Genetics and behaviour

Thomas A. Edison is quoted

"Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration."

If inspiration equates to being smart then Edison finds support from a study by Robert Plomin, professor of behavioural genetics at King’s College London.

Genetic data from 20,000 DNA variants across several genes collectively account for 10% of the differences in children’s educational achievement age 16. At the most extreme ends of this genetic variation is an entire exam grade difference—from A to B grade for those with the highest polygenic score, to B to C grade for those with the lowest.

Read about this study and others on genetics and behaviour in a blog post from Quartz.