Wicked Smart People

[elias514]

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I was just wondering if you all know any people who are incredibly intelligent. I used to know a guy who could instantaneously do logarithms of numbers like 7.324 in his head. By the fifth grade he was already proficient in calculus. Now I think he's a graduate student in theoretical physics at UW Madison. Anybody know people like this? Just curious.

 

[g3pro]

Originally posted by elias514
I was just wondering if you all know any people who are incredibly intelligent. I used to know a guy who could instantaneously do logarithms of numbers like 7.324 in his head. By the fifth grade he was already proficient in calculus. Now I think he's a graduate student in theoretical physics at UW Madison. Anybody know people like this? Just curious.

my brother. he's graduating from stanford undergrad next trimester, meaning it only took him 2.5 years to do it. he's at the top of his CS class.

scored 800 math in 7th grade. 😱

 

[Lions Pride]

I can finish a rubik's cube in less than 2 minutes. Though this does not in anyway make me wicked smart, it sure looks cool, and really impresses the peons.

 

[exmike]

Originally posted by Lions Pride
I can finish a rubik's cube in less than 2 minutes. Though this does not in anyway make me wicked smart, it sure looks cool, and really impresses the peons.

i dont think i ever finished more than one side!

 

[vixenell]

I graduated with about 200.

One could solve the rubicks cube in less than 45 seconds.

 

[smartreader]

I know one guy who was ubelievably intelligent. Not only did he get high ninties in his science courses, which most of us here have probably achieved, he also used to get near perfect grades in highly subjective courses such as english and humanites (undergrad courses). He was really, ubelievably bright. He's now a 4 or 5th year resident in cardiothoracic surgery at Dalhousie University in Canada.

 

[musiclink213]

i knew a kid back in hs who was the smartest kid ever. he would get all 100's on AP bio exams, (on which most of us would get 40's), 5 on every AP test he ever took, skipped like 3 grades of school, graduated high school at around 15, and he entered college with sophmore, almost junior standing because of all his credits. i think he plans on graduating college in 2 years or something like that. he got a 1590 on the SAT, i mean, he was a brain. captain of the chess team that went all the way to nationals every year. iit's crazy.

as far as the rubiks cube thing, i could never solve them, they made no sense to me, maybe i'm just not smart. 🙁

 

[flaming_gypsy]

I knew this one guy once who worked as a janitor at MIT. He was so smart he could easily solve any problem given to him by the most brilliant math professor at the school; his brilliance was absolutely unparalleled. Unfortunately he had some problems and never used his intelligence.
Wait a second, that was from a movie wasn't it...

 

[aeromed]

Yeah, my entire college was filled with them. (MIT)

 

[Brickhouse]

I can touch my nose with my tongue. Does that count for anything?

 

[lotanna]

I went to high schl with this guy Toh Ne Win, smart kid, took i think 7 AP classes, got 5s on them, and this was by his junior year. He used to tutor us in AP bio when he hadnt even taken the class in his 9th grade year 😛 He did some complicated science fair project that some guy who was a PhD with over 20yrs experience in the area was dumbfounded. Took SATs scored 1600, what else? started MIT with soph standing. I mean I even just came across him on the web, and found out he did a masters prog there as well in some technical field, and his research was too scientific for me to understand.
I know for sure that he's going places, and I'm goin be like "oh Toh I know him" 😀

aeromed, yeah u might know him, I'm sure he fit in real well 😛

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by Brickhouse
I can touch my nose with my tongue. Does that count for anything?

damn i cant even do this!


am i wicked intelligent if i decided to save myself the stress of getting good grades and just get by?

oh knew this guy who took like 13,14AP tests....4s and 5s on all of them and a couple he didnt even take the class for.

mad high high school gpa but thats not impressive anyway these days...hmm entered college with jr standing or a close to it...
yeah stuff like that.

 

[Spidey]

I knew a guy who ate someone's live tadpole during show and tell for 50 cents.

 

[Spacekat]

Originally posted by Brickhouse
I can touch my nose with my tongue. Does that count for anything?

Hell yeah - 'specially depending on the proclivities of those with whom you spend your "study time"😉

 

[hmno82]

I know a girl who thinks she can press her head against her class notes, concentrate real hard, and then absorb the info via osmosis. It hasn't worked for me... so I think she's definitely special.

