• Question: Does all of our knowledge depend on our genes?

    Asked by lilsimmo to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 17 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      Hi @lilsimmo
      No it doesn’t.
      Although genes control a lot of who we are, they are affected by the environment you live in, and the things that happen to you throughout your life (even before you were born).

      If all our knowledge depended on our genes, then identical twins would know everything the same, and would never be able to know something that the other one didn’t. Do you know any identical twins? My nieces are identical twins, and they are quite different, personality wise.

      Does this answer your question? What do you think about it?

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