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When you think of Mensa, the high IQ society, you probably think of Steven Hawking or Marilyn vos Savant. There are, however, some unlikely celebrity names associated with Mensa – a group which requires that members have an IQ within the top two per cent of the population. I have compiled a list of some famous smarties, some more surprising than others. I did my best to verify in more than one source that these were in fact members of Mensa. Sharon Stone, for example, is listed as a Mensa member on many websites, however, she confirmed she is not and has never been a member, as is commonly believed. This list is in no particular order, as not all IQ’s were available.
Probably better known as WCW wrestler Raven, Levy studied criminal justice at the University of Delaware and originally wanted to be a lawyer. He has a reported IQ of 143.
Star of over 250 hardcore adult movies, Carrera has an IQ of 156. Before her successful porn career, at the age of 13 she played piano at Carnegie Hall and later attended Rutgers University.
Jeffrey is a young actor who does a lot of voiceover work. At age 6, he was given an IQ test and tested within the 99th percentile, making him a certified genius.
Actress, and wife of John Malkovich, Headly studied drama in NYC and attended the American College of Switzerland on a scholarship.
Violence-loving high school dropout Quentin Tarantino has an IQ of 160.
Martin majored in Philosophy at Cal State and even considered becoming a professor at one time. His IQ is estimated to be about 142.
Davis went to Sweden on a student exchange program and is now fluent in Swedish. Studied drama at Boston University, plays piano, flute, drums and organ and has an IQ of 140.
An English model and actress, she earned an honors degree in chemical engineering from Leeds University. Her reported IQ is 158.
Rachins played a lawyer on the TV show L.A. Law and Dharma’s hippy father on Dharma and Greg. He enrolled at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, ultimately dropping out, but graduated from Empire State College in 1974.
Beauchamp is a footballer for the Oxford United, and is listed on British Mensa’s fact sheet under “famous members,” however they did not list his IQ.
Fluent in five languages with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Harvard, Portman pursued graduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
A British DJ, actor and television personality, he is best known for his BBC television show Jim’ll Fix It where he made the wishes of members of the public (mainly children) come true and as both the first and last presenter of Top of the Pops. Savile holds an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) from Leeds University and is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Radiology (FRCR.) In the Mensa entry tests, his IQ was assessed as 149.
Foster graduated as valedictorian from the French-speaking Lycee Francais de Los Angeles, after which she attended Yale and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in literature. Her reported IQ is 132.
Lundgren attended the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. He received a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1982, and the next year was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT. IQ score: 160.
Woods aced his SATs, got into MIT (but dropped out to pursue acting) and has a reported IQ of 180.
Lisa has an IQ of 156 and has been a member of Mensa Springfield since 1999.
Contributor: rushfan
. I havent laughed so hard for a long time .
January 19th, 2009 at 2:53 am
I remember seeing somewhere that Marilyn Manson had quite a high IQ
January 19th, 2009 at 2:54 am
Still some shocking names on here.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:02 am
A happy rushfan list!!!!
Two per cent? Two per schment! Try top point one seven percent, as certified by an online IQ testing site, so it must be true. So there!
(According to their figures, super-genius starts at point one six percent. That point zero one keeps me humble sumtimes.)
January 19th, 2009 at 3:12 am
I’ve only heard of six of them. It wasn’t really that shocking to see that they are smart.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:18 am
Asia Carrera is smart, what about Tera Patrick?
January 19th, 2009 at 3:19 am
OMG
even porn stars have high iq’s
January 19th, 2009 at 3:22 am
Maxi Jazz from Faithless is also a member of MENSA
January 19th, 2009 at 3:40 am
what about tom morello from ratm?
i believe he went to harvard.. right?
January 19th, 2009 at 3:49 am
Hey look… A whole list dedicated to an oxy-moron….
Ok… I’m kidding…. I guess that’s not very fair.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:53 am
Alan Rachins can’t be that smart. He was in Dharma & Greg. LOLOLOLOL.
Anyway, I thought to get into MENSA your IQ had to be at least 140, yet Jodie Foster’s is 132…?
January 19th, 2009 at 3:59 am
*Sniffle* Jim never fixed it for me – utterly cool to see him on Listverse though. Interesting list.
Thought I’d mention Brian May – he quit school to play in Queen but just recently finished his PhD in astrophysics.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:12 am
Sacha Baron Cohen has a degree from Oxford University in History… so I’m guessing he’s quite bright.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:42 am
I remember watching this tv program about Asia Cerrera. She’s certainly had an amazing life and plus she’s pretty much an all around good person.
Btw Natalie Portman FTW.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:44 am
i love Lisa Simpson..ü
January 19th, 2009 at 4:51 am
Well we always knew that Quentin Tarantino is genius
Didn’t expect to see Jimmy Saville on here tbh
No offence to him x]
Cool
This was interesting
January 19th, 2009 at 5:01 am
Could we have the IQs of 15 Surprisingly Super Stupid Celebrities next?
January 19th, 2009 at 5:03 am
Jfrater:
You didn’t include Masi Oka.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masi_Oka
He’s a digital artist, part of the TV series Heroes, and was nominated for Emmy. He has an IQ of 189 which is greater than James Wood’s
January 19th, 2009 at 5:08 am
abcde: not to mention that Masi Oka was one of the best background characters on Scrubs. He played Franklyn, and was there to witness JD finish the statement “A ____ in one’s armor.” He was so funny. “I always suspected.”
January 19th, 2009 at 5:16 am
Haha, My sister goes “Haha, Tara Reid or something’s gonna be number one”
*giggle snort*
very interesting list. I approve.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:21 am
How much you need to get into Mensa varies on the scale used. On the most common scale (these days) it is about 132 I believe, although some tests put the entry level to mensa as low as 130 and some as high as 148.
The basic idea is that regardless of the test you are to be among the top 2 percent of the population. So these scores can not be trusted to mean anything really, as we do not know the standard deviation of the particular test taken.
Standard deviation basically means that test 1 might believe normal to be between 85 and 115, while test two (many older tests and online ego-stroking tests) might believe normal to be between 76 and 124. So an IQ of 172 in the second version would be the same as an IQ of 145 in the first one. So James woods score of 180 might well have been on a test that would have given him around 150 by the new rules. Still impressive, but it makes lists like these impossible to order without knowing a lot more.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:28 am
@frank
“This list is in no particular order, as not all IQ’s were available. ”
Besides, high IQ only means that the person IS MOST LIKELY going to succeed in their academic life. The standard deviation thingy doesn’t have to be neglected, but it is less important compared to their achievements
January 19th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Dolph Lundgren is really a surprise.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:35 am
Interesting list Rushfan;
Goes to show you, it’s not what you’re born with that counts, but what you do with it. Although I suppose fuel for countless male fantasies does contribute something to the human condition.
They say genius and madness sometimes go hand in hand. I’ve seen Quentin Tarantino in interviews. Proves the point; the guy is whacked.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:39 am
You didn’t mention Danica Mckellar from the wonder years, she now has a math formula named after her. And her reported IQ is 154
January 19th, 2009 at 5:50 am
Wow… Dolph Lundgren. That was the only surprise to me, but really that’s all there really NEEDS to be.
I’ve always been weary of the people who are a part of Mensa, though. I mean, really, you are going to pay an organization just so you can proclaim you are smart? Wouldn’t it be a lot cheaper just to, I don’t know, apply your intelligence? (And yes, I’m aware that not all chapters of Mensa have the membership fee). The last step of initiation should be being posed with a membership fee and denying to pay it. THEN they should let you in.
Then again maybe I’m just bitter because my IQ is high enough to be in, but I’m too broke to pay said fee.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:55 am
With view to that by definition IQ 100 should mean the overall average of the population, I’m going to think that these values given above are a little bit inflated. Calculated in a different way. Not comparable with IQs of other people.
Opinions?
January 19th, 2009 at 5:59 am
To be honest only three people really surprised me. I would have been more surprised if Paris Hilton was on there…
January 19th, 2009 at 6:02 am
TMX (25)
January 19th, 2009 at 6:04 am
From out of the 15 people listed, I’ve never heard about nine.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:10 am
Dey brainz is alll big
January 19th, 2009 at 6:19 am
don’t know if she’s a member of mensa but i know shakira speaks 5 languages fluently, has a PHD and an IQ of 140.
