Newton. Every time I learn more about Newton, the more amazed I am as to what he did. It’s impossible to overstate what Newton accomplished with respect to his time.
at the same time Newton was a religious freak who spent most of his time trying to find encoded secret messages in the Bible and who was obsessed with alchemy. His contributions to science are incredible and a huge gift to humanity, but I dont know if he's the guy you'd want talking to the aliens
@@quiddam That's a you problem of being athiest, that being as you say a so-called "religous freak." Tpyical Zathiests in their delusion, if you aren't one of us you cannot be consireded the best or something as the lines of that.
It is obviously John Von Neumann. His teacher in college, George Polya, relates the story of the time when he was explaining to his students some previously unsolved problem in mathematics. Von Neumann stared into the distance for five minutes, then calmly walked to the blackboard and wrote down the proof. According to Polya, "Johnny was the only student I was afraid of."
@@CO8848_2 IQ and creativity are two different things. To be a great scientist, you need some of both. According to Eugene Wigner, everyone around them agreed that Von Neumann was cleverer than Einstein, but also that Einstein's ideas were more profound. The smartest teacher I had at university was a mediocrity as a (publishing) scientist.
@@jussihamalainen7692 It is clear that you don't understand what Einstein did. It is not "creativity", it is, however, more profound. You can say whatever about "cleverer", it has no meaning in the context of what they actually did. The world is full of clever people who do not measure up.
@@CO8848_2 It's hard to say what Von Neumann might have done had Newton not preceeded him. He might have invented both along and then come up with Maxwell's equations for dessert.
von Neumann. Not just because of the depth of his knowledge and his many, many accomplishments in mathematics and computer science, but because of the extraordinary breadth and range of his intellect as well. He had what amounts to total mastery of not just his own chosen scientific disciplines, but was at or above that level in literally dozens of other fields. Certainly while he was alive, and probably throughout all of history, he had the most "comprehensive" grasp of the totality of (contemporaneously available) human scientific understanding versus any other single individual. His ability to integrate new knowledge and also to clearly and concisely break down concepts to other people were a result of this breadth-- He could immediately adapt whatever the concept in question was to the learner, because his knowledge of other fields allowed him to map out a route to understanding that was tailored to the individual's own intellectual foundation, rather than simply repeating a formula. This might not seem super impressive, because that's what tutors and teachers do all the time, but the difference with von Neumann is simply the level of understanding we're talking about. There are several examples in biographies of von Neumann that describe incidents where scientists considered the best in their respective fields would have their own work advanced or difficult problems these individuals were grappling with were easily and comprehensively solved on the spot by von Neumann in casual conversation. Not even a scratch pad or a slide rule. He'd literally complete or solve, ENTIRELY IN HIS HEAD, cutting edge scientific problems posed by his contemporaries, viciously difficult questions that these people worked daily to tackle, and do this in MULTIPLE disparate fields that didn't even really closely relate to his own research topics. To break down von Neumann's strengths: 1- His own massive and epochal discoveries in mathematics and computer science (comp sci would be decades behind where it is now sans von Neumann) 2- Extraordinary depth AND breadth of knowledge in many fields (legendary status in a several fields, world- or global-class status in many fields simultaneously) 3- Combination of crystallized and fluid intelligence as well as high communication ability, even being world-class at 1 of these 3 things is rare, he was unquestionably world-class in all 3 4- Prodigious computational ability (somewhat overlaps with his aforementioned high fluid intelligence, but computational ability is a specific subset of intelligence that combines several areas of intelligence, including both crystallized and fluid intellect, but also incorporates other sensory areas, this makes it worth mentioning. The way I like to think of it is that he was both a graphing calculator and Wikipedia in one, both able to execute complex problems mentally, but also able to compare and organize data sets from across disciplines on top of that) My other pick, and it would be a pretty distant second, would probably be Leibniz.
@@applewoodcourt Seven languages? Didn't know that. He apparently also had a photographic memory and one could open a book he was familiar with and ask, eg, what's on page such and such, and he could simply begin reciting.
Quote from one genius about other geniuses: “I have known a great many intelligent people in my life. I knew Max Planck, Max von Laue, and Wemer Heisenberg. Paul Dirac was my brother-in-Iaw; Leo Szilard and Edward Teller have been among my closest friends; and Albert Einstein was a good friend, too. And I have known many of the brightest younger scientists. But none of them had a mind as quick and acute as Jancsi von Neumann. I have often remarked this in the presence of those men, and no one ever disputed me. [...] But Einstein's understanding was deeper than even Jancsi von Neumann's. His mind was both more penetrating and more original than von Neumann's. And that is a very remarkable statement. Einstein took an extraordinary pleasure in invention. Two of his greatest inventions are the Special and General Theories of Relativity; and for all of Jancsi's brilliance, he never produced anything so original.” - Wigner (Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963)
This reminds me of the story of how the "dead parrot" sketch was created by John Cleese and Graham Chapman. John Cleese had written a sketch about not being able to return an obviously defective toaster in a department store and read it to Graham Chapman, who said "that's boring make it parrot instead." And with the little tiny bit of insight one of the greatest bits of comedy was born. John Cleese had the idea and did all the work but Graham Chapman's observation made it great.
Da Vinci made advances in multiple disciplines, including anatomy, such as identifying arteriosclerosis and discovering the atria and certain valves of the heart (and their behaviors), as well as groundbreaking graphic illustrations in the field; in aeronautics, he basically invented a glider that was reconstructed in modern times and flown successfully; in mechanics, he anticipated Newton’s 3rd law of motion; in botany, he discovered the growth rings of trees; in geology, he was among the pioneers who sensed the earth was much, much older than the Biblical 6000 years-he also made discoveries in fluid dynamics, optics and acoustics-and much more can be said, including that he wrote this lone sentence in one of his his notebooks: “The sun does not move,” although he elaborated no further. And on top of it all, some credit him with the most innovations in painting by a single artist. The problem is that, for reasons scholars still without a diffinitive explanation, da Vinci never published any of his findings. Although there is evidence that copies were made of his notebooks that circulated in some major European cities. Considering the breadth of fields he covered, da Vinci must be considered one of the greatest thinkers ever-and, note, he was largely self-taught, a self-made genius, so to speak.
Physicist Edward Teller on "Johnny" Von Neumann: "He could, and did, talk to my three year-old son... on his own terms! I sometimes wondered whether his relations to the rest of us were a little bit similar."
I'm surprised no one mentioned Aristotle. He was wrong about a lot of things from the stand point of modern science, and yet he laid down the foundation of inquiry that led to science developing in Europe. It's also worth noting that the ideas of Aristotle and Euclid held ground longer than probably anyone in history.
@@Daveyboyz1978 Of course you don't know what I'm talking about. That's why you're so ignorant about this man's sexual behaviour. Do you think he was married to this woman for decades from youth till she died in old age?
And he has good humor. I wouldn't mind even Tyson speaking with aliens. People with good communication skills,good humor, influence, and understanding. Tyson rings a bell
Come on.... definitely Euler!!!! No doubt! His contribution to how to study the universe dwarfs that of anybody else! Respects to Von Neumann and Newton of course...
Similar to watching physical greatness on the baseball Diamond, football field, soccer pitch, golf course, etc….it is also humbling and FUN to listen to intellectual greatness, like these two guys!!!
For the sake of argument, entire nations were afraid of the Greeks because of Archimedes, and we still talk about him. I'm sure we could we could catch him up on things pretty quick. Just a thought, don't berate me please. And I'm not completely sure a scientist is the only option, someone like Mark Twain, or Shakespeare, or Voltaire could represent and prove our intelligence. They could just bring a book voted on by the scientific community to present our "findings". Those guys are are much better conversationalists, Newton may get boring telling them things I assume they would already know.
When I was a small kid, my greatest wish was for a time machine. Both to go to the past, simply for my own curiosity, but also to bring folks forward & blow their minds with modern plumbing & etc. I’m the furthest thing from a scientist. I just like history, and everything that involves our weird concepts of time. I nominate NdeGT for meeting our next alien. Communication & broad open-mindedness would be key. Also chill.
