Albert Einstein was one of the smartest human beings to have ever walked the planet, and while his contributions to the field of physics are unparalleled, did you know there are famous people with IQs higher than that of Einstein? When we think about intelligence, we do not normally think of something quantifiable, but that doesn’t mean it has stopped men from trying to measure intelligence.
There is no standard test, but the scoring is similar across all variations, with those with a score of 100 considered to have average IQ, and any score equal to or greater than 140 is considered to be ‘genius’. A person’s IQ score is not a true measure of their intelligence; this is true even in the case of someone as great as Albert Einstein, who is said to have had an IQ score of 160. Einstein probably never even took an IQ test, as the construct was a later innovation. Everything aside, it might surprise you to learn that there are people who supposedly have a higher IQ than Einstein. Here’s a list of 10 such people, who can give Einstein’s IQ a run for its money.
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1. Leonardo da Vinci
The man who painted the infamous Mona Lisa might not have had IQ tests during his time, but it is now estimated that his IQ score would have been somewhere around 180–220. This makes sense considering that the Italian polymath of the High Renaissance was not just a man of art but was also an engineer, scientist, architect, theorist, and sculptor. He didn’t just dabble in various fields, he excelled at them, with technological innovations such as flying machines, armored vehicles, etc. in his repertoire.
2. Nikola Tesla
Tesla is a well-known name in every household thanks to the auto-manufacturing company, but before the car, there was Nikola Tesla, one of the smartest people on the planet. A Serbian-American born in 1856, he had an IQ in the range of 160–310. He is known as the inventor of the Tesla coil and alternating current machinery, which gave birth to the ‘War of Currents’ in 1880, between him and Thomas Alva Edison.
3. Nicolaus Copernicus
The man who told us that the Earth revolves around the sun might have had an estimated IQ in the range of 160–200. A Polish astronomer and mathematician, not everyone was a fan of his theories. In fact, the Catholic Church banned his book ‘De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium’ (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), in which he proposed the heliocentric model of the universe, for almost two centuries.
4. Johann Goethe
A German polymath from the 1800s, his estimated IQ stands in the range of 210–225. He is considered to be the founder of human chemistry and also developed an early theory of evolution. This is not all, his magnum opus, ‘Faust‘, a poetic drama in which a man sells his soul to the devil, is still considered to be the greatest work of German literature.
5. William Shakespeare
A man who needs no introduction, William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest English writer and playwright of all time. The Bard of Avon, who in his lifetime completed 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 narrative poems, and various others, is said to have had an estimated IQ of 210. His works such as ‘Romeo and Juliet‘, ‘Macbeth’, and ‘Hamlet‘, etc. are not only read, studied, and performed to this day but have also inspired various pop-culture adaptations.
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6. Srinivasa Ramanujan
The Indian mathematician, born in 1887, was one of the most influential mathematicians in the world, with an estimated IQ of 185. His contributions to the analytical theory of numbers, infinite series, elliptical functions, etc. are still relevant today and are being used as a foundation for new findings. In fact, if you want to know more about this influential man just watch the movie ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity‘, which is based on his life.
7. William Sidis
He may not be as famous as the other people on this list, but he was one of the most intelligent people to have ever walked this planet, with an estimated IQ in the range of 200 to 300. He was a child prodigy who was accepted into Harvard at the age of 9, but he wasn’t let in due to his age, and he attended Tufts University until the Ivy League finally let him in at age 11. He eventually became the inspiration for the famous movie ‘Good Will Hunting‘, starring Matt Damon and Robin Williams.
8. Marie Curie
The first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize and the first person and only woman to ever win it twice, Marie Curie had an estimated IQ in the range of 180–200. She is well known primarily for her research on radioactivity, which contributed to the development of X-rays used during surgeries. Her technology was used in World War I, where she served as the head of radiological services for the Red Cross.
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9. Hypatia
The 4th-century Greek philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who lived in Egypt, then part of the Eastern Roman Empire, has an estimated IQ of 170-210. She was not the first female mathematician of that time, but she was the first female mathematician whose life was well-recorded. She also created the astrolabe used for ship navigation and various devices that could be used to measure the density of fluids.
10. Cleopatra
She might be primarily known for her beauty, femininity, and epic love affair with Mark Antony, but back in her day, her intellectual capability was the real attraction. The last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, Cleopatra, had an estimated IQ score of 180. Fluent in 12 languages and educated in philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and oratory, this Queen of Egypt has always been much more than a pretty face and her infamous eyeliner.
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