Babies make jokes while still too young to talk

Saturday 18 February 2012 17:11 EST

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Babies too young to speak know how to make jokes and form friendships, say researchers.

Academics at Charles Sturt University in Australia found, in a two-year study, that children aged six months to 18 months use sophisticated but subtle non-verbal means to make friends and make each other laugh.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Thank you for registering

Babies make jokes while still too young to talk

Join our commenting forum

Thank you for registering