Huygens was the son of a diplomat and invented mathematical physics, as well as a leader in the worldrenowned physics society in France at the day. He had the chops to communicate, being able to train Leibniz to superstardom math levels as well
Leonardo Da Vinci!! He was a master polymath: inventor, musician, scientist, artist, engineer, strategist, architect, etc.... His thirst for intellectual knowledge was unquenchable!! He is considered the highest form of intellectual expression who has ever lived!!
well the question wasn’t who was the most influential. so i think the actual answer would be, as others have said, von neumann or da vinci. I think i’d consider aristotle too.
Eratostenes was a brilliant Greek scientist. But 2,200 years worth of knowledge and information will b too much for him to handle. He calculated the earth circumsference and axial tilt with incredible accuracy. He believed the other planets orbited the sun and even said planet earth is not the only one with life. Whoever the United Nations chose, Carl Sagan would be a great assistant.
"But 2,200 years worth of knowledge and information will b too much for him to handle." - On the other hand, that 2.2K years of human knowledge would be asymptotically near-zero measured against the capacity of beings that could traverse tens/hundreds/thousands of lightyears of space. In that context, our immature human "knowledge" might be completely irrelevant. "Intellect", on the other hand, might be the only special sauce with any hope of problem-solving the communication barrier. Knowledge is a prisoner of its time. Intellect adapts to the variables with which it's presented.
Erathostenes had a fantastic mind that still holds up to any genuine genius of our time, but I'd personally offer the Syracusan polymath Archimedes as my vote for the smartest mind of all antiquity. His numerous inventions, calculations, and contributions to a variety of different topics truly set him apart amongst all but the most brilliant minds in human history. Archimedes is truly one of the metaphorical titans upon whose shoulders and contributions to the sciences we now upon stand
It depends whether the alien civilization acts with emotion or conforms to the mistress that is modern science. Either way, I'd be rooting for Feynman to take them to a gentlemen's bar and solve the problem there; maybe incorporate some Bongo or Tuvan throat singing. Von Neumann would be pretty stumped in that scenario
The Buddha? Don't dismiss it out of hand. He drilled down to the essence of conscious living; the cause and end of all human suffering. It's not a bad start.
I think there needs be two categories. The first would represent the concrete, such as Newton, Einstein, Feynman, or von Neumann. The companion would understand the abstract, such as Aisimov, de Chardin, or Fuller. Now though (2023) any or all would have access to generative AI.
There's a lot of layers here, and you have to take into consideration the context of the primary question. Sam defers to asking about who was the smartest person in history, but the goal is to have successful communications with Aliens. For sure a comprehensive understanding of math and science is necessary, but there should also be an appreciation of art and history. The person should be an exceptional communicator, and not just have a high cognitive IQ, but also emotionally intelligent. Ironically, I think Tyson's mentor Carl Sagan might have been the best person for the job.
Everyone has been mentioning Newton, Neumann, Da Vinci, Einstein, Euler. No mention of Tesla or, what bothers me more, ludwig wittgenstein. He single handedly unravelled every single academic discipline in a 70 page book of bullet points. If you feel your discipline has not been shaken by his works, that discipline simply has not caught up yet. He talks about the complications of discussing anything without correct language to do so. He was also a fantastic mathematician and musician. Bertrand Russell, you know the guy who showed that maths was built on flawed logic and reinvented logic itself (Hon men Godel), said that Wittgenstein approached him asking if he should be a philosopher or an engineer (that if he was smart the former and an idiot the latter), Russell responded by asking to read something. He read one line and immediately requested that wittgenstein come and work with him. I think it is quite impossible, especially for people who mainly study science, to understand just how insane of a story that is. He then published his second and final work which tore down everything he had built just to reinvent it in an equally bizare, genius and necessary way. I think most other feats would have been achieved by some scientist down the line. The sheer, meta brilliance of observing language and comprehensively analysing that language with the same language, in order to create linguistic tools to use that language more effectively, is something that every field, for the rest of time, will benefit from.
Fucking finally people are talking about how off the map smart Wittgenstein is. Guy literally jerked off to math in the trenches of World War 1 and then deconstructed the masturbatory semantic nature of philosophy with a bullet point mic drop.
I would say the person most able to see into the enigma of the human state would be most able to relate to an alien state, because as far as the average person is concerned the actual human condition may as well be an alien, since the thought-centric associative mind that they call "I" has so little direct perception or even insight into it. I therefore nominate Jan Cox, since he was the first person to realize the significance of the question, "What are you going to think next?" Which Question Sam Harris much later, made a big deal about, and may even understand its implication if he is not really just parroting Cox. Which he seems to do on a regular basis, but forty years later. On the other hand, Harris does have a large audience.
there was an indian man who went to harvard i think, he had a theory about there being a universal pool of knowledge that smart ppl are able to pull from, he takes my vote tbh he also solved a bunch of very advanced mathematic equations that i don’t understand enough about to explain
I’m surprised no one mentioned Leonardo Da Vinci as someone who is the smartest or at least one of the smartest people ever. If you do your research, he’s the most brilliant “pound for pound” person to ever exist hands down.
He is ordinary when compared to Newton. Newton's math/physics is out of league of Leonardo. Leonardo was multi-talented but he was far below Newton's class.
@@critical_analysis if we’re speaking strictly about math & science, then I agree with you. But DaVinci was the original Renaissance man, a literal universal genius of unparalleled proportions who contributed to more fields than Newton.
@@BrockLanders Yeah, I read about him but I am really not sure, if his contributions impacted in any fundamental way to the sciences. He was a genius in art, a polymath but I am afraid his scientific contributions are not at a level compared to his art works. He built ingenious designs some worked, some couldn't and was industrious. In my view, Isaac Newton was/is the greatest scientific genius who ever lived. No wonder, even the mighty Gauss was in awe of him, so was Laplace and Lagrange. Even, Bernoulli a sort of Newton hater couldn't resist praising the genius of Newton.
@@critical_analysisNewton lived two hundred years after Da Vinci so expecting him to make the same discoveries as Newton is ridiculous. Da Vinci was much father ahead of his contemporaries than was Newton. De Vinci’s inventions two hundred year before Newton were far ahead of Newton. Than add in his art. Newton was a idiot savant compared to the breadth of Da Vinci’s genius.
Newton was my gut reaction, of course. But I would also like to cast a vote for both Richard Feynman and Enrico Fermi. Staggering intellects, all of them.
Easily Leonardo da Vinci, no one comes close to everything he has done. Just because people weren't smart enough to understand what he wrote does not mean he was less. The fellow designed flying machines long before people could fly. He made tools that were used to make tiny screws that revolutionized the world. Most famous painting in the world. Newton is like a line and da Vinci is like square feet.
Its Da Vinci. There have been geniuses throughout history, but they're geniuses in a particular field. Da Vinci was a genius in many fields. He didnt have much influence because he never published his notebook's, but his brilliance is there for us to observe now.
...this is the correct answer...he was brilliant in multiple fields. A lot of pure mathematicians/ physicists being mentioned here. Maths, physics, engineering, art, architecture, humor......
Bullshit. Most of stories surrounding da Vinci is myth. Made up fables with no actual records. Modern scientific community were never able to replicate or extend his findings. Because they don't exist in reality other than fanboys forum. Same applies to Tesla as well. These are urban legends to sell books and get video views. These kind of forgetten geniuses stories have high emotional and shock values.
Yes, the ultimate polymath, he is the best answer to this question. Not necessarily who is the biggest genius with the biggest contributions, but who would represent the best of humanity, not just math and science but the arts as well.
On IQ terms my vote is for John von Neumann, the man was a freaking beast on speed, then are people 200+ IQ and geniuses such as Gauss, Archimedes, Newton, Euler, etc. On genius: Einstein, Godel, Ramanujan, Mozart, etc.
It's difficult to ascertain an IQ for creative arts, like how smart was Mozart. It's muich less complex for physicists and mathematicians, however complex still. If you are smart beyonf the comperehension of others, there stands a risk you will never be heard let alone acknowledged. If you are grounded with the times and still smart then it might become something that the rest will benefit from.
