For nearly 100 years, scholars have sought to understand, measure, and explain giftedness. Succeeding theories and empirical investigations have often built on earlier work, complementing or sometimes clashing over conceptions of talent, or contesting the mechanisms of talent development. Some have even suggested that giftedness itself is a misnomer, mistaken for the results of endless practice or social advantage. In surveying the landscape of current knowledge about giftedness and gifted education, this session advances a set of inter-related arguments: the abilities of individuals matter, particularly their abilities in specific talent domains; developmental trajectories exist for talent domains with variations as to when they start, peak, and end; and opportunities provided by society are crucial at every point in the talent development process. It is clear from the research knowledge base that psychosocial variables are determining influences in the successful development of talent. Outstanding achievement or eminence—with its attendant benefits to society and for the gifted individual—ought to be the chief goal of gifted education.