u2019t know that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Sure, that\u2019s obvious! But there\u2019s an interesting detail: in Genesis 7, it says, \u2018all the fountains of the great deep burst forth.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Oh, I didn\u2019t know that! So, it\u2019s not just about rain, but also massive underwater eruptions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Not just regular eruptions. Are you familiar with the theory of Pangaea?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yes, I seem to recall that the continents, which are now separated, were initially united into one supercontinent that scholars named Pangaea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Exactly, and the fact that the shapes of the continents fit together is evidence of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Yes, but it\u2019s supposed to have been an extremely slow process, lasting millions of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Not necessarily. Imagine being in Pangaea, and suddenly the continents begin separating rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Oh, I wouldn\u2019t want to be there! That would be an unimaginable catastrophe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Like a global flood?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Wow! That would lead to the separation of continents and the formation of high mountains!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Exactly. The author suggests that these eruptions could have shattered Pangaea, the original configuration of the continents, and caused their separation as we know them today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: So, we’re not talking about a slow and steady movement of the plates, but rather a sudden shift caused by the catastrophe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: Yes, exactly! The continents would have separated within a few months, not over millions of years!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Still, it seems highly unlikely that all the plates would shift simultaneously!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: If we think of it as a random event, that\u2019s true. But Genesis talks about a divine intervention\u2014a decision by God to destroy humanity, saving only those on the ark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: Fascinating! That would be a biblical event whose effects we still see today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: What do you think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: I\u2019m not sure\u2026 but it does make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Banani: At school, they always taught us the millions-of-years theory, but I\u2019ve never heard of this alternative hypothesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papaia: You\u2019re right, Banani. After all, the account in Genesis, seen this way, seems entirely plausible and not just a myth, as we were always taught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Igor: Well done, Papaia! Now all you need is a plausible story to explain to the psychologist how you manage to afford all these\u2026 distractions at work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n