Orbit explains how looking at handsome faces affects prenatal care through maternal condition

The process of connecting a child's whimsical questions to scientific curiosity was captured in a recent video. The YouTube channel 'Working Mom Lee Hyun-yi,' operated by Working Mom Lee Hyun-yi, invited science communicator Orbit for an exploration session to provide scientific answers to children's questions.

"Does looking at handsome faces work for prenatal care?" Principles of genetics and maternal condition

Lee Hyun-yi asked whether looking at the faces of handsome people or watching videos of them during pregnancy is effective for prenatal care. In response, Orbit explained that because a child's face inherits genes from the mother and father in an exact 50:50 ratio, the appearance of a specific individual does not determine the child's face. He compared this to "quantitative inheritance," likening it to a process where five cards are drawn from a deck of mixed parental genes to give the child ten cards. Orbit specified that while it might appear advantageous if a child inherits many prominent external features from the father, the final determination is ultimately made at a 50:50 ratio.

However, he analyzed that while the act of looking at handsome faces does not have a direct impact on the child, it can change the mother's condition. Orbit explained that if a mother feels good by looking at beautiful things, her condition improves, which could result in a healthier baby, suggesting a causal relationship where looking at faces a mother likes can be advantageous for prenatal care. Regarding this, Lee Hyun-yi mentioned the superstition that children resemble their mothers exactly, to which Orbit explained that the idea that sons resemble their mothers could also be a case of confirmation bias.

"Why are children afraid of large beings?" Definition of questions and scientific thinking

The conversation led to a discussion on the essence of questions asked by children. Orbit defined a question not merely as the act of asking something one is curious about, but as a process of clearly defining one's own curiosity. For example, regarding the question "Can humans fly?", he explained that the beginning of a scientific question is the process of moving beyond simply asking about possibility to specifying the concept of 'flying' by connecting it to scenarios where gravity disappears or the medium of air is used for takeoff. Orbit emphasized that most scientific progress begins with such questions.

A scientific interpretation was also provided regarding why children are physically afraid of large beings. Orbit explained that while children may feel large beings are threatening, paradoxically, they also become enthusiastic about giant creatures like dinosaurs once they are convinced that the being will not attack them. This is a reaction that occurs during the process of children identifying an object and judging whether that object poses a threat to them. Orbit mentioned that children have criteria for identifying humans and may react when encountering forms that differ from the faces modeled in their minds.

Mathematics as the universal language of the universe and the power to find causality

Regarding the necessity of mathematical thinking, 'systems' and 'causality' emerged as key terms. Orbit defined mathematics not as a simple school subject, but as a system for learning the rules of the world. He emphasized that children who have habituated mathematical thinking possess an excellent ability to trace causal relationships within their experiences, which serves as the foundation for making rational decisions.

Furthermore, he mentioned 'mathematics' as the criterion for distinguishing between extraterrestrial life and intelligent beings. Orbit explained that extraterrestrial life might primarily take forms such as moss, but intelligent beings must possess intelligence like humans to allow for communication. In this context, he presented the view that since mathematics was not invented by humanity but rather discovered as something existing in the universe, it could serve as the universal language through which extraterrestrial intelligences can confirm each other's existence and communicate.

Source: original video (YouTube)