# Genius hunters **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2015, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455 "2015-02-12T06:21:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/1 "2015-02-12T06:21:52Z")
Suppose there was a job classification for a genius hunter. His job was to go out and find geniuses with no education who had slipped through the cracks somehow. These geniuses might be working folks, drug dealers, homeless, they could be anywhere. What kind of things would you look for to identify them? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/2 "2015-02-12T06:36:45Z")
It depends on what you are hunting but you always need a good understanding of wildlife behavior and good shooting or trapping skills. I nominate this man from North Carolina who made his own slingshots from basic materials and can hit anything with it including thrown coins. He developed those skills because he had to use his homemade slingshots to put meat on the table when he was very poor child. There are a select few other people that are just as good at tracking, stalking and shooting firearms but they are really rare. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9ieWrWLjii0/hqdefault.jpg "Carolina Camera: The Sling Shot Man") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ieWrWLjii0) ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/3 "2015-02-12T07:10:59Z")
What do you want these geniuses for? And why spend the effort looking for them among the homeless and drug dealers when you’ll get a lot more geniality for your money by searching people who do have an education? Oh, I know, give the uneducated an education, that’ll sort out the geniuses from the chaff. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/4 "2015-02-12T07:16:39Z")
Sounds like an interesting plot for a screenplay/ series. Plan on doing some writing **HBDC**? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/5 "2015-02-12T07:26:37Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Sounds like an interesting plot for a screenplay/ series. Plan on doing some writing **HBDC**? Actually yes, surprised you nailed that so fast. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/6 "2015-02-12T07:51:39Z")
Well, the genius hunter would have to be a genius, also. So, he/she would have special talents to use in their search, no? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/7 "2015-02-12T08:20:56Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Actually yes, surprised you nailed that so fast. Already a lot of goodwill invested in the project. What about putting a complex math problem up on a wall somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/8 "2015-02-12T09:14:27Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Well, the genius hunter would have to be a genius, also. So, he/she would have special talents to use in their search, no? You probably need a genius at some point to do essentially a genius turing test, but I don’t see why ordinary folk couldn’t do the work of gathering candidates and indeed design the methods by which they gather candidates. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/9 "2015-02-12T11:23:54Z")
**Moderator Action** While it might be possible to answer this factually by finding some cite for the psychological characteristics of people with high IQs or some such, I think this thread is much more likely to be answered with opinions, and the OP will get a better variety of answers in a forum where opinions may be freely expressed… Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/10 "2015-02-12T11:41:19Z")
Since this is for drama, not for real-world application, we can use a lot of HandWavium in your hero’s methods. Maybe your hero, like House or Sherlock Holmes, just has that “I know it when I see it” magic touch. Real animal hunters often seem magical in their tracking skills but it’s mostly a matter of being extra observant and knowing what to look for. Having said that, one easy real-world way is to attend local Mensa meetings. You’ll meet certified geniuses, a sizeable fraction of whom are undereducated and/or underachievers. Plus many folks who may be neither of the above but who are easy to ridicule for their social challenges. So that would be a lot like the current crop of reality shows about various groups of yokels. These are a big success because the yokels out in TV land happily identify with the protagonists and meanwhile the suburbanites watch in horrified fascination while congratulating themselves on their vast superiority. One broadcast attracts two demographics. Score!! If you do get on the air with this concept you’ll have the bonus of inciting the outrage of the real-world Mensans. Which will feed viral buzz. Asking the Mensans about their ne’er-do-well relatives would be a rich vein of ore for genius-losers. After all, you’ve got to be at least a little bit together to have the extra $50 a year for membership and to have the wherewithal to actually, you know, fill out the application. Switching gears … Amongst the homeless, I’d suggest the best hallmark of genius would be a clever adaptation. Like on Junkyard Wars, look for the guy who bodged together a shopping cart and a bicycle to create a half-assed travel trailer for his worldly possessions. etc. Amongst any group, look for the loners who seem OK with that mindset. They won’t all be geniuses, but that ore will be richer than the general populace. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/11 "2015-02-12T11:57:18Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > What about putting a complex math problem up on a wall somewhere? Here’s one similar idea that was used in the pilot for Stargate Universe: inject a puzzle that nobody has even been able to solve into an online videogame, then watch which players solve it. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/12 "2015-02-12T12:31:52Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > What about putting a complex math problem up on a wall somewhere? With a deliberate error in it. Geniuses hate that. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/13 "2015-02-12T13:04:54Z")
I’m lazy. I’d just go to an Apple Store and have a few drinks at the Genius Bar. Chat with my fellow drinkers. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/14 "2015-02-12T13:13:49Z")
Among the homeless, any geniuses you might find would most likely also have mental health issues. For criminals, perhaps interview social-workers, teachers who work in prisons, public defenders, or anyone else who spends time assessing their abilities. Recent immigrants might also be a group with hidden gems. Even educated in their home country, they might have degrees or certifications that aren’t honored in the U.S… ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/15 "2015-02-12T13:17:15Z")
Whatever plan you come up with, show your work. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/16 "2015-02-12T13:37:18Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Whatever plan you come up with, show your work. If I ever finsihed anything I would happily show it. I tend to write for my eyes only strictly as an entertainment device. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/17 "2015-02-12T13:45:03Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Among the homeless, any geniuses you might find would most likely also have mental health issues. For criminals, perhaps interview social-workers, teachers who work in prisons, public defenders, or anyone else who spends time assessing their abilities. > Recent immigrants might also be a group with hidden gems. Even educated in their home country, they might have degrees or certifications that aren’t honored in the U.S… ``` I do quite a bit of work with homeless, addicts and ex cons. The other day one of them I had know for years caught me off guard with some brilliant observations he suddenly became willing to share. He is a heavily medicated, chain smoking bi polar who now lives in a recovery house but had spent many years on the streets. He got me to thinking about another aspect of a writing project I can explore which is genius hunting. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/18 "2015-02-12T13:50:59Z")
**HoneyBadgerDC** , suggest you read _Everything’s Eventual_ by Stephen King (the eponymous short story in that collection). It’s got a similar theme. As to your actual question, I imagine that you might stumble on some genius slackers right here on SDMB…:dubious: You might also try a gaming shop or club. Some of the people who run roleplaying games definitely fit the bill–amazing mental capacity and imagination, but directed solely toward amusement. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/19 "2015-02-12T13:52:26Z")
What makes you think they want to be found? If they wanted to be found they’d be in plain sight. They’re probably in deep cover for a reason. There’s your hook, why and from whom are they hiding? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455/20 "2015-02-12T14:40:19Z")
The best bar of steel in the world isn’t much use until it’s shaped into a useful tool. Raw intelligence is much the same way, except that it has to want to be shaped, and apply itself to the shaping. Super-duper brainpower is probably more common than we know; that coupled with the will to focus it is what’s rare. Not everyone seven feet tall can or wants to play basketball. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genius-hunters/712455.md?page=2)