We know these people are exceptionally intelligent and talented. But just how intelligent are they compared to each other? Here are 13 of the most intelligent geniuses in the world, or at least as far as two Western scientific studies had afforded us.
How we get the IQ
Estimating the IQ levels of people who had died centuries before a refined scientific intelligence benchmarking had been developed is tricky; but here we have two of the most often quoted studies: the 1926 Early Mental Traits of 300 Geniuses by American psychologist Catherine Cox, who computed the IQs of geniuses from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century; and the 1994 Book of Genius by English learning expert, Tony Buzan, who ranked a more encompassing 100 greatest geniuses of our world.
The disparity in their lists is evident. Buzan had Da Vinci at the top with an IQ of 220, while Cox gave the artist-inventor only 180 points. Still, it’s fun averaging the two lists to see who among these geniuses trump their fellow brainiacs in sheer IQ performance. Those who didn’t appear in the top twenty of both lists are automatically out of the game, but it’s not to say they are any less than intelligent than the people in this list (we can never tell).
Moreover, the list didn’t include twentieth-century geniuses such as Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi and Stephen Hawking. Likewise, you’ll note that these are European geniuses; hence, mind masters from Asia did not appear, too. Those things aside and without further ado, here they are: the most genius of geniuses and their mind-boggling IQ levels and achievements.
13. Charles Dickens – IQ level: 165
The English writer, poet, social critic. He is known for his literary masterpieces including Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield. He is also regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period, the time when England reigned supreme in the literary, science, trade and military world.
12. Raphael – IQ level: 170
Yet another Renaissance artist made it to our list, the Italian contemporary of Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Raphael was a painter and architect, the third member of the trio great masters of the High Renaissance. His most famous works include the Mond Crucifixion, the Deposition of Christ, and the Transfiguration.
11. Michael Faraday – IQ level:175
The English scientist who received little formal education. His works advanced the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry, the precursor of the high technologies that we enjoy today. Testament to his genius, numerous scientific principles are named after him: Faraday’s law of induction; Faraday effect: Faraday cage; Faraday paradox; Faraday wheel; and Faraday wave among others. His research would make it possible for later inventions in electricity and current.
10. Baruch Spinoza – IQ level: 175
A Dutch philosopher. He was among the first to lay down the foundation of the age of Enlightenment that saw science challenged the status quo of the Church. The age led to great leaps in the fields of science, politics, and economics, spearheaded by among others, Spinoza’s magnum opus, the Ethics, which challenges the authenticity of the Hebrew bible.
9. Michelangelo – IQ level: 177
Tied with the French philosopher is another Italian Renaissance man, the sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer, Michelangelo. Famed for his masterpieces, namely David, Pieta, Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment, and The Creation of Adam. Many experts even argued he is the greatest artist of all time, a subjective account yet not without substance considering his contributions to the High Renaissance art.
8. Desiderius Erasmus – IQ level: 177
A Dutch humanist, theologian, social critic. He was a strong advocate of religious tolerance during the Reformation age, when Catholics and Protestants were at each other’s throat. Using humanist techniques, he prepared a new batch of Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament, which would become influential materials during this tumultuous time. Although critical of the Church, Erasmus maintained his Catholic faith, believing the Catholic hierarchy could be reformed internally without the need to create an offshoot faith.
7. Rene Descartes – IQ level: 177
The French philosopher, mathematician, and writer. He is called the Father of Modern Philosophy because of his writings. Notably, the Meditations on First Philosophy is still a standard reference in universities around the world. He is also renowned for his mathematical contributions, specifically the Cartesian coordinate system and for bridging algebra and geometry that made the development of calculus possible.
6. Galileo Galilei – IQ level: 182
The Italian physicist, astronomer, mathematician, philosopher. He is best known for giving us the telescope. But that’s just a mere speck in his wide-reaching scientific achievements, namely the discovery of planetary objects such as Callisto, Galilean moons, Europa, Ganymede, and Io. He was also responsible for confirming through actual observation the heliocentrism nature of the solar system—the sun is at the center and the planets revolve around it—putting him at the crosshair of the Inquisition during his time.
5. John Stuart Mill – IQ level: 182.5
An English philosopher and political economist. He is best known for his influential contributions to liberalism, the idea of individual freedom in contrast to unfettered state control in handling the economy. The Mill’s method is also widely used today to arrive at a conclusion via induction, a tool that lawyers and scientists have used in advancing their arguments.
4. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz – IQ level: 191
The German philosopher and mathematician. He is regarded to have contributed to the development of calculus independent from Newton, notably his works, Law of Continuity and Transcendental Law of Homogeneity. He was also a prolific inventor in the field of mechanical calculators, making it possible for non-genius like us to calculate complex mathematical problems with the aid of this device.
3. Isaac Newton – IQ level: 192
The English physicist and mathematician. He is regarded to have developed much of calculus, the building blocks of today’s engineering feats. His Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy is one of the most influential scientific works, heralding the age of enlightenment when Europe burst into an era of advancements that gave birth to modern technologies.
2. Leonardo Da Vinci – IQ level: 200
The Italian Renaissance man. His genius spanned across science and art. Best known for his Mona Lisa, Da Vinci was actually more than an exceptionally talented painter. He was a mathematician, engineer, inventor, sculptor, architect, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He was the epitome of the Renaissance man, bringing to the world his wealth of knowledge to advance mankind’s fate.
1. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – IQ level: 220
The German poet, novelist, playwright, politician, and diplomat. He’s best known for his literary works, such as, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Sturm und Drang, and Faust. Although he’s best regarded as a literary genius, Goethe was also involved in scientific studies, particularly in the field of natural science. He had a wide collection of minerals as part of his extensive studies in geology.
These people might appear remarkable and rare, but genius is more prevalent than we imagine it to be. “Everybody is a genius,” so said Einstein, “but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”
How does creativity factor into the intelligence of these geniuses?
Creativity plays a significant role in the accomplishments of these geniuses, as it allows them to apply their intellectual abilities in novel and groundbreaking ways. Here’s how creativity is linked to their achievements:
- Multidisciplinary innovation: Many geniuses, such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, excelled in multiple fields, using creative thinking to merge science, art, and philosophy.
- Problem-solving: Figures like Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei applied creative approaches to solve complex scientific problems, revolutionizing our understanding of the natural world.
- Artistic mastery: Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and Raphael demonstrated creativity through their iconic works of art, blending technical skill with imaginative vision.
- Philosophical breakthroughs: Philosophers like Baruch Spinoza and Rene Descartes used creativity to challenge conventional wisdom and introduce new ways of thinking about existence and knowledge.
In essence, the ability to think creatively enabled these geniuses to go beyond traditional methods and make lasting contributions to their respective fields.
Key Insights
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Tops the list with an estimated IQ of 220. Known for his literary masterpieces and contributions to natural science, Goethe epitomizes the multifaceted genius.
- Leonardo Da Vinci: Holds an estimated IQ of 200. A quintessential Renaissance man, Da Vinci’s genius spans art, science, and engineering.
- Isaac Newton: Estimated IQ of 192. Renowned for his foundational work in physics and mathematics, particularly the development of calculus and the laws of motion.
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz: Estimated IQ of 191. Known for his contributions to calculus and mechanical calculators.
- John Stuart Mill: Estimated IQ of 182.5. An influential philosopher and political economist, Mill is celebrated for his work on liberalism and the scientific method.
- Galileo Galilei: Estimated IQ of 182. A pioneer in physics and astronomy, Galileo’s discoveries include the moons of Jupiter and the confirmation of heliocentrism.
- Rene Descartes: Estimated IQ of 177. The Father of Modern Philosophy, Descartes made significant contributions to mathematics and philosophy.
- Desiderius Erasmus: Estimated IQ of 177. A humanist theologian known for his works advocating religious tolerance and reform.
- Michelangelo: Estimated IQ of 177. A master artist of the Renaissance, famous for his sculptures, paintings, and architectural works.
- Baruch Spinoza: Estimated IQ of 175. A philosopher who laid the groundwork for the Enlightenment with his critical works on religion and ethics.
- Michael Faraday: Estimated IQ of 175. A leading scientist in electromagnetism and electrochemistry, with numerous principles named after him.
- Raphael: Estimated IQ of 170. A High Renaissance artist known for his paintings and architectural achievements.
- Charles Dickens: Estimated IQ of 165. A prolific Victorian novelist and social critic, known for his classic literary works.
FAQ
- Who is considered the most intelligent person in this list?Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is considered the most intelligent person on this list, with an estimated IQ of 220. He is renowned for his literary works and contributions to natural science.
- Why is Leonardo Da Vinci’s IQ estimated at 200?Leonardo Da Vinci’s IQ is estimated at 200 due to his exceptional achievements in multiple fields, including art, science, engineering, and mathematics. His diverse talents and contributions epitomize the Renaissance ideal of a polymath.
- What are Isaac Newton’s major contributions to science?Isaac Newton’s major contributions include the development of calculus, the formulation of the laws of motion, and the law of universal gravitation. His work laid the foundation for classical mechanics.
- How did Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz contribute to mathematics?Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz contributed to mathematics by developing calculus independently of Isaac Newton. He also invented mechanical calculators and made significant advancements in mathematical notation.
- What is John Stuart Mill known for?John Stuart Mill is known for his influential contributions to liberal philosophy and political economy. His work on individual liberty and the scientific method has had a lasting impact on modern thought.
- Why is Galileo Galilei significant in the history of science?Galileo Galilei is significant for his pioneering work in physics and astronomy. He improved the telescope, discovered the moons of Jupiter, and provided strong evidence for the heliocentric model of the solar system.
- What philosophical contributions did Rene Descartes make?Rene Descartes is known for his contributions to philosophy and mathematics. He developed the Cartesian coordinate system, which bridged algebra and geometry, and is considered the Father of Modern Philosophy.
- Who was Desiderius Erasmus and what did he advocate?Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch humanist and theologian who advocated for religious tolerance and reform within the Catholic Church. He prepared influential Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament.
- What are Michelangelo’s most famous works?Michelangelo’s most famous works include the sculptures David and Pieta, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment, and The Creation of Adam.
- How did Baruch Spinoza influence the Enlightenment?Baruch Spinoza influenced the Enlightenment through his critical examination of religion and his philosophical work, Ethics, which challenged traditional beliefs and promoted rationalism.
- What scientific principles are named after Michael Faraday?Scientific principles named after Michael Faraday include Faraday’s law of induction, the Faraday effect, the Faraday cage, the Faraday paradox, the Faraday wheel, and the Faraday wave.
- What achievements are Raphael known for?Raphael is known for his contributions to painting and architecture during the High Renaissance. His famous works include the Mond Crucifixion, the Deposition of Christ, and the Transfiguration.
