10 Peoples With The Highest IQ In History

You may not realize it by taking a quick glance at the pop culture material we collectively consume, but intelligence is the most highly valued human trait there is. Sure, sometimes the smart kids have it rough in school; athletics and popularity play a big part in perceived social status at such a young age. Fortunately, in the real world all people generally care about is what you can get done. Being of above average intelligence is therefore a massive advantage when compared to people who are living their lives at the top of the normal curve – comfortably average.

The importance of intelligence has sparked many debates on the subject, particularly determining whether intelligence is innate or developed. In other words; is intelligence an ability that can be nurtured and grown over time, or is it a seed that’s only planted in individuals who won the genetic lottery? This question has puzzled developmental scientists since the dawn of the field. In antiquity, the general consensus was that intelligence was an innate trait that some people had and others lacked. If a child didn’t demonstrate any noticeable ability from a young age then it was a foregone conclusion that he or she lacked the spark to develop true wisdom later on in life. In the modern era, that consensus was thrown on its head. Intelligence wasn’t an innate trait, but rather something that could be developed in any child so long as they were in the right environment and raised by the right people.

In practice, we now believe the truth to be a combination of the two. Yes, intelligence must absolutely be developed over time and in the right conditions, but there are also genetic factors at play. It’s the reason why two children, raised in very similar environments by similar people, will inevitably have some variation when having their intelligence tested using the most common measurement available, the IQ (intelligence quotient) test. Although it may not calculate all the varying dimensions of intelligence (and is prone to cultural bias), there is certainly a correlation between high IQ scores and intelligence in action. These are the 10 highest IQs ever recorded.