Top 10 most intelligent people on Earth
– As a guest physics student at Hanyang University was taking courses and at the age of 8 he was invited by NASA to study in the United States.
What Makes a genius? Definition, Characteristics, and Qualities Explained
Many have argued that everyone is born with equal potential. However, there are some people who seem to have a level of ability or skill that defies belief. These people usually display the characteristics of a genius.
A genius is defined as a person who has a remarkable intellectual or creative function, or other natural ability. There are certain historical and public figures that are acknowledged as geniuses, including Albert Einstein, who contributed greatly to the field of physics.
For a long time, understanding Psychology has been considered to be linked to genius, with a popular belief that a strong understanding of the mind and how it works is essential for those who wish to reach their full potential. Significant philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle also touched on this theory centuries back, stating that a person’s capacity to reason and understand their environment is the key to achieving greatness.
So, what exactly makes a genius? And what common characteristics do they share? To find out, we’re taking an in-depth look at geniuses, including three familiar faces that are widely considered to be the foremost thinkers in history.
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What is a genius?
Being a genius isn’t as simple as being smart or having a high IQ. While intelligence is, of course, a prerequisite of genius status, there are other things at play here – including creativity, self-awareness, and an innate ability to ask questions few others have ever asked.
It’s for this reason that the likes of Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and Charles Darwin can be placed in the same genius pool as Mozart, Beethoven and Picasso. Because while on paper these preeminent figures are worlds apart, they share a similar knack for pushing the boundaries of human thought and our understanding of the world.
So, defining genius isn’t easy, but it’s safe to say that intelligence, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking all play their part in making a genius a genius.
What are the characteristics of a genius?
Geniuses aren’t readily pigeonholed. They do, however, share similar traits and characteristics, each contributing to their ability to see the world differently than us regular folk.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key characteristics which define a genius.
Curious mind
It stands to reason that you need to possess a high degree of curiosity to achieve excellence. By having an inquisitive nature, you are more likely to develop new ways of thinking and uncover previously unexplored ideas. People deemed geniuses often pursue knowledge in an almost obsessive manner, beyond what the average person may consider reasonable.
Abstract thinkers
People who have genius traits tend to think about problems and concepts in a much more dynamic way. As a result, they are unlikely to accept information and facts on face value. Instead, they will want to defy and test conventional thinking. Talking to someone who possesses genius traits can be tricky, as they may wish to challenge your way of thinking.
Risk-takers
People who are truly innovative will want to push boundaries. They will not be satisfied taking the safe route, especially if they feel they are close to making a discovery. This approach to life can sometimes mean they put themselves at risk, whether physically or in regard to the progression of their career, but ultimately this can lead to ground-breaking work.
Reject routine
Typical characteristics of a genius mean they may find it hard to conform to a normal routine, possibly because they constantly have ideas and questions running through their minds. Very often, people who achieve greatness are also nocturnal and will continue to explore their ideas and come up with explanations while everyone else is fast asleep.
3 famous geniuses and what they gave the world
Now that we’ve uncovered what geniuses are and what makes them tick, it’s time to put all this talk into context. Here, we’re taking a look at three iconic figures who have come to define our understanding of what makes a genius.
1. Albert Einstein
Few historical figures capture the essence of genius as readily as Albert Einstein. The German-born physicist single-handedly redefined science in the 20 th century, developing, among other things, the theory of relativity, which remains one of the pillars of modern physics.
Einstein captures the very essence of genius. Initially viewed with scepticism by his peers, he took risks and asked questions no one else had even considered – fundamentally changing our understanding of the universe forever.
2. Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci may be best known for iconic artworks like Mona Lisa and the Sistine Chapel, but this Italian polymath is, to many, the ultimate genius. Gifted in pretty much everything he turned a hand to, da Vinci laid the groundwork for contemporary thinking as we know it – influencing some of the foremost geniuses in history, including Shakespeare and Einstein.
