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 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 08:53:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: John http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-54346 John Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:33:15 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-54346 Lots of famous child prodigies didn\'t end up doing anything important. To be successful you need more than just intelligence. You also need determination and rationality. Lots of famous child prodigies didn\’t end up doing anything important. To be successful you need more than just intelligence. You also need determination and rationality.

]]> By: tomasz. http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-53755 tomasz. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:31:28 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-53755 nice to see the immediate torrent of knee-jerk reactions trying to belittle the kid and make out he isn't anything special. you must all be really proud of yourselves. especially all the ones who 'have a similar IQ, but it doesn't really mean anything'. O RLY. nice to see the immediate torrent of knee-jerk reactions trying to belittle the kid and make out he isn’t anything special. you must all be really proud of yourselves. especially all the ones who ‘have a similar IQ, but it doesn’t really mean anything’. O RLY.

]]> By: Egill http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-8730 Egill Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:00:56 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-8730 funny how people posting here seem to have an average I.Q. of 150 or more. it\'s a miracle of a semi religious nature as Randi would say. funny how people posting here seem to have an average I.Q. of 150 or more.

it\’s a miracle of a semi religious nature as Randi would say.

]]> By: shane http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-8246 shane Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:02:03 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-8246 have a look at kenneth l.higbee's book, your memory and how to improve it. This has a trick that can help you remember every day for a whole year using a 12 digit number (pg 97). You end up looking like a genius, but it is just a mind hack. The other items mentions are also memory tricks. i am sure he's smart though :-), he doesn't have all the stuff like paying the mortgage to cloud his head have a look at kenneth l.higbee’s book, your memory and how to improve it. This has a trick that can help you remember every day for a whole year using a 12 digit number (pg 97). You end up looking like a genius, but it is just a mind hack. The other items mentions are also memory tricks. i am sure he’s smart though :-) , he doesn’t have all the stuff like paying the mortgage to cloud his head

]]> By: Nicosia http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-7801 Nicosia Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:29:29 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-7801 kittens in bonnets = lots of scratches! kittens in bonnets = lots of scratches!

]]> By: Nopke http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-7781 Nopke Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:14:01 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-7781 Ofcourse it did not get its IQ from his parents, let's put that first. There are lots of examples of people with high iq with parents with normal or low iq's. Also, I'm sure this type of iq (....), the way it has been described here, can be triggered also by other things in its upbringing .. Parents can force their kids in such brain systems .. It does not sound to healthy .. the way it has been described here .. lot of useless stuff. Meanwhile .. where is the kid himself ... IQ is not a static thing, and not always so positive .. A very high IQ that is. As we all know by now. You can get around, and into the university with quite normal brains ... so why would you want more? If you boost it .. it will lack major in other areas ... more human areas ... CQ (combined Q's that have been developped by scientists by now) ... Who developped the IQ tests ... who decides what is IQ? The iq test I have seen are a bit dumb .. and predictable .. it does not really ask something from someone .. we just reproduce stuff others thought was intelligent .. At times it is a complete waste of time, a huge spill of energy .. The thing we are not that good in might give us the most in the end .. Ofcourse it did not get its IQ from his parents, let’s put that first. There are lots of examples of people with high iq with parents with normal or low iq’s.

Also, I’m sure this type of iq (….), the way it has been described here, can be triggered also by other things in its upbringing .. Parents can force their kids in such brain systems .. It does not sound to healthy .. the way it has been described here .. lot of useless stuff. Meanwhile .. where is the kid himself …

IQ is not a static thing, and not always so positive .. A very high IQ that is. As we all know by now.

You can get around, and into the university with quite normal brains … so why would you want more? If you boost it .. it will lack major in other areas … more human areas …

CQ (combined Q’s that have been developped by scientists by now) …

Who developped the IQ tests … who decides what is IQ? The iq test I have seen are a bit dumb .. and predictable .. it does not really ask something from someone .. we just reproduce stuff others thought was intelligent .. At times it is a complete waste of time, a huge spill of energy ..

The thing we are not that good in might give us the most in the end ..

