Tuesday, June 04, 2024

Baby Changing Stations

I am stalling, because I have two longer posts that I am not getting well in hand, one expanding on the Indo-European Origins paper, one on a lot of unrelated questions about social and moral considerations about Theory of Mind.  So instead, an observation: Now that people aren't having babies so much, there are baby-changing stations everywhere. I thought there were a fair number of babies about in Ireland, but they have fewer than we do here. As with the Scandinavian countries, it likely just means that the culture is welcoming and tolerant of having them about in shops and parks, so the mothers and fathers don't hesitate.

I suppose I could give you a fun digression on Theory of Mind as it shows up in Linguistics, which brings in the child development and experimental psychology aspects.  The Lingthusiasm podast "Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?" I am currently trying to work out why it occurs spontaneously in some people, can be easily cued in others, but some just cannot seem to get that skill to go - and they are often very touchy about your suggestion that they aren't getting it right. I keep thinking it's neurology, though I admit that's my default these days.

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