--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Babies and young children are like the…" description: "\"Babies and young children are like the research and development division of the human species, and we grown-ups are production and marketing,\" — Alison..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f4/alison-gopnik-4163_babies_babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-r_2156912.png" --- # Babies and young children are like the research and… ![“Babies and young children are like the research and development division of the human species, and we grown-ups are production and marketing,” quote by Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f4/alison-gopnik-4163_babies_babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-r_2156912.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f4/alison-gopnik-4163_babies_babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-r_2156912.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f4/alison-gopnik-4163_babies_babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-r_2156912.png) > “Babies and young children are like the research and development division of the human species, and we grown-ups are production and marketing,” [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children naturally explore and experiment, driving human innovation, while adults focus on applying and sharing those discoveries. **In simple terms:** Kids explore, adults apply. Key Takeaway Encourage curiosity in kids and value adult contributions. Themes development creativity learning innovation intergenerational Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - parenting - education - product design - marketing strategies - team building Key Concepts psychology human development R&D Questions to Reflect On - How can workplaces harness childlike curiosity? - What adult habits stifle innovation? A Different Perspective Adults may overlook children's insights if they undervalue play. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Babies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babies/) [Babies Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babies-young-2020449/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development/) [Division](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/division/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-species/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Research and development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research-and-development/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) [Species Grown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species-grown-4559625/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-children/) ## Related quotes > [We only have babies when we're young enough not to know how grim life turns out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/we-only-have-babies-when-we-re-young-enough-not-to-know-how-grim-life/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Putting babies as young as two weeks into child care for the first year of their life, for 60 hours a week, will cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mem-fox/putting-babies-as-young-as-two-weeks-into-child-care-for-the-first/) [Mem Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mem-fox/) > [The Water Babies "Young and Old" When all the world is young, lad, And all the trees are green; And every goose a swan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/the-water-babies-young-and-old-when-all-the-world-is-young-lad-and/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [We only have babies when we're young enough not to know how grim life turns out. Once we really get the full measure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/we-only-have-babies-when-we-re-young-enough-not-to-know-how-grim-life-2/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [When the babies were very young, I found it difficult to write. I told myself each time that it would be different, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/when-the-babies-were-very-young-i-found-it-difficult-to-write-i-told/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [Young children seem to be learning who to share this toy with and figure out how it works, while adolescents seem to be exploring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/young-children-seem-to-be-learning-who-to-share-this-toy-with-and/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Childhood is a fundamental part of all human lives, parents or not, since that's how we all start out. And yet babies and young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/childhood-is-a-fundamental-part-of-all-human-lives-parents-or-not/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Asking questions is what brains were born to do, at least when we were young children. For young children, quite literally, seeking explanations is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/asking-questions-is-what-brains-were-born-to-do-at-least-when-we-were/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [The science can tell you that the thousands of pseudo-scientific parenting books out there - not to mention the 'Baby Einstein' DVDs and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/the-science-can-tell-you-that-the-thousands-of-pseudo-scientific/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Ours is an age of pedagogy. Anxious parents instruct their children more and more, at younger and younger ages, until they're reading books to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/ours-is-an-age-of-pedagogy-anxious-parents-instruct-their-children/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [I'm the oldest of six children and I had my own first baby when I was 23. So I've always been interested in babies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/i-m-the-oldest-of-six-children-and-i-had-my-own-first-baby-when-i-was/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [We are addressing duplication and complexity. At the same time, we are investing more in research and development, speeding up the time to market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-van-houten/we-are-addressing-duplication-and-complexity-at-the-same-time-we-are/) [Frans van Houten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-van-houten/) > [I've developed a huge regard for Toyota for its environmental awareness, for its immense commitment to research and development in this field, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-strong/i-ve-developed-a-huge-regard-for-toyota-for-its-environmental/) [Maurice Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-strong/) > [It's wonderful to see more of my colleagues recognizing the importance of investing in STEM education and scientific research and development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/it-s-wonderful-to-see-more-of-my-colleagues-recognizing-the/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [A lot of times I'll show someone a technique I got really good with, but I didn't put all the hours in. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-bravo/a-lot-of-times-i-ll-show-someone-a-technique-i-got-really-good-with/) [Eddie Bravo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-bravo/) ## More by Alison Gopnik > [Philosophers and psychologists have long puzzled over the question of how we know as much as we do despite our limited experiences. One way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/philosophers-and-psychologists-have-long-puzzled-over-the-question-of/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Adults often assume that most learning is the result of teaching and that exploratory, spontaneous learning is unusual. But actually, spontaneous learning is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/adults-often-assume-that-most-learning-is-the-result-of-teaching-and/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Adults tend to think they have much free will. Kids younger than six are less sure. They may be more realistic!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/adults-tend-to-think-they-have-much-free-will-kids-younger-than-six/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [From an evolutionary perspective children are, literally, designed to learn. Childhood is a special period of protected immaturity. It gives the young breathing time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/from-an-evolutionary-perspective-children-are-literally-designed-to/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [We don't wife our husbands and we don't child our parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/we-don-t-wife-our-husbands-and-we-don-t-child-our-parents/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [There is a tension between our desire to get our kids to turn out a particular way versus letting them develop to be their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/there-is-a-tension-between-our-desire-to-get-our-kids-to-turn-out-a/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“Instead, it may be that experience itself has changed our brains so that we perceive and interpret the world in a certain way. