10. Development, Nature & Nurture I

The podcast explores the origins of knowledge, specifically focusing on whether brain structures for face perception are innate or learned. It presents philosophical views from empiricists like Locke and Hume, contrasting them with Kant's argument for a priori conditions of cognition. The discussion covers brain development facts, highlighting that most neurons and long-range connections are present at birth, while complexity and myelination increase rapidly in the first two years. Face perception is examined through monkey experiments and infant studies, including the "preferential looking" paradigm, revealing impressive face recognition abilities in newborns. The concept of perceptual narrowing is introduced, where the ability to discriminate certain faces diminishes with experience. The podcast also touches on controlled rearing studies, questioning whether face experience is necessary for developing face patches in the brain.