People with a high level of intelligence have a special society - Mensa. Individuals with an IQ level higher than 98% of people are accepted there.
Celebrities with high IQs
Many successful people have a high IQ. The famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking boasts 160 points. Despite the disability and almost complete paralysis, Hawking is one of the most respected scientists, the author of several books and has 14 different awards. The outstanding chess player Garry Kasparov at one time became the youngest world champion, and in this he was helped by an IQ of 190 points. Entrepreneur Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, apparently also often used the clues of his intuition and was able to develop his business in the right way. His intelligence is estimated at 170 points. Many Hollywood celebrities also keep up with their fellow scientists. Dolph Lundgren and Quentin Tarantino have an intelligence of 160 points, Sharon Stone - 154, Reese Witherspoon - 145 points. In Russia, intelligence tests were not conducted among celebrities, but experts note high rates for Nikolai Baskov, Alla Pugacheva, Lena Lenina.by the most high level IQ has Marilyn vos Savant - a writer and journalist from the United States.
Low IQ is not a hindrance to fame
Interestingly, not all famous personalities can boast of impressive IQ levels. How many points can a brutal hero Bruce Willis have? It turns out that only 100 is the average. And the intimidating boxer Muhammad Ali is not even up to the average level - his IQ was 78 points. The level of intelligence of the scandalous actress and singer Lindsay Lohan is also low - 92. Although her friend Paris Hilton scored even less - 70 points. Well, the lowest level showed famous actor and action movie director Sylvester Stallone. The intelligence test of the "Italian Stallion" showed a disappointing result of 54 points. Among domestic stars with low intelligence, experts distinguish Sergey Lazarev, Dima Bilan, Masha Malinovskaya, Zhanna Friske.MOSCOW, January 12 - RIA Novosti, Alfiya Enikeeva. The American William James Sidis, who died in 1944, had a record IQ: from 250 to 300. However, a connoisseur of 40 languages and the youngest student at Harvard (entered there at the age of 11) did not make any contribution to science. All his life he worked as a modest office worker. RIA Novosti understands what IQ can tell about a person’s mental abilities and what are the results of this test for recognized geniuses.
Define intelligence
The first IQ test was invented in 1912 by the German psychologist William Stern: a set of well-known tasks and puzzles was supposed to determine the developmental potential of children. However, the tests that followed him to measure mental abilities, including the questionnaire of the British psychologist Hans Eysenck, who made the very idea of estimating intelligence popular, were intended rather for adults.
Today, most IQ tests measure a person's ability to analyze visual-spatial information, evaluate short-term memory and data processing speed. In this case, the age of the subject must be taken into account.
Questionnaires are compiled in such a way that the average value is equal to one hundred points. A score below 70 is considered to indicate mental retardation, and people who score above 115 are especially intelligent. You can talk about outstanding abilities and even genius with an IQ above 140 points.
However, according to several studies at once, the results of such tests do not always reflect the real intelligence of a person. First, you can train yourself to solve the type of problems that are used in questionnaires. Secondly, the assessments of the same person may depend on his physical and psychological condition.
slow thinking genius
In addition, all IQ tests are strictly time bound. As a rule, questions should be answered in 30-60 minutes. However, it is known that Nobel laureate Albert Einstein, who came up with the theory of relativity, thought rather slowly and did not always manage to cope with all the tasks in the allotted time during exams.
Nevertheless, the IQ of an outstanding physicist is estimated at about 160 points. During his life he wrote more than three hundred scientific works, developed several fundamental physical theories - in addition to the theory of relativity, the quantum theory of heat capacity, the theory of induced radiation, Bose-Einstein quantum statistics. According to American sociologists, the scientist is one of the five most famous people XX century.
