Our cognitive abilities are partially explained by our genes; The rest is explained by the environment. Because the interaction between genes and environment is complex, scientists have, so far, been able to identify only about 5% of the genes responsible for our cognition. Our genes can affect how much the environment is going to influence us, and the environment can affect the expression of our genes. Interestingly, life events such as break-ups, deaths, the birth of a child, etc.. can affect how our genes and the environment influence us. This is a fascinating field, and it can explain what I had discussed on Creativity. We are born with a creative ability but if the environment doesn’t allow it to develop, we will not be able to express our creativity in life. It is a pity that this is happening even in the developed world. A good up-to-date short paper on this topic is-
Vinkhuyzen, AAE, etal, LIfe events moderate variation in cognitive ability (g) in adults, Molecular Psychiatry Feb 16 2010 Epub
Adolfo Cotter, MD
Jun 08/2010