Tesla was in fact one of the most brilliant, but he was different compared to John von Neumann. Probably Tesla was a 200+ IQ person and more creative even than von Neumann. But on IQ terms Johnny was so fast, nobody is close to him. Of course, there are anothers geniuses. Ramanujan is tough to beat in math creativity: even he was compared with Euler, Gauss or even better by Hardy. Ramanujan: probably the most creative mathematician. He said that the goddess namagiri told him the solutions in dreams.
I agree that Newton was probably the smartest person, but its obviously hard for us mere mortals to calibrate the greats. Personally I would nominate Feynman, as he had an extraordinary intellect but was a well rounded human being which Newton wasn't.
One thing I have learned in my 30 year career in computer software is super geniuses tend to be a huge pain to interact with and it's generally preferable to deal with someone maybe not so brilliant but more well rounded. I have dealt with someone who was an unbelievably brilliant engineer AND very pleasant to deal with but that's rare.
I don't understand how five brains can have a group conversation .faster then the speed of sound.becouse there is no sound.faster then the speed of light . because there is no light .but the conversation is in tune with thought time and distance.that is the question.if I can get an answer.i will also say the last two witch are time and distance don't even matter because question and answer witch make up conversation are heard and responded to with in a tenth of a second
Isaac Newton hands down. I truly believe that if he were alive today his IQ would be incalculable. He was truly an enigma. The kind of intelligence that comes around once in a few handfuls of generations, and needs to be lucky enough to have been born in the right place to have proper influence and adequate resources to be utilized. An absolute hyper-genius. He was also well known to have been extremely odd and most likely autistic.
John Von Neumann was certainly more intelligent, he was not only a great mathematician and computer scientist, but he helped people from all sorts of professions to solve terribly complex problems, in economics for example. Newton was unbelievable as well but Neumann had the same depth as newton with much more breadth to his knowledge.
Its tough, really, but is Leonardo Da Vinci. Its true, there was a huge problem with his notebooks, but it wasn't his fault. I mean the scope of his mind was beyond everything. He even invented robots... I mean, the guy was an alien, for sure.
An intelligent alien life would dwarf us so much it would be irrelevant to chose "the smartest one". If you have an average alien IQ of 100 and humanity average 5 on the same scale, a smart alien with an iq of 140 won't be able to feel the difference between a human who scores 5 and one who score 7. What you need isn't the smartest, it's the less aggressive / threatening. The fact that people think human would be able to speak on the same level is ultimately a joke. People do not realize a civilization able to travel between stars would be so much more advanced, they would probably consider our intelligence closer to insect than to them.
I have always thought that the human first contactor should be a stage magician with a good backlog of tricks, and excellent personal presentation. It would tell us a lot if the aliens couldn't see through it.
I love this guy… i usually hate cocky ppl bug what he says is so thought out and true and hes abiding to anyone or any platform. He gets to say what he wants and noones gona stop him. Thats a real man thats america. Hes a scientist cowboy. But niel if you read this. Dont get too cocky. I wouldnt want to see you get caughtup in a scandle. They were already gunning for you and that was bs. Theres just haters out there. Dont let em get you.
I rarely agree with Tyson. But yes, Newton it is. Most added a piece to the human knowledge base, Newton, it's like he went on Mt Sinai and came back with thr bible.
If they have to compete with the aliens you should probably go with someone like Bobby Fischer since he was a chess world champion and was tough as nails at that sort of thing.
I have known a great many intelligent people in my life. I knew Max Planck, Max von Laue, and Wemer Heisenberg. Paul Dirac was my brother-in-Iaw; Leo Szilard and Edward Teller have been among my closest friends; and Albert Einstein was a good friend, too. And I have known many of the brightest younger scientists. But none of them had a mind as quick and acute as Jancsi von Neumann. I have often remarked this in the presence of those men, and no one ever disputed me. [...] But Einstein's understanding was deeper than even Jancsi von Neumann's. His mind was both more penetrating and more original than von Neumann's. And that is a very remarkable statement. Einstein took an extraordinary pleasure in invention. Two of his greatest inventions are the Special and General Theories of Relativity; and for all of Jancsi's brilliance, he never produced anything so original.
Matheticians shouldn't be considered genius. They are no different from story writers. Like making their own imagination It's only because mathematics sometimes maps to reality which earns mathematicians respect. It's a circular field like philosophy with no real progress.
In terms of those who advanced the complexity of our analytical thinking in the science: 1. Newton - Invented calculus and used it to create theory of Gravitation. First use of "higher" math in the sciences. 2. Einstein - Created a geometric model for space and time, which previous were just considered measurements. (Introducing the next "higher" level of sophistication in modelling nature in with unintutive mathetmatical models. 3. Fayman - Developed quantum field theory (along with others). Arguably more complex and sophisticated than General relativity in terms of mathematical modelling via quantum field theory. I would send Fayman. He had a sense of humor the aliens would appreciate.
Yes send in the scientist with no people skills if there advanced and here to meet us the last thing that would interest them is a beginners guid to the galaxy.
*EDIT:* The interaction between Einstein and the reporter most likely never happened. Just a untrue story circulate the internet. Sorry for spreading it. So Einstein was NEVER asked by a reporter " How does it feal to be the smartest man in the room?". .And Einstein most likely NEVER said "I do not know, you have to ask Nicolas Tesla". The interaction never took place.
@@Gallowglass7 You are right. The quote was one of those thing I read somewhere and did not give it much though. After 10min googling it is pretty obvious the quote is most likely not true. Thanks for letting me know 👍
@@TheRobinL It's all good man and no problem. Yeah, I saw someone else a while back quote that and I checked it up and it didn't seem likely to me either I've been caught out a few times now, so I tend to be skeptical these days, depending on said quote.
Isaac Newton is considered the greatest scientist of all time. who studed math and physics knows his influence in science, for example the law of gravity is everywhere in physics, the world we know now, it will not be exist without the work of Newton. After him is Bernhard Riemann.
"I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops." Stephen Jay Gould, The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History
Hawking stated something like we should hope contact never happens because if aliens have the ability to find us that might indicate that they are so advanced that their treatment of us would be similar to our treatment of ants. Re the topic here, do we distinguish the smartest ant from the rest?
Why does it need to be a numbers guy? Jodie Foster had a great line in that flick, "They should have sent a poet." Tons of movies make examples of this. Captain America, strength of character vs a Yes Sir soldier, Avatar, plenty of other of these examples. My vote would be Twain, or someone of that calibre. Why send a numbers guy?
Numbers are universal, while skill in language is very culture specific. The aliens wouldn't understand wordplay, they would likely understand scientific equations.
@kevineiford2153 The idea is more in perception and broader analysis. Poets, Authors, one could argue, bring more humanity to the situation than a numbers guy. While "math" might be an avenue of communication, who the freak knows. My comment was also a bit of a jab at these guys, fellow math guys were all they considered.
@@burstcity3832 Perhaps, but atoms can be easily determined numerically using atomic numbers. We sent messages into space with the numbers 1 - 10 written, and a description of the atomic numbers for the atoms that makeup DNA. Planetary systems may also be universal to life.
3:48 he states that Newton would not know what energy means today? Newton defined energy. He gave us the relationship between force, which he knew was ENERGY spent per time, and mass and the movement of that mass.
Had Newton never been born, Leibniz would have been the person credited with inventing calculus, Galileo with the laws of motion and gravity, and Kepler would be the famous optician. Celestial mechanics would have been viewed as coming from both Leibniz and Kepler. In other words, it is the Anglocentric view on the history of science that really elevates Newton to god status. I'm not saying he wasn't a genius, but it is preposterous to say that without him we wouldn't have the modern physics we have today. The role of the individual was not that great in the era of the scientific revolution, and his achievements and discoveries would have been merely postponed for several years or decades had he not lived.