Aishwarya Rai was an A student at the prestigious Ruparel College in India (part of the University of Mumbai). Wanted to study medicine or zoology but ultimately ended up majoring in architecture. She is fluent in several languages including Hindi, Marathi, English and Tamil (her native tongue is Tulu).
Dr. Victoria Zdrok
You may not know her because she’s a playboy bunny but wait here’s her credentials:
Skipped high school and attended college instead. Graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree from West Chester University (Pennsylvania) at age 18. Obtained a JD law degree in 1997 as well as a Ph.D. in psychology from Villanova Law School and Drexel University. She most recently completed post-doctorate work in sex therapy at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Kate Beckinsale
this Vampire beauty has Attended Oxford University (New College) studying French and Russian literature for 3 years. As a teenager she was a two-time winner of the W.H. Smith Young Writers’ competition for her short stories and poems. Is also fluent in French, German and Russian.
I posted these facts to another forum so i just reposed these.. the source? i can’t remember anymore..
January 19th, 2009 at 6:21 am
I’m reading a book in which a journalist sets out to read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica. In order to put that knowledge to some use, he wants to join Mensa. From their website he finds out that you don’t need to take the admissions test as long as you have “prior evidence” – IQ tests, GMAT scores, SAT scores. He is accepted on the basis of his SAT score. He later sits the test. They offer to refund his money.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Not that he’s the end-all-be-all of intelligence studies… But, psychologist Howard Gardner’s Categories of Intelligence are: 1.Bodily-Kinesthetic, 2.Interpersonal, 3.Verbal-linguistic, 4.Logical-Mathematical, 5.Naturalistic, 6.Intrapersonal, 7.Visual-Spatial, 8.Musical…From what I can gather, IQ tests assess only a few of these.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:43 am
i had always heard madonna had an IQ in the 170+ range. i figured we would see her on here.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:45 am
ALICIA KEYS? ahmm… well, that’s not surprising because, thats alicia… no need to be surprised… she has it all…
January 19th, 2009 at 6:50 am
every iq will be different depending on the test
January 19th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Surprised this one isn’t on there because she usually plays dumb in her movie rolls but…
Jennifer Tilly
January 19th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Jimmy Saville and Dolph Lundgren…..hilarious!! How can someone so smart wear such godawful tracksuits?
January 19th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Yes, I realize Mensa membership is not the only way or even the best way to know who’s smart, but I thought it would be a fun way to list how smart some celebrities are. And yes, I saw that Shakira and Alicia Keys and Madonna are smart, but I decided to narrow it down to Mensa members because it’s really just an interesting but of trivia. Will Smith is another smarty, and it turns out he was not accepted to MIT but turned it down, as is often reported. He didn’t even apply to MIT.
January 19th, 2009 at 7:15 am
* bit of trivia
January 19th, 2009 at 7:19 am
I have been a member of MENSA for 5 years but, well, I can’t really confirm that we are smart people….
January 19th, 2009 at 7:27 am
I’d like to see a follow up list or two on this one. High IQs are not uncommon. The thing is IQ tests only measure certain types of intelligence and are highly biased by communication skills. (The things you learn when dealing with special needs and communication disorders.)
When it comes right down to it, intelligence isn’t everything. A willingness to work hard makes a lot more practical difference in people’s lives. I suspect most of these actors put a lot of effort into their careers.
36. mowi, I’m afraid you are incorrect. A margin of error does apply, so anything within that margin of error is considered the same score. Also, some disorders drastically effect what the score will be. Believe it or not, ADD will artificially lower the test score. I think it is only by a half dozen points or some such, it’s been a while since I took a test. Autism drastically effects the score because of the communications problems with the disorder. Being a non-native speaker taking the test can also cause an artificially low score.
Most intelligence testing has everything to do with communication skills. Basic vocabulary, receptive and expressive language skills make up most of the intelligence tests. What do you do when the kid you are testing can barely talk? The kid is still able to understand a good bit, but can’t verbally express himself? You get an artificially low score on the standard IQ tests and then you move on to the less accurate non-verbal testing to get more of a ball park figure.
January 19th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Quentin Tarantino has said that he hated violence(even though his movies are full of it)
January 19th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Menza is not all it’s cracked up to be.Received a newsletter about an upcoming conference being touted as a great place to meet other like minded people. If it had stopped there it might not have been so bad. But it went on to expound on the possibilities of finding a mate at one of these conferences in the hopes of superior genes inter-breeding (even though that has never been proven to be a factor in any child’s intelligence)to produce a superior species.
ummmmmmmm,is it just me, or does that strike anyone as not only pompous, but bone chilling
I recall the last group that held to that ideal……run by lil’ fella you might remember as Hitler.
I think too much importance is put on “IQ” as a measure of one’s intellect. I was given the Stanford-Binet version of the test as a child and scored exceptionally well. Does that mean I’m a genius? Not in my opinion. It only means that as a child I had good problem solving skills. It does not measure “what you know”, it measures one’s ability to process information. You still have to be exposed to the information…..argh.sorry.I could go on and on.
January 19th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Well Dolph should have stuck with his Fulbright Scholarship; outside Rocky IV his acting wasn’t really good
January 19th, 2009 at 7:36 am
One glaring omission is Sylvester Stallone, whose IQ is reportedly 160. I thought for sure he would be number one.
January 19th, 2009 at 7:51 am
I was surprised no Marilyn Manson or even Rivers Cuomo (Weezer frontman who briefly left the band after they made it big in order to finish out his years at Harvard). I don’t know their specific IQs but they should’ve been included
January 19th, 2009 at 7:51 am
to telosphilos: you said “highly biased by communication skills”.
when I took my test, there was not a single word or number. everything was about logical stuff (pictures and sequences and similar stuff)
January 19th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Violence-loving Quentin Tarantino? I think its only fair you rephrase that…
January 19th, 2009 at 8:00 am
I am getting convinced, these high IQ values are just PR tricks.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Why should we be surprised by anyone on this list? The fact that they are entainers, porn stars or athletes? They are smart enough to be doing what they want in life and making a lot of money doing it. Thats alone shows they are smarter than the average person.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:07 am
I think Quentin Tarantino “claims” he has an IQ of 160. He was once in the Howard Stern’s show. Howard Stern asked him questions from a typical IQ test, and he couldn’t answer any of them.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I am also surprised that you didn’t mention Danica Mckellar from the wonder years. She was the first celebrity I thought of when I read the title of this list.
I’ve always felt that a good EQ (Emotional Quotient)is just as important as a high IQ. Maybe even more important. I’ve know SO MANY smart people who make the dumbest decisions. (In high school I tricked our valedictorian into letting me handcuff him to his desk.)
Asia Carrera is probably a good example of EQ vs IQ. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eza2alSBm0g
January 19th, 2009 at 8:19 am
what? no Masi Oka?
January 19th, 2009 at 8:30 am
The thing about IQ test or any kind of test is that you answer the ones you know right. The others, you guess on and have a probability of getting them right. So your score is actually higher than your actual intelligence.
Also I notice a lot of “smart” people I know don’t have a lick of common sense.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:30 am
I can see tarantinos genius in his earlier films but not of his career of late. Just make another mob movie dammit.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:40 am
IQs are not a good way to assess intelligence. They were meant solely to assess children’s intelligence and whether or not they were in the right class. Also, 120 is no longer the threshold for genius as IQ averages have been rising about 10 points every 25 years.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Dexter Holland, the lead singer from the band The Offspring, Dropped out of college will pursuing his PHD in Molecular Biology to focus on the band.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:57 am
This begs the question. Why are they wasting their intelligence by being actors and actresses? If you don’t think that’s a waste, then YOUR IQ will never be in the 3 digit range.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:00 am
It was sort of mean of you to put Jimmy Savile right after Natalie Portman…
January 19th, 2009 at 9:02 am
48. Suskis -> One word: Instructions! Also recall that there are a variety of different IQ tests. You can’t take a test if you can’t follow the instructions.
