40 Uber-Intelligent People Who Make Einstein’s IQ Look Minuscule
Here’s a quiz question: what do Cleopatra, Michelangelo, Charles Dickens, and Marie Curie have in common? Answer: they’ve all got higher IQs — intelligence quotients — than Albert Einstein. The great scientist’s score was a mere 160, and we’ve dug out 40 individuals who all have higher numbers than that. Just one thing to note: many of the 40 entrants on our list were dead before IQ tests were a thing, so their scores are estimated.
40. Adhara Pérez — IQ 162
Adhara Pérez was born in Mexico in 2011, and the little girl had a tough start in life. There was bullying at school, plus she was diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum. But when she took an IQ test, her score was stunning. Adhara went on to finish high school aged eight, and now she’s studying online for two degrees — math and industrial engineering. This girl will go far!
39. Charles Dickens — IQ 165
Recognized as one of the most talented writers of the 19th century, Charles Dickens wrote a slew of masterpieces. In his novels, he used his fertile imagination to bring a series of unforgettable characters to life. Think of Ebenezer Scrooge, Uriah Heep, Miss Havisham, and the Artful Dodger. Dickens was also an energetic social campaigner who publicized the failings and cruelties of the Victorian era.
38. Charles Darwin — IQ 165
Born in the English country town of Shrewsbury in 1809, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was highly controversial in its day — and remains so for some, even now. The great naturalist’s trip to the Galapagos Islands and elsewhere aboard HMS Beagle furnished him with much material for his thoughts on evolution. Darwin’s reputation was sealed by his groundbreaking On the Origin of Species, published in 1859.
37. Judit Polgár — IQ 170
Judit Polgár used her formidable brains to thrive in one of the most intellectual pursuits around: top-level competitive chess. The Hungarian became an International Grandmaster in 1991 at the age of 15. Back then, this achievement made her the youngest person ever to enter those hallowed ranks. What’s more, Polgár is the only woman ever to have made it into the top ten of international chess players.
