The Genetics of Genius

Abstract

Psychologists once thought, simplistically, that genius was nothing more than high general intelligence, the capacitymeasured by the intelligence quotient or IQ. IQ scores of 140 and above, attained by perhaps four in everythousand youngsters, were classified as in the ´genius range.' Stanford University's Lewis Terman, who wasresponsible for revising and standardizing the first individually-administered IQ test, the Stanford-Binet, identifiedsome 1500 gifted children with IQs in this range and Terman's gifted group have now been followed throughmiddle age. Most of them have led relatively successful lives but none of them, so far as I am aware, would beclassified as geniuses today.