What a stupid statement of yours is. Read some stuff man, Leibniz himself was in awe of Newton. Gauss and Lagrange said there was none smarter than Newton. He was the greatest intellect.
Newtonian discoveries would have been delayed by decades had he not lived? I think you mean centuries mate. And who gives a fuck about newtons ethnicity? You're the only one who brought up him being anglo, super intelligence is available to all races and tribes across the world, but newton was the freak of all freaks.
Newton completed a mathematical problem in a single night that Leibniz and other geniuses needed months for. Look up the story of Isaac Newton’s Lion Claw
Da Vinci unlike Newton , Tesla, Ramanujan or Hawking excelled in both science as well as art... He is an excellent example of a polymath... Definitely deserves a mention... His only problem was procrastination and unfinished projects but I don't know how much that's true...
I would suggest a very qualified and innovative carpenter. What good is the mastery of physics and language and mathematics if the two species cannot communicate. The carpenter would be able to build something so both species could see it (assuming he has wood and tool availables). A picture is worth a thousand words. One could say the same thing about a sketch artist or draftsman.
Creativity is another metrics. Influential scientists have intelligence and creativity in a strange mixture. Same in all fields. Also there are many types of intelligence. There are 5 types of mathematical intelligence, or something. IQ as a single measure is very limited. Plus the senses. To hit a curve ball you have to have far better than 2020 vision. Leonardo drew birds in flight that had to be verified by movie cameras. He designed an experiment that determined how the aortic valve closed that was verified only recently. He was good at geometry but not at algebra. I know many brilliant people and they are so different including by motivation. These conversations about who is the smartest are so, um, linear when talking about multidimensional geniuses. PS Newton was not a pleasant person. Vindictive to the extreme. Also, no one mentioned Leibniz...
The irony is, you have to be deep in a particular lore to even begin to understand the loremasters. So this question is inevitably a "blind men describing an elephant" paradox. A case in point was Einstein and his GRT. He had one of humanity's greatest insights, but struggled with the math. In fact, he greatly feared better mathematicians would steal his idea, e.g., the Göttingen people under David Hilbert. Hilbert supposedly reassured him they wouldn't. But then this raises the question of whether they could have. Personally, I believe applied and theoretical genius is apples and oranges, and you really can't compare, much less chose between the two. Freeman Dyson is another great example where he reconciled Schwinger and Feynman. Kleene explained Gödel, reconciled Church and Turing. What about the explainer/reconcilers?
Wow! This comment is just way over my head, way too smart! I applaud you! However, in my defense, I say that my experience has brought me street smarts, I can operate heavy equipment, I have certifications for safety, CPR, Dozer, Loader, Trenchers, Motor Grader, fork lifts, man lifts, and tractor trailer tanker (no hazmat). I have coordinated a crew requires safety precautions... yet somehow I feel like I just can't be on the same level as you... is there something wrong with me or does my mind specialize in a particular are only!
@@Obsidian_One1 You have a genius others would envy. I think anyone in the "trades" is very smart. In Germany you get certified as Meister, which is pretty much the same as "professor" for all the stuff they learn. Many different types of genius.
@@michaelbauers8800 He was world-class for sure, but he wasn't at the very tip-top -- simply because as a physicist he didn't specialize in math. Again, Göttingen had people that could have made headway with GTR, but out of professional courtesy didn't try to steal his thunder. But it makes me think theoretical math has all kinds of applications just waiting to be discovered.
@@michaelbauers8800compared to the rest of mankind he was a genius at math, but even so there were people that were better at it than him. Einstein's true genius relies on his imagination, ingenuity and capacity to reinvent the way we look at the universe.
I would go with Brian Cox, apart from just his scientific aptitude he has a great grasp of philosophy, humanity and is compassionate. Sure all the suggestions are great, but I have no idea of their personalities.
My answer is a little out of left field: I think J.S. Bach
hahaha, bravo my man! Me too! Greatest and smartest man who ever lived! They have no clue what genius is our beloved composer and what he wrote!
Newton. Every time I learn more about Newton, the more amazed I am as to what he did. It’s impossible to overstate what Newton accomplished with respect to his time.
He was also an asshole :D
And probably autistic.
at the same time Newton was a religious freak who spent most of his time trying to find encoded secret messages in the Bible and who was obsessed with alchemy. His contributions to science are incredible and a huge gift to humanity, but I dont know if he's the guy you'd want talking to the aliens
Newton was unfortunately not a functional human being. He was likely on the autism spectrum and manic depressive.
@@quiddamumm... He lived over 400 years ago. Should we also penalize him for not having an iPhone?
@@quiddam That's a you problem of being athiest, that being as you say a so-called "religous freak." Tpyical Zathiests in their delusion, if you aren't one of us you cannot be consireded the best or something as the lines of that.
How about Euler? :| He discovered so much stuff in mathematics that we had to stop naming things after him.
It is obviously John Von Neumann. His teacher in college, George Polya, relates the story of the time when he was explaining to his students some previously unsolved problem in mathematics. Von Neumann stared into the distance for five minutes, then calmly walked to the blackboard and wrote down the proof. According to Polya, "Johnny was the only student I was afraid of."
yeah, but he didn't invent physics and calculus.
@@CO8848_2 IQ and creativity are two different things. To be a great scientist, you need some of both. According to Eugene Wigner, everyone around them agreed that Von Neumann was cleverer than Einstein, but also that Einstein's ideas were more profound. The smartest teacher I had at university was a mediocrity as a (publishing) scientist.
@@jussihamalainen7692 It is clear that you don't understand what Einstein did. It is not "creativity", it is, however, more profound. You can say whatever about "cleverer", it has no meaning in the context of what they actually did. The world is full of clever people who do not measure up.
Funny hearing Sam's annoyance when he said " and don't forget the Bible" referring to Newtons being devoutly religious 😂
@@CO8848_2 It's hard to say what Von Neumann might have done had Newton not preceeded him. He might have invented both along and then come up with Maxwell's equations for dessert.
von Neumann. Not just because of the depth of his knowledge and his many, many accomplishments in mathematics and computer science, but because of the extraordinary breadth and range of his intellect as well. He had what amounts to total mastery of not just his own chosen scientific disciplines, but was at or above that level in literally dozens of other fields. Certainly while he was alive, and probably throughout all of history, he had the most "comprehensive" grasp of the totality of (contemporaneously available) human scientific understanding versus any other single individual. His ability to integrate new knowledge and also to clearly and concisely break down concepts to other people were a result of this breadth-- He could immediately adapt whatever the concept in question was to the learner, because his knowledge of other fields allowed him to map out a route to understanding that was tailored to the individual's own intellectual foundation, rather than simply repeating a formula.
This might not seem super impressive, because that's what tutors and teachers do all the time, but the difference with von Neumann is simply the level of understanding we're talking about. There are several examples in biographies of von Neumann that describe incidents where scientists considered the best in their respective fields would have their own work advanced or difficult problems these individuals were grappling with were easily and comprehensively solved on the spot by von Neumann in casual conversation. Not even a scratch pad or a slide rule. He'd literally complete or solve, ENTIRELY IN HIS HEAD, cutting edge scientific problems posed by his contemporaries, viciously difficult questions that these people worked daily to tackle, and do this in MULTIPLE disparate fields that didn't even really closely relate to his own research topics.
To break down von Neumann's strengths:
1- His own massive and epochal discoveries in mathematics and computer science (comp sci would be decades behind where it is now sans von Neumann)
2- Extraordinary depth AND breadth of knowledge in many fields (legendary status in a several fields, world- or global-class status in many fields simultaneously)
3- Combination of crystallized and fluid intelligence as well as high communication ability, even being world-class at 1 of these 3 things is rare, he was unquestionably world-class in all 3
4- Prodigious computational ability (somewhat overlaps with his aforementioned high fluid intelligence, but computational ability is a specific subset of intelligence that combines several areas of intelligence, including both crystallized and fluid intellect, but also incorporates other sensory areas, this makes it worth mentioning. The way I like to think of it is that he was both a graphing calculator and Wikipedia in one, both able to execute complex problems mentally, but also able to compare and organize data sets from across disciplines on top of that)
My other pick, and it would be a pretty distant second, would probably be Leibniz.
