During the 20th century, the belief that intelligence peaks early in life and goes into decline thereafter, spawned policies such as mandatory retirement at many universities. The Fields Medal, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize in Mathematics,” was awarded only to mathematicians before the age of 40 because its benefactor, John Charles Fields intended …
In what ways do memory and intelligence change as we age? Read More »
I think that highly intelligent people are more aware of their own limitations than the less intelligent. As Confucius once observed, “True wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.” Most of us who answer questions on intelligence have been fascinated by the topic and have been immersed in the scholarly analysis of intelligence and its …
I am often asked how smart an adult with an IQ of 200 or more would be. This question reflects a widespread misunderstanding of IQ as an absolute measure of intelligence, rather than a measure relative to the rest of the human population. IQ tests are normed so that IQ scores are distributed on a …
Fluid intelligence peaks sometime in early adulthood. However, there is some recent evidence that we may be able to increase fluid intelligence during the teenage years. Recent research indicates that while the average IQ of those in the same age cohort is relatively stable, the IQ of an individual can change significantly during the teens. …
Is it possible to become more intelligent after you turn 18? Read More »
There’s an old adage that says, “If ignorance is bliss, it’s folly to be wise.” This statement argues in favour of a preference for a kind of “Forrest Gump” happiness over a potentially less-happy state of higher intelligence. Yet, it would always be my preference to have as high an intelligence as possible because I, …
Between an IQ of 110 or 150, which would you prefer to have? Read More »
While it may seem that most of those with very high income have high IQ’s, the converse is not necessarily true. That is, there may be many people of very high IQ who do not have a high income. In fact, there is something strange in the relationship between IQ and income in the high-IQ …
In February 2020, CEOWORLD ranked the world’s 2153 billionaires from “richest to poorest”. As we might expect, these megawealthy individuals belong to the high-IQ group. However, the correlation between IQ and income is weak. Why? The table below provides some insight into the net worth and the educational backgrounds of the top 10 in the …
Have you noticed that few people with an IQ of 165+ are wealthy? Why is that? Read More »
I would recommend that you put your certified IQ score on your resume, along with your other credentials. The resume is not the place to be humble; it’s the document that is designed to showcase your capabilities. Furthermore, employers are looking to hire intelligent people, so a first-rate employer would likely be impressed, rather than …
Mensa International is a non-profit society consisting of high IQ people. To be admitted to Mensa, an applicant must score at or above the 98th percentile on a standardized IQ test under supervision. (By definition only 2% of those who take a standard IQ test attain 98th percentile.) The typical IQ tests are normed so …
What’s the total score needed to pass a Mensa exam? Read More »
IQ measures what is called the general component of human intelligence, denoted by the symbol g; it is a highly pervasive component that influences many aspects of a person’s life. To many people the items that appear on IQ tests such as the Raven’s Progressive Matrices or the Weschler tests, seem rather academic and unrelated …
Does IQ give a correct measure of a person’s intelligence? Read More »
