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?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

these days kids are darn too smart

x said...

i've always believed that. newborns look so wise. you only have to look into their eyes to understand that they know a lot.

Cyberkitty said...

Kids have the same abilities as adults - they just have less experience...

Evolution is just a theory - there is no concrete proof that it happened - that's why the world is still the same (coz it never evolved in the first place)

Z said...

I agree with you, but I think that some babies and small children are considerably more intuitive than others, as some adults are than others too.

Of course, we don't always know what appeals to a baby. Small children always stare, fascinated, at my daughter (who is not especially drawn to them herself). Her theory is that they like her big dark eyes in her very pale face.

On evolution, I remember reading, I think in Scientific American, some 35 years ago, about a particular moth that inhabited a place where a motorway was built. It was pale in colour. A few years later, it was found that those living on the central reservation had darkened to be camouflaged in their newly polluted surroundings. They didn't darken with age, but were that colour as they came out of the chrysallis.

WritingsForLife said...

wow... very interesting...

guess, kids are smarter than us :)

How do we know said...

Hi Appu: gud to c u back after ages!

Hi Chloe: am so glad u understand!

Hi cyberkitty: i did not know that the concept of evlution itself is under the shadow of doubt!

Hi Z:
"I think that some babies and small children are considerably more intuitive than others, as some adults are than others too." - Yes, and that's an insight we should remember. :-)

On evolution, i was thinking of what you wrote for a long time yesterday, and for most of today. Guess evolution works for everyone's survival. Am grateful for that.

heybartender said...

I think kids DO know more than we give them credit for. They have less to go on (in the way of life experience, social norms, etc.) so they react more instinctively, like (forgive the comparison) dogs. Over time I think we learn so much that we unlearn our instincts.

Pixie said...

First time here... you made me think with that...

Thank you for visiting my blog and do keep visiting! :-)

EXSENO said...

I think a lot has to do with how the parents treat the children too. I find the more advanced children have parents that spend a lot of time talking to them and paying attention to them.

How do we know said...

Hi Raaji: So I believe :-)

Hi Bartender: "Over time I think we learn so much that we unlearn our instincts." - I completely agree!

Hi pixie: Will keep coming back to ur place. :-)

Hi Exsesno: I agree. Mine has also started to make the right noises at the right things, as if he understands everything that is being said. Amazes me no end!