]]> By: Alice http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-7758 Alice Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:57:50 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-7758 They've got EQ tests as well these days, to measure how well you get along with people (emotional quotient). IQ is skewed towards maths-like reasoning & misses out a lot of important reasoning/processing skills that matter much more when it comes to actually achieving things & hacking out a happy and fulfilled life for yourself. Information is good. I like collecting information & quantities & statistics. Still, measuring children's intelligence like this always depresses me. It teaches people to categorise themselves early on, and measure their value by competing against other people in some stupid number-game which they're even told is outside their control. A below-local-average IQ score can lumber kids with self-esteem problems (obviously destructive) but a high IQ score can be damaging too. Children can mess themselves up with success-guilt or delusions of grandeur just as much as adults can. I wish education focused on teaching people that their brains are fluid, changeable things full of undiscovered abilities, and these can be developed at any time in life and it's *fun*. There's so much pressure to compete against people at school, and either be a life-long 'success' or 'failure' as a result. It's really negative and isolating and I'm in *such* a bad mood with this stupic country sometimes! I bet everything's better in Denmark. Also, children in waistcoats are like kittens in bonnets. They’ve got EQ tests as well these days, to measure how well you get along with people (emotional quotient). IQ is skewed towards maths-like reasoning & misses out a lot of important reasoning/processing skills that matter much more when it comes to actually achieving things & hacking out a happy and fulfilled life for yourself.

Information is good. I like collecting information & quantities & statistics. Still, measuring children’s intelligence like this always depresses me. It teaches people to categorise themselves early on, and measure their value by competing against other people in some stupid number-game which they’re even told is outside their control. A below-local-average IQ score can lumber kids with self-esteem problems (obviously destructive) but a high IQ score can be damaging too. Children can mess themselves up with success-guilt or delusions of grandeur just as much as adults can.

I wish education focused on teaching people that their brains are fluid, changeable things full of undiscovered abilities, and these can be developed at any time in life and it’s *fun*. There’s so much pressure to compete against people at school, and either be a life-long ’success’ or ‘failure’ as a result. It’s really negative and isolating and I’m in *such* a bad mood with this stupic country sometimes! I bet everything’s better in Denmark.

Also, children in waistcoats are like kittens in bonnets.

]]> By: Al http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-7757 Al Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:54:38 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-7757 This is where we get the 'mad scientist' image from, isn´t it? He invents a time machine or suchlike but could´nae find his arse with both hands... This is where we get the ‘mad scientist’ image from, isn´t it? He invents a time machine or suchlike but could´nae find his arse with both hands…

]]> By: ScreamingGreenConure http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-7750 ScreamingGreenConure Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:39:00 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-7750 I am pretty sure your IQ can change as time goes by, and is calculated in comparison with the population average - so if you live in a magical land of Oxford professors, your IQ number will drop, but if you live in the Terrible Land of Troglodytes it goes up. I'm not sure if I am correct, though. I'm not good with IQ. I honestly don't think I have the attention span to complete any of those tests. I am pretty sure your IQ can change as time goes by, and is calculated in comparison with the population average – so if you live in a magical land of Oxford professors, your IQ number will drop, but if you live in the Terrible Land of Troglodytes it goes up. I’m not sure if I am correct, though.
I’m not good with IQ. I honestly don’t think I have the attention span to complete any of those tests.

]]> By: Slugsie http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2009/04/boy-with-176-iq-is-1-in-a-million/#comment-7745 Slugsie Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:22:02 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=1220#comment-7745 Why do people seem to equate being able to remember strings of facts with bein intelligent? Just because you can remember the names of 40-odd presidents, or who won the FA cup each year etc does not make you clever. It makes you a notepad! Intelligence comes into being able to figure out problems, being able to see the link between seemingly disparate facts, and being able to make leaps of logic. Like Ianne, I have an IQ that is quite above average, but it doesn't mean anything other than I can do IQ tests. Why do people seem to equate being able to remember strings of facts with bein intelligent? Just because you can remember the names of 40-odd presidents, or who won the FA cup each year etc does not make you clever. It makes you a notepad! Intelligence comes into being able to figure out problems, being able to see the link between seemingly disparate facts, and being able to make leaps of logic.

Like Ianne, I have an IQ that is quite above average, but it doesn’t mean anything other than I can do IQ tests.

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