- Why is Charles Dickens regarded as a genius?Charles Dickens is regarded as a genius for his profound impact on literature. His novels, such as Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and David Copperfield, are celebrated for their social commentary and enduring popularity.
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What no Paul Dirac, Who Einstein famously stated that "I am toiling over Dirac. This balancing on the dizzying path between genius and madness is awful."
And the guy in the wheelchair :)
So 3 of the Ninja Turtles are part of the list, but not Donatello, who is supposed to be the smartest of them. Interesting...
I was officially tested from early ages to be in the 140-150 range; I haven’t been tested since I was twelve, I’m not sure if the number can vary over time. However, I know that whatever number I am now is lower than it could have been by a significant amount because of all the concussions, drugs, trauma, concussions, and….uh…oh yeah. Concussions. So now I ain’t so good at the thinkin thoughts. My point being that these numbers might be off. Issac Newton was a smart little dude, but that sure didn’t stop him from shooting mercury into his scrotum or whatever the hell he thought he was doing. I’m just saying, numbers don’t mean as much as you think they do.
So sorry and thank for your honest comment. IQ can be greatly improve buy learning, sleeping fine, good living habits. It can be raised between 10 to 20 points in certain areas.
I wish you can have a fulfilling life and though being gifted find in your spirit the bond that connects you with everything around. Everything is consciousness, you are part of it, beyond your intelligence, is your spirit. Follow your spirit, and everything will come to senses.
I am certain this list will never be complete or accurate. The relative brain busters who discovered cordage, boomerangs, ratios. The extremely able war leaders who had to draw the longest price from an enemy in offense, defense or rearguard. The finders and guardians of water knowledge and stonework. Mere herb women and apothecaries.
And unfortunately, also among those who could be called genius, are the vicious cult masters and mind sifters, chunky monkeys that live by cultivated superstition. One must wonder how often and necessary it was to develop a genius not to be disposed of should meat run short.
Cunning has been mentioned, but cunning is not addressed to physical phenomena or mathematical rationality. Yet it may also be genius.
Interesting how pretty much all listed are white individuals as if the rest of humanity isn't smart. At least throw one black man in or an Arab (who as a people and culture as a whole took europe out of its dark ages). Maybe a Chinese man, or heaven forbid an Indian. Come on, be smart.
nowhere on this list appears the name of bertrand russell... who lived in the twentieth century. his iq was 180.he won the nobel peace prize among other things... he said the three passions that ruled his life were the search for love .. the search for knowledge and deep pity for the incredible sufferings of human beings. yes, he was a philosopher , a mathematician but above all he was a humanist who lived according to his beliefs a committed pacifist to his last breath in 1970. a truly decent brilliant man. equalled only in that most intelligent pursuit of kindness and commitment to reduce suffering by benedict or baruch spinoza. who might have been the brightest of them all.
I was tested in IQ several times and scored 186 and my sister Carolyn Crain scored also at 186 several times. Having issues with ADHD and ADD throughout my life hindered my ability to focus my intelligence in the area of self-organization. My sister Carolyn however never suffered from this and she is so incredibly organized. Her ability to use both her intelligence and her organizational skills makes her capable of so much more than I am capable of. I am always having to force myself to work on time management and other things. In a very real sense playing catch up with people far less intelligent, but who seem to find organizing themselves comes naturally. Knowledge is very important, but the wisdom to apply knowledge at the right time and in the right ways is even more important.
Wake me up when there is a decent test for creativity quotient. For all we know Einstein was 120 and frankly that would make more sense. A large well funded lab staffed by 160's who are chasing down new ideas through the scientific process cannot compete with a single intuitive firebrand who eats a new ideas for breakfast and rewrites them by lunch without even making a modest effort at testing their work.
You're vastly underrating Leibnitz.
The IQ estimations of the past great minds is horrifically inaccurate !! Please note ! There were no tests back then. IQ is a measure of intelligence based on fast relatively superficial associations. It is a very poor measuring standard for deep introspective intelligence which most these people had, please note. The values given here are the authors’ inaccurate estimations only ! K
Where is Nicholas Tesla?
There were a number of people who came to mind, I agree Nikolai Tesla was at the forefront. In fact, to a question by the media to Einstein, “ What is it like to have the best brain in the world.” Einstein replied “ I don’t know you had better Nikolai Tesla then.
This list is wrong the smartest person in recorded history William James Sidis he had an IQ around 250-300.
This proves that IQ has almost nothing to do with intelligence. There are many people that are clearly more intelligent than the majority of this list. Einstein is so far above and beyond that till this day few people know what he was talking about. Steven Hawkins is potentially even smarter, these people have an understanding of life that the majority of people to ever walk the earth will never come close to.
Why einstein is not there in the list?
High IQ is good, applying that to become wealthy is better. Hence the old saying, if you are so smart, why aren't you rich?
I’m lucky enough to have built a business that made me rich, retired at 55. My wife and I have identical IQs, 154. I’ve met a lot of smart people who weren’t rich, but every rich person (not inheritance) I’ve met was both smart and cunning. Those are 2 different qualities.Being intelligent without having ambition is a killer. I’d trade in some IQ points for more motivation in a person. A well-motivated, cunning individual will always get ahead of an intelligent, aimless person.
Can we please account for the hidden and undocumented geniuses who did not make the history books, I can only imagine how many reclusive intuitive geniuses are unaccounted for an made huge discoveries in potentially undiscovered areas.
When you see things you can't understand, or words that don't seem to add up; they need to be investigated.