Frightening intellect
Wooow..well said...loved reading it...leibnitz sure shot....isn't it. Newton killed leibnitz. Glad I read ur post 😀
And he was fluent in 7 languages!
@@applewoodcourt Seven languages? Didn't know that. He apparently also had a photographic memory and one could open a book he was familiar with and ask, eg, what's on page such and such, and he could simply begin reciting.
von Neumann and maybe bring along the man Einstein said was the smartest man on Earth, Tesla.
Archimedes is a genius who is hugely inderrrated because most of his work was since lost.
Quote from one genius about other geniuses: “I have known a great many intelligent people in my life. I knew Max Planck, Max von Laue, and Wemer Heisenberg. Paul Dirac was my brother-in-Iaw; Leo Szilard and Edward Teller have been among my closest friends; and Albert Einstein was a good friend, too. And I have known many of the brightest younger scientists. But none of them had a mind as quick and acute as Jancsi von Neumann. I have often remarked this in the presence of those men, and no one ever disputed me. [...] But Einstein's understanding was deeper than even Jancsi von Neumann's. His mind was both more penetrating and more original than von Neumann's. And that is a very remarkable statement. Einstein took an extraordinary pleasure in invention. Two of his greatest inventions are the Special and General Theories of Relativity; and for all of Jancsi's brilliance, he never produced anything so original.” - Wigner (Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963)
This reminds me of the story of how the "dead parrot" sketch was created by John Cleese and Graham Chapman. John Cleese had written a sketch about not being able to return an obviously defective toaster in a department store and read it to Graham Chapman, who said "that's boring make it parrot instead." And with the little tiny bit of insight one of the greatest bits of comedy was born. John Cleese had the idea and did all the work but Graham Chapman's observation made it great.
Da Vinci made advances in multiple disciplines, including anatomy, such as identifying arteriosclerosis and discovering the atria and certain valves of the heart (and their behaviors), as well as groundbreaking graphic illustrations in the field; in aeronautics, he basically invented a glider that was reconstructed in modern times and flown successfully; in mechanics, he anticipated Newton’s 3rd law of motion; in botany, he discovered the growth rings of trees; in geology, he was among the pioneers who sensed the earth was much, much older than the Biblical 6000 years-he also made discoveries in fluid dynamics, optics and acoustics-and much more can be said, including that he wrote this lone sentence in one of his his notebooks: “The sun does not move,” although he elaborated no further.
And on top of it all, some credit him with the most innovations in painting by a single artist.
The problem is that, for reasons scholars still without a diffinitive explanation, da Vinci never published any of his findings. Although there is evidence that copies were made of his notebooks that circulated in some major European cities.
Considering the breadth of fields he covered, da Vinci must be considered one of the greatest thinkers ever-and, note, he was largely self-taught, a self-made genius, so to speak.
It pisses me off nobody is mentioning Euler. The man is the most influential in mathematics till date.2nd Newton no doubt
I'm with you
exactly!
Archimedes, Euclid, Gauss, Newton, Von Neumann, Euler, Aristotle, Godel, Maxwell, Einstein, Panini(?), Dirac(?)
Euler was freaky smart.
Good point. Definitely underrated
Physicist Edward Teller on "Johnny" Von Neumann:
"He could, and did, talk to my three year-old son... on his own terms! I sometimes wondered whether his relations to the rest of us were a little bit similar."
That's a great line. I imagine Von Neumann talking to ordinary geniuses would be like one of us talking to a toddler.
I'm surprised no one mentioned Aristotle. He was wrong about a lot of things from the stand point of modern science, and yet he laid down the foundation of inquiry that led to science developing in Europe. It's also worth noting that the ideas of Aristotle and Euclid held ground longer than probably anyone in history.
I like Feynman.
He had multiple good ideas, he was multifaceted, great communicator, artistic, music, logical, imaginative and a funny guy.
And a Me-Too guy.
@@kundakaps I don't know what you mean by that. Seemed to do the right thing by his wife caring for her as she died.
@@Daveyboyz1978
Of course you don't know what I'm talking about.
That's why you're so ignorant about this man's sexual behaviour.
Do you think he was married to this woman for decades from youth till she died in old age?
I'd still like Carl Sagan to speak with the aliens.
He would intrigue them Billions and billions of times. lol.
And he has good humor. I wouldn't mind even Tyson speaking with aliens. People with good communication skills,good humor, influence, and understanding. Tyson rings a bell
Come on.... definitely Euler!!!! No doubt! His contribution to how to study the universe dwarfs that of anybody else! Respects to Von Neumann and Newton of course...
Similar to watching physical greatness on the baseball Diamond, football field, soccer pitch, golf course, etc….it is also humbling and FUN to listen to intellectual greatness, like these two guys!!!
For the sake of argument, entire nations were afraid of the Greeks because of Archimedes, and we still talk about him. I'm sure we could we could catch him up on things pretty quick. Just a thought, don't berate me please. And I'm not completely sure a scientist is the only option, someone like Mark Twain, or Shakespeare, or Voltaire could represent and prove our intelligence. They could just bring a book voted on by the scientific community to present our "findings". Those guys are are much better conversationalists, Newton may get boring telling them things I assume they would already know.
"We stand on the shoulders of giants."
🍎
.....said Isaac Newton.
The quote is:
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"
Carl sagan, not because he is the smartest but because he has planned for such events, and I trust he would ask the right questions
Gauss, Newton, von Neumann, Archimedes.
correct
and einsteintoo
Von Neumann is probably the most mechanically gifted person this world has ever seen but Einstein was more creative and imaginative.
@@sohelbashar6925 Einstein plagiarized his ideas. Actual physicists with talent thought he was a joke. Was promoted because he was jewish.
@@apedin For that perhaps von Neumann called Gauss as the greatest mathematician.
Gauss, Euler, Da Vinci, Archimedes, Einstein, Ramanujan, Von Neumann, Tao, Witten, Newton...these are the few who come to mind
Von Neumann and Alan Turing :3
Srinivasa Ramanujan, simply because he could figure it out. Whatever it was.
When I was a small kid, my greatest wish was for a time machine. Both to go to the past, simply for my own curiosity, but also to bring folks forward & blow their minds with modern plumbing & etc. I’m the furthest thing from a scientist. I just like history, and everything that involves our weird concepts of time.
I nominate NdeGT for meeting our next alien. Communication & broad open-mindedness would be key. Also chill.
'Also chill'. This is an underrated requirement. We really want our representative to the aliens to be seriously, seriously chill
Huygens was the son of a diplomat and invented mathematical physics, as well as a leader in the worldrenowned physics society in France at the day. He had the chops to communicate, being able to train Leibniz to superstardom math levels as well
Socrates, or possibly Platon who wrote his dialogs, in my opinion.
Leonardo Da Vinci!! He was a master polymath: inventor, musician, scientist, artist, engineer, strategist, architect, etc.... His thirst for intellectual knowledge was unquenchable!! He is considered the highest form of intellectual expression who has ever lived!!
Dr. Tyson, a Mr. Leibniz would like to have a word with you.
well the question wasn’t who was the most influential. so i think the actual answer would be, as others have said, von neumann or da vinci. I think i’d consider aristotle too.
Definitely Edison - best light bulb moment ever.
Eratostenes was a brilliant Greek scientist. But 2,200 years worth of knowledge and information will b too much for him to handle. He calculated the earth circumsference and axial tilt with incredible accuracy. He believed the other planets orbited the sun and even said planet earth is not the only one with life. Whoever the United Nations chose, Carl Sagan would be a great assistant.
"But 2,200 years worth of knowledge and information will b too much for him to handle." - On the other hand, that 2.2K years of human knowledge would be asymptotically near-zero measured against the capacity of beings that could traverse tens/hundreds/thousands of lightyears of space. In that context, our immature human "knowledge" might be completely irrelevant. "Intellect", on the other hand, might be the only special sauce with any hope of problem-solving the communication barrier. Knowledge is a prisoner of its time. Intellect adapts to the variables with which it's presented.
