Over the course of this audio documentary series, David McRaney explores the history and science of intelligence, IQ, and remarkable talent through interviews with dozens of intelligence experts and actual "geniuses" (a 5-year-old prodigy, the man with the highest IQ ever recorded, etc). McRaney wrestles with the complexity of GENIUS as a cultural construct and considers how we can unlock its positive potential within ourselves.
What You'll Learn
The history and concept of genius
How genius gets measured and defined
What life is like for geniuses, now and in the future
- Creator of You Are Not So Smart
What it feels like to be in the presence of a five-year-old girl with a 155 IQ, and how we’ve attempted to define that feeling for millenia.
The history of our fascination with the idea of genius all the way back to the Romans, up to the relatively recent era of collecting notable skulls, measuring famous faces, and how it all resulted in a dark eugenics movement before it led to the creation of the modern IQ test.
The creation and history of the IQ test, and the modern-day intelligence experts who use it to improve education, but definitely not to measure genius.
In this episode we explore the concept of giftedness and ungiftedness with psychologists who are working to redefine both the idea of intelligence and the tests we use to measure it. Then, a deep dive into G, the mystery of intelligence that modern science has yet to explain.
Meet the people at MENSA, from a flaming axe juggler to a stand-up comedian, a Shakespearean actor, a linguist, and a famed music producer.
Sit down with the man who has the highest IQ ever recorded, then meet the researchers who have finally developed what they consider the truth about genius and how we might create a world in which genius can flourish.