Little marvels

PICK DAY

BBC2, 9pm BEHIND all that gurgling cuteness, what’s really going on in a baby’s brain?

We know they are learning constantly and at rapid speed but how far do these changes in the first two years of life shape who we eventually become?

This is a fascinating, science-led series, which brings together more than 200 babies from around the world to take part in one of the most ambitious studies ever attempted.

Presenter, paediatrician Dr Guddi Singh chats to several scientists as they set babies various tasks and challenges and interpret the results. The experiments are interesting but also quite fun to watch.

In the first one, Dr Emily Jones wonders if it’s possible to spot a baby’s temperament at just six months old. Putting them in front of a Jack in the box, a toy dog that suddenly somersaults and then a person in a clown mask, some are excited, some calm, while others are cautious. Elsewhere, baby Percy gets a word tracker to see if his mother can deliberately improve his language skills.

There’s also a challenge that splits results for the kids that use tech and those that don’t.

Professor Jessica Somerville investigates where people’s biases may come from. White babies are asked to choose between playing with an “unfair” white person or a “fair” Asian person who looks different from them.

And there’s the age-old gender experiment, with the babies given mummy and daddy dolls and being asked what activities each of the sexes should do.