Victory of the intellect over the body
The same IQ as Einstein had another outstanding physicist and popularizer of science, Stephen Hawking. He studied cosmology and quantum gravity, proved that the universe obeys the general theory of relativity, and deduced the laws of black hole mechanics. His books sold in huge editions - for example, " Short story Time," about the origin of the universe, the nature of space and time, and black holes, was released in ten million copies.
The scientist worked hard all his life, despite the terrible diagnosis - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which turned him into an invalid.
The smartest expelled student
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, considered one of the richest people on the planet, has an IQ of 170 points. Created by him together with a school friend Paul Allen, the Windows operating system is now installed on almost every computer. It was thanks to her that the computer became the subject of mass use.
At the same time, Gates did not even graduate from the university. In his second year, he was expelled from Harvard for academic failure, as he devoted all his free time to programming. But in 2007, the university administration awarded him a diploma of higher education and even awarded a doctoral degree.
© AP Photo / Nati Harnik
© AP Photo / Nati Harnik
The scientist who turned down a million dollars
In 2010, Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman became the most discussed scientist on the planet. He solved one of the Millennium Problems, the Poincaré Conjecture, for which the Clay Mathematical Institute awarded him a one million dollar prize, which the scientist refused.
In addition to the only millennium problem solved so far, Perelman also proved the theory of the soul in differential geometry, the geometrization hypothesis, and several key statements in the Aleksandrov geometry of spaces of curvature bounded from below.
IQ level unknown.
© Photo: George M. Bergman, Berkeley
People love to evaluate each other. Compare physical performance and financial situation it is easy, but it is not at all easy to evaluate mental abilities. However, this task has always stood in society: both when hiring a person (especially in government and research organizations), and when enrolling students in educational establishments. Some qualitative characteristics are not enough, for an objective assessment, exact numbers are needed. And how and with what to measure the mind?
Alfred Binet's successful experiments in testing French schoolchildren
At the beginning of the last century, the French psychologist A. Binet, on behalf of the government, developed tests for Parisian schoolchildren. The task was to assess the ability of children to study. To evaluate the test results, Binet introduced a coefficient that showed how much a student was above or below his physical age. If a ten-year-old child solved the problems of an eleven-year-old, then his coefficient was 110 units. When calculating, mental age (in this case 11 years old) was divided by physical age - 10 years old - and multiplied by 100.
The tasks were designed so that the majority of children completed all the tests of their age group, that is, the average coefficient for peers was 100. If a student did not cope with these tasks, but mastered only more primitive tasks, then his ability coefficient was less than 100. In this case, to he had to be treated differently at school.
Introduction and development of tests for adults
The results of the French psychologist were very impressive and were picked up by psychologists in other countries. His approach to the numerical assessment of intellectual abilities was taken as a basis and extended to all age groups. For adults, the calculation method was different, but the idea remained the same.
The first intelligence scale for adults was created in 1939 by D. Wexler. IQ (intelligence quotient, intelligence quotient) shows how much a particular person is better or worse at solving intellectual problems relative to the average level. The number 100 is taken as the average level. It is believed that IQ gives an assessment of a person's intelligence. If it is equal to 90-110, then the person has average abilities. If IQ is in the range of 120-130, then the person's abilities are above average. If IQ is more than 140, then the person is a genius. Those people who show results below 70 in tests are considered mentally retarded.
The term IQ was coined by the German psychologist Wilhelm Stern in 1912. What is the IQ level of famous people? Politicians, rulers of states, scientists? For example, what is Einstein's IQ? We will talk about this further.
Eysenck tests - the most famous, but not the most accurate
Before we find out what kind of IQ Einstein had, let's talk about the most popular test with which you can determine his level. One of the first to actively develop IQ tests for adults was the German-born British psychologist Hans Jürgen Eysenck (1916-1997). He conducted research, wrote articles and books, and gave lectures. Not all scientists agreed with his views, but Eysenck's tests at that time were the most thoughtful and easily applicable, therefore they were widely used in various studies.
Eysenck tests were intended for people with average and higher education aged 18 to 50 years. The maximum IQ coefficient on the Eysenck tests is 180 points.
