The more you talk to a toddler, the more it helps their brains to develop in early childhood, a study has found. Researchers discovered that two-and-a-half-year-olds who heard more speech in everyday life had more myelin in language-related areas of their brains. Myelin is a material produced by the body that forms around nerves, including those in the brain, that allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently. Scientists from the University of East Anglia said their findings demonstrate how speaking to toddlers can shape their developing brains. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, involved 163 babies and toddlers being given small recording devices to wear for three days. Researchers analysed just over 6,000 hours of language data in total, including words spoken by the children and speech from adults. When the children were asleep, they were carefully placed in an MRI scanner to measure myelin in their brains. The researchers found that toddlers who heard more speech everyday had more myelin, which they said is “likely to support more sophisticated language processing”. Lead researcher Prof John Spencer, from UEA’s School of Psychology, said: “We know that children’s brains develop very rapidly in the first two years of life, with brain volume at about 80 per cent that of an adult brain by the age of two. “Myelin is made up of protein and fatty substances and forms an insulating layer around nerves in the brain.” He added: “Imagine you have a hosepipe with lots of holes in it. “Myelin is like wrapping the hosepipe with duct tape – it insulates neural fibres, bringing more of the ‘signal’ from one brain area to the next.” The researchers said their study is one of the first to show that listening to speech is associated with brain structure early in development. Prof Spencer said: “Prior work showed a similar association in four to six-year-olds, but our findings push this association much earlier in development. Indeed, we even found associations between language input and brain structure in six-month-old infants.” He added: “Although there is still much more to learn about these processes, the message to caregivers is clear – talk to your baby, your toddler, your child. “Not only are they listening, but your language input is literally shaping their brains.” Additional reporting by PA Read More Rihanna and A$AP Rocky celebrate son’s first birthday ‘I don’t get angry’: Pierce Brosnan says meditation is key to managing anger TikTok Tattoogate: How a tattoo artist sparked backlash for ‘absurd’ pricing and design changes Dean Gaffney says I’m A Celebrity ‘saved his life’ after bowel cancer scare Talented boxer reveals first sign of brain tumour after collapsing at service station GB News in ‘significant breach’ of Ofcom rules over Covid vaccine claims

PointsBet is helping FanSided readers score a MASSIVE payday this week with an exclusive MLB promo code. Following an initial deposit, your first wager of up to $100 for each of the next five days will be covered by PointsBet and refunded in bonus bets if you lose.That means you can fire off a p...

DC and Warner Bros

The Union were too much for the Revs in the game one in the first round of MLS Cup playoffs.

While a Shohei Ohtani trade feels very unlikely, it isn't impossible. Here are three potential trade fits in case the Angels do move him.With the Los Angeles Angels at 46-48, and nine games back in the American League West, there is a strong argument to be made that the team should trade Sh...

Global energy sector carbon dioxide emissions hit a record peak last year counter to Paris commitments, a key study warned Monday, and highlighted the "worst...

By Ali Kucukgocmen ISTANBUL Turkey's central bank is expected to raise its policy rate sharply on Thursday in

Some Senate Democrats are pushing the Biden administration to impose tough limits on hydrogen tax credits they say

Tenant rights advocate Jeanie Dubnau recently confronted NYC Mayor Eric Adams over recent rent increases for one million rent-stabilized apartments in the city

An ancient Greek statue of a woman seemingly using a laptop has sparked time travel theories online. "Grave Naiskos of an Enthroned Woman with an Attendant" is a 37-inch marble statue created around 1000 BC and shows a woman opening a laptop-like item as it's held up by an attendant. The item has two surfaces opened at a 90-degree angle, resembling a laptop. It also has two holes in the side of it, prompting theories that it could be a USB port or headphone jack- thus "proving" time travel is real. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Because the statue depicts a woman opening the laptop-like item, many are convinced the ancient Greeks were time traveling. But according to the Getty Collection, there is a reasonable explanation for the item. The item the woman is opening is actually a shadow box used in funerary by ancient Greeks. Apparently, the statue is depicting a deceased woman reaching for the shadow box held by her attendant. This "has a long history in Greek funerary art," according to the Getty Collection. It's unclear if the attendant represents a young family member in mourning or a servant or enslaved person. But the Getty Collection notes that the deceased woman came from a wealthy family. As for the USB-like holes: "The two holes apparent on its base are evidence of an ancient repair, perhaps in the form of two metal pins intended to hold a now lost marble component in place. The thinness of the box indicates that, like many works of ancient art, this relief was not intended as a photographic depiction of reality, but to convey the wealth and status of the deceased." Alas, the statue does not depict the possibility of time travel. The statue is currently available for viewing at the Getty Villa in Los Angeles, California. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde reiterated that borrowing costs will remain elevated for as long as needed

Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing young Irish talent Sam Curtis, sources have confirmed to 90min.