 

[Samoa]

Originally posted by hmno82
I know a girl who thinks she can press her head against her class notes, concentrate real hard, and then absorb the info via osmosis. It hasn't worked for me... so I think she's definitely special.

Actually, that just means she's an airhead, since the flow of information is inward.

A wicked smart person wouldn't dare sleep on their books, for fear of LOSING knowledge. 😀

 

[Childe]

lol

 

[34440]

One thing he said, when discussing the process of debate and truth was that you cannot prove something does not exist.

Except God. We all know (s)he doesn't exist.

 

[woolie]

Originally posted by Spidey
I knew a guy who ate someone's live tadpole during show and tell for 50 cents.

so incredibly funny ... !

 

[Pikayou]

My student host for my Harvard interview was a Rhodes Scholar....sets a very high bar for intelligent conversation/questions, to say the least.

 

[Brickhouse]

Originally posted by Orbital
He stated that a system of systems had to be based on a pre-existing system that already works.

Whhhaaa? that's a lot of systems!

 

[Samoa]

Originally posted by CanMan
Except God. We all know (s)he doesn't exist.

I dunno. There are some laws of physics that seem to imply that an observer is required for events to take a definite course from among the probabilities.

 

[Spacekat]

Originally posted by Orbital
I think we have different concepts of what a genius is.

People do seem to have different working definitions.
For example, I think a lot of people confuse the abilities to memorize large amounts of information or play fancy number games with intelligence. Really, these are nothing more than parlor tricks.
A hard drive holds enormous amounts of information, but that doesn't make it 'wicked smart'. Certain people with severe learning disabilities can do things like multiply five-digit numbers in their heads, or tell you on which day of the week August 10th 2056 falls.

Intelligence is the ability to fit together different bodies of information and draw new conclusions from the result, or solve problems in novel ways based on that synthesis. Since this is pretty difficult to measure or to assess in someone, we fall back on the parlor tricks as indicators, but they aren't very good ones.

 

[Gbemi24]

Originally posted by Orbital
One thing he said, when discussing the process of debate and truth was that you cannot prove something does not exist.

This was what convinced you that he was smart? 😕

 

[Brickhouse]

My marriage to Orlando Bloom - I can prove that doesn't exist.

 

[elias514]

The definition of intelligence ought to be more comprehensive, in the sense that it encompasses more than just intellectual factors--a person's overall intelligence should also entail interpersonal ability and emotional well-being. In terms of the intellectual facet of intelligence, I agree 100% with a previous post; many people confuse knowledge with intelligence. Just because someone knows a sh*tload about some topic (or a wide variety of topics) does NOT mean that he/she is brilliant (this is why the vast majority of doctors are above average in intelligence, not brilliant). I equate intelligence with problem solving aptitude, the ability to integrate seemingly disparate elements into a coherent framework, and mental acuity. Breadth and depth of knowledge are not foolproof indicators of intelligence.

The definition of genius is interesting. I would define it as the ability to perform some intellectual feat that very few (if any) other individuals can perform. Thus, autistic people who can do crazy stuff like instantaneously tell you what day August 12, 2056, falls on, ARE geniuses in my opinion, in spite of the fact that these individuals have severe social handicaps typically. I guess I draw a distinction between intelligence and genius.

 

[Gbemi24]

Originally posted by Orbital
It was in reference to the existence of God.

And how people have tried to determine if God exists and that you cannot prove God does not exist. It's logically impossible.

You can only hope nobody can prove he does exist. 🙂

I understand the point, but I do not find it to be profound. That is why I am surprised that you thought he was very smart because he made that statement. It is common knowledge among the educated that one cannot prove a null hypothesis. You do not have to be smart to understand or appreciate that fact.

 

[DrBodacious]

Originally posted by elias514
The definition of intelligence ought to be more comprehensive, in the sense that it encompasses more than just intellectual factors--a person's overall intelligence should also entail interpersonal ability and emotional well-being. In terms of the intellectual facet of intelligence, I agree 100% with a previous post; many people confuse knowledge with intelligence. Just because someone knows a sh*tload about some topic (or a wide variety of topics) does NOT mean that he/she is brilliant (this is why the vast majority of doctors are above average in intelligence, not brilliant). I equate intelligence with problem solving aptitude, the ability to integrate seemingly disparate elements into a coherent framework, and mental acuity. Breadth and depth of knowledge are not foolproof indicators of intelligence.

