In this Jewish tradition, innate knowledge and destiny go hand in hand. It is the same angel who had endowed the embryo with knowledge of the entire Torah that now appears to him in old age and summons him to the next world. Recognizing the angel, the man wishes to avert his demise, just as he had previously attempted to prevent his birth. But neither knowledge nor fate is in our hands. And just as man’s vain resistance to his arrival on this earth only resulted in the loss of precious knowledge, so is it futile when it comes to his departure.

While modern science attributes to humans far greater control over their knowledge, the findings reviewed in this book suggest that some forms of knowledge might be nonetheless determined by our biology. But precisely what aspects of our knowledge are universally human, to what extent knowledge is predetermined, and what mechanisms are responsible for its fixation and plasticity are the subject of much debate. This final chapter summarizes my conclusions so far.