Babies show eye for object lessons

Between 4 months and 6 months of age, babies parlay their visual experience into the insight that objects exist as permanent entities, even when hidden from view, a new study finds.

BALL GAME. When shown a ball disappearing behind the box, 4-month-old babies can learn to expect the ball’s reemergence. Johnson/PNAS

The results challenge the influential notion that such knowledge is innate.