If we start looking for them, or minimally have an assignment where manifestations can transcend, we will start to see a rise.
Until then, having a general society of overconfident adult sized children working for 5th grader adults who are overconfident is what the recipe is calling for.
If we transcended every consumer into a designer, we would get an insane amount of human power. The amount of man hours consumed by wasteful social media browsing, and mindless information regarding people who have no meaning in their lives, yet are held with the most value-- even above themselves and their families.
Until then, we choose to trap those with less resources into redundant lives, which have very little growth with quality life expertise and well roundness.
We are not running a rat race anymore, we are sitting on the wheel watching insignificant scripted personalities, and with enough exposure, we can't escape the influences of a hierarchy system that is eliminating the most powerful tool of mankind, which is expanding information that is useful for not just the empowered, but also the lack of power.
Not having friends in this point of my life, or a wife even, is the most beneficial decision I will probably ever make.
Wow, i read ur words and it's really as if i am listening to myself speaking,, btw i took that same decision u took regarding marriage and friendship
i think you did not consider the smartest person in history at all. . . william jmes sidis
How they measure the IQ of people like Leibniz
One most important person is missing. Is the man called Phillip Emeagwali, a genius still living on Earth, the great mind of the internet. If they can rate the IQ level of dead people, why not rates the living ones and include their names.
Please, people, when will we stop believing an IQ test is A) any one thing (there are two general ones available today, and must be administered by approved sources), and B) is a final judgment of anything quantifiable? The particularly remarkable thing here is: the IQ test was first discussed and invented in the 20th century. Almost none of these people ever TOOK an IQ test of any sort. So you can say Leonardo had an IQ of literally a billion if you wanted to (for that matter, read Walter Isaacson's fine biography: he was no genius but in fact the greatest example of someone who deeply studied things and learned from observation, in a way we all could if we put in a Leonardo-esque effort!). Wherever these numbers came from, they don't come from any IQ test.
To invent experimental science through a book which introduced modern optics written while being assigned at residence without access to reference books is pretty though to match. Ibn al Haytham could be considered in a short list. Same for Roger Bacon later. Without them, not sure if we would have heard about Galilei, Newton or Einstein.
What about William James said? He had an IQ of above 285 close to 300! He had an understanding of matter and thermodynamics long before thr science world made recent discoveries! I think he best signify the meaning of genius
And Tesla, Neitsche, Einstein and more.
When I see any 'genius' list, I can't help but seeing work done in this life. All the people listed on any list have their work measured by 'earthly' standards. The only person I see who not only worked on 'earthly' standards, but also on afterlife standards, was Emmanual Swedenborg.
The afterlife would confuse the greatest minds, no matter who is mentioned. What Swedenborg wrote about the life hereafter is eternal and ever expanding; without end.
Einstein?
Where is Einstein ? He is only the most intelligent person in the world ever
Some estimate Einstein's IQ at 180.
I disagree he studied one thing his entire life one field. While people like Tesla Di Vinci' mastered multiple fields that advanced the human race.
People (Google) said that he only has a IQ of 160..... No way that’s right! I agree with you!
Einstein's IQ is 160 and everyone mentioned in this article has a higher IQ.
Why Beethoven is not on the list?
Why Nikola Tesla not in the list?
Nancy, you claim that "men are more intelligent than women" is a lie but you have no proof whatsoever.
Can't find Nikola Tesla on the list though.
Tesla is apart of a latter day trendy phenomena. Yes, he was highly accomplished, but not likely to be considered among the genius elite.
"Not likely to be considered on the genius elite." His IQ of 195 would place him in the third position on this list, and even in his time, he was considered one of the 20 most brilliant men of the 20th century. He would not only be considered part of the "genius elite," he would be the ruler.
The wise go for knowledge and fools ignore knowledge
Alad
You stated:
The wise go for knowledge and fools ignore knowledge
The most intelligent person is the one admitting they know nothing but can
“Think” through anything. Review the list given. (Although incomplete)
They all Thought or Devised “new”.
”He sho seeks only knowledge will remain ‘searching’ and not ’doing’!”
TH Gibbons 1957
It’s a partial list- you should have included Einstein and Marx
The IQ test wasn't invented until 1904, and to this day still debated how accurate or useful it really is.
So why is all this false information about IQs being published on this site? How did you arrive at these numbers?
If Einstein, who pioneered several fields of scientific study, and still hasn't been proved wrong, presumably had a IQ of about 130, how do you tie ficticious IQs with a raking of intelligence through out history?
It would be helpul and honest if you publish your answer for all to see, thank you.
Yes I agree. I don't think IQ is an accurate means of measuring someone's intelligence.
The people who say that IQ is meaningless are usually the ones who come out at the wrong end of it. Over and over again when the IQ of children is taken in the lower grades, it is a valuable predictor of later success in life. Estimating the IQ's of smart people who lived long ago is difficult but can be extrapolated by a number of factors such as how many areas did they excel in and examining their body of work. There's no doubt that the polymath Leonardo da Vinci was extraordinarly intelligent because he had a broad variety of things that he excelled at and was able to come up with ideas that nobody else had thought of.
IQ tests are environmentally dependent. An American would flunk an English IQ test and vice versa.
Nobody on the planet knows how to judge intelligence.
Here's how:
1. What was your greatest discovery?
2. How long did it take you to make it?
The greatest and most basic principle in the universe is the attributes of cycles in time and space. When these are known, it is then and only then understood how and why the addition of one proton to a nucleus can affect the chemical attributes of the outer electron shell.
