the same way, sometimes you’ll need more information before you can proceed in a conversation. Your initial probe, then, will be open-ended: “What do you mean by that?” (or some variation). This question provides a natural opening for conversation, and it puts no pressure on you. It’s delivered in a mild, genuinely inquisitive fashion. It’s a simple, virtually effortless way to use Columbo, and it has tremendous advantages. First, this question immediately engages the nonbeliever (or the believer,