What is intelligence? Are we born with it? Is it inherited? Is it affected by the environment? These are some of the controversial questions that scientists have tried to answer in recent decades.

Here are five surprising facts, confirmed by researchers at Cornell University in the United States:

Did you know that if you were breastfed as a baby, you have a higher IQ than a bottle-fed baby? Or that your IQ varies depending on your birth date? And that if you attended college, your IQ is higher than that of someone who didn't? Or, did you know that intelligence is plural, meaning there are many types of intelligence? Finally, it's a fact that as a human being, we're becoming increasingly intelligent.

Let's see the explanations:

1. Breastfed babies spend more time in their mother's arms, thus, there is greater closeness. This simple fact gives them an IQ gain of 3 to 8 points at three years of age. The exact reason is unknown. Perhaps it's because the antibodies in breast milk prevent the child from getting sick, thus affecting early learning. Breast milk may also influence brain function better because it is especially rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are like the building blocks of nerve cell membranes and are therefore crucial for the efficient transmission of nerve impulses.

2. If a baby is born in the last three months of the year, they will likely have to wait a full school year to enter elementary school at age seven. As a result, these children spend one year less in school than their peers as they grow up. Studies show that for every year of school completed, IQ increases by approximately 3.5 points. Therefore, students born late in the year have a lower intelligence level than those born in the early months. The genetic potential for intelligence in both groups, of course, is the same.

3. Every time a child or person studies, whether at school or university, their intelligence increases compared to that of someone who doesn't study. To verify this, monthly measurements were taken, which yielded these results.

4. Howard Gardner of Harvard University had already assured us that there are independent abilities that give us at least eight types of intelligence: spatial, verbal, analytical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, motor, and practical intelligence. Scientists have proven him right: those with this practical intelligence, which we call "street smarts," have a common sense for facing the challenges of daily life that has nothing to do with analytical intelligence.

5. It's a fact that intelligence is on the rise with each generation, with its level steadily increasing by approximately 20 points. This effect is known as the "Flynn Effect" after a New Zealand scientist who conducted studies on the subject. If any of us were to take an intelligence test and be graded using the performance standards of five years ago, more than 90 percent would be considered "geniuses." And if our grandparents were given current intelligence tests, the majority would be considered almost "mentally retarded." This increase in IQ is due to factors such as better nutrition, more schooling, better-educated parents, smart toys, advances in technology, and more. How about that?

Surprises of intelligence…