Buzz
Brains are the very core of our mind and the force behind our actions. Without them, we'd end up composing things like the previous sentence. As anyone who's ever been online knows, there's a wide spectrum of brain activity in society. Some put their minds to extraordinary use, curing diseases or exploring space. Others let their minds go to waste by spending time on 4chan or enjoying Jeff Dunham's humor. The former group, whose brilliant IQs elevate them to greatness, exists in a rarefied atmosphere. Here, they engage in debates that tackle the most significant issues of our time, while we discuss who truly reigns as the smartest. Here are ten such geniuses, each boasting some of the highest IQs in the world.
10. Adhara Pérez
Adhara Pérez is a truly inspiring individual. Born in Veracruz, Mexico, her early years weren't without their struggles. Diagnosed with autism at the age of three, she suffered a seizure at four that nearly put her in a coma. The aftermath of this event left her unable to use her hands for an entire year. For many, this setback would require a long road to recovery, but Pérez has never been interested in simply 'getting back to normal.'
Adhara isn't interested in video games or dolls, considering them a waste of time. Instead, she dedicates her free time to studying black holes, following in the footsteps of her hero, Albert Einstein. Impressively, her IQ of 162 exceeds Einstein's estimated score of 160. By age eight, she had already graduated from high school, and shortly after, she enrolled in two college degrees at the same time—systems engineering and industrial engineering in Mathematics.
In addition to her accomplishments, she received a personal invitation from the president of the University of Arizona to join one of their space science programs, helping her fulfill her dream of becoming an astronaut. While many children dream of space exploration, this particular child is on the path to making that dream a reality.
9. Michael Kearney
Some individuals develop rapidly, while others are simply born ahead of the curve. Michael Kearney is both. Here's a quick rundown of his impressive achievements: He was speaking at just four months old, reading by ten months, graduated from high school by age six, earned undergraduate degrees in geology and anthropology by age ten, completed a master's in biochemistry by fourteen, and another master's in computer science by eighteen. At this point, he had already set two Guinness World Records: youngest university graduate and youngest postgraduate degree holder.
Still not content, Kearney earned a Ph.D. in chemistry by twenty-two. In addition, he participated in several trivia and puzzle-based game shows, where he amassed at least $1,000,000 in winnings. Despite all his accolades, he chose to lead a quiet life in academia, focusing on teaching and research while keeping his remarkable genius out of the public eye.
8. Andrew Wiles
In 1995, Andrew Wiles made history when he published a proof for Fermat's Last Theorem. This famous theorem had remained unsolved for 358 years and was once thought to be beyond the reach of human knowledge. Wiles spent eight years developing his proof, which ultimately spanned 129 pages.
His proof is regarded as one of the greatest mathematical accomplishments of the 20th century, earning Wiles numerous prestigious awards, including a knighthood. Since then, he has contributed to research in various incredibly complex areas of mathematics. In 2018, Wiles was named the first Regius Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, a unique position created specifically for him. It's clear that when Oxford goes to such lengths to create a role just for you, you've reached the zenith of your field.
7. Chris Hirata
Chris Hirata, who earned his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Princeton, is dedicated to understanding the history, structure, and ultimate destiny of the universe. He has been working on these questions since his childhood. By the age of thirteen, Hirata had already won the International Physics Olympiad. The following year, he enrolled at Caltech and completed his bachelor's degree by eighteen.
After earning his Ph.D., Hirata returned to Caltech, this time as a professor. His groundbreaking work earned him the Presidential Early Career Award, which was presented to him personally by President Obama. In 2018, Hirata also received the New Horizons in Physics Prize, often referred to as one of the 'Oscars of Science.' His work has significantly advanced our understanding of the early universe and its eventual fate, as well as developing methods to measure and validate these discoveries.
6. Edward Witten
Some people dedicate their careers to pondering, discussing, and attempting to make sense of the existential questions that define our reality. Edward Witten is one such individual. Widely regarded as 'the world’s greatest living theoretical physicist' and 'the most brilliant physicist of his generation,' his contributions are remarkable. His work in string theory, quantum field theory, and other fields is almost without equal. In 1981, Witten was awarded the Fields Medal—the highest honor for a mathematician—for his proof of a crucial component of Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
Arguably, Witten’s most significant contribution is the creation of M-theory, an attempt to unify all existing concepts of string theory into a single theory. Since its introduction, M-theory has sparked a revolution in string theory and has driven a fresh wave of research. If proven true, M-theory could play a key role in the development of the so-called 'grand unifying theory' or 'theory of everything.'
