Scottish scientists have discovered that intelligence is linked to genes in the largest study of its kind ever undertaken.
Researchers compared variations in the DNA of more than 240,000 people from around the world and found more than 500 genes they linked to intelligence – ten times more than was previously thought.
However, their discovery raises the moral issue of gene manipulation leading to “designer babies” in the future, where the rich are able to pay for gene manipulation to make their offspring smarter.
Campaigners in the past have also voiced fears that the ability to select embryos based on their “intelligence genes” through genetic engineering could lead to a loss of diversity.
The genes also seemed to influence other biological processes, with some associated with living longer and better health.
Those that contributed to problem-solving powers boosted the process by which neurons carry signals from one place to another in the brain.
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