The (Un)Intelligence Test

Albert Binet is the guy credited with creating the original I.Q. test. He was a french psychologist who in the early 1900s, was commissioned by the French Ministry of Education to create an exam that would help distinguish normal students from the academically challenged, then identify students in need of remedial work. He came up with what is famously known today as the Binet-Simon test, which also involved Theodore Simon, a young medical student tasked with helping him out. From there Binet had other works published including the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, On Double Consciousness, The Mind and the Brain, plus many more.

Research on Binet led me to an article titled What is the Highest IQ In The World Ever Recorded? by Harsh Gupta. First thing to point out concerns Marilyn Vos Savant who was an American writer that rose to fame when she topped the Guinness Book of World Records for Highest IQ at 228. According to psychologist Arthur Kaufman, Vos Savant was actually given an older version of the Stanford-Binet which used an older calculation. According to the test manual, no IQs were permitted to be above 170, which placed Vos Savant's achievement in doubt. This prompted Mr. Kaufman to conclude the psychologist who recorded Vos Savant's score committed "extrapolation of a misconception," a violation of multiple testing rules, suggesting Vos Savant's 228 score obsolete. Second, in the case of William James Sidis who was very gifted and excelled at 6 different languages, we find his sister and mother were known for making "exaggerated claims" about his success. His sister told a renown psychologist about an IQ exam Bill took before his death, saying he scored between 250-300. Well why didn't the renown psychologist himself do a test with Sidis, and why didn't he mention this in his book where the guy covered Bill Sidis' intellectual prowess in great detail?

I did not write this to diminish the most brilliant minds to walk the earth, nor am I condemning the IQ test or intellectual community; however I am calling on you to learn to recognize blemishes and be aware of stat[istical] manipulation. Very recently I wrote an article called Brain Power where I spoke about crap detecting and how helpful it would be for you to tune into it and avoid manipulation at the hands of others; here i'm sending a similar message. Albert Binet created opportunities where we can grow from our current state of aptitude, not toward competing for a "World's Greatest Mind" award. Keep your mind on mentally advancing and excelling the IQ test in time, the (Un)Intelligence tests in life.

Find out more about Albert Binet and his work at https://www.verywellmind.com/alfred-binet-biography-2795503. Harsh Gupta's article on the World's Highest IQ can be found at https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/who-are-some-of-the-people-with-the-highest-iq.html

Written and Edited by Cedric Denson as a product of CollegeWorld, LLC