Each test consists of text, digital and graphic tasks, the solution of which is found using logic. The complexity of the tasks is increasing. The test consists of 40 questions, which take 30 minutes to solve. The tasks are designed in such a way that the verbal, mathematical and visual-spatial abilities of the test-taker are fully manifested. All assignments are not required.
Eysenck's tests are widely used now, although there are many tests created by other scientists (D. Wexler, J. Raven, R. Amthauer, R. B. Kettell.) and give a more accurate assessment of the level of intelligence. But they are all more labor intensive. There is currently no single standard for IQ tests. And what is Einstein's IQ according to the Eysenck test? You will know about it soon.
Relationship between IQ and occupation
Psychologists conducted mass testing of people in different social groups and got quite expected results. The average IQ of unskilled workers is 87. Rural and semi-skilled workers have an IQ of 92. Office workers, salespeople, skilled workers, and foremen have an IQ of around 101. Managers and administrators score 104 points. For people with higher education, IQ is 114 points, for candidates of science it reaches 125.
It must be understood that these are the average values of the level of intelligence in a group of subjects. They do not claim that among the farmers there will not be a person with an IQ of 110, and among the graduates of the institute there will not be people with a coefficient of 90.
And what indicator did the scientist Einstein Albert have? According to the above information, his IQ should be at least 125. Well, now you will find out the answer to the main question.
IQ level of Einstein and other historical figures
The creator Albert Einstein is perhaps the most famous scientist of our time. Most people who know about him consider him a man of genius. So how much IQ does Einstein have?
By the time of his death, research on the calculation of IQ was just gaining momentum, and Eisenck's tests Einstein did not pass. But scientists really wanted to answer this question, and they came up with indirect methods for assessing intelligence. The Swenson-Krein method, for example, analyzes behavior and verbal statements. Einstein's IQ test showed stunning results. According to all calculations, it turned out that the IQ of the great physicist was in no way less than 160, or even all 200. The spread is explained different ways estimates and a different set of initial data. Each researcher defends his method and his results. There is no consensus on this issue.
IQ level of other historical figures
In the same indirect way, the intelligence of others was assessed. historical figures. Philosopher Benedict Spinoza had an IQ of 175, Blaise Pascal had 171, Isaac Newton had 190, Leonardo da Vinci had 180, Charles Darwin had 165. You can find data from other scientific and political figures of the past. The question is what to do next with this information ... Einstein himself was very skeptical about the possibility of evaluating the mental abilities of a person in numbers.
People with the highest IQs
There is a Mensa International club in the world, where people with a high IQ value are accepted. Each person can pass the test and, if they have a high IQ, be accepted into this club. To date, the club has more than 100 thousand members from all over the world. Among them are scientists, artists, politicians, students, drivers.
The highest scores are:
- Terence Tao (mathematician, Australia, IQ 230).
- Marilyn Vos Savant (journalist, USA, IQ 228).
- Christopher Hirata (astrophysicist, USA, IQ 225).
- Kim Ung-Yong (mathematician, South Korea, IQ 210).
Most famous people in the world also have a high IQ. For example, Microsoft founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates have IQs of 170 and 160, respectively. A. Schwarzenegger has an IQ of 135, the ex-president has an IQ of 137. Brad Pitt has an IQ of 119, Angelina Jolie has an IQ of 118.
Interestingly, people with average intelligence are also popular. Here are the owners of low IQ, who are known and loved by everyone:
- Bruce Willis - American actor, IQ = 101.
- Britney Spears - American pop singer, IQ = 98.
- Muhammad Ali - American boxer, IQ = 78.
- Sylvester Stallone is an American actor, screenwriter, and director with an IQ of 54.
What dependencies have been revealed by psychological studies of intelligence in different population groups
- Intelligence actively develops in childhood and adolescence and reaches its peak at about 26 years of age. In the future, it remains at the same level or falls. But with the right lifestyle and regular training, the IQ increases.
