Thursday, November 22, 2007

An alternative hypothesis and a question mark

A research study reported in the newspaper today indicates that children as young as 6 to 10 months old can choose good playmates and bad playmates. The researchers were stunned that children should be able to do this.
Inherent in that, is the assumption that children do not know and understand enough. Suppose we start with the hypothesis that the opposite is, in fact, true. Children are born with an inherent understanding of a lot of things, and over time, they lose their special knowledge of the universe and replace it with knowledge of how things work in our world.

What supports this hypothesis? Some of the infants I have worked with. They get less intuitive as they get older. God Almighty cannot make them go into the laps of some cutie-cuddly people, and we realise, sooner or later, with good reason.

What does your experience say? Have you found young children surprisingly more understanding than some adults?

Which brings me to the second point on this entry – has evolution really ended?
It is surprising that some of us should think that something that has been happening for millions of years should suddenly stop now. What do you think? And if you think it has ended, why should it end suddenly after millions of years?

Thursday, November 01, 2007

What I have learnt from my son

Before he cries, he tries.

Exactly 3 sounds are needed to communicate everything in the universe, if you listen well enough.