Intelligence is a complex trait that is difficult to define, let alone measure accurately. IQ tests are one of the most common methods used to assess intelligence, but they are not without their limitations.

IQ tests measure a person's ability to think logically, solve problems, and learn new information. However, they do not measure other important aspects of intelligence, such as creativity, social skills, and emotional intelligence. 

Additionally, IQ tests are biased against certain groups of people, such as minorities and people from low-income backgrounds.

Despite their limitations, IQ tests can be a useful tool for identifying children who may need extra help in school. 

They can also be used to assess the cognitive abilities of adults who are suspected of having learning disabilities or other cognitive impairments.

The highest IQ ever recorded is estimated to be between 250 and 300. However, it is important to note that IQ tests are not perfect, and there is some debate about the accuracy of the highest scores that have been recorded.

Some people believe that IQ tests are not a reliable measure of intelligence and that the highest scores are simply the result of test-taking skills rather than true intelligence. 

Others believe that it is possible for people to have IQs of 250 or higher, but that these people are very rare.

Regardless of whether or not the highest IQ scores are accurate, here is a list of people to have the highest IQ: 

3. James Clerk Maxwell 

Source; Wikipedia 

James Clerk Maxwell was a Scottish mathematical physicist who is considered one of the most influential scientists of the 19th century. 

His estimated IQ scores range from 190 to 205 by different measures. James’s work on electromagnetism laid the foundation for our understanding of radio waves, microwaves, and light.

Maxwell developed a set of four equations that describe the behaviour of electric and magnetic fields. These equations are known as Maxwell's equations, and they are one of the most important equations in physics.

Maxwell's equations predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves, which are waves that travel through space at the speed of light. 

Electromagnetic waves include radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Maxwell's work on electromagnetism has had a profound impact on our understanding of the universe. 

Electromagnetic waves are used in a wide variety of technologies, including radio, television, radar, microwave ovens, lasers, and medical imaging devices.

In addition to his work on electromagnetism, Maxwell also made significant contributions to other areas of physics, including thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and the kinetic theory of gases.

Maxwell was a brilliant and visionary scientist. His work has had a profound impact on our understanding of the universe and the development of modern technology.

4. Nicolaus Copernicus 

Source: Wikisource

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish mathematician and astronomer who is considered one of the most important figures in the history of science. His IQ ranked from 160 to 200. 

He is best known for his heliocentric model of the solar system, which placed the sun at the centre rather than the Earth.

Copernicus's heliocentric model was a radical departure from the prevailing geocentric model, which had been the accepted view of the universe for centuries. 

The geocentric model placed the Earth at the centre of the universe, with the sun and other planets orbiting around it.

Copernicus's heliocentric model was based on his careful observations of the planets and stars. He noticed that the planets did not move in perfect circles around the Earth, as the geocentric model predicted. He also noticed that the speed of the planets varied as they orbited the sun.

Copernicus concluded that the sun must be at the centre of the universe and that the planets orbit around it. 

He published his heliocentric model in his book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) in 1543.

Copernicus's heliocentric model was not immediately accepted by the scientific community. Many people found it difficult to accept that the Earth was not at the centre of the universe. However, over time, Copernicus's model gained acceptance, and it eventually replaced the geocentric model.

5. William James Sidis 

Source: IMDb

William James Sidis was an American child prodigy with an estimated IQ of 200-300, making him one of the most intelligent people ever recorded. 

He was able to read the New York Times by the age of two, and by the time he was six, he spoke eight languages, including English, Latin, French, German, Russian, Hebrew, Turkish, and Armenian.

Sidis was accepted to Harvard University at the age of nine, but the university refused to enrol him until he was 11, out of concern for his maturity. 

Even so, Sidis quickly distinguished himself at Harvard, excelling in mathematics and philosophy. He was also a gifted musician and composer.

After graduating from Harvard at the age of 16, Sidis went on to study at Columbia University. However, he became increasingly disillusioned with academia and society as a whole. 

He withdrew from public life and worked a variety of odd jobs, including as a waiter and a factory worker.

Sidis's life was marked by both brilliance and tragedy. He was a brilliant mathematician and philosopher, but he also struggled to cope with the pressures of fame and expectations. He died in poverty and obscurity in 1944 at the age of 46.