I read this - and a number of Gould's other books - many years ago and still feel that it demonstrates so much wisdom.
“I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.”
― Stephen Jay Gould, The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History
The notion of IQ is based on the assumption that intelligence stops increasing at 15. This is pure baloney. There is no upper limit to human intelligence. My intelligence has increased all my life and will continue to do so throughout all eternity. I have translated 72 modern and ancient languages professionally and will continue to pursue my interest in ancient languages, which are far superior than modern languages. The very fact that every language on the planet is inferior in every way to its parent language proves that Darwin's theory of organic evolution is pure trash. The ancients lived longer and were far more intelligent than anyone on the planet today. Nobody on the planet knows how to read Egyptian Hieratic. The entire book entitled The Pearl of Great Price was translated from seven lines of Hieratic, about one half of one side of an index card. Nobody on the planet understands this.
There is no such critter as Anubis. It is a butchered translation of Moroni. His hieroglyph is the jackal, and his titles are "He who stands upon his hill" and "the guardian of sacred records by which the world shall be judged. In the hieroglyphs he is represented as a recumbent jackal atop a chest full of sacred records.
I take these as just to invite discussion. I would put Da Vinci #1 but I have seen lists with Goethe #2, so I am endeavoring to learn about that, and note there is no discussion here so far on that ranking (of Goethe #1).
What about Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Einstein?
Agreed that an IQ test isn't a great measure of intelligence, just the best we have.
Geniuses cannor be compared. The further back in history the less was known about many more subjects, therefore they were able to create more firsts steps on the ladder. So much has been discovered now they are reztricted to specialised fields.
You cannot compare geniuses. They all have a specialised field. The further back you go the less was known so geniuses began the first step to climb.
Plural for Genius is 'Genii' by the way guys. NOT 'geniuses'.
Rubbish - we are reading and writing English, in which the plural of genius is definitely geniuses. If you want to pretend the plural is genii, then you should write the rest of your sentence in Latin as well. Go ahead - let’s all see how you go with that.
Leonardo de Vinci was not a mathematician. He had to visualize a problem or theory. Could not do math well.
The opening paragraph communicates the authors intention. It clearly states that the list is based on other peoples studies. I understand that many great minds may have been omitted and this is a sample list that shows people who have passed on.
I think labelling a person as a true genius is something that is agreed upon based on their field of expertise, contribution to humakind and changed the course of future generations.
We probably need to categorise geniuses based on the period of time they lived in and how their work has influenced subsequent cutural, scientific, etc advancement.
I think geniuses can only be nominated many years after their death when society has the chance to reflect on their work.
At present I am sure there are many clever people living amongst us but we are not able to assess their impact on humanity at the moment.
It is strange that Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, George Bernard Shaw, and Nicola Tesla are not mentioned.
And where is William Shakespeare where I have seen his estimated IQ at 180 in other discussions on Intelligence?
No one yet fully understands how the mind works. I personally believe we have an upper mind and a lower mind, the latter bearing the brunt of the labor. Every person understands 'My mind is not clear today OR my mind is not functioning well today.' Upon what basis is this made and yet ALL understand. The upper mind is making a judgment call on the lower mind and it is usually accurate. Also, since mental storage starts then propagates in each differently, then the ease of retrieval will be different in each, but since each thought is stored in a different place and differing in frequency, then by the time a person reaches 50 or so, the playing field has leveled much. The biggest differences are noticed by the beginning and paths of chosen thoughts. Hence IQ? Not really.
I've got a question that might arise as sort of a point...How would one know the IQ of half if not most of these individuals. if IQ tests started in the early 1900s? I'm just really curious if anyone knows how these specific numbers were decided upon and why.
1. Tesla....
2.Newton...
3.Leonardo......Konfucius....
4.Darwin....Marie Curie....
5.Goethe....Lao Tsu.....Wirginia Woolf.....Bach.....Michelangello...Tolstoj....Dostojevski
6.Plato-Sokrates...Tagora...Shekspeare...KarlMarx...Niche
7.Aristoteles....Chuang Tsu....Rumi....Decartes....Heideger...Ibn Al Arabi...
8.Gallileo...
9.Gauss....Wittgenstein....Kandinsky...Tatlin....Malevich
10.Einstein.....Picasso
Tesla? I dont think so, he just championed AC over DC. Faraday discovered the lot but to honest, his contribution to the human species was only 1% of Isaac Newton
Pretty cool list, I think you should also add Paul Dirac and Niels Bohr.
I can't see James William Sidis and Nikola Tesla in the list,
There is no such thing as a genius, especially in terms of IQ. Not everyone was recognized and someone can have 300 IQ and might be useless, anyone can accomplish anything, a test can't prove anything. Someone can fail school and be the one to find out how to (ex:) bend gravity.
This is both correct and incorrect but still correct more than incorrect without being completely correct but not either being completely incorrect.
Have you all forgotten that maybe a lot of them were not put on there becuase of the fact that there is a fine line between genius and insanity, so if a name is not on there mayne you should double check to make sure they didn't reach insanity. And the line is so thin that ounce they go over there is no coming back so again keep that inind before you try to say why not this person or that person, and for another comment i read the reason men are more prone to be geniuses than women is and has a lot to do with how they think and react to a lot of things compared to women, im not saying all women are like that but we women tend to over think alot and we dont think at times, when men they block everything out and can think, women are always thinking what about this or what about that, well that's why men are geniuses, now there are some women who are geniuses not disagreeing with that, I just dont get why all of you are so intelligent but yet those little things right there are meaningless to you all, like they dont matter what so ever, ok so insanity doesnt matter and being a genius doesnt matter either, I mean come on and think logically for a minute before you all call the kettle black here
How can you assign a iq number to a person who died before there was such a system? Conjecture. And really they are all men, what a suprise. Artists may make us happy and provide joy. They may move people emotionally, to where they cannot understand, but that don't make them a genius. That just means the government is trying to control your emotions. And 95% of genius are men= another of history's big fat lies.