My son’s IQ scores are drastically lowered by his communications difficulties. Everyone agrees on that assessment. He has very good problem solving skills, but his difficulties with speech make traditional testing very inaccurate at best. We know he’s at least average, probably somewhere above. The question is how much above and how best to tap it so that he gets the most out of his education.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:02 am
i remember taking an IQ test at school last year which consisted of tests on problem solving, pattern recognition, arithmetic, etc. i scored 128. after reading the list i looked at those online “ego-stroking” tests, as frank(#20) put it, and my score ranged from 110 to 147. these tests were more on measuring how much you know and not on the ability to use that knowledge to get ahead which is how most define intelligence, and they also tend to be culturally biased and inaccurate if your native language is not english.
by the way i recall hearing somewhere that madonna has an IQ of 140
January 19th, 2009 at 9:06 am
IQ is a dumb way to test, and has been abandoned for years. I tested at 142 when I was a child, then 129 some time later, then 138 and then 150. I dont think its very accurate.
Portman’s 5 languages are quite impressive tho
January 19th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Very interesting list. Didn’t know that Scott Levy and I had something in common (the University of Delaware)
January 19th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Gotta agree with 58.
Dexter Holland was valedictorian of his high school, has a Bachelor’s Degree Biology, a Masters in Molecular Biology, and was a Ph.D candidate.
I think that’s a bit smarter than some people on this list.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Oxford Utd!? Hardly famous then lol – I apologise to oxford fans but I wil wait until Everton or Spurs have a Mensa member before I get excited
January 19th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I mean…they are in the blue square premier! and their highest achievement is the fourth division (i.e. Premier League, Championship, League 1 and then League 2!)
Mensa – you’re scrapping the bottom of the barrel listing a player as a “famous member”
January 19th, 2009 at 9:34 am
scrap that – third division
January 19th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I don’t understand how you could possibly speak 5 languages. i would get so confused.
My spanish professor is a native japanese speaker. While explaining things she’ll sometimes get lost and forget a word in English and just start speaking another language.
I think linguistics are the only thing my intelligence fails completely in.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I side step this one – obviously well researched – thanks for the list rushfan.
# 51 MT made a good point though.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:02 am
63 Max, IQ tests have not ‘been abandoned for years’. They are fairly accurate predictors of succes and are used by schools, colleges and employers to this day.
62 Joanne. If a test checks what you know, it’s not an IQ test but a knowledge test. To take a desk based IQ test, some things are assumed such as you have been to school and know what numbers are and can read the words. Language based IQ tests also assume some cultural knowledge – what’s a bus, a cup of coffee, a rabbit, etc but since the test is set for a specific population and not for the population of another country or culture, those assumptions are generally OK, unless you are not a native speaker of that language. And so there are culture-fair IQ tests that don’t have any words in them – but you need to see to take any of them. If someone has sensory disadvantages such as blindness, their IQ can be assessed by a specialist psychologist. People with autistism and related issues can take and pass the culture-fair and other ‘normal’ IQ tests.
And Frank 20 is right. IQ tests have different scales and so a number on its own is meaningless unless you know the percentile of the population it represents. Anyone in the 98th percentile or above can join Mensa, whether that was 130, 132 or 148 on a particular test (we understand that water boils at 100 degrees C or 212 F – same sort of thing). At least in Mensa very bright people don’t have to justify their brightness to each other nor hide it because of the way other people treat them.
Nice piece Rushfan. That some people have been surprised to find those doing jobs like model, actor and footballer can also be very bright makes it worthwhile.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:09 am
LOL @ anyone thinking that IQ is a true measure of “smarts”. I’ve known some pretty brilliant morons in my time…
January 19th, 2009 at 10:14 am
32. astraya: I’m reading a book in which a journalist sets out to read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica.
****
astraya, I actually did just that, the summer between fifth grade and sixth. I was 11 years old.
It was a challenge I set myself, and I read the entire thing from cover to cover.
The following summer, I read the entire Websters Unabridged Dictionary, 14 inches thick, (we didn’t have the OED).
January 19th, 2009 at 10:58 am
I heard from somewhere that Jack Black is Crazy intellegent as well.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Asia Carrera for being a smart person not a smart decision of being a porn star
January 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Kinda slobbering all over with all the hot babes, Asia, Geena, and I stopped on Natalie Portman’s pic for a while, I mean wow! Hotness personified! I felt my pulse quicken and my skin turned clammy.
Then I scrolled down one more and I saw what can only be described as Dumbledore in a fucking track suit. Is that the hermit from Led Zeppelin? Jeez, at least you could have warned me. Is that guy Keith Richards’ dad or something? My dreamy thoughts of smart hot babes turned to bile filling the back of my throat.
Let’s separate out this list into two categories, cute, beautiful little vixens with degrees, and wrinkled ancient duffers with metamucil stained shirts and pee spots who know a thing or two about a thing or two.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Holland of The Offspring also has an Airline Transport Pilot License, the highest level of aircraft pilot certification (according to Wiki.)
And he makes a hot sauce!
January 19th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Cool list Rushfan! Nice to see something…cheerful from you on here;) I was shocked to see a few of them on here, like a pro-wrestler, and a porn star!
I guess just about any topic can be turned controversial these days, eh? I had a friend who was in Mensa, he applied just for the fun of it, to see if he’d get in, and he did. He told me a few times to give it a try, but I never did, it’d hurt my ego too much to let myself think I had a chance then not get in.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Dolph Lundgren and Steve Martin – Wow! Just goes to show you cannot judge a book by it’s cover
January 19th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
New idea for a list:
Top geniuses who are surprisingly hot!
Already mentioned are Natalie Portman, Danica McKellar, Asia Carrera…
January 19th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Wow! I need to apply to become a member of Mensa then. My average IQ(spread across several different versions of tests) is in the 140 range… and that’s when I’m not caffeinated or even trying. I remember hearing something about them giving out grants to people or something… was this true or just an urban myth?
January 19th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
I was hoping to see something about Martin Luther King Jr. today. I was disappointed, especially with Obama being sworn in tomorrow.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Frank(20) You nailed some score variations on the head. I’ve tested several times over the past 25 years anywhere from 132 to 156, often times seeing no rhyme or reason to the differences. Though I can say that testing when ill and/or tired can see a 10-20 point drop in one’s score.
Interesting list today – I’d not have expected several of the persons included were I to meet them on the street.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
In several countries greengrocers make more money than scientists.
Intelligence is just a drawback for a person.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
What about “Not Sure”? He’s the smartest man alive even though he talks like a fag and his shit’s all retarded.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
83. JayArr: I’ve tested several times over the past 25 years anywhere from 132 to 156, often times seeing no rhyme or reason to the differences. Though I can say that testing when ill and/or tired can see a 10-20 point drop in one’s score.
****
I can second that. The first time I was tested I scored 145, the next time I had a severe respiratory infection and only scored 120, took the test again in a psychology class and scored 155. I can always tell , when I have a bad cold, I am much less intelligent than when I’m well.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Uses for belonging to Mensa:
1. To tell others “I belong to Mensa”
2. To tell yourself “I belong to Mensa”
End of the list.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
By the way “Mensa” is a way of calling a stupid or silly female in spanish
January 19th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
To psychosurfer 87, it seems you don’t have a clue about what Mensa members do once they’ve joined. As well as anything else, it’s a social and interest club – or rather, ‘lots of interests’ group. Members have a wide range of interests and these are covered by Special Interest Groups that members run for other members with similar interests to theirs. They organise events, meetings and weekends away for other members locally, nationally and internationally; and they produce publications for others to enjoy. And as a member myself, I have friends around the world that I can stay with or meet up with while away.
Mensa is Latin for table and in German, it’s a university cafeteria.
