The Quantum Toddler

As a dad, I'm always happy to see my young son achieving milestones of physical or mental prowess. Being human, I am particularly delighted when his accomplishments bear on my vocation. (I have a Master's in Physics and am currently seeking employment as an instructor at local community colleges).

Yesterday was one such lovely event. I had put his favorite movie in the DVD player so that daddy could get some work done. He promptly cuddled into his mother's reclining chair (having already mastered this device) and began asking for his "tigit banket".

I was puzzled, since my toddler-to-adult translation matrix produced from this request 'Target blanket'. Unfortunately, he has no blanket purchased from Target. I was stuck, and he was insistent, so I finally grabbed one of two favored blankets -- an nice fuzzy blanket with an image of Thomas the Tank engine. This was okay for approximately 5 seconds. This should have been a clue, but I had misplaced my thinking cap.

I finally asked him to show me what he wanted, whereupon he rushed to his crib and pointed at the blanket I had left behind earlier. This blanket was essentially the same, just a different character on it. My wife and I have always identified this one as the Pooh blanket, since it has Winnie the Pooh on it. However, the images of Piglet and Tigger are also on this treasured, cuddly source of warmth. AHA! Apparently "tigit"is a new form of the toddlerese "tiga" or the adult word 'Tigger' (also known as 'tee eye double guh ER!).

With my beaming offspring nestled comfortably into a cozy chair, clutching his desired blanket and watching the world's favorite movie, I should at this point be free to return the incorrectly fetched blanket to the crib. But no! Lo, the wailing that began as a fiendish daddy carried away the unasked for blanket. Stupidly, I thought this meant he wanted both blankets and moved to return the Thomas blanket. Muted cries of no! again erupted.

I stood puzzled for a moment. Either he wants the blanket or he doesn't. Then I finally understood what had happened. My scientist/daddy heart melted as I realized my 2 &1/2 year old son had mastered the basic principle of quantum mechanics. He expected the blanket to exist in neither state A (away) nor state B (nearby). Rather, this scientifically sophisticated tot instinctively knew that to properly reflect the probabilistic nature of the universe, the blanket must somehow exist in both states (or neither) simultaneously.

Then again, my usually easy-going son may have just been having a toddler moment.