Talent in athletic fields is much easier to determine, because the factors are often hard physical limitations: length of body, weight, muscle mass, balance.
Talent in intellectual endeavors is hard to define. In the liberal arts it's sort of an awareness for context, and recognizing unique ideas. In the sciences it's often a capability for symbolic manipulation and internal visualization. However, since the brain doesn't have hard physical limitations, much of this can be developed with extensive training, so that slight weaknesses can be overcome.
Talent in intellectual endeavors is hard to define. In the liberal arts it's sort of an awareness for context, and recognizing unique ideas. In the sciences it's often a capability for symbolic manipulation and internal visualization. However, since the brain doesn't have hard physical limitations, much of this can be developed with extensive training, so that slight weaknesses can be overcome.