Stay Smartly Silent

(Our Russian literature professor is giving us a biography of Lydia Chukovskaya.)

Professor: “Matvei Bronstein, her husband, was a genius theoretical physicist. He was arrested and then executed six months later.”

Student #1: “[Professor], why was he arrested? I mean what was the charge?”

Student #2: *incredulously* “It was the Soviet Purges. They didn’t need a reason. He was smart?”