Epstein Secrets

er researchers are extending this cog- nitive model, finding additional thought processes that they say make religious belief natural. For example, Bloom and Jesse 5 2 eF Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on November 25. 2009 786 6 NOVEMBER 2009 VOL 326 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org pubtethedayams

the archaeo- logical record and the theoretical models of psychologists. Archaeological objects fall short of revealing our ancestors' minds, says Bloom, while on the psychological side, "we need more evidence!' Birth of the gods When did religious beliefs begin? A likely place to find out is the

that children are predisposed to think that the mind persists even after the death of the body—something that approaches the idea of an afterlife. Bering showed children ages 4 through 12 years old a puppet show in which a crocodile ate a mouse. Then he asked the children questions about the mouse.

that children learn about 3 the afterlife from others. Working in Spain CI E and Madagascar, Harris and colleagues did studies somewhat similar to Bering's, asking g children about the physical and psychological ti states of a person who had died. Older chil- dren and adults were more likely than yo

er researchers are extending this cog- nitive model, finding additional thought processes that they say make religious belief natural. For example, Bloom and Jesse 5 2 eF Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on November 25. 2009 786 6 NOVEMBER 2009 VOL 326 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org pubtethedayams

the archaeo- logical record and the theoretical models of psychologists. Archaeological objects fall short of revealing our ancestors' minds, says Bloom, while on the psychological side, "we need more evidence." Birth of the gods When did religious beliefs begin? A likely place to find out is the

that children are predisposed to think that the mind persists even after the death of the body—something that approaches the idea of an afterlife. Bering showed children ages 4 through 12 years old a puppet show in which a crocodile ate a mouse. Then he asked the children questions about the mouse.

that children learn about 3 the afterlife from others. Working in Spain CI E and Madagascar, Harris and colleagues did studies somewhat similar to Bering's, asking g children about the physical and psychological ti states of a person who had died. Older chil- dren and adults were more likely than yo

the archaeo- logical record and the theoretical models of psychologists. Archaeological objects fall short of revealing our ancestors' minds, says Bloom, while on the psychological side. "we need more evidence." Birth of the gods When did religious beliefs begin? A likely place to find out is the

that children are predisposed to think that the mind persists even after the death of the body—something that approaches the idea of an afterlife. Bering showed children ages 4 through 12 years old a puppet show in which a crocodile ate a mouse. Then he asked the children questions about the mouse.

ty say that children learn about the afterlife from others. Working in Spain and Madagascar, Harris and colleagues did studies somewhat similar to Bering's, asking children about the physical and psychological states of a person who had died. Older chil- dren and adults were more likely than younger