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Why are Human Babies So Helpless?

Season 8 Episode 3 | 8m 19s

Within an hour of a baby giraffe being born, it’s standing, walking, and nursing on its own. Human babies on the other hand? We’re born unable to move or eat on our own, we can’t communicate or fully sense our world, and we leak EVERYWHERE. If humans are so smart, why are our babies so… un-smart? You may think it’s all about head size, but the real science is more complex.

Aired: 02/24/20
Extras
Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.
Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.
Follow Homo sapiens as they venture out of Africa and spread farther than any other human species.
Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.
Big Cats 24/7 is back in the stunning Okavango Delta, revealing the dramatic lives of its big cats.
Watch a preview of Clearing the Air: The War on Smog.
Professor Tempest and the police return to solve more complex and intriguing crimes.
Joshua Hopkins, Federica Lombardi, and Olga Kulchynska sing an excerpt from the Act II trio.
Conductor Joana Mallwitz makes her Met debut leading the cast in Mozart’s comic masterpiece.
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