According to a new study by the Johns Hopkins University, babies learn from the unexpected. The study published on Friday in the journal Science found that babies born with some natural smarts, but young people learn about the world when their natural intelligence is challenged.

The study was conducted by cognitive psychologists Aimee E. Stahl and Lisa Feigenson. The study included babies who could not yet talk. The babies were taken by the researchers through experiments to prove their theory. During the study, the researchers presented the babies with some situation that they could predict and some that were unexpected. The researchers gauged babies’ reactions.

The researchers discovered that the unexpected situation roused curiosity of babies. When the researchers were trying to figure out what happened, learning was taking place. According to the researchers, further study is needed to figure out how results of the study could be applied to child raising. They also said that the study could be used to help guide the way babies are taught new skills and concepts.

Stahl said a parent can do various types of activities like hiding a ball to check if a baby goes to find it. In addition, the parents can take their children to a children's museum as ask them to predict how magnets work, the researcher added.

According to Stahl, such types of activities could raise some interesting questions about whether surprise could be used by parents and teachers to shape how babies learn. Claire Lerner, a child development specialist with Zero to Three, said, “What is so exciting about this research is that the message to parents and other adults who are nurturing young children's development is how much, at such a young age, they are processing and problem solving and figuring out”.