What we see is different from what we think, know, judge, or understand. But what exactly is the difference? @ibphillips and I explore this question in @ScienceMagazine, in a review of @de_dicto’s wonderful new book, The Border Between Seeing and Thinking.
https://t.co/jxSsePgvBB
5yo (out of the blue): did you know that every day, somebody pees in their pants?
Me: …oh? how do you know?
5yo: because there are THOUSANDS of people in the world.
3yo: I am a baby lava horse. [shoots lava at 5yo]
5yo: i am a fairy who is invulnerable to lava.
3yo: I’m invulnerable to lava too.
5yo: no you’re not, you live in lava.
Me: wouldn’t she still be invulnerable in that case?
5yo: NO! Are you invulnerable to HOUSES?
3yo: what’s the thing that keeps us on the floor?
Me: what? …instead of floating up into the air?
3yo: yes
Me: gravity?
3yo: yes! Gravity. We learned about gravity in school.
Me: oh neat, what did you learn about it?
3yo: it keeps us on the floor. But it doesn’t work on birds.
5yo: when can we get a dog?
Me: we’d like to get a dog! Right now we have too many creatures.
3yo: what creatures?
Me: We have two cats and three small children.
3yo: we are not CREATURES, we are people!
Me: oh, right.
3yo: were you joking?
Me: … yes.
(Getting into the car)
3yo: can I drive?
Me: sorry! You’re a kid. But you’ll be allowed to drive once you’re a grownup.
3yo, worried: …which grownup will I be?
5yo: Mom! I have a problem!
Me: What’s the problem?
5yo: It’s March, right?
Me: yes
5yo: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October. October is coming up and I don’t know what to be for Halloween!
3yo (looking at a broken crayon): this is the difference between ‘break’ and ‘broke’: when something is breaking, it breaks. But when something is broking, it broke. And it’s sad.
Grandma: you can play in the waves once you learn to swim.
5yo: I know how to swim [this is false], but I can’t swim very far… only 3 miles. Then I get tired and sink. And I haven’t learned how to breathe underwater yet.
Grandma: nobody can breathe underwater!
5yo: Zoey can.
5yo: there are three things you should never say: “stupid”, “cut it out”, and “listen up”.
Me: … are you sure you don’t mean “shut up”?
5yo: oh right, “shut up”. But “listen up” is just as bad.
Me: why did you pull Mae’s hair?
3yo: I was really angry. She said I couldn’t play the game.
Me: okay, but what’s something you can do if you’re angry, that’s not pulling hair?
3yo: um … hitting.
Our family just watched Finding Nemo over three evenings. 2yos clamored to watch more each night. Finally we finished it.
Me: so, what did you guys think?
2yo (slowly): so… fish do not usually talk.