[thaiha]

Does anybody know how much intelligence is determined by our genes?
There are about 10^15 Synapses in the brain, but how many of these are already hard-coded in DNA?

[LOCKSUIT]

Very interesting question. Genes could come in a pack of few yet setup very complex stuff, so, it's hard for me to tell without thinking/experimenting harder/deeper.

The brain is similar in certain/many areas (if true). Areas can take over other sensory(/motor?) areas.

Don't forget that all our knowledge/tools are passed down from word of mouth/vision (even being shown visually hammer smashing nail). This is "genes" too, the artificial next step in evolution. Tools/knowledge mutates too, for improvement.

All the human body does is find good motor/sensory 'actions' that get pre-installed rewards like food/sex/etc. It eventually finds that rocks are good tools. And tools and X are ex. the same thing (mental relation). When it gets rewards like food or artificial rewards like a good built house or mental relation discovery, it only has to be *similar recognition to recognize it's a tree or reward (tree is reward too just small).

[ranch vermin]

dna has to take 2 people, and make a new person out of those old 2 people.
And it also has to reguvinate the "life force" which doesnt make sense to me,  how come we can't have reguvination without having children.  trip that.

[Korrelan]

Hi Thaiha… and welcome.

A new born human baby has approximately 50 trillion synapses and 100 billion neurons, that’s way more neurons than an adult but way less synapses.

I presume you are referring to academic intelligence and not instincts.

Genes are responsible for creating the basic neural structure/ connectome/ etc… they create the framework that has the propensity for intelligence.  We are not born with intelligence but we do have the capacity for intelligence, a new born is subjected to stimulus within the womb, it can hear and see light through the mother’s womb walls, it can move and sense tactile sensations… this helps map out the initial nervous system before birth.

Obviously the genetic framework will have a bearing on optimum functioning of the brain, but baring any abnormal deformities, generally speaking… the more you learn the more intelligent you become.  Intelligence is not a fixed quotient; it varies throughout your life and experiences. 

The brain does use utilize a ‘use it or lose it’ schema though, especially in the early years.  This is why its important to subject a child to as much mental stimulation as possible, teach them an instrument/ second language, teach them to draw/ paint well… the more pathways that are engrained in the early stages… the better

 

[LOCKSUIT]

"We are not born with intelligence but we do have the capacity for intelligence."

Oh! So natural genes don't make intelligence like artificial genes I mentioned above do (passed down tools/knowledge)....the natural genes pave the way for acquisition/learningByItself any tools/knowledge. I.e. it learns by parents knowledge/tools given OR it has a better chance at finding by itself that stones are good tools (or a mental relation in its RDBMS) and from there on more intricate stuff in between.