- To a greater extent, IQ is determined by genetic characteristics (about 80%), but living conditions, especially in childhood, also affect its value.
- There is a connection between the IQ value of the inhabitants of the country and its economic condition, the development of democratic institutions and religiosity.
- Crimes are more often committed by people with an IQ of 70-90, and this indicator does not depend on race.
- Poor nutrition in childhood reduces the intelligence quotient. Iodine deficiency and marijuana use also lower IQ. The decrease can reach 10-12 points.
- Breastfeeding a child helps to increase the level of his intelligence.
- People with a high IQ have a longer life expectancy and are less likely to get sick.
- As a rule, beautiful people have a higher IQ.
Is it worth taking the test yourself?
Despite more than a century of history of studying intelligence, scientists have not come to a consensus on what intelligence is and how to measure it correctly. FROM common definition intelligence, as the ability to act intelligently and successfully cope with all life circumstances, according to most psychologists, but then discrepancies begin. Therefore, all IQ estimates should be considered approximate, which characterize a person only in part. You now know what was the IQ of Einstein and other famous personalities. Everyone should take the test though. What if they get accepted into the Mensa International club?
Suri from England is literally a genius. The level of intelligence of this baby is one of the highest in the world and even more than that of Stephen Hawking. But a teenager does not dream of a career as a scientist and does not want to make great discoveries. She is a real girl who does not want to decide anything.
Thirteen-year-old schoolgirl from India Suryanshi Suri Ranjan is a real bright head. At two years old, this girl began to speak fluently, at three she could beat anyone at chess, and at four she easily read even complex literature, writes The Sun.
The girl was born in Mumbai and grew up in West Bengal. Already there, she felt that learning was easy for her when she finished the difficult work in mathematics in ten minutes and almost fell asleep from boredom. Suri later moved with her family to Kingston, England, where she passed her exams in 13 schools.
Her parents, Abhijay and Niti Ranjan, say that the girl's intelligence was noticeable from childhood. Suri was such a smart child that it even caused some tension in the family at first.
At first I was a little afraid. I wanted her to have a normal childhood, we were worried that she would be left alone. It's like living with an adult: she never wanted to play with dolls, all her toys were educational.
Over time, the girl continued to develop her abilities and at the beginning of spring she was able to go to Mensa, having passed two super difficult tests. Mensa is a community of people who score better on IQ tests than 98 percent of the rest of the world's population. It was created in 1948 to support intelligent people, research on intelligence and its nature.
Suri managed to show amazing results: she scored the maximum score. Thus, she entered the one percent of people with the highest IQs in the world. Suri scored 162 points. It is believed that the brilliant physicists Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking had an IQ that was two points lower, and the world average was 100.
The girl's father, a banker with a background in quantum mechanics, also took tests at Mensa, but scored lower than his gifted child - his coefficient is 142.
The girl is proud to have entered the club, but equally enjoys both solving difficult mathematical problems and singing and walking with her friends. The teenager has already thought about her future career, and the prospect of becoming a scientist does not appeal to her yet. Ranjan wants to become a pop star like a real girl.
Adele inspires me. There are so many emotions in her music. Her songs are amazing. I wish I could write songs like her someday.
Despite her outstanding abilities, the baby does not feel like a supergirl. Suri is going to study biomedical engineering at Princeton University, but does not feel much difference between himself and his peers.
I just think a little differently than my peers and see things differently. I think it's good. It's cool when you can explain everything to your friends. I don't feel the difference. We are all children, we have fun.
The girl's father predicts a great future for the girl, but treats her personal needs with understanding.
We are very proud of her. We would like her to realize her full potential. She is so versatile. We never expected her to dedicate herself entirely to academic knowledge, and fortunately, this is not the case. It's one thing to be smart, but there are other things that matter more.