Apt name you’ve got there …
January 19th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
psychosurfer ~ whatever, babosa
January 19th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Astraya:
I read that book, good stuff. Have you read his book from when he “literally” lived by the bible for a year? Also an interesting and entertaining read.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
this list is pointless since every IQ test gives different results, some tests say “average” ppl at 150ish, and that 200+ is genius, otherse asy over 130 is genius, others more say 100 is genius….without listing which test, and confirmed that ALL these ppl took the same one…then it’s a pointless list
January 19th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I would have been shocked if Tarantino and Portman hadn’t been on here…but James Woods surprised me. Oo
January 19th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
First of all, anyone can lie about his or her IQ. If you believe all these “reported” IQs then I have a bridge to sell you…
And Natalie Portman isn’t fluent in five languages. She speaks French, Hebrew, and only a few words of Japanese.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I hate this list. No offence, Rushfan, but you should have done your research. In order to be considered a “genius” you need an IQ of 160 or over. I should know, I myself have an IQ of 188. But, I don’t like to brag about it. Intelligence is an idea, not a set in stone number like IQ. While some of these people may score very highly on a WAIS or a Stanford-Binet, and have a high g factor (and this comes from a person who advocates for g factor over other forms of intelligence testing) I would classify Elton John as highly intelligent, for his musical ability, over some of the people whom, while members of MENSA ( an IQ of 140 or higher, from what I know (I’d check on Jodie foster, Rushfan))don’t have incredibly high IQ’s, and, furthermore, don’t show any particular promise in areas of intellect. (MOST, not all)
January 19th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Yeah, and try talking to any of them about Quantum Physics and you’ll get the thousand yard stare as they drool in stupidity. Sorry, but they’re not that smart. All these numbers are what is called faked. You can buy just about any number with money.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
92 Ehhh. If these people really are/were in Mensa they have to have IQs in the 98th percentile or above, no matter on which test their IQ was assessed. Mensa only admits on real evidence. I know that Geena Davis, Jimmy Saville, Carole Vordemann (from a TV game show in UK) and Sir Clive Sinclair – who invented the home computer, pocket calculator and lots of micro-electronic gadgets – are or have been members. I met Alan Rachins at a Mensa convention in the States and also a spaceman, who gave a very interesting talk.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
96 You’re correct. Once you get to applications for their intellect, like psych or Physics C, their true colors will come out.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
jfrater/cyn/mom/dangor:
PLEASE REMOVE COMMENT #98. I did NOT write that and do NOT want my name associated with garbage like that.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Randall..its been edited.
and just as a case in point.
i will not tolerate username impersonation.
have to check w/ J for his policy or a site policy on that.
these last few comments are an excellent illustration of why comment moderation is necessary and how it can be quite messy at times.
so the naysayers or complainers about mod’ing or admin’ing…this is what its about. understand now? its getting your username hijacked. its spam. its obscenity. its wading thru crap or have mods and admins around. i think most people would rather put up w/ mods/admins than having their established comment reputation messed w/ or have to read thru spam to comment.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Umm… Nice list and all, but how is James Woods’ smartness surprising…? Especially for #1. The guy radiates intelligence…
January 19th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
what about the swami?
January 19th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Its funny because Mensa means dumb in spanish…well when you refer to a female to a male is menso…
January 19th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Randall, I know it’s not much consolation, but anyone who has known you, known how you post, how you think for as little as a week, would not believe for a nanosecond that post # 98 was written by you.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
meiliken(96) – Do not confuse intelligence and IQ with Interest and aptitude. You will be sorely disappointed.
While I have no serious interest in astrophysics, I aced the math section of my NTE prior to receiving my teaching certification (not that it was that hard in general).
January 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Hedy Lamarr should have been a bonus. She was a certified genius who in her off-time, invented an early version of frequency hopping. This allowed a coding roll to change between 88 frequencies and was intended to make radio-guided torpedoes harder for enemies to detect or jam. Her invention eventually laid the groundwork for the current Wi-Fi technology that we now have.
January 19th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Intriguing list. Who says porn stars can’t have high IQ’s?
January 19th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
I love this list! It was so surprising!
January 19th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Greg, hated your comment. No offense, Greg, but you missed the point of the list, entirely. I did not claim any of these people was a “genius.” I, myself, doubt your stated IQ of 188.
Lighten up, dude.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Well, except for Myles Jeffrey ’cause IMDB said so.
January 19th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Great list rushfan, very interesting read
As many other commentors have noted, the definition of ‘intelligence’ can be quite extremely broad. It really comes down to what each individual expects a ’smart’ person to be able to do. On average I would assume that the majority of people believe that someone classified as smart would perform well academically.
However there are many different forms of intelligence. For example my mind is quite analytical and scientific and that is where my strengths lie, but ask me to repair a car engine or cook an eight course meal and I’d fail spectacularly.
Intelligence is a completely relative term.
Also, greg (95 – unless that number changes due to comment removal by moderators)…I find it interesting that you claim to not enjoy bragging about your IQ and yet still felt the need to share it with everyone.
Finally…go chemical engineering
January 19th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
romerozombie #10 – no you don’t have to have a specified IQ to qualify for Mensa (it used to be reported that your IQ had to be 160 – the original ‘official’ qualifying score to be called a genius). I believe the ‘modern’ definition of a genius is one with an official IQ of 145-160-plus.
However, to qualify for Mensa, one simply has to pass the entry “examinations” and they will give you a score based on their assessments – it’s probably a little more reliable than the on-line IQ tests but not by much: and it’s NOT ily an official score either; a lot of institutions don’t accept Mensa IQ scores as valid and perform their own via their psychology faculties. An official IQ can usually only be gained by sitting an accredited IQ test administered via a psychologist or an agency using the psychology-based testing stream.
On that note: I have passed entry to Mensa on three separate occasions but never signed on to become an official member. My on-line IQ has been assessed at 133 (lowest) and as high as 187 (highest) – that’s a pretty substantial degeree of discrepancy.
On official psychology-based IQ tests (which are more accurate) my lowest was 148 and my highest was 162 – so my ‘average’ works out to be around 156; I’m also an Asperger which tends to bequeath a fairly high IQ as well; as for a high IQ making one ’smarter’ or ‘more intelligent’ – the answer is a resounding “NOT NECESSARILY” – I’ve known several people with impressive IQ’s that failed driving tests, can’t put a nail in straight (or at all), haven’t a clue as to how ordinary household implements work and so on – I have also known “common workers” (tradesmen) who have gone on to become top-line paramedics infusing drugs, intubating patients and utilising defib monitors, reading ECG’s etc.
IQ should NEVER be confused with ‘intelligence”
January 19th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
You know what the real test of intelligence is? Being smart enough not to have to pay someone (i.e. Mensa) to know you’re smart.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
99. greg: I think you’re full of it. Psych and Physics C? What do they prove? I’ve studied Psychology and Neurology and Neurobiology, and Physics? Quantum is the only part of Physics that makes sense to me…my son is good with all of it and can’t understand what my problem is.
You can’t just cherry pick two studies and say these prove you’re smart.
One of my kids is musically gifted, is also academically gifted in every area except maths. Another kid is generally creative, academically gifted in every area except maths. The other kid is highly gifted in every area, globally gifted. He is the smartest person I have ever known, both his sisters feel the same way, even though their IQs are equal, the way they are used are different.
IQ tests are basically b.s. They measure only a possibility, and even that is questionable. The possibility they measure is the possibility to learn. That’s all.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
As an ex-Mensan (I was smart enough to not want to pay the dues anymore), I have an IQ of 152 on the Stanford-Binet. However, I’ve always said that a high IQ just means that you’re good at taking IQ tests.
Read an interesting article years ago about what traits are important for a successful career. Intelligence was only #5. If I remember, perserverence/willpower was the top trait.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Asia Carrera gives me a high IQ if you know what I mean
January 19th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Muttley, what do you think the ‘I’ in IQ stands for? It’s ‘Intelligence’ Quotient and is the name of a way of measuring intelligence… So of course a higher IQ means more intelligence than a lower IQ (unless you want to redefine intelligence, which it seems you may want to as you confuse skills like hammering straight with intelligence).
Mensa doesn’t have a Mensa test but uses ‘real’ IQ tests as used by psychologists (a number of different ones across various countries) and in USA, it accepts evidence of a number of IQ tests that folks there took at school, college, etc. And as far as I am aware, no test that Mensa administers gives a score of 187, so not sure who gave you that score… Tests have a maximum above which they can’t measure.
Also, when you say you don’t get a score on the Mensa test, I think you are referring to USA – that’s not true for Singapore, UK or many other countries. And Mensa would not accept an on-line test – you have to sit a real life supervised test – or go to a psychologist. Also, you can’t sit the same test within time periods of maybe a year or so, or the result would be false.
