The only way I could attend the end of the year party for my PhD program was if I brought Dexter along. He had a great time at a gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright home overlooking Lake Michigan. Almost immediately, he noticed a bunny rabbit in the back yard and Tom Cook, noted social scientist, went out with him to see if they could touch the bunny. Despite their tippy-toe efforts, the bunny ran away. Tom suggested that if they closed their eyes and put their arms out and turned around in circles repeating, "Come back little bunny," that the bunny would return. They did just that and...
the bunny came back into the yard! Tom Cook (famous for research designed to make causal inference!) just taught my son that turning in circles will make bunnies appear. He left it to me to explain the nature of spurious relationships to my poor child.
Every time the doorbell rang, Dexy ran after Tom or Fay to greet the party guests. I overheard him at one point enthusiastically saying, "Come on in all you girls and guys!" Fay (wisely) got Dex some legos to play with.
He hung out with my classmates and professors making lego vehicles on the glass coffee table right next to priceless artifacts. Thank God nothing got broken!