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/instead-it-may-be-that-experience-itself-has-changed-our-brains-so/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Caring for children has always been one of the deepest and most satisfying things that a human being does, and yet it is hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/caring-for-children-has-always-been-one-of-the-deepest-and-most/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Imaginary friends are one of the weirder forms of pretend play in childhood. But the research shows that imaginary friends actually help children understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/imaginary-friends-are-one-of-the-weirder-forms-of-pretend-play-in/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“Like their parents, the Korean children used more verbs than the English-speaking kids, while the English-speaking kids used more nouns. But in addition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/like-their-parents-the-korean-children-used-more-verbs-than-the/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“We decided to become development psychologists and study children because there aren't any Martians. These brilliant beings with the little bodies and big heads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/we-decided-to-become-development-psychologists-and-study-children/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Each new generation of children grows up in the new environment its parents have created, and each generation of brains becomes wired in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/each-new-generation-of-children-grows-up-in-the-new-environment-its/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [I'm the oldest of six children and I had my own first baby when I was 23. So I've always been interested in babies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/i-m-the-oldest-of-six-children-and-i-had-my-own-first-baby-when-i-was/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“‎Literature is the equivalent of the climate scientist’s computer simulations: set up some new starting conditions, run the whole complicated process and see what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/literature-is-the-equivalent-of-the-climate-scientist-s-computer/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [The brain knows the real secret of seduction, more effective than even music and martinis. Just keep whispering, 'Gee, you are really special' to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/the-brain-knows-the-real-secret-of-seduction-more-effective-than-even/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) [Explore all 115 Alison Gopnik quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) ## More Babies quotes > [When I'm on Twitter, we just talk to people. I call all my Twitter followers my 'Twitter babies.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rozonda-thomas/when-i-m-on-twitter-we-just-talk-to-people-i-call-all-my-twitter/) [Rozonda Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rozonda-thomas/) > [If all fooles had babies, wee should want fuell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/if-all-fooles-had-babies-wee-should-want-fuell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Yes, I'm a nice man and I enjoy babies. I'm a sensitive guy. I held a baby the other day and it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-shandling/yes-i-m-a-nice-man-and-i-enjoy-babies-i-m-a-sensitive-guy-i-held-a/) [Garry Shandling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-shandling/) > [It was an odd coincidence that my career took off the same decade as having babies. I often wished it had been different, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-kaczmarek/it-was-an-odd-coincidence-that-my-career-took-off-the-same-decade-as/) [Jane Kaczmarek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-kaczmarek/) > [My videos, the ones I produced and co-directed and came up with a treatment from scratch - those are my babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/my-videos-the-ones-i-produced-and-co-directed-and-came-up-with-a/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [“you like babies, don't you? he asked... I have a marginally higher opinion of them than Herod, she said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-mcgown/you-like-babies-don-t-you-he-asked-i-have-a-marginally-higher-opinion/) [Jill McGown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-mcgown/) > [God looks out for fools and babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meshell-ndegeocello/god-looks-out-for-fools-and-babies/) [Meshell Ndegeocello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meshell-ndegeocello/) > [“Babies who do not sleep ‘through the night’ alone in a cot, as soon as possible after birth, are seen as a ‘problem’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/babies-who-do-not-sleep-through-the-night-alone-in-a-cot-as-soon-as/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [Babies don't need a vacation, but I still see them at the beach... it pisses me off! I'll go over to a little baby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/babies-don-t-need-a-vacation-but-i-still-see-them-at-the-beach-it/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“...For having a baby's sweet face so close to your own, for so long a time as it takes to nurse 'em, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-eisdorfer/for-having-a-baby-s-sweet-face-so-close-to-your-own-for-so-long-a/) [Erica Eisdorfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-eisdorfer/) > [Babies like fat. Like to bury they face up in you armpit and go to sleep. They like big fat legs too. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/babies-like-fat-like-to-bury-they-face-up-in-you-armpit-and-go-to/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [Some women just skip having babies or adopt because they don't want to get fat or they haven't put in the time to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-pressly/some-women-just-skip-having-babies-or-adopt-because-they-don-t-want/) [Jaime Pressly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-pressly/) > [“Even lizard + baby can be director.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-robert/even-lizard-baby-can-be-director/) [Robert Robert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-robert/) > [People who make babies surrender their right to behave like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/people-who-make-babies-surrender-their-right-to-behave-like-them/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [Babies are great but I am not ready to have one. Maybe ten years from now but not yet. I want to keep my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/babies-are-great-but-i-am-not-ready-to-have-one-maybe-ten-years-from/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) [Browse all 814 Babies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/babies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Babies and young children are like the research and development division of the human species, and we grown-ups are production and marketing,", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alison Gopnik" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-research-and-development/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Babies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-research-and-development/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f4/alison-gopnik-4163_babies_babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-r_2156912.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f4/alison-gopnik-4163_babies_babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-r_2156912.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f4/alison-gopnik-4163_babies_babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-r_2156912.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Babies and young children are like the research and development division of the human species, and we…” — Alison Gopnik", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alison Gopnik", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Babies and young children are like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-research-and-development/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/babies-and-young-children-are-like-the-research-and-development/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```