h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I did an IQ test & got in the top 5%

well done, but can you be more specific.

was that the top five percent of the group you were taking the test with, or the top five percent of the population as a whole?

Top 5% world population

I tend to find at least 95% of the world to be complete idiots.

~Sirona

I'm afraid that this is not likely. I don't believe that there is a test that has been given to such a significant portion of the "world's" population to make this claim.

There is not even a language that is spoken by 95% of the world's population, and these things often do not translate well.

Perhaps 'Top 5% in the history of the test' would be correct?

Actually some IQ tests do make claims along the lines of "scores over 180 indicate you are in the worlds top 5% intelligence-wise"

Once I was young enough to think this was important.

Yes, but the claims are based on statistics and assumed averages, and not the testing of the entire world's population.

Suppose that the test is in English. We know that close to one-third of the world's population is Chinese, and a small percentage of them speak English (few enough can even speak similar enough dialects to communicate with each other). Now, if the top 15% of the world's most intelligent people were chinese, the claim would be false and we would never know it.

The confidence level of the claim may be high, but is still based on assumptions of statistical relevence.

All I mean to say is that it may be so, but they haven't proved it.

I know, now, its just statistics based on a select group.

When I was 11 and being told I was in the top 2% nationally I developed an artificial belief in my own importance.

of course the problem with being in the top few percent of mensa is that the tests become meaningless.

as of course the do when you start trying to measure in detail just how "sub-normal" someone is. there just are not enough in those catagories to be able to get a meaningfull sample size.

Just because this is H2G2, and xyroth (so conveniently) brought up the subject of Mensa, I thought I'd mention this:
I once did some artwork and writing for a local Mensa publication which published my 'intelligence' test for a fictional sub-group called M-Plus (M+).

It is unimportant to note that it was largely jokes and riddles along the lines of 'How many Mensan's does it take to screw in a lightbulb?' [Ans: None, we're bright enough.], and 'How many books are there in the Mensa library?' [All of them, we don't need 'em.]

But the last question referenced DNA's creation, Deep Thought, and it's simple answer to 'Life, the Universe, and Everything' being fortytwo.

It simply asked for some possible question that would fit the answer and still be of significant enough relevance to warrant consideration as the question.

They loved the test, but they all failed to get the 'right' answer to that last question (ie: one that fit the requirements).

I would like to sometime start a thread that allows the more seasoned hitchhikers among us to submit their suggestions. It would be great if it could be linked to and Earth version of the 'Galactic Prize for the Extreme Cleverness'.

I have got to learn to preview first! I can't believe that I just wrote "... it's simple answer ...", but am even more dismayed that I failed to sign the post.