Three scientists\u2014Papaia, Banani, and Ravioli\u2014and their assistant Igor work at the NASAL observatory. They come across some interesting books and start getting into creationism. But their bosses don\u2019t like this new interest and send them to take a psychological test, which they must pass to keep their jobs. But the psychologist, Professor Faggioli, determined to get them fired, does everything he can to make them look insane.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We are in Professor Faggioli’s office, where Ravioli is being evaluated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli\u2019s session continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: You were telling me about the first time you experienced emotional eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Yes. It was one of those evenings when, after a long lecture, I was sent to bed without TV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Yes\u2026 the usual ineffective punishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Well, not exactly. The worst part was the hunger. You see, it was either eat the broccoli or skip dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: And that evening you chose the latter\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: You see, Faggioli, I just couldn\u2019t bring myself to eat that stuff\u2026 no offense!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Don\u2019t worry, I don\u2019t like repeating myself. I won\u2019t lecture you again, go ahead\u2026 I mean, please continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Right. I was saying that, at first, the hunger was unbearable. But then I discovered a trick to save myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: A trick?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Yes, when my mom would come in to tuck me in, I\u2019d pretend to be asleep\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Ah, you little rascal!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: \u2026 then I\u2019d wait a few minutes, sneak out of my room, head to the kitchen, and fill the pockets of my pajamas with sweets and mini pizzas. Finally, I\u2019d go back to my room and eat as much as I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: I see! Just like you wanted to do with my chocolates, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Uh\u2026 yes, exactly like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Wait a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli scratches his chin, deep in thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Something doesn\u2019t add up here. If your parents were so health-conscious, what were sweets and mini pizzas doing in the kitchen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Ha, ha, ha! Pure hypocrisy, professor! You see, Faggioli, my mom loved sweets and mini pizzas too. She\u2019d eat them in secret while I was at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Uhm\u2026 I see. A family\u2026 vice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: I\u2019d say so!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: But didn\u2019t your mother notice that things were missing from the pantry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: No, no one ever found out. That\u2019s because my dad also loved junk food, as you called it, and late at night, after me, he\u2019d get up and finish off whatever he could find!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: So, the next morning, the pantry was empty, and your mom thought it was your dad!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Looks like you\u2019ve got it, professor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Rather than being the bastion of healthy living, your house seems more like\u2026 the palace of hypocrisy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Sometimes, passing near their bedroom, I\u2019d hear them arguing about me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: And what would they say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: My mom would scold my dad for his gluttony. Pretty much the same lectures she gave me. She\u2019d tell him she didn\u2019t want me to turn out like them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Very noble. But they should\u2019ve set a real example, not a fake one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: But I understand them, Faggioli. You know, once you start with those delicious, tasty things, it\u2019s hard to stop, even if you know they\u2019re bad for your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Fortunately, my father was better than yours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n …A serious and virtuous man who would never have allowed that poison in his house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Yeah\u2026 good for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: You see, your mother and father\u2014your father especially\u2014set a terrible example for you\u2026 Weak and foolish people! Certainly not like my wise father!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Okay, okay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: So, how did you find out what they were doing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Well, first, I always wondered why, if they ate healthy food like they told me to, they were just as chubby as I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: A true scientist from a young age!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Then one day, I saw my mom unpacking the groceries on the table. In front of me, it was all fish and vegetables, but then she\u2019d send me out to take out the trash. But that day, I\u2019d forgotten a bag. When I opened the door again\u2026 the table was full of sweets and mini pizzas!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: You hit the jackpot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Heh, heh. But I was smart! I waited for my mom to hide those goodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: And now you knew the hiding spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: That very night, I had a feast. My nights of hunger were over!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: But didn\u2019t your parents worry about you not eating anything?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Not at all! Like I told you, I ate lunch at the after-school program!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: A little criminal mastermind!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Anyway, my life wasn\u2019t easy. And one night, I had that nightmare. I woke up suddenly. I was terrified. My heart was pounding. There was only one way to calm my anxiety: the sweets and mini pizzas hidden in my bedside drawer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: So, to calm your anxiety, you\u2026 stuffed yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: After that nightmare, I just needed to eat something\u2026 good. When I tasted those delicious sweets and those succulent mini pizzas\u2026 I felt\u2026 in a way\u2026 better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Well, well, well, Ravioli! We\u2019ve unearthed quite a few skeletons…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n … uh, sorry, I mean\u2026 important details about your childhood. You said you had a nightmare. What was it about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: It\u2019s a recurring nightmare, one I still have sometimes when I\u2019m really worried about something. It\u2019s about a giant boiled fish chasing me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Why is the fish chasing you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Because it wants me to eat it! But I hate fish\u2026 even more than broccoli!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: What did we say, Ravioli, about healthy food? But, as I said, I won\u2019t repeat myself\u2014go on with the dream!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: As I said, the boiled fish is chasing me. It\u2019s chasing me down the school hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: The school hallway?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Yes, my elementary school. In the dream, the scene becomes horrible and disgusting. There are pieces of broccoli and fish scattered everywhere. Then I hear voices, and when I look around\u2026 the bullies are there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Bullies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ravioli: Yes! In the dream, I see some of my old classmates who used to tease me and play mean pranks on me. In the dream, they\u2019re mocking me in front of everyone. Then I realize I\u2019m wearing my old school backpack. One of them snatches it off me, opens it, and spills the contents all over the floor. Inside, there\u2019s the fish with broccoli\u2014rotten, smelly, and moldy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faggioli: Hmm\u2026 there\u2019s a lot to unpack here. We\u2019ve thrown a lot on the grill. Right, Tony?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As usual, Faggioli\u2019s sock puppet comes to life in his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tony: I don\u2019t know, Faggioli! More than throwing things on the grill, I\u2019d say\u2026 fish in water\u2026 boiling! Ha, ha, ha! Boiled fish\u2026 with BROCCOLI! Ha, ha, ha!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n Igor later commented: Ravioli’s nightmare was a gigantic boiled fish chasing him, asking him to eat it. Honestly, it sounds like a \u2026 fishy situation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n\n\n\n