It’s fat bear week. Who knew?
The bear is hungry.
Searching for food, she comes upon Jack and Jerry cutting wood in the forest. Jack and Jerry spot the bear, glance at each other in terror, and …
Meritocracy
They take off running in the same direction.
The bear immediately follows. At 25 yards, Jack has fallen behind. Jack is slower, or tripped on a root, or turned to look.
At 50 yards, the bear overcomes Jack and satisfies her hunger.
Luck
They take off running in different directions.
The bear makes a split-second decision and follows Jerry. Maybe she thinks Jerry looks juicier. Maybe she locked her eyes on him because he had a red shirt. Maybe she’s right-handed.
At 50 yards, the bear overcomes Jerry and satisfies her hunger.
Natural Selection
Jack pulls out his bear spray, and Jerry pulls out his gun.
As the bear charges, they stay together. When she is 25 feet away, Jack unleashes the fog of capsaicin, which stops her in her tracks, dazed and confused.
Jerry raises his gun, takes aim, and finishes the job.
God
Jack and Jerry freeze as she spots them.
She prowls forward, teeth bared, maneuvering left and right to keep them in front. At 30 feet, she stops and rears back to begin the final rush. When she reaches full height, front legs in the air, a percussive blast from 100 yards away fills the air.
The bear cries out and falls where she is.
