Babies who are brand new to the world are not only adorable, but brilliant. According to The Economist, they can differentiate between two and three objects.

In the article “Easy as 1, 2, 3”, the magazine explains some amazing experiments conducted by researchers:

The baby is just one day old and has not yet left [the] hospital. She is quiet but alert. Twenty centimetres from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it intently. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards alternate, her gaze starts to wander—until a third, with three black spots, is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?

Scientists are still interpreting this data, but it has long been clear that human beings have an innate relationship with the concept of quantity. We can instantly tell the difference between objects and experiences that are simply arranged differently and those that are actually distinct in type or number. This comes not with training or experience, but instinct.

Decades later, when that baby enters the workforce, he or she will use an extended form of this skill to evaluate information and make decisions. Business processes should be designed to embrace our ability to recognize differences and act intelligently. Conversly, when an automated, unthinking action is required, stakeholders begin to feel like cogs in the machine rather than a part of the team. Help your business and your employees embrace the power of their brains for benefit of the organization. Contact Slaughter Development to learn more.

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