What is the science behind talent?

I know that tone deafness is inherited, but I don’t know about other things that could make you inherently good at something.

I read this book a few years ago:

Insofar as anyone can define “talent”, there seems to be a genetic component. But that doesn’t mean talent will be developed or lead anywhere. It usually takes coaching, experience and desire. When I was a sports coach I saw a number of kids who seemed to have a knack for the game, but had little desire. Or they didn’t have the concentration. Or they weren’t “coach-able”.

My sense of it was that people get an advantage from a sport being familiar to them early on. I believe the book puts forth the statistic that if you are a son born to a MLB baseball player, you are vastly more likely to reach the majors than those without the family connection. But of course, it’s not a guarantee.

Not sure what the state of the art is on the science of talent. But I’m comfortable saying some people have a knack, or a talent for a sport, or music or whatnot. But that’s not at all a predictor of great success.