From men who changed science to women who
change the world...stay tuned to number 1
to find out who are the most intelligent people
in the world!
Number 10.
Charles Dickens
It may seem odd that an author, of all things,
is starting off the list of "most intelligent
people of all time", but if we're going off
of raw intelligence, then he definitely makes
the list.
Why?
Because Charles Dickens had an IQ of 165.
Which you would think was attributed to his
time at school, but it wasn't.
Because he actually left school at a young
age because his father was put in prison for
not paying a debt.
He worked at a factory for a time, but then,
he started to edit journals and write novels,
and this was the start of his legendary career.
But his career wasn't rooted in just writing,
Charles Dickens was a very eloquent speaker
and advocate.
He campaigned for children's rights, better
education, and so much more.
As for his writings, not only was he brilliant
with the pen, he's even the one who created
the art of the cliffhanger, as his stories
were typically released in weekly or monthly
publications.
He would listen to feedback from the people,
and then adjust his stories accordingly.
That sounds like a very intelligent man to
me.
Number 9: Galileo.
Whether you know him from his work in science,
or his cameo in the song Bohemian Rhapsody,
the man known as Galileo was instrumental
in the discovery of the workings of our world.
Mainly because he was smart enough to figure
them out.
Depending on which test he took, his IQ scores
were between 180-200, putting him in high
intellect statures.
Born in Italy in 1564, Galileo lived in what
you might call a primitive world in terms
of science and belief, and yet, instead of
following the herd in terms of what was believed
at the time, Galileo dared to push science
forward, despite what other people said of
him.
It was because of him that we learned about
inertia, and the Law of Falling Bodies.
He also is the father of the Scientific Method,
of modern physics, and in the words of Albert
Einstein "modern science altogether."
Even though the Church itself condemned his
findings in science and astronomy, Galileo
kept going in his research and beliefs.
Even penning two books while under house arrest.
Number 8: Cleopatra.
Before we talk about the genius of Cleopatra...take
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Ok, it's debatable just how smart Cleopatra
was in terms of her IQ, after all, there wasn't
an IQ test back then, you know?
But many guess that she was not only incredibly
smart, but had an IQ of about 180, which is
higher than many thought a woman could have
back in those days, obviously, we know better
now.
Her reign as the last Pharaoh of Egypt before
Rome's conquering was proof of her intelligence.
For she knew not only how to manipulate people,
but also how to gain allies, including Julius
Caesar and Marc Antony.
Both of which she skillfully manipulated in
ways that allowed her to screw over her enemies
while also getting more fame and love in the
process.
But her intelligence goes beyond her cunning,
Cleopatra was truly brilliant.
Depending on the historian you talk to, she
either knew five languages, or a dozen, all
of which she spoke fluently in order to better
rule her kingdom.
It was also said that instead of having her
court filled with people to amuse her, she
instead loved to have the company of scholars,
so that they could talk about very intelligent
matters.
Anyway you look at it, Cleopatra was one of
the smartest people on Earth then and now.
Number 7: Michael Faraday.
As proven with Cleopatra and Galileo, having
the intelligence isn't enough, you need to
know how to use it, and to that end, scientist
Michael Faraday is one of the most brilliant
people in history.
For his work in various fields of electricity
helped establish many principles that work
today in booming fashion.
Not unlike Charles Dickens, Faraday actually
had very little in terms of education, and
yet, he had a grasp on the fields of electromagnetism
and electrochemistry that far outpaced anyone
around him at the time.
It was because of him that we discovered the
Electromagnetic Field that lies around certain
objects.
As well as finding out that magnetism could
affect light, which in turn led to several
creations that helped make electricity something
that the human race could actually use.
Thomas Edison wouldn't have been able to make
a light bulb work without the science that
Faraday discovered.
His work in these fields led to his name being
attached to many things, including Faraday's
law of induction; Faraday effect: Faraday
cage; Faraday paradox; Faraday wheel; and
Faraday wave, just to name a few.
Number 6: William Sidis.
Have you ever seen the movie Good Will Hunting?
Ok, do you remember Matt Damon's character,
William Sidis?
Well, in case you forgot, that was a real
guy, who was a real genius, a very scary genius
with an IQ level of 300, at times, depending
on the test that was put in front of him.
Oh, that doesn't sound scary?
Well, how about the fact that at the age of
2, Sidis was not only reading (which is incredible
for that age), but also typing on a typewriter...in
two different languages!?
By the time he was 9, he was accepted into
Harvard, but they wouldn't because he was
"immature", but they did let him back in at
11.
By that point in time, Sidis was so well known
that he was being stalked by the media, as
they wanted to get insight into one of the
most brilliant minds on the planet.
But, that also led him to acting out, and
then he himself became a recluse after being
arrested for sedition while protesting World
War I.
Though brilliant, he was a very sad person,
emotionally, and he eventually passed away
from a stroke at the age of 46.
