Who are considered the most intelligent people in the history of humanity? How is intellectual capacity or ability assessed?
Libb Thims made a list in which he classified the forty most intelligent historical figures, taking into account their score on Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or an approximation of this and assessment of their works or successes.
However, the IQ value alone does not serve to classify an individual as gifted; other abilities will also need to be taken into consideration. In this way, it should be noted that the list was made by the author and despite trying to be as rigorous as possible, it is impossible to control the effect of subjectivity.
Below we will mention the methodology used by Libb Thims to make his classification, and we will review the most intelligent people included in the list.
In order to carry out this classification, the American engineer Libb Thims He set the lower limit of 200 points in IQ, that is, he considered a score of 200 in IQ as the minimum value to appear on his list We must bear in mind that from 130 onwards the IQ score is considered much higher than the average, corresponding to a “gifted” person. In order to complement this criterion, Thims also considered aptitudes, abilities and skills in a specific area of knowledge or skill.
The problem with using IQ-based scoring, apart from the fact that it can sometimes be imprecise, is that Not all the subjects who were aspiring to enter the list had undergone this type of test to calculate it In this way, the author used the Cox methodology that predicts IQ according to how much each individual achieves every 10 years of his or her life. To complement this methodology Thims reviewed the works of many of the applicants.
Therefore, this list was formed taking into account both the IQ score and the successes achieved by each individual. Despite Thims’ intention to make the classification as truthful as possible, it is still disputed and debatable.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, considered the greatest German man of letters, was a playwright, novelist, poet and naturalist Wilhelm Meister’s novel, which tells the protagonist’s process of self-realization, was considered by Arthur Schopenhauer as one of the four best novels in all of history.
Libb Thims places him first on his list, and since there is no specific score, made directly to the author, it is estimated, according to the methods mentioned above, that his IQ reached between 210 and 225 points.
2. Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
It is impossible to refer to the advances and evolution of science, specifically physics, without citing Albert Einstein. He is one of the most important and well-known physicists in the history of science
Among many other contributions, he is credited with the best-known equation in the world that relates energy to mass: the energy of a body at rest is equal to the mass times the speed of light squared, and the Theory of Relativity, where he states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers.
Second on Thims’ list, His IQ is estimated at 205 and 225 points reaching 5 or 6 deviations above the score necessary to be considered above average.
3. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Leonardo da Vinci He was a multifaceted artist known for his countless contributions to science, art and the humanities There are few areas where da Vinci did not explore. He had very innovative ideas for his time, also considering himself an engineer and inventor. In the art of painting he made many works, the most recognized being the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper or his famous drawing of the Vitruvian Man.
Taking into account and valuing different measurements and contributions of his works, it is considered that da Vinci’s IQ could range between 180 and 220. He is the third author on Thims’ list.
4. Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
Isaac Newton is known worldwide for his contributions to science and He is considered by many to be the greatest scientist of all time, his work being revolutionary for its time. One of his best-known and most important contributions to scientific development was the Law of Universal Gravitation.
In the same way that we pointed out with the previous authors, it is estimated that Newton’s IQ was between 190 and 200. He is fourth on the list.
5. James Maxwell (1831-1879)
James Maxwell He is known in the field of physics for formulating the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, unifying electricity, magnetism and light for the first time, this being considered the second great unification of physics. Maxwell is considered the third best physicist only surpassed by Newton and Einstein.
He appears fifth on the list and his IQ is also very high, estimated between 190 and 205 points.
6. Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543)
Nicholas Copernicus is considered the founder of modern astronomy, as well as one of the most important authors for the scientific revolution of the Renaissance. His most famous contribution, which caused a change in humanity’s view of the Solar System, was the heliocentric theory, which states that the planets, including the Earth, revolve around the Sun.
Seventh on the list, it is estimated that if the relevant tests were performed to determine his IQ, it would range between 160 and 200.
7. Carl Gauss (1777-1855)
Carl Gauss was a mathematician, astronomer and physicist, he is known for formulating the divergence theorem or Gauss’ theorem, considered one of the most important contributions to the field of electromagnetics; Later, the aforementioned James Maxwell will use this theorem to constitute two of its four equations.
Taking into account different measurements, it is believed that their IQ could reach 250 or 300, thus exceeding 6 standard deviations. Thims ranks it eleventh.
8. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Galileo Galilei is also linked to the scientific revolution and is considered the father of modern astronomy, modern physics and science. He created the first law of motion and supported the heliocentric system proposed by Copernicus, already mentioned previously. In the same way, his contribution to the improvement of the telescope was also important, which allowed him to make new astronomical observations.
He is the twelfth author according to Thims with an IQ estimated to be between 180 and 200.
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9. Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)
Nicholas Tesla He was an inventor and engineer also known for his countless contributions to the field of electromagnetics His contributions served as the basis for modern systems for the use of alternating current electrical energy.
Located in fourteenth place on the list, it is believed that with the use of different measures, his IQ could range between 160 and 310.
10. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
William Shakespeare was considered a playwright, poet and actor, being one of the most relevant writers of universal literature and the most important in the English language He is known worldwide for his play Romeo and Juliet.
Thims estimated his IQ score to be close to 210, thus appearing at number fifteen on the list.
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11. Terence Tao (1975-)
Terence Tao is a mathematician, and at only 24 years old he became a professor at the University of California in Los Angeles. Since he was little, his high abilities were already visible, and Over the course of his career he has been awarded several times, highlighting the Fields Medal or International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics Similarly, in 2020 he was voted Australian of the Year.
His IQ score ranges from 211 to 233, placing him twenty-first in the rankings.
12. Hypatia (370-415)
Hypatia was a philosopher and teacher, standing out in the field of mathematics and astronomy Considered one of the first female mathematicians, her teachings based on her rationality created detractors for her, and she was finally accused and murdered by Christians. Her works were lost along with the entire library of Alexandria.
Ranked twenty-second, her IQ is estimated to be between 170 and 210.
13. Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Marie Curie She is known worldwide for her research in the field of radioactivity Among other contributions, Marie Curie and her husband, Pierre Curie, stated that if humans were exposed to radium, the diseased cells that formed tumors were destroyed faster than healthy cells. She also stood out for being the first person to receive two Nobel Prizes in different fields, first in the specialty of Physics and later in Chemistry.
His IQ scored between 180 and 200, placing him twenty-fifth on Thim’s list.
14. Francis Galton (1822-1911)
Francis Galton has an extensive work of more than 340 articles and books He was interested in different fields of study, including Anthropology, Geography and Psychology. Cousin of the well-known scientist Charles Darwin, he focused above all on the study of the human being, his intelligence and individual differences.
Applying different measures, Thims believes that Galton had an IQ of 200, thus ranking twenty-sixth.
Related article: “Francis Galton: biography of this prolific researcher”
15. Edith Stern (1952-)
Edith Stern is an inventor and mathematician, named a Master Inventor by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) She is also known because her father trained and educated her from a very young age to be the “perfect human being,” a project they called the Edith Stern Project, since her father believed that being a genius was not a genetic issue but rather a It depended on how the child was educated.
Stern is placed twenty-eighth on the list with an IQ of 203.
