1. EXTREMES IN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE: GENIUS

2. “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?

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

4. Who else is considered
all-time top IQ material?
1740s: Johann Wolfgang
von Goethe.
German philosopher
mathematician, writer, poet, scientist
etc. He gets a 215

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

6. “People who boast about their IQ are losers”
Anyone Current? Considered to be a possible top ten IQ entry is theoretical physicist Steven Hawking
He 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

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

8. They all tend to be famous people! Like…
Issac Newton,
Famous physicist with an IQ of 190!

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

10. English playwright
Will Shakespeare!
210
To be or not to be….SMART

11. Also notice…none of them are WOMEN!
Various top ten lists don’t include any of the ladies till you hit the 20’s with
French chemist
Madame Curie

12. NOTICE THEY ALL TEND TO BE EUROPEAN & AMERICAN FOLKS?
Sorry Asia, Africa, South America!
Apparently you guys, despite being the vast majority of human population, aren’t considered “top ten” material.

13. “Top Ten” lists of human genius are really, really subjective.
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!

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

15. Some think we should add Steve Jobs to the list of all time geniuses!
IQ: not released