Erathostenes had a fantastic mind that still holds up to any genuine genius of our time, but I'd personally offer the Syracusan polymath Archimedes as my vote for the smartest mind of all antiquity.
His numerous inventions, calculations, and contributions to a variety of different topics truly set him apart amongst all but the most brilliant minds in human history.
Archimedes is truly one of the metaphorical titans upon whose shoulders and contributions to the sciences we now upon stand
The Aetherius society has info that all the planets in this solar system are populated, though at higher vibrations of realty.
In the Vedic books in ancient India The did all that and more many years before the greeks.
It depends whether the alien civilization acts with emotion or conforms to the mistress that is modern science. Either way, I'd be rooting for Feynman to take them to a gentlemen's bar and solve the problem there; maybe incorporate some Bongo or Tuvan throat singing. Von Neumann would be pretty stumped in that scenario
I think the aliens would love him he's defo our best representative
Feyman at a sci-fi bar sounds like a great TV show
Von Neumann was as charismatic as Feynman, but definitely brighter
@nickers7409 I guess I can't say he was for certain but from the articles/research I have read online. He appeared to be liked and enjoyed parties.
The Buddha? Don't dismiss it out of hand. He drilled down to the essence of conscious living; the cause and end of all human suffering. It's not a bad start.
I think there needs be two categories. The first would represent the concrete, such as Newton, Einstein, Feynman, or von Neumann. The companion would understand the abstract, such as Aisimov, de Chardin, or Fuller. Now though (2023) any or all would have access to generative AI.
There's a lot of layers here, and you have to take into consideration the context of the primary question. Sam defers to asking about who was the smartest person in history, but the goal is to have successful communications with Aliens. For sure a comprehensive understanding of math and science is necessary, but there should also be an appreciation of art and history. The person should be an exceptional communicator, and not just have a high cognitive IQ, but also emotionally intelligent. Ironically, I think Tyson's mentor Carl Sagan might have been the best person for the job.
Everyone has been mentioning Newton, Neumann, Da Vinci, Einstein, Euler. No mention of Tesla or, what bothers me more, ludwig wittgenstein. He single handedly unravelled every single academic discipline in a 70 page book of bullet points. If you feel your discipline has not been shaken by his works, that discipline simply has not caught up yet. He talks about the complications of discussing anything without correct language to do so. He was also a fantastic mathematician and musician. Bertrand Russell, you know the guy who showed that maths was built on flawed logic and reinvented logic itself (Hon men Godel), said that Wittgenstein approached him asking if he should be a philosopher or an engineer (that if he was smart the former and an idiot the latter), Russell responded by asking to read something. He read one line and immediately requested that wittgenstein come and work with him. I think it is quite impossible, especially for people who mainly study science, to understand just how insane of a story that is. He then published his second and final work which tore down everything he had built just to reinvent it in an equally bizare, genius and necessary way. I think most other feats would have been achieved by some scientist down the line. The sheer, meta brilliance of observing language and comprehensively analysing that language with the same language, in order to create linguistic tools to use that language more effectively, is something that every field, for the rest of time, will benefit from.
Not sure about Tesla, I think he's very overrated.
@@bojandolinar1535 no thoughts on wittgenstein then?
@@spikehowarth7152 No, don't know philosophers that well.
@@bojandolinar1535 bless yourself! Philosophy is a gift given to us by great minds to deal with this tormenting shit show we call life!
Fucking finally people are talking about how off the map smart Wittgenstein is. Guy literally jerked off to math in the trenches of World War 1 and then deconstructed the masturbatory semantic nature of philosophy with a bullet point mic drop.
I would say the person most able to see into the enigma of the human state would be most able to relate to an alien state, because as far as the average person is concerned the actual human condition may as well be an alien, since the thought-centric associative mind that they call "I" has so little direct perception or even insight into it. I therefore nominate Jan Cox, since he was the first person to realize the significance of the question, "What are you going to think next?" Which Question Sam Harris much later, made a big deal about, and may even understand its implication if he is not really just parroting Cox. Which he seems to do on a regular basis, but forty years later. On the other hand, Harris does have a large audience.
there was an indian man who went to harvard i think, he had a theory about there being a universal pool of knowledge that smart ppl are able to pull from, he takes my vote tbh he also solved a bunch of very advanced mathematic equations that i don’t understand enough about to explain
I think Copernicus and da Vinci were both at least as intelligent as Newton. Both had far greater breadth in their genius.
I’m surprised no one mentioned Leonardo Da Vinci as someone who is the smartest or at least one of the smartest people ever. If you do your research, he’s the most brilliant “pound for pound” person to ever exist hands down.
He is ordinary when compared to Newton. Newton's math/physics is out of league of Leonardo. Leonardo was multi-talented but he was far below Newton's class.
Neil mentioned him
@@critical_analysis if we’re speaking strictly about math & science, then I agree with you. But DaVinci was the original Renaissance man, a literal universal genius of unparalleled proportions who contributed to more fields than Newton.
@@BrockLanders Yeah, I read about him but I am really not sure, if his contributions impacted in any fundamental way to the sciences. He was a genius in art, a polymath but I am afraid his scientific contributions are not at a level compared to his art works. He built ingenious designs some worked, some couldn't and was industrious.
In my view, Isaac Newton was/is the greatest scientific genius who ever lived. No wonder, even the mighty Gauss was in awe of him, so was Laplace and Lagrange. Even, Bernoulli a sort of Newton hater couldn't resist praising the genius of Newton.
@@critical_analysisNewton lived two hundred years after Da Vinci so expecting him to make the same discoveries as Newton is ridiculous. Da Vinci was much father ahead of his contemporaries than was Newton. De Vinci’s inventions two hundred year before Newton were far ahead of Newton. Than add in his art. Newton was a idiot savant compared to the breadth of Da Vinci’s genius.
Newton was my gut reaction, of course. But I would also like to cast a vote for both Richard Feynman and Enrico Fermi. Staggering intellects, all of them.
Easily Leonardo da Vinci, no one comes close to everything he has done. Just because people weren't smart enough to understand what he wrote does not mean he was less. The fellow designed flying machines long before people could fly. He made tools that were used to make tiny screws that revolutionized the world. Most famous painting in the world. Newton is like a line and da Vinci is like square feet.
The smartest person in history was smart enough not to have the attention or limelight on themselves and ran the world from the shadows.
No and the fact that you proportionally relate intelligence with power is proof you're a simple folk.
@@genesmith3582 the fact that you commented means you’re insecure and feeble minded.
Its Da Vinci. There have been geniuses throughout history, but they're geniuses in a particular field. Da Vinci was a genius in many fields. He didnt have much influence because he never published his notebook's, but his brilliance is there for us to observe now.
...this is the correct answer...he was brilliant in multiple fields. A lot of pure mathematicians/ physicists being mentioned here. Maths, physics, engineering, art, architecture, humor......
Bullshit. Most of stories surrounding da Vinci is myth. Made up fables with no actual records. Modern scientific community were never able to replicate or extend his findings. Because they don't exist in reality other than fanboys forum. Same applies to Tesla as well. These are urban legends to sell books and get video views. These kind of forgetten geniuses stories have high emotional and shock values.
Yes, the ultimate polymath, he is the best answer to this question. Not necessarily who is the biggest genius with the biggest contributions, but who would represent the best of humanity, not just math and science but the arts as well.
Gauss, Newton and WJS.
On IQ terms my vote is for John von Neumann, the man was a freaking beast on speed, then are people 200+ IQ and geniuses such as Gauss, Archimedes, Newton, Euler, etc. On genius: Einstein, Godel, Ramanujan, Mozart, etc.
It's difficult to ascertain an IQ for creative arts, like how smart was Mozart. It's muich less complex for physicists and mathematicians, however complex still. If you are smart beyonf the comperehension of others, there stands a risk you will never be heard let alone acknowledged. If you are grounded with the times and still smart then it might become something that the rest will benefit from.
