TED Talks Daily

Inside the mind of a newborn baby | Claudia Passos Ferreira

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Oct 20, 2025
Claudia Passos Ferreira, a philosopher and clinical psychologist, unveils captivating insights into infant consciousness. She challenges the myth that newborns are passive, presenting research that suggests they may possess awareness from birth. Groundbreaking neuroscience reveals newborns' brain signals indicate conscious experiences, showcasing adult-like surprise responses. Claudia discusses the implications for medical ethics, such as anesthesia for newborns. This thought-provoking exploration reshapes our understanding of early human perception and consciousness.
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INSIGHT

Newborn Brains Show Adult-Like Signals

  • Neuroscience shows newborns display the same consciousness-linked brain signals adults do when detecting unexpected sounds.
  • Claudia Passos Ferreira argues this indicates infants may consciously perceive and form expectations from birth.
INSIGHT

Shared Neural Markers Of Consciousness

  • Scientists identified neurosignals tied specifically to conscious perception and found them in newborns.
  • These parallels strengthen the case that infants genuinely experience sensory and emotional life early on.
INSIGHT

Infants Switch Attention Like Adults

  • Newborns alternate internal and external attention networks just like adults, suggesting early attentional control.
  • Passos Ferreira reports infants also exhibit attentional blink patterns, implying active, time-extended processing.
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