I think George Orwell and Helen Keller need to be added to this list. Orwell's scientific and political imagination was so great it surely was fueled by an incredible genius mind. What Helen Keller did was so intellectually super human as to boggle the mind. If she had been born with sight and hearing her intellectual output would have been greater than any on this list. As it was, her mind's abilities were so vast it transcended 3 dimensional space time reality while blind and draf to learn about the world, process that information, and communicate original thought back at the highest level humanly achievable. Beethoven's monumental 9th symphony and his Missa Solemnis, music's absolute pinnacle, were composed while he was deaf. That's akin to Michelangelo painting the Sistine chapel completely blind!!!!!
Dear John,
It was good that you mentioned Helen Keller. Good job!
Ben Franklin in my opinion was also a genius. He was the most innovative "Founding Father".
All of you forgot William Sidis. He did not use his remarkable potential and joined radical movements.
He might have the highest IQ of all time. However, since he never achieved anything he is simply
a footnote in time.
According to me they were all geniuses of the same calibre. For someone to come up with an original revolutionary idea of which none similar has ever existed.. That is pure genius!
Laughable. Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was by far the greatest genius to walk our planet; but, being from Sweden, he has been overlooked. His i.q. was too high to be measured. Truly laughable!
Emmanuel Swedenborg was the inspiration of many on any list. Helen Keller was greatly influenced by Swedenborg. One thing Swedenborg concentrated on in his later years was the life of mankind after death. I don't think any saw beyond the realm of the here and now quite like Swedenborg did. Afterlife knowledge is far beyond any earthly knowledge.
Here's my list: remember everyone is interchangeable, cause we can't compare geniuses, they all have earned the title genius.
1. Newton
The father of physics, who changed our world of viewing things.
2. Mozart
Although Beethoven and Bach are truly legends, and comparable to Mozart, but I choose him because of his heavenly music and the age that he started composing.
3. Tesla
The greatest inventor of all time, who can recite whole book in one read, his contributions are enormous to the society.
4. Da Vinci
The greatest polymath of all time.
5. Goethe
The greatest philosopher of all time.
My definition for creativity is short and simple. Creativity is a mental process involving intellectual inventiveness and ingenuity coupled with a capacity for intellectual originality and uniqueness. And this too is a mark of Genius.
Then if its about genius then people like Messi or Ronaldinho should be here there passes accuracy on the ball and there vision is in a way similar to Da Vinci artistic brilliance
I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Did you just say that Messi and Ronaldo need to be added to this list? Did they invent something? Did they discover something new? Did they help the whole world progress? Exactly, I didn't think so. Just because they can kick a soccer ball with accuracy does NOT mean they are "geniuses". Please do your research on the word "genius". Thank you for your time.
It is the idea that there are different kinds of intelligence. In a lot of athletics, your brain is doing hundreds of calculations in an instant, incorporating relative speeds of the players and the ball, angles, wind velocity, rate of closure, force required, etc. Similarly, Beethoven might have been our greatest genius, but could he write an effective essay instead of a symphony? We have brilliant mathematicians that can barely put a sentence together.
It seems the more a genius is an outlier in one field, the more likely he is to have a serious deficiency in another. The price of genius.
All white males...What does that say about what the IQ test is looking for?
it says that males have been statistically way more likely to be geniuses, it isn't their fault that they are white or males get over yourself, not everything is oppression or an sjw topic
Men are as a class more intelligent than women. Look at the track record. How many world class discoveries were made by females? Precious few. In the language of Adam, men are compared to the sun, women to the moon, and children to the stars. The moon not only has less light than the sun, but it is of altogether a different quality. It is reflected light, not radiated light. Isaiah prophesies of a time in the last days when "women are your rulers" which would indeed be lamentable. Men often marvel at female logic, which is often seriously defective.
This test was about Europeons if you actually read it the majority or Europeons back then were white please read the whole article before making retarded comments
maybe because through recorded history "white males" had the most credited ideals. why? because of racism. why write a comment like this? obviously certain groups of people had more opportunity than others. it was the past, id like to think the present has learned and moved on. stop trolling.
He's not trolling. He's pointing out that all of the great scientists from Asia and the Middle East (not to mention the Americas) have been left out in favour of white, European males, perpetuating the myth that white Europeans are in some way, intellectually superior.
i mad that Einstein isn't there i had he's the most brilliant man in the world because he used only 10% of his brain yet had so many achievement like making of atomic bomb and he's also one of my successive role model and also why isn't Thomas Edison also added, i love him for one reason "his high patient, persistence, consistence, and believe which made him become the world greatest scientist, also made to possibility electricity bulb"
Why don't you try reading the description on top of the page? By the way, William James Sidis was the most brilliant guy in th world. He mastered over 40 languages and has done many achievements. Albert Einstein's IQ level is 160-190.
Tesla was miles in front of thomas
Love how everyone is mad Einstein is not here, but so little mention of Tesla, who's vision was brilliant.
