Comments on: Boy with 176 IQ is 1 in a million http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/ The official Derren Brown Blog Mon, 07 May 2012 09:24:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: V http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-97021 V Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:05:49 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-97021 I don't get it. My IQ is 176 too, but I don't do crazy stuff like that. Guess I'm just lazy... btw i'm 14 I don’t get it. My IQ is 176 too, but I don’t do crazy stuff like that. Guess I’m just lazy…
btw i’m 14

]]> By: jeebus http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-94791 jeebus Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:50:34 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-94791 It's odd when you read people bragging of/mentioning incredibly high IQs on the net, and they do not provide any background information. You would think that someone so smart would understand testing and basic statistics enough to know that there are many IQ tests and that most are on different scales and have different variation in the population. Therefore, the only meaningful number to report (unless full information about the test is given) is the percentage of people in the general population either above or below you in terms of score. Because of this, I am highly skeptical of these claims. It’s odd when you read people bragging of/mentioning incredibly high IQs on the net, and they do not provide any background information. You would think that someone so smart would understand testing and basic statistics enough to know that there are many IQ tests and that most are on different scales and have different variation in the population. Therefore, the only meaningful number to report (unless full information about the test is given) is the percentage of people in the general population either above or below you in terms of score. Because of this, I am highly skeptical of these claims.

]]> By: Kate http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-80391 Kate Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:59:08 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-80391 Sorry, I wasn't being clear enough and shouldn't have used the word 'often' (because I had to seperate my reponse over two comments I wasn't able to review exactly what I said in the first) - I wasn't meaning at all to stereotype or attribute savant-like abilities unequivocally to people on the autism spectrum. You're correct, I meant to refer to people who are on the extreme end of the spectrum/ or Autistic Savants (who are very rare and over-represented in the media and films). I would definitely like to stress that Autism has no one universal expression and is incredibly heterogeneous from person to person. And that faculty of above-average accuracy and easy of memorisation would give you a distinct edge over cohorts in certain aspects of an IQ test.... Sorry, I wasn’t being clear enough and shouldn’t have used the word ‘often’ (because I had to seperate my reponse over two comments I wasn’t able to review exactly what I said in the first) – I wasn’t meaning at all to stereotype or attribute savant-like abilities unequivocally to people on the autism spectrum. You’re correct, I meant to refer to people who are on the extreme end of the spectrum/ or Autistic Savants (who are very rare and over-represented in the media and films). I would definitely like to stress that Autism has no one universal expression and is incredibly heterogeneous from person to person. And that faculty of above-average accuracy and easy of memorisation would give you a distinct edge over cohorts in certain aspects of an IQ test….

]]> By: Berber Anna http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-80349 Berber Anna Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:50:11 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-80349 Kate, while a lot of what you're saying is quite valid, I think it's a bit stereotypical to assume people on the autism spectrum will have savant-like abilities or learn things without understanding. While I and the other people with autism I know all share an above-average accuracy and ease of memorisation, I wouldn't say that this is just by rote learning. Although it is easier for me to just read and remember a whole text than to summarise it and learn the important parts (as to me, almost all parts will seem equally important by virtue of being in the text), I do remember things better and longer if I actually understand the reasoning or mechanism behind them. Though I must admit that all people with autism I know have Asperger's (like me) or PDD-NOS. Maybe you mean classical autism? Kate, while a lot of what you’re saying is quite valid, I think it’s a bit stereotypical to assume people on the autism spectrum will have savant-like abilities or learn things without understanding.
While I and the other people with autism I know all share an above-average accuracy and ease of memorisation, I wouldn’t say that this is just by rote learning. Although it is easier for me to just read and remember a whole text than to summarise it and learn the important parts (as to me, almost all parts will seem equally important by virtue of being in the text), I do remember things better and longer if I actually understand the reasoning or mechanism behind them.

Though I must admit that all people with autism I know have Asperger’s (like me) or PDD-NOS. Maybe you mean classical autism?

]]> By: Kate http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-80342 Kate Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:48:15 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-80342 Ah, just got the full article. Now I feel like an idiot :) He seems to be a highly systematic thinker; I would be interested to know which academic areas his mother and father have their qualifications in, and whether they would be considered fairly 'systematic' subjects. Glad that they're also concerned about his social needs. Ah, just got the full article. Now I feel like an idiot :) He seems to be a highly systematic thinker; I would be interested to know which academic areas his mother and father have their qualifications in, and whether they would be considered fairly ‘systematic’ subjects.

Glad that they’re also concerned about his social needs.

