In my understanding, learning is related to the strengthening and weakening of synaptic connections. Very roughly said: Synaptic connections that are used often are strengthened, those that are used rarely are weakened. This is basically the Hebb rule.

Assumed that the Hebb rule holds at least partially (of course, there are other factors at work during learning), I wonder if in a newborn's brain the areas where learning will take place are equally weakly connected by synapses (so the pathways will be "built up") or are equally strongly (maximally) connected (so the pathways will be "carved out") or something inbetween. Or are there areas of both/all kinds?

(I assume that there is a maximal connection strength beyond which no further strengthening takes places.)