[Grustaf]

I really don’t understand this cope. It’s scientifically established that intelligence is highly heritable, especially the analytical kind. It also agrees with experience, we all know people who have a very hard time understanding mathematics, while others sail through it.

Of course it’s not fair, life isn’t fair. But the good news is that you can quite easily compensate for lack of aptitude with more work, and that is most definitely the case for mathematics, up to and including undergraduate level.

I grew up in Sweden where everyone goes to the same kind of pre-school, that does very little math teaching. Still, the difference in aptitude when we started school was significant. But we all know this.

[creesch]

Oh boy, I don't even know where to start here. It isn't a cope, it is a more nuanced take.

Your take is so black and white that it only holds up if you almost willfully ignore all other context. Obvious things like different kids having a different home experience, exposure to different things outside of school, exposure to different things in the years leading up to pre-school, etc. These are just a few factors that actually heavily influence where someone starts and how easily they pick up some subjects. Then there is the fact that following the same curriculum or even being in the same class doesn't mean getting the same attention from teachers. In fact, ironically those with "more aptitude" sometimes get more attention further increasing their headstart.

I honestly want to invite you to go back, read my other comment again, actually take the time to internalize it then reply back again.

Because you are very close to actually agreeing with me. Specifically because you mention the practice and extra work bit. You just don't realize it yet.

[Grustaf]

No, I am very far from agreeing with you. I am saying that if you keep all other conditions the same, you will still see vast differences in the ease of understanding mathematics. This is borne out both by science - there is strong consensus that intelligence is highly heritable, and everybody's experience.

So even if we limit "aptitude" to a strictly genetic sense, it will still explain most of the difference in math ability at 7. All other factors related to growing up will add up to less than half of that.

Regarding practice compensating for genetics, I am not talking about having more supportive parents or more demanding pre-school, I am talking about Asian level hardcore drilling. That can certainly make up for most of the difference, at least when it comes to basic mathematics. But that means that the concepts that a child with math aptitude will pick up in 5 minutes will take 5 hours of drilling for another child.