Finally, a high raw IQ score does not make you a genius. A high IQ is potential – but genius comes when you do something great with it.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
What about another famous porn star: Ron Jeremy?
a Master’s degree in special ed and two B.A.s in theater and education..and bangs a lot of hot broads!
January 19th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
ok, steve martin, which cal-state school did he go to. I think there are 27 cal-state schools. natalie portman what a babe
January 19th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
*?*
January 19th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Holy shit James Woods. I had no idea his IQ was so high. Tarantino as well.
A lot of these people though, you basically stated that they went to and completed college. While this is great and all it doesn’t really mean they’re “super” smart.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
My mistake, I didn’t realize they were all on the Mensa list. I didn’t read the top.
Good day.
January 19th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
89. Candlefower, Wow, do you really do all of that in Mensa?!?
Sounds SO cool, but wait a minute… I actually belong to a similar organization, it´s called friendship.
Although it seems that you´re not familiar with the concept I tell you it has to do with joining and gathering instead of segregating and sustaining an elitist and superiority slogan.
The fact that you found my previous comment offensive only confirms what it originally implied but unfortunately you missed to perceive: bragging about your IQ only evidences a desperate need for self assurance and a puny and very weak ego.
For me it´s analog to dogs being able to stimulate orally their own genitalia, you wouldn´t have to leave home
(originally I thought about this whole sentence to become my nick but found psychosurfer way more Sassy)
So next time try to read in between lines and not to be so Mensa on your comments.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
segue: I remember you mentioned that in some other discussion. He also read the dictionary in college, mainly to find obscure words to use in Scrabble. He has written a book about it, and you didn’t.
I used to browse through friends’ encyclop(a)edias when we visited their houses. (I was shy.) I don’t have the concentration span to read an entire dictionary or encyclop(a)edia. I was and am eclectic in my reading and therefore piecemeal in my knowledge. I found out early that the dumbass with specialised knowledge will always beat the top-of-the-class with general knowledge: I was playing football on the school oval with a dumbass classmate when someone started a motorcycle about 50 m away. He said “That’s a [brand of motorcycle]“. Suddenly I felt so inadequate.
em: Yes, I bought that one on Sunday as well. I’m putting it aside for a day or two to read a book about the interaction between language, the brain, human nature and thought. See what I mean about eclectic? (Steven Pinker, again, in case you’re wondering, segue.)
January 19th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Does anybody remember “The Missing Link” from WWF?
January 19th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Where can I see the list of the silliest celebrities?
January 19th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
126. astraya: Steven Pinker. I should have known. Steven Pinker is Harvard College Professor and Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. He also taught in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. He conducts research on language and cognition. He writes for publications such as the New York Times, Time, and Slate, and is the author of seven books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, Words and Rules, The Blank Slate, and most recently, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature.
I got hooked on Pinker back in the 80’s when I was first interested in language and cognition.
He’s really brilliant. I’ve always thought he was incredibly sexy.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
you know, every time i see Asia licking protein off her lips I think to myself, man, that chick must be very smart
January 19th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
hey, like what that movie burn after reading said: intelligence is relative. right people?
wentworth miller is another celebrity who’s smart. he’s got a degree in english literature from princeton. it also appears that the guy could sing, as he was a former member of his university’s choir.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
I read How the Mind Works about 10 years ago. I bought The Language Instinct last year and we exchanged thoughts about that here. I spotted The Stuff of Thought on Sunday and bought it, and am about 10 pages into it. His introduction says that those last two, plus Words and Rules, form a trio of books about language. There is a blurb for The Blank Slate in the back of the book. I seem to be not so much interested in books about the mind per se (like the first and last of those) and more interesting in books about language or the interaction between language and the mind.
All a bit unnecessary when my lessons last year were at the level of:
I am tall/I am average height/I am short.
I am taller than Eun-ju/I am shorter than Sang-ho
I am (not) the tallest person in the class/I am (not) the shortest person in the class
January 19th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I’m not surprised with most of them making the list, Dolph Lundgren is a little hard to believe though. Maybe because of his roles in some of his movies.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I’m not surprised with most of them making the list, Dolph Lundgren is a little hard to believe though. Maybe because of his roles in some of his movies.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
jfrayer/Cyn
Can’t we just get comment 98 taken off the list of comments altogether? It sickens me, it terrifies me, it makes me unable to pay any more attention to the topic at hand. I assume from previous comments that he originally used Randall’s name? That is despicable. I really think that using another person’s name to post should mean that comment, and all others by the same troll, should be stricken from the list.
I know whoever it was just wanted to get a rise out of people, and I hate to oblige him/her, but I am infuriated. There are too many ultra-right-wing hate-mongers out there who would be more than willing to assassinate a good man rather than see a black man as our president. It is not funny, it is deeply disturbing. I, for one, will be praying the whole day tomorrow that no idiot will take a shot at Obama or his beautiful family.
Sorry to go off on a rant that is off-subject, but I come to this site because of the intelligence and creativity of most of the posters. These idiot trolls are ruining it for me.
Happy Martin Luther King’s Day, everyone. We need to work to keep his dream alive.
Gina
January 19th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
I am a bit surprised that Jodie Foster’s IQ is listed as 132. I think hers must be much higher. (Again, this could be the type of test taken.) To graduate from Yale magna cum laude is very impressive. In reading/seeing interviews with her, she is obviously intelligent, erudite and well-read.
And Dolph Lundgren? Well he does a great job of hiding his intelligence in his acting roles!
Again, sorry about the rant above. It hit a sore spot with me.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
135. BooRadley -
the filters should take care of any further attempts to post. as for the comment in question, i’m sorry it upset you but i think there were other comments after it that put it into the proper context.
January 20th, 2009 at 1:33 am
Cool list. Nice to see I’m still smarter than a few of these people even. 142
January 20th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Comment 125
Psychosurfer thank you. Thank you for being you and saying what had to be said. Having a high IQ is great but if you don’t have commonsense your just as dumb as the rest of us.
January 20th, 2009 at 2:07 am
Interesting list, although I was not surprised. Many people in the performance arts are very smart.
The comments, however, are reminding me in a very negative way of my childhood. Identified and tested as high IQ, but not as ADD, I had to endure all sorts of teasing and criticism because I was air headed. Especially my step father would ridicule me endlessly because while I got straight A’s, I could never remember my chores, and was constantly burning dinner.
Many of the comments here just show how little some people know about intelligence and the range of ways it manifests itself.
January 20th, 2009 at 2:09 am
I meant to say above, that while I WAS ADD, they did not identify that, so many people in my life did not understand how such a “smart” girl could mess up so often. It was a comfort to finally learn why I had such trouble focusing.
January 20th, 2009 at 2:13 am
soooo surprised to not see Janeane Garofalo….i mean, personally i thought she thought she was at least as smart as Dolph “I vill break you” Lundgren.
January 20th, 2009 at 3:11 am
I kind of love when a post is about intelligence or special skills (I am speaking broadly of blogs, now), and all the comments have to chime in with their own scores, ever so nonchalant. #95. greg was an especially amusing one, since he is apparently the smartest and most humble man to ever live. I can’t pass judgment, because everyone likes their ego stroked, and that is understandable. I just think it is funny, especially when people start knocking the tests. After all, if you think it’s inaccurate, why bother taking the test in the first place? If you think your score is inaccurate, why bother announcing it? As for knocking Mensa: what’s wrong with wanting to socialize with like minded people? What would you recommend as the most reliable means for an intelligent person to be guaranteed an intelligent conversation? If you can have auto clubs and fan clubs and booster clubs and boyscouts and 4H (those farm dwelling elitist bastards…), why can’t smart people have a smart people club without drawing fire?
January 20th, 2009 at 5:12 am
the guitarist from the queen band has a Phd in astrophysics.
He should really be in here
January 20th, 2009 at 5:17 am
em -
If someone lived by the bible for a year, he would end up on death-row.
And I seriously doubt that Geena Davis is fluent in Swedish – she may be able to make herself understood, but as for being able to discuss just about anything ? No, I don’t think so. The same goes for Portman.
