It's even more remarkable that Paabo never really had much of a relationship with his father but still managed to follow him in getting a Nobel Prize. Something to fuel nature-nurture debates...

Are you underestimating the choices of his mother and her capacity for creating an unprecedented intellectual atmosphere?

Please try not to be tedious. If you want to stir the pot, bring up the fact his mother selected a Nobel prize winner to have kids with, so clearly had bias, or something more creative.

Your statement leaves little doubt to my unsettling question, thanks for the clarity!

Or, I just pointed out that you went into the conversation with a boring assumption. It's transparent.

Yes yes, we know the problem.

so this guy had nature and nurture on his side, nice!

That is the clear and smart way of phrasing it, I did not have enough clarity to make the point, thanks!

Moral of the story : choose your parents wisely.

Karin Pääbo is a WW2 Estonian child refugee.