Today in Research: Smart People Finish First; Rationality of Babies

Discovered: An artificial skin that could make robots feel, babies are not as rational as we thought, good news for nerds: smart people finish first, and a molecule for weight loss.

• Babies are less rational than previously thought. Babies had a genius moment, after a study thought it proved early signed of rational thinking based on the way 14-month-old children imitated adults. But a new study has now revoked that status. The original study found that when given the choice, infants would rather imitate something normal, like wrapping a blanket around ones body, than something abnormal, like hitting a head against a lamp, which proved the little ones understood the rationality of these actions. But, science has thrown a wrench in that theory. "The eye-catching sight of the person wrapped in a blanket may have distracted infants from the action they were observing," explained researcher Miriam Beisert, which makes it sound like babies are just about as smart as we thought. [Max-Planck-Gesellschaft]

• Smart people finish first. Here's something encouraging for nerds: IQ matters more than socioeconomic background. Intelligence acts as a better predictor of economic success, when compared to socioeconomic background. Just because someone comes from a wealthy background, and knows the right people, it does not mean they will become the president of the United States or anything. "Your family can help you launch your career and you do get an advantage, but it doesn't help you progress. And once you start working, you can go wherever your abilities take you," explained researcher Yoav Ganzach. Dream big, nerds.  [Intelligence]

Read the full story at The Atlantic Wire.