Maths ability may be inborn

Maths ability in preschool children is strongly linked to an inborn and primitive “number sense,” according to new research.

This sense, also known as an “Approximate Number System” or ANS, is basic to all animals, not just human beings.

We use it daily to allow us, at a glance, to estimate the number of open seats in a cinema or the number of people in a crowded meeting. And it is measurable, even in newborn infants.