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There are to my knowledge, no recent studies of the IQs of the top scientists or intellectuals, because most scientists have not made public their IQ scores, that may have been taken when they were in school. A relatively small number of IQs of scientists and intellectuals in other areas are available. (For example, Richard …

What are the most recent studies measuring IQ of top scientists and intellectuals? Read More »

In a previous post (The Monty Hall Dilemma: Part 1 – Intelligence and IQ ) I explained, in some detail, the meaning and origin of the Monty Hall Dilemma that had sparked widespread public controversy in 1988, following an answer that Marilyn vos Savant posted in her Ask Marilyn column in The New York Times. …

What makes the Monty Hall Problem difficult for many people to understand? Is there a psychological reason behind this difficulty? Read More »

Mathematics as a body of knowledge has expanded exponentially since the beginning of the 20th century. Historian of mathematics, E. T. Bell said that Henri Poincaré (1854–1912) was probably the last mathematician who understood all of the fields of mathematics during his time. Since then, mathematics, developed in academia and in industry has exploded in …

Has the level of difficulty in mathematics increased over time? Are we less intelligent than our predecessors? Read More »

In the first few paragraphs, I’ll respond to the question, “Is Elon Musk a genius?” Then I’ll respond to the second question, “Is Elon Musk bonkers?” Is Elon Musk a Genius? The criterion I like to use in the definition of genius is provided by philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer who famously observed, “Talent hits a target …

Do you think Susanna Reid’s question to Errol Musk, “Is Elon a genius or completely bonkers?”, was too harsh? Read More »

It’s true that Feynman never wrote a book before age 40. During his early career, he was immersed in the study of physics. At age 25, while working on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, he delivered a lecture titled Some Interesting Properties of Numbers to the world’s most distinguished physicists, who were gathered together …

I Heard the Richard Feynman never wrote a single book. Is that True? Read More »

The answer to this question depends on how we define and measure arrogance. Some dictionaries define arrogance as an “attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner,” while others define it as “an unjustifiable attitude of superiority.” In the first definition, the judgement of someone as “arrogant” is (like beauty) in the eye of the …

Is there a correlation between wealth and arrogance/egocentrism? Read More »

A complete answer to the general question about abstract reasoning would require many pages of discussion, so I will focus only on one tiny example. In the US election of 2024 it became apparent that one of the biggest challenges facing the average American was financial–paying for groceries and meeting financial obligations. With escalating costs, …

In what ways does abstract reasoning impact our daily lives? How can individuals improve their abstract reasoning skills to enhance their way of living? Read More »

Years ago, I served as a mathematics supervisor for a school board serving 50,000 students spread across 70 elementary schools and 16 high schools. My job was to build the K -12 mathematics program, test the students and provide in-service for the teachers. As part of this process, I convened a committee composed of the …

What are the characteristics of having an average IQ but high EQ? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to having this combination compared to having a very high IQ or EQ only? Read More »