# Was Albert Einstein Really the Smartest Human? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405 "2015-02-11T18:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/1 "2015-02-11T18:40:07Z")
I guess it’s more cliché than fact. But I think most of you will agree, theoretical physicist Albert Einstein was assumed to be the smartest human who ever lived. When you want to call someone smart, you say they are a regular Einstein, after all. But I wonder, just purely going by known facts (nothing just hypothetical), is this true? Was he really the smartest human being who walked the earth? Or is there someone clearly more smart than even he was? :):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/2 "2015-02-11T18:45:30Z")
I don’t see how you could fruitfully compare the genius of Einstein to the genius of Goethe, or any of a number of others. ---
**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 11, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/3 "2015-02-11T18:55:38Z")
I recall seeing an analysis, mostly based on writings, that put John Stuart Mill’s IQ in the 200-210 range. Einstein was around 175, IIRC. Probably complete nonsense, as is almost every popular interpretation of “intelligence” and IQ. But it’s one of many such comparisons I can vague recall that put others well above Al. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/4 "2015-02-11T19:12:16Z")
At least in the 20th century, Albert Einstein was the _most famous for being smart_, which is not the same thing as being the smartest. [John Von Neumann is one person who some claim was smarter than Einstein](http://www.businessinsider.com/john-von-neumann-vs-albert-einstein-2014-5). And yes, add me to those who argue that “smart” is not a single, scalar, rankable quantity. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/5 "2015-02-11T19:13:17Z")
The expression “smartest person” is meaningless noise. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/6 "2015-02-11T19:17:52Z")
If Einstein was so smart, how come he didn’t turn it into a [profit center](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_vos_Savant)? Hmmm? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/7 "2015-02-11T19:33:12Z")
If he was so smart, how did likening someone to Einstein become an insult? Huh? Once you get up to the ultra-level genius levels, it becomes silly to rank historical figures on “smartness.” It’s especially fruitless when discussing novel thinking, such as invention or art. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/8 "2015-02-11T19:45:16Z")
Cecil would like to have a word with you. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/9 "2015-02-11T20:54:41Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > At least in the 20th century, Albert Einstein was the _most famous for being smart_, which is not the same thing as being the smartest. [John Von Neumann is one person who some claim was smarter than Einstein](http://www.businessinsider.com/john-von-neumann-vs-albert-einstein-2014-5). > > And yes, add me to those who argue that “smart” is not a single, scalar, rankable quantity. If I had to spend an afternoon with either, it would be Einstein. Von Neumann was more than a bit of an ass. As for smart, Einstein had 1905 and General Relativity. Von Neumann was quick and clever and useful. Not even close. Einstein and Newton is a better argument. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/10 "2015-02-11T21:19:42Z")
Neil deGrasse Tyson makes a solid case for Isaac Newton: \*Isaac Newton. You read his writings. Hair stands up – I don’t have hair there but if I did it would stand up – on the back of my neck. The man was connected to the universe in ways that I’ve never seen another human being connected. It’s kind of spooky, actually. He discovers the laws of optics. He figures out that white light is composed of colors. That’s kind of freaky right there. You take your colors of the rainbow and put them back together, you get white light again. That freaked out the artists of the day. How does that work? Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet gives you white! The laws of optics. He discovers the laws of motion and the universal law of gravitation. Then a friend of his says, “Why are these orbits of the planets in the shape of an ellipse (a sort of flattened circle)? Why aren’t they some other shape?” And Newton says, “I don’t know. I’ll get back to you.” So he goes home and comes back a couple months later. “Here’s why. They’re actually conic sections, sections of a cone that you cut.” So they say, “How did you find this out?” “Well, I had to invent integral and differential calculus to determine this.” Then he turned twenty-six. Then he turned twenty-six! We got people slogging through calculus in college just to learn what it is that Isaac Newton invented on a dare, practically. So that’s my man, Isaac Newton. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/danYFxGnFxQ/hqdefault.jpg "Neil deGrasse Tyson: My Man, Sir Isaac Newton | Big Think") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=danYFxGnFxQ) \* ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/11 "2015-02-11T21:22:29Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > Cecil would like to have a word with you. Cecil wrote a column about Einstein being or not being the smartest man in history? ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/12 "2015-02-11T21:31:22Z")
In an earlier era Leonardo da Vinci was no fool either. Got sidetracked by art. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/13 "2015-02-11T21:44:57Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > …Albert Einstein… Was he really the smartest human being who walked the earth? Stephen Hawkins is pretty smart, but then there’s the \*walking \*thing… ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/14 "2015-02-11T21:47:44Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Stephen Hawkins is pretty smart, but then there’s the \*walking \*thing… [Why walk when you can row?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawkins) ---
**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 11, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/15 "2015-02-11T21:47:53Z")
**QUOTE FAIL QUOTE FAIL QUOTE FAIL** … goddammit. There’s no question Newton was an unearthly genius and made more contributions to the foundations of modern math and science that about any other half-dozen people you can list. Too bad he spent nearly all of his career on alchemy and spiritual booshwah. Just think what he might have accomplished had he swapped career and hobby. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/16 "2015-02-11T21:51:39Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > There’s no question Newton was an unearthly genius and made more contributions to the foundations of modern math and science that about any other half-dozen people you can list. Gauss. Check and mate. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/17 "2015-02-11T21:54:31Z")
There may exist a faster sprinter in the world today than Usain Bolt, but Bolt is probably the best known sprinter. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/18 "2015-02-11T22:01:29Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > If I had to spend an afternoon with either, it would be Einstein. Von Neumann was more than a bit of an ass. As for smart, Einstein had 1905 and General Relativity. Von Neumann was quick and clever and useful. Not even close. Einstein and Newton is a better argument. Is there a difference between intelligence and quality of discoveries? I think so. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/19 "2015-02-11T22:32:56Z")
Even within the field of physics, I’d say that the top three were Einstein, Newton, and Archimedes… but I’d be very hard-pressed to rank those three amongst themselves. Einstein gets more rep for it nowadays mostly due to being the most recent of the three. And I kind of feel sorry for Maxwell, the _fourth_ greatest physicist in history, who nonetheless managed to get overshadowed just a few decades later. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405/20 "2015-02-11T22:40:42Z")
Smartest guy ever was Torg, a Pictish lad who lived in 321 BC and died at age 12 of an infected spear wound. I mean, he didn’t invent anything, never learned to read because his tribe hadn’t invented such things, and spent most of his time daydreaming when he should have been looking after the family goats. But if you put him in today’s modern universities he’d spend most of his time playing Warcraft and goofing off, because he was really really lazy. Like, super lazy. He’d fail all his classes and never amount to anything and do a lot of complaining about how his professors were intimidated by his superior intellect. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-albert-einstein-really-the-smartest-human/712405.md?page=2)