January 20th, 2009 at 8:11 am
wit aboot steven hawkin man?
January 20th, 2009 at 8:21 am
137. notherguitar, thank you for combining both.
138. suzi, I empathize so much with what you just stated. Although I could understand every concept and pass the exams without opening a book, I could never organize myself into the discipline required to be a top notch student (which my parents always longed for).
January 20th, 2009 at 11:31 am
As a member of Mensa, I have an IQ of 340.
Wow, really? I do? No one here knows me so I can say whatever I want. That’s what I think of the people on here who claim high IQs… what is the point of telling everyone what your IQ is??
Btw, I think this was a very interesting list. Some I knew, some I didn’t, I was especially surprised by Dolph Lundgren.
Also, since you aren’t required to register, isn’t there a slight chance that someone else with your name is commenting?
January 20th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
flibbertigibbit(141) – LOL! I grew up on a farm and did not join 4H for that very reason…elitists!
So long as ‘membership’ does not define us, we are yet human. I take pride in my ability to think for myself and to contemplate both the meaning of life and of my navel – sometimes in the same breath.
I find that I enjoy watching the smarter and more capable actors and actresses in general, not necessarily because they have high IQ’s, but because they bring more to the characters they play/portray. As others have said above, talent, aptitude, perseverance, and plain old hard work can do more for anyone than an arbitrary number on a piece of paper.
January 20th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Yeah but most of them are total “ding a lings”
January 20th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
These “IQs” have to be made up.
How many people in the world have taken a REAL IQ test? Not many. And I doubt these people would have taken the time and effort to go through it.
And these IQs of 160 or 180? That is just bogus.
I have no doubt that many of these people are intelligent human beings. The numbers are just fiction though.
January 20th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
You can have the highest IQ in the world without possessing a lick of common sense.
January 20th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
109: Rushfan, maybe you are right within the respect that you never made that claim. However, it all has to do with definition. You say “super smart” as if IQ is solid. It’s not. I highly advise you to look up the theories of Gardner and Steinberg (You obviously have Spearman here, and nobody really regards the theories of Thurstone as reputable). But, as I said, this comes from a person who is pro g, but I would write “15 celebreties who scored suprisingly high on a WAIS” as opposed to making the claim that they were “Super smart”. Maybe I so need to lighten up. But, I do promise you my IQ is in fact 188, but, as I said, I don’t like to brag about it, as IQ is not a set in stone thing, just a score on a WAIS or Stanford-Binet. If I had a test on bodily-Kinesthetic “intelligence” I would be considered an idiot.
January 20th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
149 Correct. I happen to be a person who has been administered a real WAIS in the city by mcCormack, a great psychologist. I got this test when very young because of problems I was having in school. Back then, my IQ was 231, as many young kids can easily have an IQ over 200 due to the equation. My recent IQ is 188.
January 20th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
114 Segue, I actually agree with you. I just cited the two as examples. I would have appreciated it if you would have read my previous post, which stated that IQ is not the only way to mneasure intellect. Creativity is one, and I specifically cited musical intelligence w/ Elton John. I actually agreed with you, and I would appreciate it if you read my previous posts before attacking me.
January 21st, 2009 at 3:31 am
149 UmmmNo. How many people take an IQ test? Depends which country you live in. Kids at American school all got IQ tested (not sure if the SATs there are still IQ tests or have moved to aptitude tests). Kids in UK used to have theirs assessed too, when they all had to take the 11+ test for grammar school (but there are not many of those left now). However UK kids were not told it was an IQ test and they didn’t/still don’t have access to their scores, unlike in USA.
The high numbers are not bogus. They can’t be achieved on the tests Mensa offers as all Mensa needs to know is whether someone is in the top 2% – so anything above 148 in the test with a standard deviation of 24, gets you in (or 132 on one of the other tests that has a SD of 12).
As Greg has explained, his IQ assessment came from a psychologist when he was a child That’s really the only way to get very high IQs assessed and it’s often used for little kids as their educational needs can’t be met unless you have some idea of their level. An adult taking the Mensa tests in UK won’t get higher than 162 – but their IQ could be considerably higher.
January 21st, 2009 at 7:38 am
great list.
Judging from the comments there isn’t a definitive or universally acceptable standard for measuring smartness.
And yea really not impressed with the people posting their IQ scores. Pointless without proof. And even then, who cares really? You can be just as informative without disclosing numbers.
January 21st, 2009 at 7:49 am
greg ~ I bet you’re tons of fun at parties. Point of fact, I didn’t submit this list with it’s current title, but even if I had, it’s just a fun, light-hearted list meant to amuse and entertain.
Oh, and UmmmNo, these people are members of a high IQ society, hence they have taken IQ tests to get in. Geesh.
January 21st, 2009 at 8:54 am
Greg, quit embarrassing yourself.
This username say’s he doesn’t like to brag, yet he’s mentioned his IQ multiple times without provocation. Not to mention he’s operating under the assumption that we actually believe him, when really we know nothing beyond ur username. Once again, stop embarrassing yourself…
January 21st, 2009 at 9:04 am
@ Suzi
If your lack of attentiveness was attributed to some neurobehavioral disorder, then obviously the comments weren’t directed towards you.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:11 pm
153. greg: I obviously did read your post, otherwise how could I have replied to it point by point?
January 21st, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I guess being a super genius does not necessarily mean one pays attention to detail. heehee
January 21st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
tee hee hee, JayArr.
January 21st, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Didn’t read all the comments, but look up Danica McKellar, from the Wonder Years – math genius.
January 21st, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Brain and brain! What is brain?!
January 21st, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Lisa Kudrow should be up there too, and Danika McKellar[sic].
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
what about danica mckellar from the wonder years? she published a paper in britian’s journal of physics
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
sorry, didnt see the other posts about danica…
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:01 am
AHA! But IQ is nothing without EQ (Emotional Quotient) and a healthy dose of good old common sense!
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Several people have mentioned Brian May and his PhD, which is well-attested. I just saw reference on Another Site to Charlie Watts getting a PhD in physics, but I can’t find any other reference to it, and it strikes me as highly suspicious. Anyone know, or know that it ain’t so?
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:11 am
hahaha Jimmy Savile!!
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Asia Carrera- Yeah! Beauty and Brains! What a great combination!
January 24th, 2009 at 4:09 am
Now, somebody need make list of 150 Surprisingly Super Idiot Celebrities…
January 24th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Amazingly, no matter how high someones I.Q. is, they will always step out in front of a train and not understand why they got hit. in other words….lacking common sense.
January 24th, 2009 at 7:24 am
172 Fartknocker. Suggest you reread what you’ve just written – it doesn’t make any sense.
So all people with high IQs step out in front of trains? Are they dead when they think that? How many high IQ people do you know who have stepped out in front of trains compared to low IQers? Are you saying low IQers ‘know’ why they got hit in those circumstances but higher IQ people don’t …?
I think it’s you who’s got sloppy logic …
January 24th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
“People who brag about their IQs are complete losers.”
-Steven Hawkins
January 24th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Would all the people who pretend to have IQs of 188 please step in front of a train so we can test Candlefower’s theory?
January 24th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Great list! It interesting to see a Pro Wrestler and a Adult movie actress in this list. This shows that we never judge a book by it’s cover.
January 24th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
175 segue. The theory’s not mine – it’s Fartnocker’s. (S)he’s obviously not into critical thinking…
176 Fury 2.0 Good plan …:-)
January 24th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
177. Candlefower:…The theory’s not mine – it’s Fartnocker’s. (S)he’s obviously not into critical thinking…
****
You know, I knew that when I typed your name. I truly have no excuse except the usual “fingers and brain separately engaged”.
January 25th, 2009 at 1:03 am
So a pornstar has a high IQ. Oftentimes high intelligence is tied in with sex addiction, since oftentimes high intelligence can be tied in with all kinds of mental “fun.” Not every person who is smart is going to look, or even play, the part. We choose our paths and whether or not we use what is given to us.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:55 am
lol…I was laughing so loud!! “Mensa” is also a word in Spanish andit means “stupid” lol
January 25th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
180. samsaragx: “Mensa” is also a word in Spanish andit means “stupid”
****
As had been noted several times already.