The definition of genius is interesting. I would define it as the ability to perform some intellectual feat that very few (if any) other individuals can perform. Thus, autistic people who can do crazy stuff like instantaneously tell you what day August 12, 2056s, falls on, ARE geniuses in my opinion, in spite of the fact that these individuals have severe social handicaps typically. I guess I draw a distinction between intelligence and genius.

I'm not sold on your first idea. I think people can be very intellegent but unsociable and mentally "off". Violent criminals can be very intellegent. Einstein was mostly an intellecutal recluse and not well accepted by the academic world untill he had published his special theory of relativity. On the other hand I would not neccessarily consider people that are socially adept and quick witted because of their carisma or what have you to be neccessarily intellegent, although many people seem to equate allure with intellegence I think.

That being said, people can be intellegent with regards to some things, and stupid with regards to other things. And someone who is a well rounded person who is intellegent to a significant degree is still less intellegent that someone else with respect to any specific criteria. So I agree that the definition of intellegence is hard to judge as people often judge an individuals intellegence upon a limited number of factors, and that you can't give someone credit for being a well rounded intellectual for proving themselves to be intellegent in only one regard.

 

[DrBodacious]

Also, the word genius can be used to describe a person's ability in only one regard or as a intellegent person overall. Webster's dictionary definition:

plural usually geniuses a : a single strongly marked capacity or aptitude <had a genius for getting along with boys -- Mary Ross> b : extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity c : a person endowed with transcendent mental superiority; especially : a person with a very high intelligence quotient

Here is the deffinition for intelligence as well:

1 a (1) : the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : REASON; also : the skilled use of reason (2) : the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (as tests) b Christian Science : the basic eternal quality of divine Mind c : mental acuteness : SHREWDNESS
2 a : an intelligent entity; especially : ANGEL b : intelligent minds or mind <cosmic intelligence>
3 : the act of understanding : COMPREHENSION
4 a : INFORMATION, NEWS b : information concerning an enemy or possible enemy or an area; also : an agency engaged in obtaining such information
5 : the ability to perform computer functions

 

[applequoi]

I must submit. There was this 11-yr old in my senior AP Calc class. Could do all the obvious (long derivatives and some multi-variable problems) almost instantly. Used to correct the instructor constantly. He was also a gold medalist in this National Latin contest and got a 1600 SAT. I've tried to find him via search engine -- to no avail. I truly believe he was forced into a think tank by the government and is churning out models for the DOD. He is now known as 1010001 and speaks only in hexadecimal.

 

[Offear]

A girl I went to high school with got a 36 ACT and a 1600 SAT. My roomate at college took full International Bacc. (IB) classes in high school, still had 4.0, had a SAT in the high 1500's, and entered college as a junior. She also had a IQ of 159. Made me feel real dumb for the first few months we were living together. She's a cool girl, though. 🙂

 

[thewebthsp]

SAT is easy compared to the AHSME, AIME, or USAMO, IAMO(!!). I never got to the AIME. 🙁

YEah so anyone taking the IAMO...damn...that's smart!

 

[jtown]

SAT is easy compared to the AHSME, AIME, or USAMO, IAMO(!!). I never got to the AIME. 🙁

YEah so anyone taking the IAMO...damn...that's smart!

the trick to the ashme and the aime was to not answer the really hard ass ones... (3 ashmes, 2 aimes... i think i got like 3 right in two years on the aime)
you get points for blank answers.

as for the harvard student host who was the rhodes scholar (so was bill clinton, btw... and he got busted for getting head in the oval office), start any conversation with a good dick or fart joke... we'll see who's smarter now!

 

[mandalonius]

I knew a guy who ate a whole stick of butter for free at a dinner for an awards ceremony. it was quite amusing. 🙂

IB was a waste of money! A useless program unless you're studying abroad. Now the diploma is just a very expensive piece of paper sitting somewhere in my closet. Oh well!

