Scientist or artist? Genes may decide

Parents, take note! Genes may decide whether a child will be good at science or arts, according to a new study.

Robert Plomin, a professor at King's College London, has found that there is a genetic component to whether one is good at arts or science.

Plomin is conducting research to identify the genes that underpin the intelligence of more than 10,000 sets of twins born between 1994 and 1996.

Initial results suggest that chances of identical twins both choosing either science or arts at A-level was 80 per cent compared with 50 per cent for typical siblings.

A-level is a qualification in a specific subject typically taken by school students aged 16-18 in the UK.
Plomin and his team also found that going to a good or a bad school had much less influence on a child's exam scores than did their IQ, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

"Going to different schools in England accounts for less than 20 per cent of the differences between teenagers in their A-level performance," Plomin said.

"On average 70 per cent of the differences between children in their A-level grades is down to genetic differences," he said.