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The article describes the studies on the origins of number concept in children. It reviews main theories of the origin of number concepts, including the theory that natural numbers provided the foundation of mathematics and the theory by Gottlob Frege that states the series of natural numbers presents a general problem of quantification. The ordination tests administered to children are discussed.

•Fuzzy-trace theory explains and predicts false memories for words and narratives.•Fuzzy-trace theory predicts that false memories relevant to law increase from childhood to adulthood.•Math models of words explained memory for narratives, the kind of memory interrogated in law.•Gist memory supported false memories of inferences from narratives.

•Fuzzy-trace theory predicts that reliance on gist increases with experience and expertise, and is adaptive.•Reliance on gist – the essence of information – creates biases in cognition.•The first evidence of a predicted link between false memory and framing biases in risky choice is reported.•Experts’ reliance on gist is illustrated in medicine, public health, and intelligence analysis.

Focuses on the public debate over the trustworthiness of children's memory brought on by the increasing frequency with which children are called upon to testify as witnesses in criminal cases. Standard defense strategy; Basic principles of memory; Basic research results on the grist for such testimony.