 

[principessa]

My boyfriend was in the National Spelling Bee, appeared on Jeopardy, reads Latin, speaks fluent French, has had non-zero scores on the Putnam (big math exam) each time he's taken it, got into Harvard, Princeton, and Yale for grad school (Ph.D. in Physics), and he still says he's not a genius. He has a friend who majored in Near Eastern Languages at Harvard and is now working on a book (between undergrad and grad school) on some obscure ancient language. They are both pretty laid-back guys, too.

 

[thewebthsp]

well i hope he does something useful with all that brainpower, like discover gravitons or something hehe

j/k 🙂

 

[Brickhouse]

Awright, why the hell was this thread bumped?

 

[scooter31]

If enjoying the smell of your own farts makes you a genius, then I'm Gates, Einstein, and Gould ****ing combined

An' I'ma be a doctor!!!!! 👍

 

[UCdannyLA]

I know this kid...a third year at UCLA double majoring in Elec. Engineering and Computer Science. Has a 3.98 GPA.....172 on the LSAT, 38 on the MCAT....plus, has his own band....plays intramural basketball.....works in a homeless shelter in downtown L.A..............etc etc etc.

yes....people like this are disgusting.

 

[willthatsall]

Awright, why the hell was this thread bumped?

This has become my favorite inexplicable phenomenon on SDN. It's great when people just reply to something that is months or even years old as if it is a current discussion. There was one a couple weeks ago that someone replied to a message from 2002 to respond to the OP.

 

[Fumoffu]

*penis shrinks after reading this thread*

 

[Samoa]

This has become my favorite inexplicable phenomenon on SDN. It's great when people just reply to something that is months or even years old as if it is a current discussion. There was one a couple weeks ago that someone replied to a message from 2002 to respond to the OP.

Yeah, I know. There have been a couple of occasions where I saw a thread bumped that was started by someone who no longer posts, and I was like, "Hey! So-and-so's back!" Only to find out it was just an old thread that some newbie has resurrected, not realizing that those people are no longer really here. I suppose it's the message board equivalent of talking to voices in your head.

 

[javert]

I can finish a rubik's cube in less than 2 minutes. Though this does not in anyway make me wicked smart, it sure looks cool, and really impresses the peons.

I know someone who can do it in 30-40 seconds. He can solve it in ~4 minutes when drunk 😱

 

[Samoa]

I know someone who can do it in 30-40 seconds. He can solve it in ~4 minutes when drunk 😱

You guys, there's nothing particularly cool or smart about being able to solve a Rubik's cube. Once you know how to recognize and deal with particular patterns of cubes, it becomes 100% solvable, and then the only variable is how fast your hands can move.

 

[BerkeleyPremed]

This whole thread seems sorta pointless as everyone is bound to come across someone exceptionally brilliant throughout the course of their undergraduate years. The people I've been most impressed with were those odd balls that double majored in two REALLY disparate fields and did frighteningly well in both fields. I know one guy who is a neuroscience and comparitive literature double major and he's graduating summa cum laude. I think he's headed to UCSF medical school in the fall.

 

[javert]

You guys, there's nothing particularly cool or smart about being able to solve a Rubik's cube. Once you know how to recognize and deal with particular patterns of cubes, it becomes 100% solvable, and then the only variable is how fast your hands can move.

The same could be said about anything...take playing the guitar: "Once you know how to recognize and deal with partular patterns of notes, it becomes 100% doable, and then the only variable is how fast your hands and fingers can move."

 

[skypilot]

If enjoying the smell of your own farts makes you a genius, then I'm Gates, Einstein, and Gould ****ing combined

An' I'ma be a doctor!!!!! 👍

For some reason I liked this post

 

[IndyZX]

The same could be said about anything...take playing the guitar: "Once you know how to recognize and deal with partular patterns of notes, it becomes 100% doable, and then the only variable is how fast your hands and fingers can move."

no, trust me the rubiks cube is different. my friend taught me how to solve a cube over the span of a few hours to the point where i could solve it myself. a few weeks later, and i was consistently in the sub-2min range.

and that was with only knowing about 4 basic "moves"... if you memorize more formations you can shave seconds off your times. its extremely mechanical. but hell, it still looks cool

 

[Califlower]

Thank goodness you don't have to be a genius to be a doc. Yay! 👍

 

[Brickhouse]

Jeez people enough with the rubiks cube BS already. What is this, 1984?