Nature vs Nurture: What Twin Studies Really Tell Us (And What They Don't)

When I was in college, a professor made a claim that stopped me mid-note: “Intelligence is about 50-80% heritable. Your genes, not your effort or education, largely determine how smart you’ll be.” I was stunned. And honestly, a little angry. I’d grown up believing that hard work mattered most. That anyone could achieve anything with enough effort. That your background didn’t determine your destiny. Was all of that naive? Were we just puppets dancing to our genetic programming? ...

June 25, 2024 · 15 min · Rafiul Alam