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Ever wonder about Albert Einstein’s IQ? This article will explain the IQ of one of the greatest scientists. In this piece, you can find an estimate of Albert Einstein’s IQ, comparisons with other historical figures, comparisons to modern people, and his most notable achievements.
To better understand this article, you should read an explanation of the IQ scale and the definition of an IQ test. Learning about the different IQ tests available is also helpful!
Find out your IQ here.
So how does Albert Einstein’s IQ compare to some of the greatest chess players of all time, Jeopardy all-stars, and brilliant authors? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
- Who Is Albert Einstein?
- What Is Albert Einstein’s IQ?
- What IQ Test Did Albert Einstein Take?
- Why Does Albert Einstein’s IQ Matter?
- How Does Einstein’s IQ Compare to Other Historical Figures?
- How Does Einstein’s IQ Compare to Modern Geniuses?
- Things to Note About Albert Einstein
- FAQs
- Main Takeaways
Who Is Albert Einstein?
Albert Einstein is a famous German-born physicist, and likely the most influential physicist of all time aside from Isaac Newton. He was born in 1879 and died in 1955 at the age of 76.
He is responsible for discovering the theory of relativity and forwarding the human understanding of quantum mechanics. Einstein’s findings and life’s work come up in practically every science course around the world.
So how does Albert Einstein’s IQ compare to some of the greatest chess players of all time, Jeopardy all-stars, and brilliant authors? Let’s find out!
What Is Albert Einstein’s IQ?
So, what is Albert Einstein’s IQ? IQ test experts estimate his IQ was somewhere between 160 and 180, which is quite high. Some people estimate his IQ was just over 200, hovering around 205.
However, 160-180 is the more commonly estimated range. Only one in over 11,000 people score a 160, and only one in every 3.5 million people score a 180. Both scores rank well into the 99th percentile based on the IQ scales.
Compared to modern geniuses, Albert Einstein’s estimated IQ may seem average or unimpressive, but it’s still extraordinarily high.
What IQ Test Did Albert Einstein Take?
Alber Einstein never took an IQ test. Statements concerning his IQ are only estimates using information concerning his early life and work.
IQ tests did exist during his life, as they were invented in 1905 and he died in 1955, but there is no record of him ever taking one. When IQ tests were first developed, they were used to determine the aptitude of school children.
Why Does Albert Einstein’s IQ Matter?
Many experts concur that attempting to determine Einstein’s IQ is not the most productive way to honor his work and intelligence.
However, estimating the IQ of people who discovered such universal building blocks and changed the trajectory of scientific and physical understanding can put intelligence into perspective.
People may wonder how modern innovative giants, like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk, measure up to the great Albert Einstein. Plus, it’s always interesting to apply modern tests and information to iconic people of the past.
How Does Albert Einstein’s IQ Compare to Other Historical Figures?
The famous German physician is not the only historical figure experts have deigned to assign an IQ score to. Experts use historical records, anecdotes, accounts of early childhood, youthful traits, and testimonies to estimate an IQ score for people who shaped the modern world.
Below are some of the most notable historical figures and their estimated IQ scores, so you can compare them to Albert Einstein’s IQ.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: 220
- Leonardo Da Vinci: 200
- Isaac Newton: 192
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz: 191
- John Stuart Mill: 182.5
- Galileo Galilei: 182
- Rene Descartes: 177
- Charles Dickens: 165
- Raphael: 170
- Michael Faradayh: 175
- Baruch Spinoza: 175
- Michelangelo: 177
- Desiderious Erasmus
As you can see, Einstein is not alone in his remarkable intelligence. Many of the most remarkable people to ever live have an estimated IQ close to his or significantly higher. So Einstein is by no means the smartest person to ever live.
Related: What Is a Normal IQ?
How Does Albert Einstein’s IQ Compare to Modern Geniuses?
So how does Alber Einstein’s IQ compare to the modern world’s brightest people? Pretty well! But still, it’s unlikely he would top the list of the 50 people with the highest IQ In the world. Several contemporary geniuses rank higher than his estimated score, including chess legends Bobby Fischer and Magnus Carlsen.
Some of the scores below are results of an IQ test, while others are estimates. For example, the brilliant and revered Noam Chomsky has never taken an IQ test.
- Steve Jobs: 160
- Elon Musk: 155
- Bill Gates: 160
- Bobby Fischer: 187
- Stephen Hawking: 165
- Ken Jennings: 175
- Magnus Carlsen: 190
- James Woods: 180
- Terence Tao: 225
- Marilyn Vos Savant: 228
- Chris Hirate: 225
- Christopher Langan: 200
- Judit Polgar: 170
- Noam Chomsky: 140
When looking at these incredibly high IQ scores, you may start to doubt whether Einstein was as intelligent as everyone says. But remember, the average or normal IQ score is 98, so even over 100 suggests above-average intelligence.
Einstein sits among some of the smartest people of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Jobs, Gates, Musk, Hawking, and Jennings.
Things To Note About Albert Einstein
Here are a few notable facts about Einstein to put his extraordinary intelligence into perspective. Below are his important achievements and contributions to science.
- Einstein won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1921 for his groundbreaking discovery of the photoelectric effect.
- He discovered the equation E=mc^2, proving that energy and mass are the same.
- He developed the general and special relativity theory, expanding on Newton’s ideas.
- He published many transformative papers and books on his theories, including Investigations on Theory of Brownian Movement (1926), and The Evolution of Physics (1938)
Related: IQ Scale Explained
FAQs
Below are a few related questions.
Was Albert Einstein the smartest person ever?
While Einstein had a magnificent mind, he was and is not the smartest person ever. When judging intelligence using IQ scores, Einstein ranks high, but many people are above him. So no, Einstein was not the most intelligent person ever.
Who is the smartest person ever?
It’s difficult to determine the most intelligent person of all time, especially when considering IQ tests began in 1905. Some may say Newton or Einstein, but many believe William James Sidis was the smartest person ever born. He spoke 25 languages and had an estimated IQ between 250 and 300, possibly three times smarter than your average joe.
Who is the smartest person still alive?
People consider Hawking, Witten, and Andrew Wiles among the smartest people alive. However, they do not have the highest estimated IQs.
Who has the highest IQ?
The highest recorded IQ test score comes from Marilyn Vos Savant. She scored an astounding 228 on the Stanford-Binet IQ test. She also scored 210 on the controversial and less-popular Mega Test.
What is the highest IQ ever recorded?
Marilyn Vos Savant currently holds the Guinness World Record for the highest IQ at 228. Historical figures have higher estimated IQs but never took a test.
Main Takeaways About Albert Einstein’s IQ
The main takeaways from this article are that while Einstein had an impressive level of intelligence, he was likely not the smartest person ever. Experts often note that his extraordinary intelligence was subject-specific to science and physics rather than a general intelligence and aptitude.
Want to know how you measure up to the iconic intelligence of Albert Einstein? Take a quick 22-question IQ test and see how you score! Maybe you are a genius, and you don’t even know it. Get your IQ score in less than 30 minutes right now!
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- What Is an IQ test?
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