If you want to know the record holder for the highest IQ in the world, then you're in the right place. Although many people think it's Steven Hawking with an IQ of slightly over 200, or Marilyn vos Savant with and IQ of 228. We want to mention that results of IQs can vary from test to test and by age. For example an IQ of 170 at the age of 10 years old is the equivalent of an adult IQ of only 106. The other problem is that there is no set way to measure intelligence as there are too many aspects to take into account (memory, problem-solving, etc.), so don't put too much faith in your IQ rating.
The highest IQ ever to be scored in the advanced IQ test was by Abdesselam Jelloul. Who scored an adult IQ of 198 in a 2012 test which included 13 dimensions of intelligence (analytical, spatial, logical, memory, musical, linguistic, philosophical, moral, spiritual, interpersonal, intra-personal, bodily and naturalist). Unlike other tests, the advanced IQ test includes more measures that other tests cannot assess.
Guinness retired the category of "Highest IQ" in 1990, after concluding that IQ tests are not reliable enough to designate a single world record holder. So do not expect to find any reliable information about the highest IQ.
Previously, the highest IQ ever recorded was by Marilyn vos Savant with 228; however that is a mental status ratio IQ (used for children). Adult IQs are measured by standard deviations, in which her adult IQ would compute to about 185, which is lower than famous chess master Bobby Fischer (187). Kim Ung-Yong is a Korean former child prodigy. Kim was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records under "Highest IQ"; the book estimated the boy's score at about 210. Albert Einstein was considered to "only" have an IQ of about 160.
Other contenders would be Leonardo da Vinci, estimated at ~190. Another would be William James Sidis, estimated also at a similar level. Theoretically speaking, 200 is the maximum IQ possible. All the preposterous stories about people with IQs of well over 200 are impossible. In fact, no one has probably ever reached an adult IQ of 200.
Here is a list of individuals with the highest IQ as well as other popular prodigies:
Name | Score | Details |
---|---|---|
Abdesselam Jelloul | 198 | Scored in a 2012 test including 13 dimensions of intelligence. |
William J. Sidis | 197 | Child prodigy with exceptional mathematical & linguistic abilities. |
Christopher Langan | 195 | Called "the smartest man in America". |
Garry Kasparov | 190 | Chess grandmaster, writer and political activist. |
Leonardo da Vinci | ~190 | A genius polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, scientist... |
Ludwig Wittgenstein | 190 | Philosopher primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics... |
Sir Isaac Newton | ~190 | Physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist... |
Bobby Fischer | 187 | A chess Grandmaster and a child prodigy. |
Marilyn vos Savant | 185 | Magazine columnist, author, lecturer, and playwright. |
Kim Ung-Yong | 170 | Korean civil engineer and former child prodigy. |
Albert Einstein | 160 | Theoretical physicist (the general theory of relativity). |
Akrit Jaswal | 146 | Child prodigy who performed his first surgery at the age of 7. |
Grigori Y. Perelman | ? | Solved the Poincaré conjecture. |
You might see that some IQ scores are different. It's because the above list is taking into consideration only adult IQ scores. To convert a child's IQ score into an adult score do the following: child IQ score/100*age/16*100 = adult IQ score. The number 16 is used to indicate the age at which supposedly the IQ reaches its peak.
Did you know that Guinness retired the category of "Highest IQ" in 1990, after concluding that IQ tests are not reliable enough to designate a single world record holder? So do not expect to find any reliable information about the highest IQ.
Check also here the lowest iq or the richest man. For a list of the most extreme known achievements in the planet, check our top world records.
Lowest IQ in the World | Richest Man in the World |
Did you know:
Did you know that Lissencephaly, which literally means smooth brain, is a rare brain formation disorder caused by defective neuronal migration during the 12th to 24th weeks of gestation, resulting in a lack of development of brain folds (gyri) and grooves (sulci). Children with lissencephaly are severely neurologically impaired and often die within several months of birth.
Symptoms: Affected children display severe psychomotor retardation, failure to thrive, seizures, and muscle spasticity or hypotonia. Other symptoms of the disorder may include unusual facial appearance, difficulty swallowing, and anomalies of the hands, fingers, or toes.
Treatment for those with lissencephaly is symptomatic and depends on the severity and locations of the brain malformations. Supportive care may be needed to help with comfort and nursing needs. Seizures may be controlled with medication and hydrocephalus may require shunting. If feeding becomes difficult, a gastrostomy tube may be considered.
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