I'd argue learning programming is a different skill compared to memorising laws or biology, it's math more than anything else (especially logic, set theory). L

I'd argue learning programming is a different skill compared to memorising laws or biology, it's math more than anything else (especially logic, set theory). Lawyers and doctors basically need to memorise facts, apply rules and make deductions. Developers need to do that + math, hence why starting early helps you out, exactly like kids who did math or chess early on are better than their peers who started later.