Sunday, January 20, 2008

The nature of reality

"I wonder if this is really happening, or if I'm just having a very long dream."

-- S.C., 5 years old

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"Well, I know that Razheana* is not real, even though I have special feelings for her."

[* Yes, I've given pseudonyms even to S.C.'s imaginary friends. -- J.]

-- S.C., 5 years old

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"Children are still getting to know their parents. I'm only 5 years old, and so I'm still getting to know you and Daddy.

"I'd like to observe you more, so that I'll know if I can trust you with my babies someday."

-- S.C., 5 years old

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"It seems that all kinds of animals die off eventually -- and there was a time when there were no animals at all. I guess that means that people will all be extinct one day."

-- S.C., 5 years old

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Jazz, Wind, and Rain
A post-impressionist composition by S.C. - 5 years old

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Five-year-old S.C. decided she could not wait any longer for her homeschool teacher (her mom) to give her access to additional languages (besides English and French). So, S.C. looked up Greek script, memorized, and copied it - see image. She wants to learn Russian, too, and so she also copied the Cyrillic alphabet, above.

S.C. has been studying French in an immersion program, and is now studying other languages at home, using her new audio software and books.

-- S.C., 5 years old

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Our system of timekeeping is a little cumbersome, with all those 24s and 60s, and a.m. and p.m. o'clocks.

"Well, we could just make each hour longer, and have a 10-hour day."

-- S.C., 5 years old

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"Mommy, look. I noticed that if I put our new book [four thick pages, no binding] up to my mouth and talk through it, then I feel the vibration. And the highest [tone] is the lightest [vibration], too."

-- S.C., 5 years old
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"Mommy, for breakfast, please may I have chocolate-covered ants and cereal, but without the chocolate-covered ants?"

-- S.C., 5 years old

Biology

S.C. asked about a certain device which was located behind a restaurant. She knows that rodents, particularly the kind that live in cities, are a dangerous disease vector, spreading toxic pathogens to other animals and people....

"Why are they putting poison into the rats? It seems like they should be trying to take it out of the rats."

-- S.C., 4 years old

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"Why do monkeys need tails?"

-- S.C., 4 years old

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"Do all the animals in the world breathe? Do wolves breathe? Do cats and dogs and foxes breathe?"

-- S.C., 4 years old

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"Songbird"
S.C. - 4 years old

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"Does new skin push old skin just like adult teeth push baby teeth?"

-- S.C., 4 years old

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"I should leave the room. We should go outside to use that glue. I have to avoid chemical odors like that glue, because I need to protect my eggs."

-- S.C., 4 years old

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