How much do babies understand about the world around them? More than we
ever expected, Harvard researcher and national expert on infant
development Elizabeth Spelke discovered. Spelke will discuss infant
development and what it reveals about the origins of human knowledge in
her lecture Thursday, Dec. 4, at 4 p.m. at the Vanderbilt Kennedy
Center for Research on Human Development.
Named one of "America’s Best in Science and Medicine" by Time magazine,
Spelke’s research revolutionized the study of infant development by
revealing that infants as young as 3 months understand number sof
objects, that objects still exist when removed from view and that
objects do not magically appear and disappear. Spelke’s research
overturned long-standing theories that infant understanding and
perception were limited to a blur of colors and sounds.
Spelke has received national recognition for her work, including the
Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American
Psychology Society and the Ipsen Prize in Neuronal Plasticity.
The lecture will take place at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center / MRL
Building Room 241, with a reception following the event in the lobby.
The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.
The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is a national center for research on
development and developmental disabilities. For more information,
contact Stephanie Comer at 322-8240.
Media contact: Melanie Catania, (615) 322-NEWS
<a href="mailto:melanie.moran@vanderbilt.edu">melanie.moran@vanderbilt.edu</a>