Conversing with another human is well-recognised as one of the most profoundly enjoyable activities a person can undertake, yet we consistently underestimate the potential for "small talk" – about apparently boring subjects – to enthral and stimulate us, a new study suggests.
Take the famous scene in the film Pulp Fiction, by Quentin Tarantino, in which two hitmen are on the way to a job, and the characters, played by John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson, are talking about menu differences between McDonald's in Europe and America.