Number 5: Garry Kasparov.
What you do with your great intelligence is
up to you, and for one Garry Kasparov, he
decided to use his 190 IQ to play Chess.
Oh, but he didn't just play Chess, he won,
a lot.
In fact, some consider him to be the most
dominate Chess player of all time, and even
to be the greatest Chess player of all time.
Not a bad title to have.
So, how dominate was he?
Well, he had a career that lasted nearly 20
years, a total of 228 months.
And during those 228 months, Kasparov was
ranked No.1 in the world for 225 months.
During that reign, he dominated the world,
and all challengers.
He won the most tournaments of anyone in the
world during that period, and since.
Not to mention that he won his very first
world championship at the age of 22!
And lest you think that Chess isn't a game
that requires high levels of intelligence...do
you want to know what it took to beat him
the first time?
A supercomputer!
That's right, Kasparov had to be beaten by
a supercomputer named Deep Blue.
And even then, it wasn't domination by the
computer.
If you ever decide to go into the world of
Chess, make sure to pay respect to Kapsarov
when his name is mentioned.
Number 4: Nikola Tesla.
Tesla is a man who is either one of the greatest
geniuses of all time, or, one of the most
insane crackpot geniuses of all time.
It just depends on who is telling the story
here.
Nikola Tesla was born in Serbia in 1856.
By the time he came to America, 30 years later,
he was already well versed in the art of electricity,
and started to make his own inventions, including
Alternating Current, which we use in all manners
today.
But he didn't stop there, his genius allowed
him to delve into things that human kind hadn't
even thought of yet, like X-rays, wireless
communication, and more.
His ideas were as grand as his personality,
which is actually what got him in trouble.
He had a powerful rival in Thomas Edison,
who he actually worked for at one time.
And his grand ideas cost a lot of money, and
that led to him running out of it.
Still, the work and intelligence of Tesla
is praised to this day, including a company
being named after him, as well as numerous
other modern day inventions.
Number 3: Leonardo Da Vinci.
When you hear the name Leonardo Da Vinci,
you no doubt think about his legendary paintings,
including the well-known and beloved Mona
Lisa, among others.
But Da Vinci's gifts weren't just rooted to
art, he was also a scientific and anatomical
genius, one who helped pave the way for many
discoveries.
For example, he was known for his designs
of flying contraptions, which were the earliest
basis of airplanes.
And though not published, he did make discoveries
in the fields of anatomy, civil engineering,
geology, optics, and hydrodynamics.
In fact, the only reason he's not the most
gifted mind of all time was that he couldn't
fulfill the designs IN his time.
Much of what he made were experimental, and
could not be built with the materials that
existed then.
Still, his mind clearly worked on a higher
level, and his works and arts are still studied
and praised to this day.
Number 2: Stephen Hawking.
A man who passed away in 2018, Stephen Hawking
was without a doubt one of the most brilliant
minds of all time, even despite his failing
body.
Hawking was known for his work in theoretical
physics and cosmology, his work in the discovery
and theory of Hawking Radiation led to new
thoughts and discoveries in black holes.
And furthermore, he sought to unify the Theory
of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics in a way
that would redefine our thoughts on the universe
itself.
His genius was so grand, that he was a teacher
at the University of Cambridge until his passing.
But not only that, he was a pop culture icon,
making numerous television and movie appearances
because of his genius.
But perhaps the greatest proof of his mind's
strength was that he was diagnosed with a
fatal illness called ALS, which turned him
into a crippled man who could only speak through
a device.
However, that didn't stop Hawking, and he
lived for 50 more years after being diagnosed.
Number 1: Albert Einstein.
Writer of many theories, prover of many sciences,
Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the man who
helped make the Atomic Bomb, Albert Einstein
is, to many, the most brilliant mind who ever
lived.
To try and limit him to what he is famous
for is actually kind of an insult to the man,
because he's done so much.
Let's start with the basics, he created the
Theory of Relativity, which was so accepted
into the world that it and Quantum Mechanics
are the building blocks of modern day Physics.
Einstein wrote numerous papers over the years,
and helped shape many ideas and theories that
scientists beforehand could only dream about
before.
Einstein was also a bit of a seer in terms
of predicting things that would happen.
When World War II came around, he wrote President
Franklin Roosevelt, alerting him that the
Nazi's were working on items that could change
the face of the world, and that the US needed
to beat him to these powers.
And thus, the Manhattan Project was initiated,
creating the group that made the Atomic Bomb.
Ironically, Einstein was actually opposed
to the idea of such a bomb as a weapon, for
he knew it wouldn't change the world for the
better.
And even if all this wasn't enough to prove
why Einstein was smart, he was so brilliant
that his very name became slang for "genius".
Who do you think is the most intelligent person
in the world?
Let us know in the comments below and...take
care!
