What spotlights are for
Many years ago, Arthur E and I were driving somewhere, and we saw a spotlight sweeping back and forth across the sky. The following exchange ensued:
Me: I wonder what that spotlight’s for?
Arthur (without missing a beat): In former times, small children and animals often wandered off into the sky and were never found; this is how constellations were formed. With modern technology, many of these children and animals can be found; this is why we have had no new constellations in recent years. That spotlight, then, is searching for missing children.