Your kid might be a future mathematician if they do these 7 things
Some children grasp "how many" without needing to count on their fingers. They intuitively know that five cookies are more than three, or that one pile of blocks is "about double" another. This innate skill called Approximate Number Sense (ANS) is measurable even in babies. A 2011 study from Duke University found that infants who had stronger ANS abilities at six months scored significantly higher in math three years later. So if your child enjoys estimating, grouping, or comparing amounts, they may be developing a core mathematical strength early on.THEY LOVE PATTERNS, PUZZLES, AND SEQUENCESIs your child obsessed with arranging toys, noticing rhythms in songs, or finding visual patterns in tiles or fabrics? These behaviours might be more than quirks, they're foundational math skills. Stanford researchers have found that children who show strong pattern recognition in preschool are more likely to succeed in algebra later on. These kids aren't just playing, they're mentally preparing for variables, equations, and coding logic.THEIR MEMORY IS SURPRISINGLY SHARPIf your child can follow multi-step instructions, remember rules from last week's board game, or juggle details in their head while problem-solving, they may have excellent working memory. This skill crucial for doing mental math can predict long-term academic success. A University of London study revealed that working memory at age 5 was a stronger predictor of math achievement at age 11 than even IQ. So the next time your child mentally tracks game points or juggles three "what ifs" in a story, you're seeing brain power in action.THEY DON'T GIVE UP EASILYPerseverance is a hidden superpower in math. Children who keep trying different ways to solve a problem even when they're frustrated tend to outperform their peers in STEM subjects. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck's research on growth mindset shows that believing intelligence can grow through effort leads to higher math scores and better outcomes in school. So if your child shows grit while building Legos or solving a tricky riddle, that mindset might matter more than raw talent.THEY ASK DEEP "WHY" QUESTIONSSome kids bombard you with questions that go far beyond curiosity "Why do clocks tick in circles?" or "What makes the escalator move?" This tendency to explore systems, logic, and causality is often a sign of a mathematical or scientific mind. Mathematicians aren't just number crunchers-they're problem solvers. If your child thinks like a detective, they might be wired for analytical thinking, which is the foundation of math.THEY SORT, CLASSIFY, AND ORGANISE EVERYTHINGadvertisementWhether it's organizing toys by size, sorting buttons by shape, or categorizing dinosaurs by species, these behaviors are early forms of data handling. According to child development experts, this is a precursor to mathematical operations like set theory, statistics, and even probability. If your child seems to enjoy order, chances are they're already learning to group, compare, and analyze.THEY HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF SPACE AND SHAPEKids who love building with blocks, navigating mazes, or rotating puzzle pieces are flexing their spatial reasoning-a powerful predictor of future math and engineering ability. A 2012 University of Chicago study found that toddlers who scored high on spatial tasks went on to show stronger math skills as preschoolers and beyond. Geometry, architecture, and design all spring from this ability to visualize and manipulate objects mentally.Not every child who sorts snacks or solves puzzles will become a mathematician-but these traits reflect a way of thinking that's essential in our data-driven world. The best part? You don't need to push equations on a 5-year-old. Instead, nurture their curiosity, challenge their thinking, and let them explore the beauty of patterns, logic, and questions that don't always have easy answers.advertisementBecause sometimes, the road to calculus starts with counting cars on the highway.- Ends
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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Scientists discover ‘Sixth Sense' in our gut that may control appetite
What if your gut was doing more than just digesting food? What if it was actually talking to your brain in real time about when to stop eating? That's exactly what scientists at Duke University have uncovered in a fascinating new study that may redefine what we consider a 'sense.' At the centre of this discovery is flagellin, an ancient protein found in the whip-like tail of bacteria called flagella. Researchers found that special nerve-like cells in our gut known as neuropods can detect flagellin. These neuropods then send signals directly to the brain through the vagus nerve, the body's longest autonomic nerve. This breakthrough, published in the journal Nature, suggests that our gut isn't just a digestive organ, it could house a 'neurobiotic sense' that helps regulate eating behaviour. Some scientists are even calling it our sixth sense. Neuropods in the gut contain a receptor called TLR5 (short for Toll-Like Receptor 5). When researchers gave mice a dose of flagellin, their TLR5 receptors triggered an appetite-suppressing response, the mice ate less than usual. But mice without this receptor didn't get the same 'full' signal and quickly gained weight. This means that the bacteria living inside us aren't just bystanders. They can actually influence how we feel and behave. 'We were curious whether the body could sense microbial patterns in real time, not just as an immune response but as a neural response that guides behaviour,' Dr. Diego Bohórquez, senior author of the study, was quoted in a press statement. More than just food Beyond hunger, the findings could have broader implications. If microbial proteins can influence our brain activity, then understanding the gut-brain connection could help in treating conditions like obesity, depression and anxiety, all of which are linked to both appetite and gut health. Scientists now plan to explore how different diets impact the microbiome and how that, in turn, affects our brain. The human microbiome contains roughly 100 trillion microbial cells. That's more bacteria than human cells in your entire body. So the next time you get a gut feeling, trust it. Your sixth sense might just be calling. (This article has been curated by Kaashvi Khubyani, who is an intern with The Indian Express.)