5. Garry Kasparov
While I may not know much about chess, Garry Kasparov is a name that resonates. He’s practically a rockstar in the world of chess—quite an achievement for a chess grandmaster. At the age of twenty-one, he began an intense rivalry with the reigning world champion, Anatoly Karpov. Their five-match series, played across six different cities, was more thrilling than many of the most legendary sporting rivalries, including Tyson vs. Holyfield and Ali vs. Frazier. The first of their matches was to continue until one player won six games, with Karpov still holding the title.
After forty-eight games, the match was called off due to concerns about the players' health. A rematch followed, and Kasparov emerged victorious. In the subsequent three rematches, Kasparov continued to hold the title, defending it successfully for fifteen years. He is also a prolific author, with works covering subjects such as history, politics, business, automation, and, of course, chess.
4. Magnus Carlsen
Although Kasparov was the youngest ever chess world champion, Magnus Carlsen holds the title of the youngest to ever achieve it. In fact, if you browse through his Wikipedia page, the word 'youngest' appears repeatedly. He’s the youngest chess grandmaster, the youngest Norwegian champion, the youngest world champion, and the youngest person to ever qualify for a world championship. Carlsen also holds records in the Elo system, being the youngest to reach scores of 2,600, 2,700, and 2,800, and ultimately, the youngest to attain the top ranking in the world.
While rankings are constantly shifting as the world's top players face off, Carlsen’s highest Elo rating of 2,882 remains unmatched. His dominance on the chessboard is unparalleled, and his calm demeanor, even in high-stakes world championship battles, has been frequently remarked upon. Carlsen’s remarkable ability to anticipate, strategize, and adapt makes him a master of mental warfare.
3. Marilyn vos Savant
In one of the most remarkable coincidences in history, one of the most astonishingly brilliant minds ever to exist carries the last name Savant. Marilyn vos Savant secures her place at the top for numerous reasons, but perhaps most notably, when the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ recorded the highest IQs, it officially placed her exceptional score of 228 at the top.
For many years, she wrote an advice column for Parade magazine, where she answered riddles and solved puzzles. In 1990, she made a huge splash when she solved the famous Monty Hall Problem in response to a reader's challenge. Although she wasn't the first to arrive at the answer, she was the first to publicly demonstrate it, leading to significant backlash. Her reasoning, though correct, was so counterintuitive that over 10,000 letters flooded in, claiming she was mistaken. She wasn’t.
A year later, the same situation repeated itself with the Two Boys Problem. Once again, Savant’s logic went beyond the average person’s understanding, and once again, an outpouring of argumentative mail followed. And once again, Savant was right.
2. Terence Tao
Known as 'The Mozart of Math,' Terence Tao instantly earns his place on this list. But his brilliance doesn’t end there. Tao’s field of expertise is vast, with nearly 400 published papers spanning topics as dense and diverse as partial differential equations, combinatorics, harmonic analysis, additive number theory, differential equations, algebra, and harmonic analysis.
Tao's awards and honors are far too many to count, but some of the most significant include the Fields Medal and the MacArthur Genius Grant. Perhaps the greatest testament to his brilliance is how consistently his colleagues describe his work as groundbreaking, surprising, original, and unique. While most would find it difficult to even understand the fundamentals of such a diverse and complex array of mathematical disciplines, Tao has not only mastered them all, but he also seeks out their imperfections and corrects them.
1. Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky is a difficult figure to define, as his exceptional intellect spans numerous fields, making him a prominent or, at least, vocal leader in each of them. Primarily known as a linguist, Chomsky's vast body of published work extends into philosophy, history, sociology, political science, media, and cognitive science. With such a prolific career, Chomsky has earned the distinction of being one of the most cited authors in the world. He is also among the rare few who can claim to be the 'father of' two entire fields—modern linguistics and cognitive science.
His extensive contributions to a wide range of disciplines have secured him a place on countless 'most influential' lists, garnered him numerous honorary degrees to complement his academic credentials, and earned him membership on several intellectual committees across the United States, both honorary and active. It's nearly impossible to measure the profound influence of someone whose work has touched so many aspects of society.
