Marilyn vos Savant was named the person with the highest IQ in the world by Guinness World Records from 1986 to 1989.We often refer to people who are extremely intelligent as ‘a genius’, ‘bright’, ‘sharp’ or ‘savant’, among other things. A savant is someone who is exceptionally learned, can wrestle seemingly complicated concepts with ease, and holds a firm grasp on the way the world works.
Apart from already having the word in her name, Marilyn vos Savant embodies such a definition. She was ranked the person with the ‘Highest IQ’ by Guinness World Records from 1986 to 1989, but showed signs of her high intelligence from childhood. Let’s take a look at the life, rise to fame and unfortunate controversies surrounding the legendary Marilyn vos Savant!
A Glimpse into the Genius
Marilyn vos Savant was born on August 11, 1946, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. At an early age, it was evident that she possessed a prodigious intellect. In 1985, she came to global attention when she entered the Guinness Book of World Records as having the world’s highest recorded IQ. Her IQ was estimated to be an astonishing 228, although the concept of IQ itself has evolved since then. This recognition catapulted her into the limelight and marked the beginning of her journey as a public intellectual.
The Parade Puzzle
One of the most notable episodes that propelled Marilyn vos Savant into international prominence was her response to the “Monty Hall problem,” a probability puzzle presented in her column in Parade magazine in 1990. The problem involved a game show scenario in which a contestant must choose between three doors, behind one of which is a prize, while the host, Monty Hall, opens one of the other doors, revealing a non-prize. The contestant is then given the opportunity to switch their initial choice to the unopened door, with the goal of maximizing their chances of winning the prize.
Vos Savant’s solution, counterintuitive to many, argued that switching doors would indeed maximize the probability of winning. Her response ignited a fervent debate among mathematicians and statisticians, even prompting some to vehemently disagree with her analysis. The “Monty Hall problem” remains a testament to her ability to simplify complex concepts and present them to a wider audience.
Highest IQ In The World
Marilyn rose to immense popularity after the 1986 Guinness Book of World Records was released, which gave her the title of ‘Highest IQ’ in the world. She held that title for three years in a row, boasting a remarkable IQ of 228, and entered the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame in 1988.
She took two IQ tests to earn the title—the Stanford-Binet test and the Mega Test. Stanford-Binet is a cognitive ability test that is used to gauge intellectual deficiencies in children. It measures one’s aptitude in verbal and non-verbal abilities through five categories of knowledge, visual-spatial processing, fluid reasoning, working memory, and qualitative reasoning. The Mega Test was published by Hoeflin in 1985 as a general intelligence test to distinguish top-tier savants. Needless to say, she scored high on both tests.
These tests do have their drawbacks and have been widely criticized for not being an accurate yardstick for a person’s IQ. The Guinness World Records scrapped the category of ‘Highest IQ’ altogether after 1990, owing to the questions over the tests’ accuracy. However, this didn’t deter Marilyn’s popularity, as her image of being the smartest person in the world had already been cemented.
With a legendary reputation intact, she moved to New York to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer.
Challenges and Controversies
Despite her impressive accomplishments, Marilyn vos Savant has not been immune to criticism and controversy. Her entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest IQ has been met with skepticism, as IQ testing and interpretation have evolved over time. Furthermore, her response to certain questions in her column has led to debates and disagreements, highlighting the subjective nature of some of the challenges she tackles.
Marilyn Today
Although she has gotten used to backlash from people about her IQ test, Marilyn herself believes that IQ is by no means a concrete measure of how smart a person is. In an interview, she says, “When we call upon experts we hear them say whatever it is they have to say, but that doesn’t mean they have any analytical ability, that doesn’t mean they have the ability to process the information at hand — that’s really more what intelligence is.”
Marilyn serves as a board member of the National Council on Economic Education. She also serves as an advisory board member for the National Association for Gifted Children and the National Women’s History Museum. The ‘Ask Marilyn” column is still active and popular, so if you have a brain-teaser for someone once claimed to be the smartest woman in the world, send it her way!
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