# What happened to all the supergeniuses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 10, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219 "2017-11-10T14:32:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/1 "2017-11-10T14:32:49Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3366/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3366/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses) The only people that are famous today have publicity agents. Ability is largely ignored–witness Paris Hilton. So, there **are** super-geniuses, but nobody cares. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/2 "2017-11-10T16:18:17Z")
I’m afraid your right. Name three other famous geniuses who lived in the last 100 years. 1. Einstein 2. Turing 3. Hawking 4. Raise your hand if ever heard of Richard Feynman 5. Oppenheimer (Maybe?) 6. Watson and Crick 7. Edison (Maybe?) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/3 "2017-11-10T16:28:39Z")
How about Michio Kaku (Physics) & Kasparov (Chess Grand Master)? Isn’t Paul Allen reputed to have an extremely high IQ? Not so sure about this one though. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/4 "2017-11-10T16:29:11Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > I’m afraid your right. Name three other famous geniuses who lived in the last 100 years. > > 1. Einstein > 2. Turing > 3. Hawking > 4. Raise your hand if ever heard of Richard Feynman > 5. Oppenheimer (Maybe?) > 6. Watson and Crick > 7. Edison (Maybe?) 8.Tesla ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/5 "2017-11-10T18:09:38Z")
One of the better columns in a while, IMHO. Plenty of the old Cecil style – “I wasn’t born yet,” e.g. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/6 "2017-11-10T19:02:02Z")
Who has heard of Ed Witten? The closest thing to a super-genius you are likely to find today. Alexandre Grothendieck, who died a couple years ago, was another. If you have heard of the Kardashians but not of Grothendieck, you have answered the question. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/7 "2017-11-10T19:49:17Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3366/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3366/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses) Sir Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci, to use two famous examples, were omniscient, or close to it. They knew EVERYTHING- or rather, they knew everything that could be known in their day. Nicolaus Copernicus knew everything there was to know about outer space in 1500. Neil DeGrassie Tyson knows a hell of a lot more about space than Copernicus did, but he still knows only a small percentage of all there is to know about space. Newton knew EVERYTHING there was to know about physics in the 17th century. Steven Weinberg surely knows far more than Newton did, but physics is so specialized now that NO modern physicist can possibly be an expert on every part of it. We know the names of many great inventors of the past. But today, most major tech breakthroughs are made by teams, not by one brilliant individual. To some extent, that was true even a century ago- Thomas Edison gets sole credit for inventions that he had a LOT of help creating. But the days of a brilliant lone wolf coming up with the biggest inventions and discoveries MAY be gone. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/8 "2017-11-10T19:55:56Z")
Moved to Comments from ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/9 "2017-11-10T20:56:29Z")
Two threads on same column merged. ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/10 "2017-11-10T23:49:36Z")
William Shockley and Gordon Moore come to mind. So does Jony Ive. Possibly Donald Trump (one’s opinions do not have to be widely accepted just because you are super intelligent). Personally, I have seen what mankind has done with what comes from brains like mine. No one is going to save you from yourselves. So I refuse to cooperate. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/11 "2017-11-10T23:52:55Z")
> [@waddlingeagle](#): > > William Shockley and Gordon Moore come to mind. So does Jony Ive. Possibly Donald Trump (one’s opinions do not have to be widely accepted just because you are super intelligent). > … This is the first time I have ever seen anyone mention Trump as a super genius can you cite this in any way shape or form because I am extremely dubious. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/12 "2017-11-11T00:53:58Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3366/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3366/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses) > > The only people that are famous today have publicity agents. . . . > [@furryman](#): > > I’m afraid your right. Name three other famous geniuses who lived in the last 100 years. > > 1. Einstein > 2. Turing > 3. Hawking > 4. Raise your hand if ever heard of Richard Feynman > 5. Oppenheimer (Maybe?) > 6. Watson and Crick > 7. Edison (Maybe?) More than half of the people on this list were well aware of their PR and sought out celebrity. ---
**Author:** ![Clothes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Clothes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothes)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/13 "2017-11-11T01:08:48Z")
[Wile E. Coyote.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STeVTzWelns) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/14 "2017-11-11T01:18:22Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > This is the first time I have ever seen anyone mention Trump as a super genius can you cite this in any way shape or form because I am extremely dubious. Well, there is such a thing as an “evil genius”, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/15 "2017-11-11T14:01:53Z")
I thought they all worked for Global Dynamics. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![waddlingeagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@waddlingeagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waddlingeagle)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/16 "2017-11-11T14:16:42Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > This is the first time I have ever seen anyone mention Trump as a super genius can you cite this in any way shape or form because I am extremely dubious. Trust me. You don’t defy all odds and become a billionaire, stay a billionaire, run a primary campaign where everyone, and I mean everyone, predicts you will finish dead last out of a field of more than twenty, then go on and win an election against the most powerful and corrupt political machine in US history without having some smarts. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/17 "2017-11-11T14:33:44Z")
> [@waddlingeagle](#): > > So does Jony Ive. This is a truly bizarre statement. Were you joking? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/18 "2017-11-11T14:51:19Z")
**waddlingeagle** , some smarts is a far cry from super genius. Your post is unsubstantiated and impossible to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/19 "2017-11-11T18:31:37Z")
> [@waddlingeagle](#): > > Trust me. You don’t defy all odds and become a billionaire, stay a billionaire, run a primary campaign where everyone, and I mean everyone, predicts you will finish dead last out of a field of more than twenty, then go on and win an election against the most powerful and corrupt political machine in US history without having some smarts. You know Trump inherited his money, don’t you? It’s hardly defying the odds if your dad is a billionaire and leaves it all to you in his will. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219/20 "2017-11-11T19:27:47Z")
The Godwin’s law post: I’ve always had a suspicion that Politically speaking Hitler was a genius. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-all-the-supergeniuses/801219.md?page=2)