Also, this list is focused on IQ, which is not really a true or accurate measure of intellect. Look up the people with the highest IQ, and their achievements will be nothing compared to others whose intelligence has a basis in imagination and vision.
I think Albert einstein should be at least in top three. His IQ was above 180. He was real genius in physics and mathematics
For all the people complaining about Einstein:
"Moreover, the list didn’t include twentieth-century geniuses such as Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi and Stephen Hawking."
Hmmm. Apparently some people can't read. The article starts off by stating that Einstein would not be on the list. I agree with others that Darwin, Tesla and Beethoven should have made the list. Especially Tesla.
what about Leonard Euler or C. F. Gauss? What about L.V. Beethoven, W. A. Mozart or J.S. Bach? If you know them and understand their music, you'll see Bach is the greatest composer by far.
Wow you just nailed the ones I was thinking of exactly. I’m not sure how you justify having some religious guy who literally just made stuff up about the afterlife and fed it to gullible people, but not have Euler, who was so smart it’s frightening.
I agree! Gauss and Euler were awesome. Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach as well. The whole idea of "genius" is so difficult to evaluate and understand. The vast contributions of so many minds make the yardstick quite difficult to calibrate, especially throughout the years.
what about Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein?
I hoped that Archimedes would be there. I think there is an unproven but probable fact that he knew calculus, long before the world credited Isaac Newton with the crown of laurel! He is the probable architect of the Antikythera device for calculating celestial precessions! That all involves, at the very least, an understanding and a facility for differentials.
Wtf..u guys forgot EINSTEIN ..as if it wasn't bad enough ..where is tesla,Pythagoras,achimedes,William Shakespeare???omg
William James Sidis is way smarter than everyone on this list, and the people you just named.(but your right some of them belong even though einstein onlY had an iq of 160 or 161)
Try actually reading the article instead of skipping to the names/pictures. The entire intro explains exactly why they are not on the list.
why do u guys always forget Tesla?
What about Tesla?!
why the hell isn't Darwin on here? His IQ has been widely estimated to be between 185 to 220. He will certainly make it to the top 3 of the list and perhaps one of the most influential human beings that ever lived!
1. Newton
2. Darwin
3. Galileo
These are my rankings in intellectual influence to everyday life (in order). Although this is subjective, I believe what they have done is pretty extraordinary.
What I read about Darwin is that he was in fact not very special. I read that in mastery from Robert Greene. But I also read some other sources that he was a very ordinary pupil. He was not very special in any big regard. So a no for him.
I find Einsteins insights much deeper and fascinating than Newtons, although, Newton has a place close to Einstein as a consequence of his great impact on physics and science in general. I have never heard of Galileo in one of the top spots but Nietzsche describes Goethe as a big European, one of the greatest. And Nietzsche was way deeper than any philosopher before him. So, next to my knowledge about Goethe, I give that a lot of credit and consider Goethe to be somewhere in the top 5.
What about albert einstein. Though his IQ is not upto 200 but he is regarded as a genius and one of the most intelligent people. When you talk of intelligency you talk of him.
What about Nikola Tesla .. Christian Birkeland .. Blaise Pascal .. Kurt Gödel ?
The list goes on and on...
Einstein is actually greatly overrated try to think of what contributions he made to making human life a better thing or more secure or to produce more goods or services. He is far surpassed by many other Geniuses not on the list such as Henry Ford Adam Smith Thomas Alva Edison Nikola Tesla Willis carrier and the list goes on and on Einstein actually didn't contribute anything to help you manatee in any concrete weigh he is greatly overrated. His genius was actually very narrow and was limited to the fields of physics and Mathematics even the ancient Greek Archimedes contribute more to this day to human life on Earth with his invention of the Archimedes screw which is still used throughout much of the world to help irrigate fields to grow food Einstein in my opinion was the idiot of geniuses
he made it possible to create the plasma screen. he made a ammonia refrigerator. without screens we would not know half of what goes on in this world.
Hmm. Well then I think u don't know this guy Einstein. Einstein might have created something that caused destruction on a large scale but I assure u dat dis guy is even underrated. I discovered dat he had been said to have a lower IQ than most but he gave de best of himself. It well sounds like you are not science inclined else u shud knw him better. Einstein broke too many rules, scrabbed theories and rewrote laws. His ideas were de craziest but they were feasible. Like I mean he created an era. Just read about him
Aristotle and Ayn Rand are the top geniuses because they created observation-based, systematic knowledge of existence as a whole, ie, philosophy. This requires more IQ than mere science, which is merely about parts of existence, eg, physics, psychology. Art, while about existence as a whole, merely shows but does not explain. Aristotle _discovered_ observation-based, rational system, ie, systematic logic and scientific method, ie, the method that the listed scientists used and that the listed artists implicitly used.
IQ is less important than chosen achievement.
Genius is NOT intelligence. Genius is creative ability of the highest possible kind. True most Geniuses are highly intelligent --but this depends on the field their Genius was recognized in. And here there is a plethora of problems. Recognized by whom; which people, what Society, when and where. There is an old joke that goes something like I will believe in Psychologists devising tests from Geniuses when Monkeys devise tests for Psychologists. Yes it is off the mark and makes you wonder. Between species there is another problem and it is not the same thing as WITHIN a species !.
It is said [I think correctly] that Apes have been taught to answer in sign language but none so far has ever ASKED A QUESTION using such sign language. Puts one in mind of the problem of A.I. in the Computer Field. No answer exists for this and it seems to me there is a comparison here: Human intelligence does not reach the point where it can solve such a problem. I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt this ?.