You forgot tesla. because of his ingenuity and diligence, he very might as well be the most intelligent man in history.
Ken Gamarra Tesla: Ingenuity and Brilliance
Von Neumann: Diligence and creativity
Where would you place ramanujan?
Tesla was in fact one of the most brilliant, but he was different compared to John von Neumann. Probably Tesla was a 200+ IQ person and more creative even than von Neumann. But on IQ terms Johnny was so fast, nobody is close to him. Of course, there are anothers geniuses.
Ramanujan is tough to beat in math creativity: even he was compared with Euler, Gauss or even better by Hardy. Ramanujan: probably the most creative mathematician. He said that the goddess namagiri told him the solutions in dreams.
ramanujan is unlikely in the list he is a mathematician and struggled in sanskrit(language)
his verbal intelligence might be really low
I agree that Newton was probably the smartest person, but its obviously hard for us mere mortals to calibrate the greats. Personally I would nominate Feynman, as he had an extraordinary intellect but was a well rounded human being which Newton wasn't.
One thing I have learned in my 30 year career in computer software is super geniuses tend to be a huge pain to interact with and it's generally preferable to deal with someone maybe not so brilliant but more well rounded. I have dealt with someone who was an unbelievably brilliant engineer AND very pleasant to deal with but that's rare.
John Von Neumann
I don't understand how five brains can have a group conversation .faster then the speed of sound.becouse there is no sound.faster then the speed of light . because there is no light .but the conversation is in tune with thought time and distance.that is the question.if I can get an answer.i will also say the last two witch are time and distance don't even matter because question and answer witch make up conversation are heard and responded to with in a tenth of a second
Isaac Newton hands down. I truly believe that if he were alive today his IQ would be incalculable. He was truly an enigma. The kind of intelligence that comes around once in a few handfuls of generations, and needs to be lucky enough to have been born in the right place to have proper influence and adequate resources to be utilized. An absolute hyper-genius. He was also well known to have been extremely odd and most likely autistic.
John Von Neumann was the Smartest! He could divide 8 digit numbers by 8 digit numbers when he was a young child,...his intellect EXPLODED from there!
John Von Neumann was certainly more intelligent, he was not only a great mathematician and computer scientist, but he helped people from all sorts of professions to solve terribly complex problems, in economics for example. Newton was unbelievable as well but Neumann had the same depth as newton with much more breadth to his knowledge.
@@joaogarcia6170 nah...
James Clerk Maxwell he combine 20 equations to fours and gave us the theory of electromagnetism and light. No doubt he will be the best candidate.
Newton spent the majority of his time trying to decode the Bible, imagine if he grew up today, with all the resources we have
Its tough, really, but is Leonardo Da Vinci. Its true, there was a huge problem with his notebooks, but it wasn't his fault. I mean the scope of his mind was beyond everything. He even invented robots... I mean, the guy was an alien, for sure.
I am surprised that Aristotle does not rank among the leading names. NO ONE has impacted human knowledge to the extent and the time as he has.
An intelligent alien life would dwarf us so much it would be irrelevant to chose "the smartest one". If you have an average alien IQ of 100 and humanity average 5 on the same scale, a smart alien with an iq of 140 won't be able to feel the difference between a human who scores 5 and one who score 7. What you need isn't the smartest, it's the less aggressive / threatening. The fact that people think human would be able to speak on the same level is ultimately a joke. People do not realize a civilization able to travel between stars would be so much more advanced, they would probably consider our intelligence closer to insect than to them.
The average human iq in developed nations is 100
My vote would go to the great philosopher Yogi Berra!
I have always thought that the human first contactor should be a stage magician with a good backlog of tricks, and excellent personal presentation. It would tell us a lot if the aliens couldn't see through it.
at least the first thought wouldn't be about warfare.
I love this guy… i usually hate cocky ppl bug what he says is so thought out and true and hes abiding to anyone or any platform. He gets to say what he wants and noones gona stop him. Thats a real man thats america. Hes a scientist cowboy. But niel if you read this. Dont get too cocky. I wouldnt want to see you get caughtup in a scandle. They were already gunning for you and that was bs. Theres just haters out there. Dont let em get you.
Probably Archimedes, who 250 BC was able to leap mathematics and discover new sciences. He was an alien in his time
I rarely agree with Tyson. But yes, Newton it is. Most added a piece to the human knowledge base, Newton, it's like he went on Mt Sinai and came back with thr bible.
Newton was the first to that came to my mind...
Aristotelezz same
@@SomeRandomGtaDude-zl3us Newton invented calculus in his sleep at 25 y/o. Just imagine.
If they have to compete with the aliens you should probably go with someone like Bobby Fischer since he was a chess world champion and was tough as nails at that sort of thing.
People in the comments does't wanna say "Einstein" not to feel like common.
I have known a great many intelligent people in my life. I knew Max Planck, Max von Laue, and Wemer Heisenberg. Paul Dirac was my brother-in-Iaw; Leo Szilard and Edward Teller have been among my closest friends; and Albert Einstein was a good friend, too. And I have known many of the brightest younger scientists. But none of them had a mind as quick and acute as Jancsi von Neumann. I have often remarked this in the presence of those men, and no one ever disputed me. [...] But Einstein's understanding was deeper than even Jancsi von Neumann's. His mind was both more penetrating and more original than von Neumann's. And that is a very remarkable statement. Einstein took an extraordinary pleasure in invention. Two of his greatest inventions are the Special and General Theories of Relativity; and for all of Jancsi's brilliance, he never produced anything so original.
I humbly nominate Ramanujan. He's the most underrated genius in our history no doubt.
Matheticians shouldn't be considered genius. They are no different from story writers. Like making their own imagination
It's only because mathematics sometimes maps to reality which earns mathematicians respect.
It's a circular field like philosophy with no real progress.
@@ThatisnotHair one of the most ignorant comments I've ever seen posted on CZcams. If anything, Mathematicians are the purest of geniuses.
In terms of those who advanced the complexity of our analytical thinking in the science:
1. Newton - Invented calculus and used it to create theory of Gravitation. First use of "higher" math in the sciences.
2. Einstein - Created a geometric model for space and time, which previous were just considered measurements. (Introducing the next "higher" level of sophistication in modelling nature in with unintutive mathetmatical models.
3. Fayman - Developed quantum field theory (along with others). Arguably more complex and sophisticated than General relativity in terms of mathematical modelling via quantum field theory.
I would send Fayman. He had a sense of humor the aliens would appreciate.
Feynmann is all publicity. Not even top 5 physicist of the 20th century.
Marcus Aurelius. Non had the same weight on their shoulders as he did.
Yes send in the scientist with no people skills if there advanced and here to meet us the last thing that would interest them is a beginners guid to the galaxy.
Von Neumann of course
05:50 Badass as hell. Wasn't he also the only scientist allowed to in/out from Los Alamos as he pleased?
To me its Leonardo Da Vinci he did so much so well
*EDIT:* The interaction between Einstein and the reporter most likely never happened. Just a untrue story circulate the internet. Sorry for spreading it.
So Einstein was NEVER asked by a reporter " How does it feal to be the smartest man in the room?". .And Einstein most likely NEVER said "I do not know, you have to ask Nicolas Tesla". The interaction never took place.
He never said that mate.
@@Gallowglass7 You are right. The quote was one of those thing I read somewhere and did not give it much though. After 10min googling it is pretty obvious the quote is most likely not true. Thanks for letting me know 👍
@@TheRobinL It's all good man and no problem. Yeah, I saw someone else a while back quote that and I checked it up and it didn't seem likely to me either
I've been caught out a few times now, so I tend to be skeptical these days, depending on said quote.
From what I have heard he said that but it was sarcastic
Von Neumann hands down. No one else compares.
Nonsense
@@johnhopkinson4054 you're nonsense
Newton imo
Grigori Perlman, frederich gauss, Edward witten. I don't know why folks fall back on Von Neumann so frequently, maybe I'm wrong.
