Peter Rhodes on experts, astronomy and what if Heaven is run by chickens?

Tulleken decided that, in order to understand chickens, he had to raise a few of his own and involve his small children in the business of life, death and chicken nuggets. Untroubled by adult tenderness, the kids cheerfully accepted the prospect of killing and eating the birds. I was reminded of our little girl, then three, who witnessed a lion devouring a gazelle on a TV nature programme. “Oh, well,” she sighed with the pragmatism of the very young,”I suppose it is delicious.”