I do have ideas of my own on this, but so far no one seems interested in this. I was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records 7 editions 1982-88 under Highest I.Q. and was given a Certificate for this. I was also listed in 500 Great Minds of the Early 21 st Century in 2002. All such lists-comparisons are temporary. There appears less and less match between persons and outcomes these days. Humanity hangs by it's intellectual neck on the tree of tragedy --there are no Leonardo's in the 19 th, 20th, and so far in the 21 st Century. Yet he/she must still exist we should think ?. With mass education has come the noisy ones but no Geniuses to show for it all. Bad money has driven out good money, bad people good people. The masses have come to judge the best and are part of this process to drive out the very people they need most, all in the name of incorrectly accessed political correctness. Today the system has driven down performance; today big institutional science has been a spoiler of great insights delaying progress everywhere. Today it is business as usual. The criminal come to the top. My greatest fear is that an end is coming to the centuries of progress that mankind has grown use to. The age of Genius may be at an end. I'm sorry to ramble on this in such a `scatter gun' way.
Thanks.
Chris. Harding
Found I.S.P.E.
First, a copy for myself, so I may not forget.
A lot of names are not going to be mentioned on this page but let us acknowledge the intelligence and genius that first attempted to preserve information by gathering pebbles, or by marking a stick or tree. The persons who sat down and disciplined cordage into existence, who worked the use of a boomerang from a fallen, burnt stick, who enabled water to carry and be carried, who chipped stone, made metals, then made stone- they won't be named here.
Today people move real information to inform both discernment and decision making, doing much to increase the usefulness and commonwealth of that information. What animal inspired their effort? (Do not insert cat video!) Thankfully, everyday people do originate and exercise the attributes that enable progress, and, by simplifying a problem, solve it. Such attributes should be exercised often and not be considered as ‘not like me’.
The roles and actions of bees and ants may be immutable, but beside either intelligence or genius there is also cunning, which is used toward others of kind, as seen in some birds and temple monkeys- and gambling! Cults do not require discernment or decision making among their cells, only an ‘understanding of place and role’ and information tends to emotional and behavioral shaping. Many entertainment offerings also promote emotional and behavioral shaping, featuring victims, mechanical actors, and hero martyrs, the behavior or playing of which act very much, I think, at the expense of intelligence or genius.
I hope you have done much for which to be happy and thankful and are not vexed by bad information. Happy Holidays to you and yours. Meanwhile, I've got to relearn a lot of math and make better marks on wood.
Chris, the cat's out of the bag for Anonymous User, when you sign your name to your post. :-)
Congrats on being on the list, though I am not sure how someone can come up with this sort of list without being tongue in cheek. Talk about presumptuous. I assume it has to do with published articles, etc.
I agree with the idea of associating genius more relevantly to creativity, than to the mixed bag you get in IQ tests, where math, vocabulary, spatial recognition all come in.
On the idea that white men dominate the list, to the exclusion of Asians in particular, yes, I think this piece is geared to those of us in Western Civilization. And when you talk about that, it is pretty definitively white men. I mean, I kind of cringe when folks feel they have to put Marie Curie on the list. She identified two radioactive isotopes, working along side her husband and under the direction of another professor. She died of radiation poisoning, the thing she was an expert in: kind of puts a dent in the idea of being one of the all-time smartest.
Chris. Good comments. I really do believe that the strictures of science (and the politics of course) mean that ideas not founded on the "material matter as reality" supposition, creates a limitation. Those seeing beyond that have little support or acknowledgement from the usual suspects.
DO (something)about the problem. Maybe you can or can't but trying is where it starts.Even the entire universe the biggest thing is the smallest thing at the same time it is not.You could say at the beginning it was the smallest thing (and things )that expanded with such intensity and scope and and acceleration that with one small thing this (maybe all ) universe can change.the human mind is just that human.some % of evolution=[ape-man >machine-etc] which =change. entropy is the true nature of everything without it you (can)have order logically but most times you don't.mans greatest achievement was curiosity without it we are just apes and that is the difference between us to apply that to a machine...well machines can't ever truly achieve emotion it its just machinery.but the other thing is that we are programming the computer not just giving it a way to express its self through sign language in this instance we are evolution to the machine and the machine given it nature which we can never truly go inside will correct its self. change and entropy govern everything. the concept of "genius"is relative just a term from a high evolved ape but genius is just a difference in the brain like Einsteins his was examined by "normal"people who found out some of what made him him but to measure that defeats the purpose of the iq test which was just made for people who were not normal or Einstein if you catch my drift and also current machines have the processing power more than any human ever and we made the dang thing so nothing is off the table kinda
Einstein's IQ was only a few points above the borderline for genius, 152. His IQ was only 160, so he is not one of the most intellegent.
Reply to one of the many anonymous, but this in particular...
Einstein's IQ was only a few points above the borderline for genius, 152. His IQ was only 160, so he is not one of the most intelligent.
Yet he had a profound effect on the modern world.
Think not about Henry Ford who single handily changed modern production.
I wonder how all of us compare to these?
What IQ truly is, a very poor indicator of how successful someone will be throughout their life
IQ has a threshold. Once a person has met a certain requirement of IQ, other factors become more important in determining their success and overall impact on the world. That is why Einstein had an IQ of 160 and was the most brilliant mind ever, while Christopher Langan has an IQ of 195, and has experienced no such success, rather failure after failure.
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