Trends Cogn Sci June 2017 PMID 28526128

Is There Really an Evolved Capacity for Number?

Rafael E Núñez

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Mentions

Peak: 4 in Jun 2021

across 3 sources since May 2017

Extended reach

29,734

potential audience

Total likes

Video views

3,342

Mentions per month

May 2017 – Sep 2022

Where it's discussed

X / Twitter5 posts
YouTube2 videos
Bluesky1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The conversations reveal a nuanced debate, with some posts emphasizing the article's skepticism about innate number capacity, using words like 'questioned' and 'critique', while others reference the uniqueness of human arithmetic and symbolism, indicating active engagement with the research's implications and methodology.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions support NÃºÃ±ez's critique, emphasizing that the concept of an innate evolved capacity for number is questionable, as seen in phrases like 'his answer is no' and references to the critique of claims supporting that idea.

InterestHigh interest

Several discussions express strong curiosity about the topic, highlighting debates on whether humans possess an innate numerical ability and referencing recent studies and critiques, indicating high engagement with the subject.

EngagementModerate engagement

Participants reference specific research and critique methodological bases, reflecting thoughtful analysis and some depth, such as mentioning symbolic support for arithmetic being unique to humans.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussion indicates that the article challenges existing beliefs and could influence future research on cognition and evolution, though the immediate practical impact appears moderate.

Abstract in brief

The text discusses whether humans and other species have an evolved biological ability specifically for understanding numbers and arithmetic, but it questions this idea by critiquing the underlying assumptions and methods used in such arguments.
It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between "quantical" cognition, which is an evolved general ability to discriminate quantities, and "numerical" cognition, which involves exact numbers and arithmetic that require cultural learning and symbolic understanding.
The critique suggests that many arguments for an evolved capacity for number are based on flawed reasoning, misleading interpretations of data, and loose terminology, and that similar debates apply to other cognitive abilities like geometry, music, art, and language.]

Read the full abstract

All mentions

Origins of Numbers: Biological and Cultural Perspectives Explored

This video examines whether humans and animals have an evolved biological ability for understanding numbers and arithmetic, highlighting the distinction between general quantity discrimination and symbolic numerical…

SEMF · May 27, 2021 1,775 views

Origins of Numbers and Quantitative Cognition in Humans and Animals

This video explores whether humans and animals have an evolved biological capacity for understanding numbers and arithmetic, highlighting differences between quantical and numerical cognition, and critiquing common…

SEMF · Aug 23, 2021 1,568 views

Jacob R. Cheeseman

@jrcheeseman · X

@StevenDakin Núñez, R. E. (2017a). Is There Really an Evolved Capacity for Number? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 21(6), 409–424. https://t.co/RjDFGy4MvF

Sep 22, 2022 · 247 followers View post →

Valerie Degnan

@sparkyval · X

RT @RTB_HRoss: Human Design: Study shows that arithmetic & symbols to support arithmetic is unique to humans among Earth’s animals. https:/…

Jun 4, 2021 · 3 shares · 120 followers View post →

John Sears

@JohnSears2077 · X

RT @RTB_HRoss: Human Design: Study shows that arithmetic & symbols to support arithmetic is unique to humans among Earth’s animals. https:/…

Jun 3, 2021 · 3 shares · 1,380 followers View post →

Joseph Daniel

@josephwdr · X

RT @RTB_HRoss: Human Design: Study shows that arithmetic & symbols to support arithmetic is unique to humans among Earth’s animals. https:/…

Jun 2, 2021 · 3 shares · 374 followers View post →

Hugh Ross

@RTB_HRoss · X

Human Design: Study shows that arithmetic & symbols to support arithmetic is unique to humans among Earth’s animals. https://t.co/U01m5I3Und

Jun 2, 2021 · 7 likes · 3 shares · 24,246 followers View post →

Kensy Cooperrider

@kensycoop.bsky.social · Bluesky

In a new TiCS opinion, Núñez asks: "Is there really an evolved capacity for number?" His answer is 'no'. http://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(17)30048-7

May 17, 2017 · 1 share View post →

Is There Really an Evolved Capacity for Number?

Mentions per month

Where it's discussed

What people are saying

Abstract in brief

Top posts

All mentions

Origins of Numbers: Biological and Cultural Perspectives Explored

Origins of Numbers and Quantitative Cognition in Humans and Animals