Children and adults are different forms of Homo Sapiens

21 February, 2011

“Children and adults are different forms of Homo Sapiens"
Alison Gopnik

Professor Alison Gopnik believes many profound questions about human nature can be answered by thinking about children.

A leading psychologist and philosopher - and mother of three - Gopnik will present a Sydney Ideas talk at the University of Sydney on 24 February on the groundbreaking developments in psychology, neuroscience and philosophy which are revolutionising our understanding of how very young children see the world.

She uses scientific evidence, including from her Berkeley laboratory, to explain how research is transforming our perceptions of young children, parenting and ourselves.

Her talk is based on her book, The Philosophical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love and the Meaning of Life.

Gopnik says, "Human beings have a longer childhood than any other animal - our children are more helpless and dependent than any others."

"I'll show that childhood - our long period of helplessness - is responsible for our uniquely human consciousness and our ability to learn, imagine and love.

"Our research shows that even the youngest babies have learning abilities that are more powerful than those of the smartest scientists and most advanced computers.

"Toddlers already analyse statistics and do experiments. In their unstoppable pretend play, preschoolers also use their discoveries to imagine new ways that the world might be.

"Children not only learn about the world around them, they also learn about other people and themselves. By the time they are three or four they understand love and morality.

"These remarkable learning abilities reflect special features of babies' brains, features that may actually make babies more conscious than adults."

Professor Alison Gopnik is a professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. She is an internationally recognised leader in the study of children's learning and development and was the first to argue that children's minds could help us understand deep philosophical questions.

She is the author of over 100 journal articles and several books including the bestselling The Scientist in the Crib (co-authored). She has also written widely about cognitive science and psychology for Science, The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, New Scientist and Slate.

Event Details:

What: The Philosophical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us About Truth Love and the Meaning of Life - Sydney Ideas lecture at the University of Sydney.

When: Thursday, 24 February, 2011 at 6pm

Where: Law School Foyer, Eastern Avenue, the University of Sydney,

Cost: Free event, no booking or registration required.

ENDS

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