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▲ foogazi 10 hours ago

> Taking resources away from those who move society forward

Do gifted students move society forward ?

Where is society moving to ?

▲polski-g 9 hours ago | parent [-]

Generally yes.

Bill Gates will eliminate polio for mankind within his lifetime. He has at least 140IQ.

▲mongol 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I believe most successful people have high IQ. Perhaps not as high as 140, but probably more than people in general realize. That Gates have 140 does not surprise me at all.

▲sangnoir 8 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

There are so many confounding factors are at play that you're ignoring and attributing the achievement to high IQ (and that only).

The Guinea Worm is on the verge if eradication, mostly on the back of the multi-decade efforts of Jimmy Carter. I don't what his IQ is, but I'll assume it's below 140 and above whatever is the ballpark minimum required to enroll as a Navy Nuke.

I posit that you don't need to be a genius to eradicate a disease, just drive, a platform and the right resources and/or connections

▲roenxi 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

You're speculating that a US president has a relatively average intelligence - why are you assuming that? The top job in a democracy is generally one of the most competitive positions in the world and US presidents are typically exceptional in multiple different ways. It'd be really surprising to have a US president with an IQ below something like 120 and I'd personally be assuming >140 for the average. As far as I can see a 140 IQ is around the 0.1-1% mark, it isn't that rare compared to presidents (<0.01%).

▲sangnoir 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> You're speculating that a US president has a relatively average intelligence - why are you assuming that

I am not assuming that: any range that has studying nuclear engineering as its floor is above average intelligence. I thought it was self-evident, but apparently not - perhaps not many people know what a "Navy Nuke officer" is. To be more explicit the range is between above average intelligence and "genius". Regardless, I will never be convinced that people with relatively average intelligence are precluded from greatness; so excuse my scepticism when fellow nerds pat themselves on the back for being the engine of the world without pointing at any research that bears this idea out.

▲ctoth 8 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I was curious and so I looked.

Jimmy Carter: 145.

Not sure how credible that is but it sure did make me chuckle.