Now Suri is no doubt a very young member of Mensa, but there are those who gave her a head start. For example, the youngest member of the community is only four years old, and one of the smarties joined the intellectual group at the age of two years and four months.
And the millionaire Simon Cowell at the same time believes that modern education- meaningless. The Western showbiz star even offered his son to graduate from school at the age of 10, but on his social networks.
As practice shows, the students themselves willingly say goodbye to the school, and sometimes they do it. The latest calls that took place in different cities of Russia are excellent proof that schoolchildren are happy to get rid of the lessons.
Hollywood stars are best known for their appearance and talent rather than intelligence. Based on career choices alone, actors, models, and musicians are often mistakenly thought of as superficial and narrow-minded.
Show business is easiest to get into at a young age, and many are forced to skip school or drop out of school or university altogether, thereby reinforcing in the minds of people that celebrities are most often uneducated. People like Justin Bieber, who thought the North Pole was a continent, only add fuel to the fire.
However, unexpectedly a large number of stars are not only famous and rich, but also incredibly smart people. Many celebrities actually gravitate towards the sciences and have diplomas from prestigious universities. So, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal (Maggie Güllenhaal) received a bachelor's degree in literature and Eastern religions from Columbia University, talk show host Conan O'Brien (Conan O'Brien) graduated from Harvard, and Cindy Crawford (Cіndу Crawford) won an academic scholarship to study Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University.
Other celebrities have enviable linguistic abilities. For example, Kate Beckinsale is fluent in four languages, while Tom Hiddleston is fluent in five. Even more impressive is their business acumen: even Paris Hilton, who seemed so far from anything serious, has impressive entrepreneurial skills.
The average intelligence quotient (IQ) in the US ranges from 98 points, but the stars on this list are so smart that they outshine the general public, showing high or incredibly high scores. And some even apply for Mensa membership, and if they become members of the community, it will definitely bring a little glitz and glamour to the most famous organization for people with a high IQ.
One gets the feeling that some people really are given everything at once ...
15 Luke Gallows - 123
Professional wrestler Luke Gallows has performed under so many identities that it's hard to remember that he once played the impostor Kane. Another time he acted as a crazy peasant. But in all these characters there is something constant: Luke Gallows always looks like a bloodthirsty fugitive.
This huge, tattooed and bald guy has one of the most angry faces you'll ever see. He looks like he has never smiled in his life. Is it possible to imagine that this person has an IQ higher than that of the vast majority of Americans?
14. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) - 135
Most may love him for playing the Terminator, but did you know that Arnold Schwarzenegger has an IQ of 132-135. In principle, this should not be a big surprise, given how he, who once came to America penniless, managed to build his own empire.
He graduated in 1979 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor's degree in International Fitness Marketing and Business Administration.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has a frankly astonishing IQ of 135! The Terminator star and former governor of California is notorious for puzzling the public with public statements. He is often parodied for his acting work and portly physique, and under the muscle mass of the actor-turned-politician, a genius personality is well hidden, although it remains unclear whether it was on purpose or not.
13. Matt Damon (Matt Damon) - 135
Did you know that Matt Damon went to Harvard and started writing the screenplay for Good Will Hunting while still in college? He is known as a great actor, although his personal life proves that this person shows his talent in every field, and his education also speaks for it!
12 Jodie Foster - 138
The fact that Jodie Foster is very smart was evident already at her early age. She learned to read at age 3, attended a prestigious Los Angeles preparatory school French, which she graduated with "excellent". She received her bachelor's degree from Yale University and later received an honorary doctorate from the university.
After graduating from high school, the star of the movie "Taxi Driver" entered Yale University, from which she graduated with honors, although she also acted in films at the same time. And all this because her IQ is 138 points.
11. Natalie Portman - 140
Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem and moved to the US in 1984. She stood out from the rest of the students in her school. During her studies, Natalie Portman, in collaboration with two scientists, wrote research work on the topic "Enzymatic production of hydrogen".