What makes Leonardo da Vinci unique among his fellow geniuses is his high level of understanding of concepts and processes way beyond his time. Piles of da Vinci’s notebooks have been discovered over the centuries, each full of theoretical prose and complex diagrams pertaining to things which would take another five centuries to come to fruition – from medical surgeries to human flight.
3. William Shakespeare
It’s impossible to overstate William Shakespeare’s contribution to culture, literature, philosophy, and the English language. England’s beloved bard was lightyears ahead of his contemporaries, and his work continues to have a direct influence on writers, artists and philosophers here in the 21 st century.
Shakespeare, like other geniuses, possessed an innate talent for thought. Such skills can scarce be taught, particularly in the 16 th century, when much of the population couldn’t read or write, let alone redefine English literature for the next thousand years.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into what makes geniuses tick. If you want to learn more about the cognitive abilities and behaviours of people, our psychology courses will interest you. These distance learning courses include an A-Level Psychology course that looks at both cognition and development. If you can’t be a genius, maybe you can try and understand them!
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Top 10 most intelligent people on Earth
Without geniuses History can’t be created. Persons like Newton, Thomas Elwa Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei etc are still alive due to their methods, ideas and formulas. There are also people who have gained fame and achieved in small age with their mind-boggling IQ levels. Here are 10 most intelligent people on earth those who have created history.
Without geniuses History can’t be created. Persons like Newton, Thomas Elwa Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei etc are still alive due to their methods, ideas and formulas. There are also people who have gained fame and achieved in small age with their mind-boggling IQ levels, exceptionally intelligent and talented including brilliantly accomplished academics, former child prodigies etc. We can also call them geeks, nerds or superb sharp intellectuals. Here are 10 most intelligent people on earth those who have created history.
Top 10 most intelligent people on Earth
1. Isaac Newton
He is an extraordinary genius physicist, mathematician, astronomer and alchemist. He is considered as the most influential and greatest scientist ever lived. His scientific work not only contributed to the 17 th century scientific revolution but also gave birth to modern technologies.
His Works:
– Concept of Universal gravitation and laws of motion.
– Developed the theory of colour which is visible in the spectrum and rainbow.
– First person to tell that colour is an intrinsic property of light and explained the phenomena that when white light is scattered, reflected or transmitted it breaks in to 7 colours.
– Build first practical telescope.
– Contributed to the study of power series, generalised the binomial theorem to non-integer components and developed the method for approximating the roots of a function.
– His book ‘Philosophaie, Natruals, Principia Mathematica’ popularly known as Principia deals with the principles of modern physics.
2. Aryabhatta
He was an acclaimed mathematician and astronomer. His contribution to science, maths and astronomy is tremendous.
His work:
– Introduced concept of zero and how to use large numbers up to 1018.
– First time he had calculated the value of ‘pi’ accurately to the fourth decimal point.
– Devised the formula for calculating areas of triangles and circles.
– Calculated the circumference of the earth as 62,832 miles and also suggested about the axial rotation of the earth and its axis.
– First astronomer to devise a continuous counting of solar days.
– Also, told that eclipses occur due to the shadows of moon and earth.
– He also told that planets shine due to the reflection of sunlight.
– ‘Flat Earth concept’ was introduced by him and laid the foundation that earth and other planets orbit the sun.
– Amazing, do you know that at the age of 24 he wrote “Aryabhatiya”.
3. Galileo Galilei
He was an illustrious mathematician, astronomer and Physicist. Also, known as the Father of Modern Astronomy.
His works
– Played a key role in establishing scientific revolution.
– Contribution in astronomical observatory and invented telescope.
– In astronomical discovery he confirmed the phases of venus, discover four largest satellites of Jupiter and observation and analysis of sunspots.
– He invented military compass.
4. Thomas Alva Edison
He was a prolific inventor and a leading businessman. In building America’s economy he was the mastermind behind discoveries and innovations and front-runner of America’s first technological revolution.
His Works
– First inventor to have an invention laboratory.
– He invented the first electric bulb. The first one lasted 40 hours and second one lasted 225 hours.
