Conversant version

Alfred has a passing knowledge of zoology. Erland has a nodding acquaintance with applied linguistics. Neither Alfred nor Erland has any knowledge of chemistry.

Alfred: Buffalo.

Erland: What about ‘em?

Alfred. They move in herds but it doesn’t mean they’re safe from predators.

Erland: No?

Alfred: They run at the speed of the slowest.

Erland: Like speed of a convoy is that of the slowest ship?

Alfred: Exactly. But the slow ones, they run behind, they’re the weak ones, they run slowest, get picked off by predators. Keeps the average strength of the herd up. Darwin’s Law.

Erland: There’s a parallel in our brains, you know. Weak cells slow our brains down. But if we drink beer, we…

Alfred: …kill a lot of brain cells?

Erland: Like buffalos, you kill off the weak ones first. So if you often drink beer, you eliminate weak links, and your brain works better.

Alfred: Ah. So that’s why we think better after a beer or two.

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