January 26th, 2009 at 8:43 am
greg: sorry, what was you IQ again? I think I missed it the several times you´ve stated it (always followed by the “humble” thought that they really mean nothing at all).
What I dont understand is people saying that Mensa is a way to meet like-minded people with similar interests… If you´re into, say, pottery, why not join a regular pottery group instead a “special Mensa pottery group”? Sorry, it just sounds like BS to me. Or a way to stroke your ego. “Ohhh, we´re in the super-smart-people pottery club not the regular one so we must be better than you!” Good for you.
Besides, isnt the top 2% just taking into consideration only the people who have taken the test? Do they take into account the enormous number of people who have never taken anything even remotely similar to an IQ test and yet might still be much smarter than a lot of Mensa members?
January 26th, 2009 at 10:47 am
does anyone have an IQ on george bush i dont know just thinking outloud.
January 26th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
183. eric: does anyone have an IQ on george bush i dont know just thinking outloud.
****
I don’t, but my guess would be that it only has two numbers in it, and one of them isn’t necessarily a 9.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Whether true in its entirety or not, here’s a tidbit I found this morning – a copy of the ‘Bush Watch’ posting attributed to Jennifer Borenstein of Baskerville News Service:
“The intelligence of our presidents has never been seriously scrutinized at any time in our history until now. There is a widespread perception that President G. W. Bush is not qualified for the position he holds. That increasing awareness by the people has led to a study of the intellectual ability of all presidents for the past fifty years. There have been twelve presidents in that time, from F. D. Roosevelt to G. W. Bush. All were rated based on scholarly achievements, writings that they alone wrote, their ability to speak effectively, and a number of psychological factors. The conclusions of the study, conducted by an independent think tank located in Scranton, Pennsylvania were surprising. This think tank includes high caliber historians, psychiatrists, sociologists, scientists in human behavior, and psychologists. Among their ranks are Dr. Werner Levenstein, world-renowned sociologist, and Professor Patricia A. Williams, a world-respected psychiatrist. All members of the think tank are experts at being able to detect a person’s IQ from the criteria stated earlier. After four months of research, these learned men and women have determined the IQs of each president within a range of five percentage points. The IQs listed below are the norms for each president.
147 Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
132 Harry Truman (D)
122 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
174 John F. Kennedy (D)
126 Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
155 Richard M. Nixon (R)
121 Gerald Ford (R)
175 James E. Carter (D)
105 Ronald Reagan (R)
099 George HW Bush (R)
182 William J. Clinton (D)
091 George W. Bush (R)
The non-partisan researchers who evaluated the twelve presidents determined that the six Republican presidents for the past 50 years had an average IQ of 115.5, with President Nixon having the highest IQ, at 155. President G. W. Bush was rated the lowest of all the Republicans with an IQ of 91. The six Democrat presidents had IQs with an average of 156, with President Clinton having the highest IQ, at 182. President Lyndon B. Johnson was rated the lowest of all the Democrats with an IQ of 126. The margin of error is plus or minus five percent. This study was initiated on February 13, 2001 and completed on June 17, 2001. This study validated the widespread feeling of people about the sitting president. President Bush was rated low because of his inability to command the English language, his lack of any scholarly achievements, and an absence of anything authored by him that would reflect an intellectual effort.” — “Jennifer Borenstein, Baskerville News Service, 6/28/01″
January 27th, 2009 at 8:21 am
That being said… I don’t believe the criteria upon which the results are founded are the most reliable, and suspect the margin of error is more like 10 percentage points. Nonetheless, the numbers are indeed intriguing.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Okay, so I took a couple of minutes to calculate the margins of error, and it looks something like this:
Rep ave, low 105
Rep ave, high 127
Dem ave, low 141
Dem ave, high 171
Therefore…of these two presidential celebrity groups (this is a celebrity list, right?!), it looks like the Democrats win by a half a frontal lobe.
January 27th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
i would Q for Asia Carrera any day
January 27th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Having squeaked into Mensa 20 years ago I know a little bit about IQ’s. I don’t believe the accuracy of the above think tank study. Clinton, Kennedy and Carter were smart guys but they weren’t all one in a million (or more), as those IQ’s would suggest. The number shown are just too high. The bell curve on IQ distribution is too tight.
The brightest people don’t tend to become politicians (recall how Einstein famously declined top office in Israel). They tend to find intellectual satisfaction in science or research, not in amassing influence or trying to mold society. And those who score highest on IQ tests are very logical, critical, analytical and meticulous thinkers, not so much creative or social types as politicians are more likely to be.
I also can’t believe that James Woods has an IQ akin to Stephen Hawking’s, and have doubts about Quentin T. as well.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
..Oh yeah, the Bush guesstimates do sound smack-on to me.
The world will never stop scratching their heads when pondering why Americans re-elected that incompetent, bumbling goof. Thanks for letting him pave the way to global economic collapse….
January 27th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
i was tested at an early age, and tested in the 99th percentile(which according to this makes me a myles jeffrey genius) using the WISCR testing system… won academic scholarships, dropped out of university and am now quite happy, albeit mildly successful(what is a measure of success?), it is however a fairly plausible, but not yet widely accepted fact that not only are IQ testing systems fairly flawed, they dont seem to adopt that intelligence is variable, can be increased and decreased etc etc… how you test today is not how you will test tomorrow!
and im just an average joe, working as an artist and enjoyin not bein too smart for my own good!
January 28th, 2009 at 8:06 am
191 josh Sometimes the smart thing to do is to choose happiness over success in business.
IQ tests are not flawed as such – they test for *something* that is a fairly accurate predictor of academic and other success. With IQ tests now having been around for more than 100 years, some questions now being asked are: ‘Are there other forms of ‘intelligence’ that are not tested by an IQ test?’; ‘Is EQ more important to success and hapiness than IQ?’; ‘Is Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences valid – or are some of the things he claims as intelligences just skills or talents?’; ‘Why is the general intelligence of the population rising by 3 points every ten years, a la the Flynne effect? And is it really rising.’.
I’m interetsed in the EQ questions but as a concept it’s too new to have valid tests yet … You have to define something before you can test for it – and get general agreement about what it is.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:31 am
I meant to add, on the purported IQs of presidents, unless someone has had an IQ test, suggesting their scores is just a game or at best, a calculated guess and so shouldn’t be taken too seriously… Saying ‘All members of the think tank are experts at being able to detect a person’s IQ from the criteria stated earlier’ is a bit rubbish – no other criteria apart from an IQ test (or test that has been proved to have the same results used as a substitute) can give an IQ score and I’m surprised that academics got involved in making such statements. What was the test they used for the scores? Ravens? Cattell (which one)? Or what? If you don’t know the scale and the norming convention used, the number doesn’t mean much, except that 100 is the average.
The original list was of Mensa members and they will have been tested in the 98th percentile or above.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Steve(189) I’m inclined to agree – hence my 10% margin of error on their findings… I suspect the numbers are on the ‘minus’ side moreso than on the ‘plus’ side.
I know I’ve seen plenty of published work by mediocre people – if quantity denotes IQ, then we have some darn fine brilliant harlequin romance writers out there!
But seriously, academia too often has the ‘publish or perish’ mentality that makes it easy to push out vast quantities of materials that may or may not be of any real significance. I can’t tell you how many renditions of Custer’s Last Stand I had to read through for one of my History courses. ugh…
January 28th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
lol. funny, Lisa Simpson. That didn’t surprise me, in fact she she ought to have been at the top of the list. I knew Geena Davis was brilliant (and beautiful) but Steve Martin? Puleeze! lol. I guess being silly doesn’t mean a person isn’t very smart, I mean, look at Robin Williams, he’s a genius, isn’t he?
January 29th, 2009 at 7:56 am
I’d be interested to know this same info about musicians, mainly current living ones – and especially interested to know if any are from the hip hop and/or rap genre. (Might be a short list, huh? LOL)
January 31st, 2009 at 10:37 am
It is interesting to know, that there could even be a homeless man that could have a high IQ.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
im pretty sure that i heard somewhere that ashton kutcher (sp?) majored in bio engineering
February 6th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Natalie Portman is most definitely isn’t fluent in 5 languages.