6. Carl Friedrich Gauss 

Source: Wikipedia 

Carl Friedrich Gauss was a German mathematician who is widely considered to be the greatest mathematician of all time. He had an IQ of 250 to 300

He made significant contributions to many areas of mathematics, including number theory, algebra, statistics, and analysis.

Gauss was a child prodigy. He could do complex math problems in his head at a very young age. At the age of 11, he discovered a method for calculating the sum of all the positive integers from 1 to 100. 

This method, now known as Gauss's circle method, is still taught in schools today. Gauss made many important contributions to number theory. 

He proved the fundamental theorem of algebra, which states that every polynomial with complex coefficients has at least one complex root. He also developed new methods for solving quadratic and cubic equations

7. Nikola Tesla 

Source: OCD-UK

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer who is considered one of the most important figures in the history of electricity. 

He was born in 1856 in Smiljan, Austria-Hungary (now Croatia), and emigrated to the United States in 1884. Tesla had a brilliant mind and had an IQ range from 160 to 310. 

He made many important contributions to the field of electricity, including the development of alternating current (AC) electricity, which is the standard form of electricity used today. 

Tesla also invented the Tesla coil, a device that generates high-voltage, low-current electricity.

Tesla's work on AC electricity was revolutionary. 

At the time, direct current (DC) electricity was the dominant form of electricity, but Tesla argued that AC electricity was superior because it could be transmitted over long distances more efficiently. Tesla's AC system eventually won out, and it is now used all over the world.

Tesla's Tesla coil is another one of his most famous inventions. It is a device that generates high-voltage, low-current electricity. 

Tesla coils are often used in science fiction movies and television shows, but they have also been used in some practical applications, such as wireless power transmission.

Tesla was a prolific inventor and held over 300 patents. He also had many visionary ideas about the future of technology, including the possibility of wireless communication and free energy.

8. Francois Marie Arouet (Voltaire)

Source: History and Biography 

Francois Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire was a towering figure in the French Enlightenment, a period of intellectual ferment and social reform that spanned the 18th century. 

He was a prolific writer and philosopher, producing works in a wide range of genres, including essays, plays, poems, and novels.

Voltaire's satire was his most powerful weapon against the French government and aristocracy. He used irony, sarcasm, and hyperbole to expose the hypocrisy, corruption, and injustice of the ancient régime. 

His most famous satirical work is the novel Candide, which tells the story of a young man who travels the world and learns that life is not always as rosy as it seems.

Voltaire's IQ of 190-200 is estimated based on his writings and other historical evidence. He was a brilliant thinker with a deep understanding of philosophy, history, and science. He was also a master of language and rhetoric.

9. Christopher Hirata 

Source: The Lantern

Christopher Hirata is one of the most brilliant astrophysicists of our time. He has made significant contributions to our understanding of the early universe, dark matter, and dark energy. 

His work has been published in some of the most prestigious scientific journals, and he has received numerous awards for his research.

Hirata's IQ is estimated to be 225, which would place him in the top 0.001% of the population. This level of intelligence is truly exceptional, and it is no surprise that Hirata has been able to achieve such great things in astrophysics.

Hirata's most notable achievements include his work on the cosmic microwave background (CMB). 

The CMB is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang, and it contains a wealth of information about the early universe. 

Hirata has used the CMB to study the formation of the first stars and galaxies, and he has also used it to measure the properties of dark matter and dark energy.

Hirata has also made significant contributions to the study of gravitational lensing. Gravitational lensing is the phenomenon where light from distant objects is bent by the gravity of intervening objects. 

Hirata has used gravitational lensing to study the structure of the universe on large scales, and he has also used it to search for dark matter.

10. Terence Tao 

Source: UCLA Newsroom

Terence Tao is one of the most brilliant mathematicians of our time. He has made significant contributions to a wide range of mathematical fields, including number theory, harmonic analysis, and partial differential equations. 

His work has had a profound impact on our understanding of these fields, and he is considered to be one of the leading mathematicians in the world.

Tao's IQ is estimated to be between 211 and 230, which would place him in the top 0.01% of the population. 

This level of intelligence is truly exceptional, and it is no surprise that Tao has been able to achieve such great things in mathematics.

Tao's most notable achievements include his work on the Green-Tao theorem, which states that there are arbitrarily long arithmetic progressions of prime numbers. 

He also made significant contributions to the study of the Navier-Stokes equations, which are a set of partial differential equations that describe the motion of fluids.

Tao has been awarded numerous awards for his work, including the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics. 

He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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