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Your kid might be a future mathematician if they do these 7 things
Last week, 4-year-old Aarav insisted on sorting his cereal loops by colour before eating them. The week before that, he pointed out that the staircase had "odd and even" steps. His parents laughed it off, but his preschool teacher wasn't surprised. "He sees numbers in everything," she familiar?Before children ever hold a pencil or solve a sum, many of them are already thinking like mathematicians. From spotting patterns in clouds to solving jigsaw puzzles with eerie speed, early signs of a math-inclined brain often hide in plain sight. And it's not just a hunch science backs it you've ever wondered whether your child might be more than just "good with numbers," these seven research-backed signs might just add up to HAVE A "FEEL" FOR NUMBERS Some children grasp "how many" without needing to count on their fingers. They intuitively know that five cookies are more than three, or that one pile of blocks is "about double" another. This innate skill called Approximate Number Sense (ANS) is measurable even in babies. A 2011 study from Duke University found that infants who had stronger ANS abilities at six months scored significantly higher in math three years later. So if your child enjoys estimating, grouping, or comparing amounts, they may be developing a core mathematical strength early LOVE PATTERNS, PUZZLES, AND SEQUENCESIs your child obsessed with arranging toys, noticing rhythms in songs, or finding visual patterns in tiles or fabrics? These behaviours might be more than quirks, they're foundational math skills. Stanford researchers have found that children who show strong pattern recognition in preschool are more likely to succeed in algebra later on. These kids aren't just playing, they're mentally preparing for variables, equations, and coding MEMORY IS SURPRISINGLY SHARPIf your child can follow multi-step instructions, remember rules from last week's board game, or juggle details in their head while problem-solving, they may have excellent working memory. This skill crucial for doing mental math can predict long-term academic success. A University of London study revealed that working memory at age 5 was a stronger predictor of math achievement at age 11 than even IQ. So the next time your child mentally tracks game points or juggles three "what ifs" in a story, you're seeing brain power in DON'T GIVE UP EASILYPerseverance is a hidden superpower in math. Children who keep trying different ways to solve a problem even when they're frustrated tend to outperform their peers in STEM subjects. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck's research on growth mindset shows that believing intelligence can grow through effort leads to higher math scores and better outcomes in school. So if your child shows grit while building Legos or solving a tricky riddle, that mindset might matter more than raw ASK DEEP "WHY" QUESTIONSSome kids bombard you with questions that go far beyond curiosity "Why do clocks tick in circles?" or "What makes the escalator move?" This tendency to explore systems, logic, and causality is often a sign of a mathematical or scientific mind. Mathematicians aren't just number crunchers-they're problem solvers. If your child thinks like a detective, they might be wired for analytical thinking, which is the foundation of SORT, CLASSIFY, AND ORGANISE EVERYTHINGadvertisementWhether it's organizing toys by size, sorting buttons by shape, or categorizing dinosaurs by species, these behaviors are early forms of data handling. According to child development experts, this is a precursor to mathematical operations like set theory, statistics, and even probability. If your child seems to enjoy order, chances are they're already learning to group, compare, and HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF SPACE AND SHAPEKids who love building with blocks, navigating mazes, or rotating puzzle pieces are flexing their spatial reasoning-a powerful predictor of future math and engineering ability. A 2012 University of Chicago study found that toddlers who scored high on spatial tasks went on to show stronger math skills as preschoolers and beyond. Geometry, architecture, and design all spring from this ability to visualize and manipulate objects every child who sorts snacks or solves puzzles will become a mathematician-but these traits reflect a way of thinking that's essential in our data-driven world. The best part? You don't need to push equations on a 5-year-old. Instead, nurture their curiosity, challenge their thinking, and let them explore the beauty of patterns, logic, and questions that don't always have easy sometimes, the road to calculus starts with counting cars on the highway.- Ends
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Cane Sugar vs. Corn Syrup: How Soda Sweeteners Stack Up for Your Health
