Brain Rules for Baby (John Medina) / quote 22 of 91
Nature and nurture each control half of intelligence
For all of us, nature controls about 50 percent of our intellectual horsepower, and environment determines the rest. This means two things for parents: First, no matter how hard your child tries, there will be limits to what his brain can do. Second, that’s only half of the story. Aspects of your child’s intelligence will be deeply influenced by his environment, especially by what you do as parents. We’ll look at both the seed and the soil. This chapter discusses the biological basis of a child’s intelligence. The next chapter explains what you can do to optimize it.