[boy, tell him about it; he's just trying to catch up on two whole missing years!

encouraging:] Lots of folks here work hard to figure it out, or just make sense of stuff here. I'm sure lots of smarter people than me will be happy to help. [hastily, after he realizes how that sounds:] N-not that I wouldn't! I'll be happy to help, too, of course! I only meant...scientific questions and stuff...