Americans love drinking soda, cracking on average about five cans of full-calorie sodas a is used to sweeten sodas has recently become a thing after President Trump posted about it. This month Coca-Cola said it would launch a new soda sweetened with cane sugar rather than the high-fructose corn syrup the company regularly uses, and PepsiCo said it would consider doing something similar if consumers want the option. Nutrition researchers say focusing on the two sweeteners is besides the point because scientific studies have found that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages frequently is associated with weight gain and a higher risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 'Whether it's high-fructose corn syrup or table sugar, it's soda, and we need to drink a lot less,' said Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist and professor of medicine at Stanford. Coca-Cola already sells Mexican-made Coca-Cola sweetened with cane sugar in the U.S., and its Kosher for Passover Coke is made with sugar. PepsiCo sells a 'real sugar' option. What's the difference between high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar? Sugars are carbohydrates with a sweet taste, said John Coupland, a professor of food science at Pennsylvania State University. Fructose and glucose are among the simplest of sugars. Other sugars, such as sucrose, are made up of combinations of these simple sugars. High-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar, which is a type of sucrose, are both made up of glucose and fructose. The high-fructose corn syrup often used in soda is typically made up of 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Table sugar is composed of 50% fructose and 50% glucose. Both sweeteners are highly processed and refined. 'Both of them are just a natural food stripped way down to nothing but sugar,' said Kimber Stanhope, a research nutritional biologist at the University of California, Davis. To make high-fructose corn syrup, starch from corn is first turned into a syrup composed mostly of glucose. Manufacturers add enzymes to convert some of that glucose into fructose, which tastes sweeter, Coupland said. To make table sugar, manufacturers use machines to squeeze juice out of sugarcane or sugar beets, then purify the liquid and refine it through heating and other processes to turn it into the white crystals we buy in bags at the supermarket. Does cane sugar affect your health differently from high-fructose corn syrup? Some studies have found little difference between the health impacts of drinks made with high-fructose corn syrup and those made with sucrose. 'The calories will be the same, the impact on blood sugar is almost the same, and the risk of obesity will be the same,' said Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. People who drank three servings a day of beverages with high-fructose corn syrup had higher levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides and more liver fat, markers of decreased insulin sensitivity and increased heart-disease risk, after 12 days, according to a study by Stanhope and colleagues. So did the people who had the same amount of drinks sweetened with sucrose. The study involved 75 participants and was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2021. A (slightly) less bad option? The modestly higher percentage of fructose in drinks with high-fructose corn syrup could make those products slightly worse for health over the long term, compared with ones with sucrose, Stanhope said. This is because of how fructose and glucose are handled by the liver. The glucose that isn't used by the liver is sent to the rest of the body to be used for energy. But when fructose gets to the liver, it largely stays there, she said. What isn't needed for energy is turned into fat. Fat in the liver can cause inflammation and raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. 'Maybe the negative consequences are slightly smaller, but don't think you're doing your body any favors,' by picking soda with sucrose, she said. Is there too much sugar in American diets? U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that Americans limit their consumption of added sugars to 10% of daily calories. For someone with a 2,200-calorie-a-day diet, that could mean one 16.9-ounce bottle of classic Coca-Cola a day or about two-thirds of a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. The American Heart Association recommends a limit of 6%. Americans average about 13%, federal data shows. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the top source of added sugars in the American diet, making up 24% of daily added sugar intake, according to federal data. (Added sugars found in processed foods are distinct from sugar that occurs naturally in foods like fruit and dairy products.) Christina Roberto, director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, said sugary beverages are more problematic than other kinds of sweets because they have little nutritional value and aren't filling. 'This is just pure liquid sugar,' she said. 'At least a Snickers bar has some nuts.' The drinks also deliver sugar quickly and in high doses, which causes them to act potently on the brain's reward system in a way that makes us crave them, said Ashley Gearhardt, a University of Michigan psychology professor who studies food addiction. Write to Andrea Petersen at
