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From: berman@psuvax1.UUCP (Piotr Berman)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Re: The Intelligence of Children
Message-ID: <1812@psuvax1.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 06:14:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: psuvax1.1812
Posted: Mon Sep 23 06:14:59 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 12:12:38 EDT
References: <1246@teddy.UUCP> <694@rduxb.UUCP> <412@scirtp.UUCP> <985@bunker.UUCP> <451@scirtp.UUCP> <993@bunker.UUCP>
Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ.
Lines: 43

> > > > ... If you have a kid someday, try to ignore your preconceptions
> > > > and realize that kids are more intelligent than adults and time
> > >                    -------------------------------------
> 
> > > I hope the underlined clause is nothing worse than careless typing --
> > > perhaps you meant to say "...than adults realize" or some such?  If not,
> > > you will perhaps be so kind as to explain what you do mean?
> 
> > I guess you *don't* have children, Mr. Samuelson.
> 
> You guess wrong, sir.
> 
> 
> > Sure, you can argue that children are endowed with some sort of
> > instinctual knowledge...
> 
> (I would not argue any such thing.)
> 
> What does it mean?  (Note: I can't explain the unified field
> theory, either.)
> 
> > Let me put it this way:
> > Let's take Mr. Samuelson off of the planet earth...
  [a claim that a child would do better]
> 
> That would be an interesting experiment; but you don't think I would
> pass the test (projection of your own self-image?) and I think I
> would do at least as well there as a typical 3-year-old does here
> (I even think you would).  Unfortunately, we have no way to
> put your hypothesis to the test, so your claim remains unsubstantiated.
> 
The subject is most interesting than the quoted exchange.  On one
hand, small children do not comprehend plenty of things which are
obvious to us.  Certain analytical abilities are absent till the
age of 13-14 (for many individuals, till the end of their lifes).
On the other, the speed of observation is often astonishing.
The outer space example was a metaphore, of course.  On the other
hand, place a small child with a group of peers speaking different
language (as an "alien", I know it first/second hand).  He will 
understand them very fast.  Now, place yourself in a preschool, say
in Japan.  You will learn to communicate much slower than your child.

Piotr


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