For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,...For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, ...so that THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE: Col 1:16 / Rom.1:20

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Child's Hardware / Software

I will praise thee; 
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Psalm 139:14

"It’s perhaps the most obvious distinctive trait of humans. 
Q: Where did language come from, with all its diversity?

Children come equipped with the hardware and software to pick up a language, even though it is not instinctive (otherwise, all children would speak the same language). 
A new study from the University of Washington Institute of Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), published on Medical Xpress, found that toddlers can even pick up two languages easily.

When exposed to a second language like English for just an hour a day by a caretaker speaking ‘parentese’ (the characteristic style of speaking parents use with their babies), the children readily gained “an average of 74 English words or phrases per child, per hour” compared to 13 words or phrases in the control group. Moreover, the children retained the ability to speak and understand these words 18 weeks later.

“Science indicates that babies’ brains are the best learning
machines ever created
, and that infants’ learning is time-sensitive. Their brains will never be better at learning a second language than they are between 0 and 3 years of age
,” said co-author Patricia Kuhl, co-director of I-LABS and a UW professor of speech and hearing sciences.

The Bible gives an answer that fits the data. Human beings—and humans alone—were created in the image of God, who is the Logos, the Word, the communicator. 
The Creator’s words have meaning. 
They are not just signals like bird calls or ape hoots. 
The first human pair had a God-given language from the beginning, with which they could communicate with their Maker.
CEH