EXTREMES IN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE: GENIUS

“Genius” Level Intelligence

Traditonally, people with 140+ on the standard IQ exam were labeled as “Genius”.Researchers have tried to establish who may be the top “geniuses” of human history. So who’s on the list?

The Consensus #1 Genius?Leonardo da Vinci. 1452-1519He was estimated to have an IQ in the 220 range.Of course, he never took an IQ exam…

Self - portrait

Who else is considered all-time top IQ material?

1740s: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

German philosophermathematician, writer, poet, scientistetc. He gets a 215

A more modern all-time genius? Albert Einstein, who died in 1955.Considered the greatest Physicist in history. He never took an IQ exam, but is estimated at a 205.

Anyone Current? Considered to be a possible top ten IQ entry is theoretical physicist Steven HawkingHe claims to have never taken an IQ exam…so again it’s only a guess at 210.

“People who boast about their IQ are losers”

- Stephen Hawking

But what’s wrong here? What’s incorrect about ranking all-time geniuses?

They all tend to be famous people! Like…

Issac Newton, Famous physicist with an IQ of 190!

Tom Edison…He’s lightin’ it up at 195!

English playwrightWill Shakespeare!210

To be or not to be….SMART

Also notice…none of them are WOMEN!

Various top ten lists don’t include any of the ladies till you hit the 20’s withFrench chemist Madame Curie1867-1934

NOTICE THEY ALL TEND TO BEEUROPEAN & AMERICAN FOLKS?

Sorry Asia, Africa, South America!

Apparently you guys, despite being the vast majority of human population,

aren’t considered “top ten” material.

BOTTOM LINE… “Top Ten” lists of human genius are

really, really subjective.

We can’t even rely on the IQ to be

an accurate portrait of Intelligence!

All we know is that these people were really smart Jefferson est 195

Some think we

should add Steve Jobs to the list of all time geniuses!

IQ: not released