GENIOUS

Human Intelligence

 ARISTOTLE

Does genius simply mean you perform well on a visual-spatial intelligence test, or does it mean you introduce a hitherto unknown way of approaching a particular problem? Our list of geniuses, like Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), shown here with his teacher, Plato (left), includes figures who were great intellectual innovators in various fields throughout history. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist whose writings covered a myriad of subjects, from physics to ethics. He was one of the founding figures of Western philosophy and personally tutored Alexander the Great.

  PHARAOH DJOSER

Born a commoner, the Egyptian polymath Imhotep (2667 - 2648 B.C.) was one of the most influential geniuses of the ancient world. Before he was the inspiration for mummy movies, Imhotep was the lead architect for the pharaoh Djoser, and a personal advisor of the king. He was also known to some as the inventor of medicine. Imhotep's legacy was so great that many years after his death, he was made into an Egyptian god. Next, you'll see another great mind of antiquity.

ARCHIMEDES

Circa 220 B.C., this illustration shows the Greek mathematician and inventor Archimedes (c. 287- 212 B.C.), surrounded by armored soldiers who direct mirrors at invading Roman warships. An invention of Archimedes, the mirrors focused the sun's rays to burn the enemy vessels. In addition to this borderline-sci-fi weapon, Archimedes discovered many important principles of math and geometry, such as an accurate calculation of pi.

DA VINCI

Thought by some to be one of the greatest painters of all time, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was an Italian artist, engineer and scientist. In addition to creating famous works of art like The Last Supper and Mona Lisa, he also contributed to the fields of anatomy, optics and civil engineering.

WLLIAM SHAKESPEARE

 

English dramatist and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote about 38 famous plays, as well as many sonnets and poems. Some believe him to have been the greatest writer in the English language, but he didn't gain this near-universal reputation until the 19th century, years after his death.

GALILEO GALILIEI

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian physicist, mathematician and astronomer. Sometimes called the father of modern science, Galileo was best known for his contributions to astronomy. In 1632, he was placed on house arrest for the rest of his life, in part for refusing to abandon his support of heliocentrism, the theory stating that the sun is the center of the universe.

FRENCHMAN RENE DESCARTES

Another famed philosopher, physicist and contributor to the Scientific Revolution, Frenchman Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is known as the founder of modern philosophy. He has also been called the father of modern mathematics, and he invented the Cartesian coordinate system, which helped form the basis of modern geometry.

SIR ISAAC NEWTON

Thought to be one of the greatest scientific intellects of all time, Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) was an English physicist and mathematician. According to legend, he began contemplating his theories on gravity after seeing an apple fall in his orchard. He was also known for his studies of astronomy, planetary motion, optics and chemistry.

GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) was a German philosopher, scientist, mathematician and logician. Leibniz invented the binary number system, which is used today as the foundation of basically all digital computers. He was also known for developing infinitesimal calculus and a widely used mathematical notation system.

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE

A famous German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), shown here skating in Frankfurt, was known for having a very high IQ. This poet, dramatist and scientist created a wide variety of written works, and his drama Faust is thought to be one of the greatest works of literature in the world.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) began composing music at the age of 5 and continued for the rest of his life, creating beloved works such as The Magic Flute and the unfinished "Requiem." One of the most prolific classical composers, Mozart created more than 600 pieces of music.

ANNE-LOUISE GERMAINE NECKER DE STAEL

Anne-Louise Germaine Necker de Stael (1766-1817), known as Madame de Stael, was a brilliant French-Swiss woman of letters. Her salon was a well-known center for politicians and intellectuals, and her best-known written works include the novels Delphine, Corinne and De L'Allemagne.

CHARLS DARWIN

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist famous for his theories explaining the diversity of organic life on earth. His interests in science and biology developed at a very early age, and he is perhaps best known for his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, which was published in 1859.

THOMAS EDISON

 

American inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931) is probably best remembered for his invention of the light bulb, but he also developed the phonograph, the motion picture camera and more than 1,000 other patented inventions. Sometimes known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park," Edison was one of the first to use mass productions to develop his creations.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

 

Albert Einstein (1879-1955), shown with his wife Elsa in 1931, is known as one of the greatest intellects of all time. The creator of several theories of relativity, Einstein was a physicist and philosopher whose discoveries led to his receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. 

MARIE

 

Great minds innovate alike. Marie (1867-1934) and Pierre Curie (1859-1906) met at the Sorbonne in Paris, and they achieved fame in the science world for their studies of radioactivity, which later earned them a Nobel Prize. Marie Curie went on to earn a second Nobel Prize for her discovery of the elements radium and polonium.

PABLO PICASSO

 

The Spanish painter Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) is arguably the most important visual artist of the 20th century. Famous for paintings like Guernica and The Old Guitarist, there's almost no overstating the scope of Picasso's innovation, his extent of his talent, and his level of impact on the world of fine art.

BARBARA MCCLINTOCK

The American geneticist and biologist Barbara McClintock (1902-1992), won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her groundbreaking work with the genetics of maize plants, which ultimately revealed previously unknown aspects of DNA, now known as mobile genetic elements. Next, we'll see someone who theorized about the structure of the atom.

NIELS BOHR

 

The Danish thinker Niels Bohr (1885-1962) was one of the most important theoretical physicists of the 20th century. He received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922 "for his services in the investigation of the structure of atoms and of the radiation emanating from them." Bohr's model of the atom, with some adjustments based on subsequent discoveries, is still considered relevant. Next, you'll see a genius of jazz.

MILES DAVIS

Jazz composer, band leader and trumpeter Miles Davis (1926-1991) is one of the essential luminaries of American music. As a performer, Davis had an innovative and nuanced approach to his instrument, while as a composer and band leader, he showed a brilliant mind for melodic structure and dynamics. Recordings of his music still brim with creative energy.

CARL SAGAN

 

Carl Sagan (1934-1996), the famous astronomer, cosmologist and popularizer of science, poses in his Cornell lab circa 1974, turtleneck sweater and all. For years, Sagan served as an advisor to NASA and offered some of the most compelling explanations for the mysteries of our solar system. Next, you'll see another big name in the quest to understand the cosmos. 

 Dr STEPHEN HAWKING

 

Dr. Stephen Hawking (1942-), shown here at NASA's 2008 50th anniversary, is an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author who has not let his nearly complete paralysis from a rare case of ALS stand in the way of his major contributions to science. His most famous work, A Brief History of Time, was followed by several other highly regarded scientific writings.

BOBBY FISCHER

Bobby Fischer (1943-2008) was a controversial American chess champion and prodigy. From the age of 14, Fischer won many U.S. Chess Championships. In 1971, he became the first-rated player of the official World Chess Federation, a title he held for 54 months. After making many anti-Semitic and anti-American statements late in his life, he lived out the end of his days in Iceland.

TONY MORRISON

 

Critics consider American author Toni Morrison (1931-) one of the most original and important fiction writers of the past century. Her novels, such as Song of Solomon (1977) and Beloved (1987), embody a powerful understanding of the poetry of the American experience. Next, you'll see a Silicon Valley innovator.

BILL GATES

 

Bill Gates (1955-), who is one of the most well-known personal computer entrepreneurs in the world, co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1976. Still a non-executive chairman with the company, he now spends much of his time on philanthropic pursuits through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.