While reading a book about the slave trade in Colonial America, a student raised her hand to share a thought:

Kid: “Miss Emily, I have an inference about the slave trade. I bet they paid more money for the younger slaves, because they’d live longer. Of course, slavery is wrong and horrible, but I’m just putting myself in that time period, before they understood how horrible it was, and I’m picturing how the slave owners would think. They’d probably want to get the most for their money. And if they knew they could have the slave for more time, I bet they would pay more money.”

I looked at her, impressed by her thoughtful and analytical inference.

“So, like, you know,” she added, “It’s the same idea as when you buy a guinea pig.”

Right. There it is. You’re 9.