While studying at Harvard, she was a research assistant to the famous lawyer Alan Dershowitz. The Black Swan star graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in psychology.
The actress can speak at least six languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Hebrew. And, according to the teachers, she was an exceptional student.
10. Shakira - 140
Shakira is a genius in the literal sense of the word. Audiences may be impressed by her dance moves on stage, but the Colombian beauty's IQ demonstrates that she's nowhere near as frivolous as she might appear during her sensual performances.
According to Forbes magazine, the singer is recognized as one of the most influential women in the world and one of the most successful artists in the music industry today.
The belly dancer writes her own songs, is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese, and also speaks some French, Italian, Catalan and Arabic. She has a passion for history and world culture, and in 2007 she enrolled at the University of California at Los Angeles for a course in History of Western Civilization.
9. Geena Davis - 140
Geena Davis is so much more than just a pretty face. The actress and former fashion model is a member of Mensa and has a bachelor's degree in drama. She speaks Swedish and plays the piano, flute, drum and organ.
8. Madonna (Madonna) - 140
While studying at the Western School (West Middle School) Madonna was distinguished by unusually high average grades and strange behavior. She had an IQ test score of 140 when she was 17, which is not surprising given that she has had an amazing career that has flourished for four decades.
Madonna is a highly successful performer, composer, songwriter and entrepreneur. The singer achieved huge success and amassed a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars without even graduating from college, although she was considered a gifted student. She quickly made a name for herself and is the best-selling female singer of all time.
7. Nolan Gould - 150
Actor Nolan Gould is well known for his role as Luke Dunphy on the popular ABC sitcom Modern Family. At 17 years old, he is the youngest on this list, but his IQ is one of the highest.
Member of Mensa, Nolan graduated high school at the age of 13 and planned to take online college education. The actor is also a skilled musician: he plays double bass and banjo.
6. Mayim Bialik - 150-163
The actress received degree in neuroscience at UCLA. Her dissertation was devoted to research on hypothalamic activity in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome. After school, she was accepted to Harvard and Yale University, but Mayim chose to study closer to home.
5. Sharon Stone - 154
The actress and former fashion model became widely known after her role in the film "Basic Instinct". Stone was a smart child beyond her years: she went to the second grade at the age of 5. At the age of 15, she already received a scholarship at the University of Edinboro in Pennsylvania, but left it two years later, becoming a model.
4. Quentin Tarantino - 160
Director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino has written several of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, including Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained and Reservoir Dogs. The films speak for themselves about Tarantino's high intellect, but his artistic genius and stunningly high IQ give the wrong impression of his incomplete education.
Leaving school at 15, he took a job at a video rental store, where he spent hours discussing and analyzing films with other employees. According to Quentin Tarantino, working in this store inspired him to become a director and when asked if he went to film school, he answers: "No, I went to the movies."
3. Ashton Kutcher - 160
The profession of a model clearly did not help people see the inclinations of intelligence in Ashton, however, despite this, the actor has the same as Stephen Hawking.
He studied at the University of Iowa and planned to major in biochemical engineering in order to find a cure for his twin brother Michael, who was suffering from heart disease.
However, instead he went into the model. He also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but was later kicked out for a misdemeanor that got him into trouble with the authorities.
2. Dolph Lundgren - 166
Dolph Lundgren is perhaps best known for his role as Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.
He studied at many universities around the world, including the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (Sweden), the University of Sydney where he received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The actor is also an experienced director and martial artist.
1. James Woods - 180-184
As a teenager, Woods passed the SAT with an excellent score of 800 for literacy and writing and 779 for math ability.
He won a scholarship to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he majored in political science, but dropped out to pursue a career in acting.
On this list, James Woods has the highest IQ at 180-184. To give you an idea, let's say that people with an IQ of 160 are considered extraordinary geniuses.
