Fait-divers: Meet the philosopher ducklings that indulge in abstract thought

“This remarkable research demonstrates that baby ducklings spontaneously notice abstract relationships in the world around them,” says Elizabeth Brannon at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “Most people are aware that a baby duck will imprint on a random object – that is, they will follow it around as if it were their mother – but this shows that they can actually imprint on a concept as well, and without any training.” Kacelnik doubts whether it would be possible to engender abstract thought in older ducklings and ducks, given that the motivation to grasp the information is instinctive after hatching. “Logic dictates it would be more difficult after filial imprinting is complete,” he says."