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Study Reveals Five-Year-Olds Have Advanced Navigation Skills

5/12/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A groundbreaking study from Emory University uncovers that five-year-olds are already equipped with brain systems for map-based navigation, defying the notion that this skill emerges only after age 12. Brain scans conducted in a virtual setting, Tiny Town, revealed early activation in the retrosplenial complex, showcasing young children's impressive spatial reasoning abilities.

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Story summary

A groundbreaking study from Emory University uncovers that five-year-olds are already equipped with brain systems for map-based navigation, defying the notion that this skill emerges only after age 12. Brain scans conducted in a virtual setting, Tiny Town, revealed early activation in the retrosplenial complex, showcasing young children's impressive spatial reasoning abilities.