Smart Scientists

[Theophylact]

From this week's Science (subscription required for most articles, alas):

Smart Scientists

Although it may reinforce their status as geeks, a group of U.S. academic scientists has trounced other sectors of society on a TV-based IQ test. The scientists flexed their mental muscles last month on Test the Nation, an interactive test-your-IQ program that has been making the rounds in Europe and Australia.

The 60-question test, which covers language, logic, math skills, and visual perception, was adapted from a test used by the high-IQ society Mensa. The usual format is for a studio audience composed of various groups--a perennial category being "blondes"--to take the test and see which group is smartest. At the same time, viewers take the test in what has turned out to be one of the biggest tests of interactive TV.

The U.S. show, aired over the Fox network, drew a half-million participants. The producers added "scientists" to the usual categories, rounding up 40 from California universities--many of them graduate students--and dressing them all in white lab coats. They were pitted against groups of teachers, students, body builders, construction workers, blonde women, and celebrities.

The scientist group scored highest, with an average IQ of 125 (out of a possible 142), followed by teachers and celebrities. Topping the charts at 138 was David Merwine, an assistant professor and expert in retinal information processing at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He says "I'm impressed at how well we did as a group considering many are not native English speakers." Merwine says his team also had an unfair advantage over one of their opponents, the construction workers: "They put all the blondes in halter tops in the section right next to them," so they got distracted when the questions got tough.

[ben-the-slacker]

So what if they got big brains. Doesn't mean they can't be snottishly arrogant.