– Do you know that he had invented movie camera.
– Invented re-chargeable battery.
5. Leonardo da Vinci
He was an architect, mathematician, musician, polymath, sculptor, engineer, inventor, anatomist and writer.
His Works
– First person to dissect human body.
– He helped us to invent things like tank, parachute, helicopter etc.
– Famous artist, painter and musician. His one of the known paintings is of Mona Lisa and many are displayed in museums, art galleries etc.
– He was interested in geology and draws maps of various places.
– He can also write backward.
– He was a spirit of Renaissance and also known for imaginations, inventions and utmost curiosity.
6. Stephen Hawking
He is at present 74, a cosmologist, author, theoretical physicist and Director of Research Centre for Theoretical Cosmology.
His Works
– He predicted that Black holes emit radiation called Hawking Radiation.
– He is the first to make theory on Cosmology and supported quantum mechanics.
– He is recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US.
– His book ‘A Brief History of time’ in which he has discussed about his own theories and cosmology in general.
– Various other books are The Universe in a nutshell, The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time, The Grand Design etc.
– At the age of 65, he went to space and at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida he had experienced the environment without gravity and proved that if a person wants to achieve something in his life nothing can stop him or her. Being paralysed he had achieved and proved this.
7. Terence Tao
Amazing you won’t believe is that when he was 2 years old he used to teach 5 years old students how to spell and how to add numbers. At the age of 10, he started participating in International Mathematical Olympiads and won bronze in 1986, silver in 1987 and gold in 1988 and became the youngest ever gold medallist in the Mathematical Olympiad. At 16, he had earned Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree and completed his Ph.D at the age of 20 with an outstanding IQ of 230 and at present he is 41 years old.
His Works
– On arithmetic progressions of Integers he had given a Green-Tao theorem.
– To remove red eyes in photo he had given some theories like The power of Convex Relaxations: Near-Optimal Matrix Completion and Stable Signal Recovery from Incomplete and Inaccurate Measurements.
– Polyhedral geometry with Puzzles determines facets of the Littlewood-Rischardson cone.
– Numerical analysis with Operator Splitting for the KdV equation.
– He was a co-recipient of the Fields Medal (2006), SASTRA Ramanujan Prize (2006), Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics (2014) etc.
8. Christopher Langan
He is known as the smartest man in America having an IQ of 195 and 210. In SAT exam he had scored what is needed but we can’t ignore is that he slept in an exam and then too he cleared it. At present he is 64 years old.
His Works
– He developed the theory of the relationship between mind and reality known as “Cognitive-Theoretic Model of the Universe”.
– He has formed “Mega Foundation” along with his wife Gina LoSasso in order to provide help to the people.
– He has won $250,000 in NBC’s 1 vs. 100 contest.
– He has set an example for young generation, who can achieve their goal with similar determination and hard work even after doing self studies without any degree
9. Kim Ung-Yong
Do you know that he had booked a place for himself in The Guinness Book of World records and has more brain power than Hawking and Einstein. When he was four months young he started speaking and at the age of 2 he used to read Japanese, Korean, German and English.
His Works
– As a guest physics student at Hanyang University was taking courses and at the age of 8 he was invited by NASA to study in the United States.
– He had written poetry in Korean and Chinese languages.
– He had also written two short books of essays and poems of less than 20 pages.
– He believes in simple living, at present he is 54 years old and in 2014 he became an associate professor in Shinhan University and also Vice President of North Kyeong-gi Development Research Center.
10. Judit Polgar
She is 40 years old and a Hungarian chess grandmaster.
Her Works
– In 1999, at the age of 15, she had created a history by defeating Bobby Fischer and became the youngest Grandmaster.
– In 2002 again she had created history by beating world number 1 Garry Kasparov. In FIDE’s Top 100 list she is the only woman.
– She is the first and to date the only woman who have surpassed the 2700 Elo rating barrier, reaching a career peak rating of 2735 and peak world ranking of No. 8. These both are achieved in 2005.
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