February 7th, 2009 at 10:59 am
199. Youme: Natalie Portman is most definitely isn’t fluent in 5 languages.
****
Wot! You’ve tested her?!
February 8th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Because, she actually grew up two towns from me *merely saying* but ah, from what I understand she only fluently speaks English and Hebrew and intermediate Spanish, cause she dated this Mexican actor.
February 11th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Actually my IQ is 2345. Really. I’ve been tested many times by very esteemed doctors. Forget MENSA… I’m in a super-secret group that could outwit those twits any day.
I’m also 6′1” with blonde hair, blue eyes and huge boobs. I can cook better than Emeril and clean better than Martha Stewart. I’m hilarious and so much fun to be with. Currently my bank account contains 500,000,000 dollars.
But I don’t like to brag…
Isn’t teh internets fun?
Good article btw.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
No WAY Natalie Portman is fluent in 5 languages…fluency means she can discuss barometric pressure in depth without stuttering. I believe she can speak Hebrew and English and Russian fluently, but 5? bull.
I’ve done an IQ test twice; first time, I scored 139. second time, I acquired a grand total of 86.
FYI, that’s mentally retarded. lol
Stephen Hawking is right: to think that a rigid one-size-fits-all test can even measure the powers of the human brain is ludicrous. (speaking of which, I bet you Ludacris the rapper is really intelligent from hearing him speak) it gives you an idea, but to say it measures intelligence…those boneheads at MENSA probably have IQs of a piece of buttered toast.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
and Bush couldn’t have had that low of an IQ.
I’m sorry, but Bush is an intelligent man for sure. he’s just informal and doesn’t care about perception, and he’s dyslexic. often times, dyslexia is a sign of intelligence, it just means you think in different patterns. IQ: the biggest piece of shit waste of time ever.
February 18th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
203. Lejstevo
Actually, 85 is the magic number, so you’re still in the green at 86!
I don’t know Natalie Portman personally but I don’t think five languages is improbable….If you’ve got a keen ear for language patterns, opportunity to learn (and money wouldn’t hurt), it’s possible to be multi-lingual. I met this guy in college who was fluent in Japanese, French, English and Danish (Danish heritage). He was a product of rich parents and overseas boarding schools. If I didn’t know him and only read his biography, I would think he was a pretentious prig but he really could be such a homey slob at times, thank goodness. I haven’t kept in touch with him since graduating but if I reach him, I should test his oratorical skills with a lecture on Barometric Pressure.
April 10th, 2009 at 4:17 am
IQ’s over 180 or even lower can’t be reliably tested. There’s no testing or calculation method stated.
What tests were used? Hamburg-Wechsler? This test does not discriminate for IQs above 140 to 145 (ceiling effect).
Other methods tests even give numbers like 210, but these can be considered plain rubbish (sort of). Marilyn vos Savant was supposed tho have an IQ of 228 or 167+ or 180 or 225 or 230.
She said “attempts to measure it (intelligence) are useless.”
Those ultra-high IQ numbers are crap. People ho need to show off their scores, too.
April 20th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Mensa is really too self-absorbed about IQs. There are plenty of successful people, who are very smart, all-around skilled, and accomplished, who don’t necessarily have high IQs, and I also know people who have high IQs but are so lazy that they’re total washouts and will probably live with their mothers for the rest of their lives.
April 20th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
yes, i know i spelled “someone” wrong in my username
April 21st, 2009 at 2:29 am
To 207 Soemonewithahighiq You miss the point. Mensa is the high IQ society, so of course it concerns itself with IQ … otherwise it wouldn’t be the high IQ society would it? IQ has been around for more than 100 years and it can be used, and is used, as a predictor of success in education, etc. It may not be perfect as a measure – and no-one claims it’s the only one – but it does measure something, as the eminent educational psychologist Prof Joan Freeman confirmed to a sceptical interviewer on BBC radio. The concept of EQ is young and before it can be measured, there would have to be some agreement about what is to be measured and how to do it…
April 30th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
asia carrera chose the right path to become porn star…
July 1st, 2009 at 4:55 am
the Lisa part made me smile
thanks for the list~!
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:38 am
I knew Steve Martin would make it to the list! plus Jodie Foster too!
September 19th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
where is jane mansfield?
September 21st, 2009 at 3:59 pm
weird ive only heard of like 4 of these people; lisa simpson included
September 26th, 2009 at 3:24 am
With a few notable exceptions, most of these posts show low levels of insight. A few thoughts to ponder: The greatest critics of Mensa are those that suspect they wouldn’t qualify. It IS an elitist group just as any other group that has a requirement for joining, irrespective of whether it is singing talent or sporting ability, is elitist. Mensans don’t compare IQ’s, they merely enjoy talking to other people of similar intelligence. IQ is a reflection of potential. There are Mensans who drive garbage trucks, assumingly by choice. There are also college professors with IQ’s in the above average range (but not at the 98th percentile) who were driven and conscientious enough to achieve their goals. Online IQ tests are as accurate as online penis size surveys. If you really need that explained to you then please don’t apply for the next Mensa membership testing. Mensa uses standardised IQ tests. IQ is distributed on a standard normal distribution. A score of 100 is considered the mean. A standard deviation of 15 is used meaning an IQ score of 115 is high average, approximately 115 will be required to obtain a university degree, 120 for a post graduate degree. This is not set in stone, as has been pointed out. 132+ is required for Mensa, on an IQ test using the 15 point s.d., higher on a 16 point s.d. scale. IQ is not the same as aptitude. It also doesn’t reflect how much you know but rather how easily you can grasp new concepts. It is also not an absolute guarantee of success in life (academically, financially, socially, occupationally) as it is only one factor and many variables come into play when looking at “success”. Despite that, high(er) IQ scores have been shown to correlate with higher academic qualifications and, subsequently, higher incomes. To those that qualify, congratulations and may you use your intelligence wisely. To those that don’t, focus on your talent and don’t declare your ignorance by submitting posts without having any knowledge about the subject matter. Oh, and for the deluded, narcissistic poster (right, pick one)…the ability to incorporate jargon and/or impressive words does not prove intelligence or insight, merely the illusion thereof. Returning to the original point – thanks for an interesting look at some of the more intelligent celebrities.
September 26th, 2009 at 7:48 am
True dat! My cousin isn’t real smart but she works hard and she’s always got her head in some book and now she’s going to college. Use what you got baby!
October 21st, 2009 at 5:51 am
I belong to Densa.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I always find it fascinating when a person derides IQ testing then mentions their (invariably high) IQ in the same breath.
Hopefully one day people won’t get out of sorts over high IQ any more than they would over a list of the fastest celebrities, or the strongest, or oldest.
I for one find the topic fascinating and hope there will one day be a part 2 to this entry of surprisingly super smart celebrities.
–Nth
November 4th, 2009 at 11:04 am
@Babs (94):
Natalie Portman speaks English, French, Hebrew, Arabic and German fluently.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I knew before even looking Natalie Portman would be here somewhere..
November 7th, 2009 at 12:35 am
i was surprised to see Quentin in this list. come on, we know how great his work is. a lot of them are peculiar but they are great!
November 7th, 2009 at 11:12 am
hey u out there!
im out of bavaria. and u live in USA?`
how cool!!
u can write me. sara.kukuk@yahoo.de
i ♥ usa
January 18th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
matt damon graduated from harvard and also tommy lee jones
January 26th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
This list is silly. You can’t “estimate” an IQ (Steve Martin). It’s a proctored test. A “reported” IQ (Laura Shields) is similarly useless. And there is no way that Quentin Tarantino has an IQ of 180. No muthafuggin’ way in hell, as he might say. The highest possible score is 195! Anyway, it’s extremely unlikely that a high school dropout who never attended college would have gone to the trouble of having an IQ test.
So again, this list is silly.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
I know Natalie Portman likes to say in interviews that she speaks English, French, German, Hebrew, and Arabic fluently, but her French is nothing to brag about, if you actually speak French and have heard her speak French.
January 29th, 2010 at 11:57 am
sacha baron cohen (creator of ali g, borat, bruno) was one of the smartest students they have had at cambridge university in recent years. thought id give you another bonus
not sure if its true, but lecturers at cambridge told this to visiting students.