Von Neumann made contributions to many fields and he was also social and able to talk to people
Fantastic show. Joe and de grasse tyson are magnificent
Isaac Newton is considered the greatest scientist of all time.
who studed math and physics knows his influence in science, for example the law of gravity is everywhere in physics, the world we know now, it will not be exist without the work of Newton.
After him is Bernhard Riemann.
No he is not
In case there’s any debate, bear in mind that the JWST is basically a Newtonian reflector telescope. Basic design invented by Professor Newton.
Probably Marilynn Voss Savant, or Aristotle or Tesla. One of those three.
It's me
"I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops."
Stephen Jay Gould, The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History
True intelligence requires wisdom.
Can we not ignore that Sam Harris was able to finish sentences without getting interrupted by Neil
Fully agree....Tyson is only interested in hearing himself talk and he is nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is.
@@surry99 you're not as smart as you think you're either
William Sidis no doubt was the smartest person in the world and could of done more if his parents didn’t mess him up
True. Only if he had good friends.
I doubt.
Based on wikipedia
Give me Wild Bill Shakespeare.
Wild Bill? Like the founder of the CIA.
@@michaelterrell5061 harry Truman is founder of cia.
Hawking stated something like we should hope contact never happens because if aliens have the ability to find us that might indicate that they are so advanced that their treatment of us would be similar to our treatment of ants. Re the topic here, do we distinguish the smartest ant from the rest?
Why does it need to be a numbers guy? Jodie Foster had a great line in that flick, "They should have sent a poet." Tons of movies make examples of this. Captain America, strength of character vs a Yes Sir soldier, Avatar, plenty of other of these examples.
My vote would be Twain, or someone of that calibre.
Why send a numbers guy?
James Joyce
Numbers are universal, while skill in language is very culture specific. The aliens wouldn't understand wordplay, they would likely understand scientific equations.
@kevineiford2153 The idea is more in perception and broader analysis. Poets, Authors, one could argue, bring more humanity to the situation than a numbers guy.
While "math" might be an avenue of communication, who the freak knows.
My comment was also a bit of a jab at these guys, fellow math guys were all they considered.
@@kevineiford2153 The only universal area would be atoms.
@@burstcity3832 Perhaps, but atoms can be easily determined numerically using atomic numbers. We sent messages into space with the numbers 1 - 10 written, and a description of the atomic numbers for the atoms that makeup DNA. Planetary systems may also be universal to life.
My great grandfather is the smartest human to ever lived...
3:48 he states that Newton would not know what energy means today? Newton defined energy. He gave us the relationship between force, which he knew was ENERGY spent per time, and mass and the movement of that mass.
James Clerk Maxwell, Paul Dirac, Albert Einstein, there are so many geniuses many provided contributions to a significant contribution to science
William sidis
Had Newton never been born, Leibniz would have been the person credited with inventing calculus, Galileo with the laws of motion and gravity, and Kepler would be the famous optician. Celestial mechanics would have been viewed as coming from both Leibniz and Kepler.
In other words, it is the Anglocentric view on the history of science that really elevates Newton to god status. I'm not saying he wasn't a genius, but it is preposterous to say that without him we wouldn't have the modern physics we have today. The role of the individual was not that great in the era of the scientific revolution, and his achievements and discoveries would have been merely postponed for several years or decades had he not lived.
What a stupid statement of yours is. Read some stuff man, Leibniz himself was in awe of Newton. Gauss and Lagrange said there was none smarter than Newton. He was the greatest intellect.
Newtonian discoveries would have been delayed by decades had he not lived?
I think you mean centuries mate.
And who gives a fuck about newtons ethnicity?
You're the only one who brought up him being anglo, super intelligence is available to all races and tribes across the world, but newton was the freak of all freaks.
@Leonhard Euler what did he meant??
Newton completed a mathematical problem in a single night that Leibniz and other geniuses needed months for.
Look up the story of Isaac Newton’s Lion Claw
@@fredbarker9201 Von Neumann would have done that problem in a few seconds (it's not even a joke, it's highly plausible). Newton is very overrated.
Neil deGrasse Tyson whould appoint himself.😂
William-James Sidis
So nobody is going to talk about leonardo da vinci
Da Vinci unlike Newton , Tesla, Ramanujan or Hawking excelled in both science as well as art... He is an excellent example of a polymath...
Definitely deserves a mention...
His only problem was procrastination and unfinished projects but I don't know how much that's true...
Goethe
John von Neumann and Archimedes were in another dimension with superhuman inteligence Maybe Aryabhata is next to them.
Very interesting question.
My best guess. Tesla or Da Vinte
It would be Naoki Yoshida.
A intelligent species could simply download all data on the internet and would know the human race really well, vs talking to one individual.
How'd you figure that out?
Leipnitz?
nordhorny leepnutz*
nordhorny thanks, i’m actually a 5x international spelling bee champion
Plato, Aristotle...
I would suggest a very qualified and innovative carpenter. What good is the mastery of physics and language and mathematics if the two species cannot communicate. The carpenter would be able to build something so both species could see it (assuming he has wood and tool availables). A picture is worth a thousand words. One could say the same thing about a sketch artist or draftsman.
Creativity is another metrics. Influential scientists have intelligence and creativity in a strange mixture. Same in all fields. Also there are many types of intelligence. There are 5 types of mathematical intelligence, or something. IQ as a single measure is very limited. Plus the senses. To hit a curve ball you have to have far better than 2020 vision. Leonardo drew birds in flight that had to be verified by movie cameras. He designed an experiment that determined how the aortic valve closed that was verified only recently. He was good at geometry but not at algebra. I know many brilliant people and they are so different including by motivation. These conversations about who is the smartest are so, um, linear when talking about multidimensional geniuses. PS Newton was not a pleasant person. Vindictive to the extreme. Also, no one mentioned Leibniz...
Metric singular...
The irony is, you have to be deep in a particular lore to even begin to understand the loremasters. So this question is inevitably a "blind men describing an elephant" paradox. A case in point was Einstein and his GRT. He had one of humanity's greatest insights, but struggled with the math. In fact, he greatly feared better mathematicians would steal his idea, e.g., the Göttingen people under David Hilbert. Hilbert supposedly reassured him they wouldn't. But then this raises the question of whether they could have. Personally, I believe applied and theoretical genius is apples and oranges, and you really can't compare, much less chose between the two. Freeman Dyson is another great example where he reconciled Schwinger and Feynman. Kleene explained Gödel, reconciled Church and Turing. What about the explainer/reconcilers?
Wow! This comment is just way over my head, way too smart! I applaud you!
However, in my defense, I say that my experience has brought me street smarts, I can operate heavy equipment, I have certifications for safety, CPR, Dozer, Loader, Trenchers, Motor Grader, fork lifts, man lifts, and tractor trailer tanker (no hazmat). I have coordinated a crew requires safety precautions... yet somehow I feel like I just can't be on the same level as you... is there something wrong with me or does my mind specialize in a particular are only!
I keep thinking Einstein being bad at math is an urban legend.
@@Obsidian_One1 You have a genius others would envy. I think anyone in the "trades" is very smart. In Germany you get certified as Meister, which is pretty much the same as "professor" for all the stuff they learn. Many different types of genius.
@@michaelbauers8800 He was world-class for sure, but he wasn't at the very tip-top -- simply because as a physicist he didn't specialize in math. Again, Göttingen had people that could have made headway with GTR, but out of professional courtesy didn't try to steal his thunder. But it makes me think theoretical math has all kinds of applications just waiting to be discovered.
@@michaelbauers8800compared to the rest of mankind he was a genius at math, but even so there were people that were better at it than him. Einstein's true genius relies on his imagination, ingenuity and capacity to reinvent the way we look at the universe.
I would go with Brian Cox, apart from just his scientific aptitude he has a great grasp of philosophy, humanity and is compassionate. Sure all the suggestions are great, but I have no idea of their personalities.
From what I’ve learned, Newton would be a HORRIBLE choice given his pettiness towards colleagues and closemindedness to ideas he didn’t like.
@@mumblesbadly7708I think Von Neumann would be the best option as he was very likeable and social but was also the brightest mind of his generation