]]> By: Kate http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-80341 Kate Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:35:57 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-80341 tasks which seem incredible to others (for example Savant-like abilities). But this usually is severely balanced by deficiencies in normal functioning. These tasks (like memorizing lists of presidents, telling the day of the week of a date, etc) are often performed by rote-learning - memorizing and repeating the whole list, rather than coming up with higher-order big picture strategies, like a 'mind hack'. These specific abilities reported with this boy make me wonder what role the parents had, as it hardly seems like topics a 6-year-old would suddenly select to learn. And while they may make him stand out from his cohorts at the moment, giving him an IQ of 176, it really depends on how the curve of development continues as to whether this IQ will continue to be high... tasks which seem incredible to others (for example Savant-like abilities). But this usually is severely balanced by deficiencies in normal functioning. These tasks (like memorizing lists of presidents, telling the day of the week of a date, etc) are often performed by rote-learning – memorizing and repeating the whole list, rather than coming up with higher-order big picture strategies, like a ‘mind hack’.

These specific abilities reported with this boy make me wonder what role the parents had, as it hardly seems like topics a 6-year-old would suddenly select to learn. And while they may make him stand out from his cohorts at the moment, giving him an IQ of 176, it really depends on how the curve of development continues as to whether this IQ will continue to be high…

]]> By: Kate http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-80340 Kate Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:29:36 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-80340 I have a degree in Psychology, and whilst it is a vast field, and I would certainly not pretend to have specialised knowledge any of those areas, I have looked at IQ as part of my studies. As several people have touched upon, IQ is what it is - a test to see how good you are at IQ tests. There are certainly many cognitive factors evaluated in IQ tests, but the test themselves still remain controversial, as indeed the general concept of intelligence does. Going by what the article above says the kid is very good at memorising sequences and perhaps even has a language hack worked out for certain feats. These are skills that anyone can develop (even Derren in his book showed us how to use memory palaces, etc). Alternatively, people (and children) on the autism spectrum can often accomplish.. I have a degree in Psychology, and whilst it is a vast field, and I would certainly not pretend to have specialised knowledge any of those areas, I have looked at IQ as part of my studies. As several people have touched upon, IQ is what it is – a test to see how good you are at IQ tests. There are certainly many cognitive factors evaluated in IQ tests, but the test themselves still remain controversial, as indeed the general concept of intelligence does. Going by what the article above says the kid is very good at memorising sequences and perhaps even has a language hack worked out for certain feats. These are skills that anyone can develop (even Derren in his book showed us how to use memory palaces, etc). Alternatively, people (and children) on the autism spectrum can often accomplish..

]]> By: Matilda http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-80336 Matilda Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:31:33 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-80336 A high IQ test is simply proof that you are good at the test, and if you have lots of experience with technology you are more likely to score high. H O W E V E R, this is a very young child. He is not attending those ridiculous classes you can go to which teach you how to sit IQ test and he has not spent 18 years mucking about with computer programming. I can't say I am that bothered by this child's IQ, despite how very swish he is looking in that waistcoat, but lets not belittle this wee boy for no reason. He looks very sweet! Also, an IQ in the 170s is extraordinary, all those claiming that score have clearly done online tests which, I am sorry to say, rather overscore you. The fact that they are so convinced of the test's validity suggests intelligence rather lower than the average. A high IQ test is simply proof that you are good at the test, and if you have lots of experience with technology you are more likely to score high.
H O W E V E R, this is a very young child. He is not attending those ridiculous classes you can go to which teach you how to sit IQ test and he has not spent 18 years mucking about with computer programming. I can’t say I am that bothered by this child’s IQ, despite how very swish he is looking in that waistcoat, but lets not belittle this wee boy for no reason. He looks very sweet!
Also, an IQ in the 170s is extraordinary, all those claiming that score have clearly done online tests which, I am sorry to say, rather overscore you. The fact that they are so convinced of the test’s validity suggests intelligence rather lower than the average.

]]> By: Jenny http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-80325 Jenny Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:38:50 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-80325 My IQ is low I think... Like 100. I don't get the questions. How can I know what the next picture is gonna look like?? I can name all shakespeares plays in the order they were written. I learned that reading Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown. And I could have learned to say the results of the football series in the UK (like the "national cup" - you know what I mean) only no-one would EVER ask me about that since I live among swedes! My IQ is low I think… Like 100. I don’t get the questions. How can I know what the next picture is gonna look like??

I can name all shakespeares plays in the order they were written. I learned that reading Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown. And I could have learned to say the results of the football series in the UK (like the “national cup” – you know what I mean) only no-one would EVER ask me about that since I live among swedes!

]]> By: Martin http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-80234 Martin Thu, 27 Jan 2011 21:54:36 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-80234 I hate all the people, who was writing to this comment and saying that their IQ is 170 and similar...You would be glad if your IQ will be above 120, morons...You are lying to yourself...(excuse my English, I am from Europe and still a student...) I hate all the people, who was writing to this comment and saying that their IQ is 170 and similar…You would be glad if your IQ will be above 120, morons…You are lying to yourself…(excuse my English, I am from Europe and still a student…)

]]>