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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”