Why Geniuses Don't Make Money

[IronUnkind]

[ QUOTE ]
EVERY SINGLE student at Bronx High School of Science is at age 16 smarter than EVERY SINGLE Phd in English Literature from Harvard. Period.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is highly dubious. So too, your later "concession" that the smartest Phd in English might be smarter than the dumbest student at BHSOS. To wit, there is at least one Phd in English (not from Harvard) with whom I'm familiar who would be considered a super-genius, certainly much smarter than the typical student at BHSOS, though possibly not as smart as the smartest student.

[IronUnkind]

[ QUOTE ]
I do understand that my original statement could be technically wrong given the numbers involved. The smartest Phd in English Lit who ever lived might, be smarter than the dumbest student at Bronx.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about Bronx alumni who've earned a Phd in English Lit?? What odds would you lay that such a person was the dumbest student in their graduating class?

[David Sklansky]

"For that reason, let's do it this way:

I would be willing to bet the AVERAGE income of those in America with an IQ in the 120-125 range is greater, than the AVERAGE income of those in the 150-155 range."

It is only because you won't actually take this bet unless you researched it and beat me, that keeps me from making it. But you have now rephrased the proposition to what I was driving at. We agree on ground rules. And it is utterly inconcievable to me that you could be right.

[MCS]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I? Suppose it was determined that an asteroid would destroy the earth in twenty years and that the only people who could work on saving us is the present sophomore class of Bronx High School of Science or the entire contingent Of
Enlish Literature Phds in the US. Who would you pick?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd pick the high school sophomore class. That doesn't mean your claim is now proven, or even strongly supported.

You made a statement that implies the dumbest student at Bronx Science is smarter than the smartest English Lit Ph.D. from Harvard. You then went on to ask about a scientific endeavor that took into consideration the two entire populations. That doesn't say much about the relevant extremes of the two groups, even given your definition of "smart."

Frankly, I'm amazed that you think your reply strengthened your claim. And as an aside, I think your original claim is almost certainly wrong simply due to the size of the two populations under consideration.

[MonkeeMan]

[ QUOTE ]
Easy answer: Lack of honesty? Lack of drive?

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't look for the negatives in everything. Look for the positives, like: Love of alcohol/drugs? Love of gambling?

[MonkeeMan]

*** Unsubstantiated Bullshit Alert ***
[ QUOTE ]
most geniuses can enter the computer field or something similar and guarantee himself a few million eventually

[/ QUOTE ]
*** Unsubstantiated Bullshit Alert ***

[disjunction]

[ QUOTE ]
EVERY SINGLE student at Bronx High School of Science is at age 16 smarter than EVERY SINGLE Phd in English Literature from Harvard. Period.

[/ QUOTE ]

It should be difficult to get a PhD in English Lit from anywhere without a crapload of logical ability. Put another way, I bet most of them got 800 on the logic and math sections on the GRE.

Hmmm, that's funny, I seem to recall thinking in the past that you give too much stock to General Intelligence, but now things seem to be reversed.