======= Date Modified 19 Nov 2009 15:47:35 =======
On what basis are you assuming that we have low IQs Cleverclogs?! Actually, the last time I had my IQ measured, I had a very good IQ score. Now that was a very long time ago, and I don't attach any importance to it whatsoever, because having studied a whole module on intelligence, I realise how limited these tests are. I have never mentioned this IQ test to anyone as it is irrelevant to me, but you have now provoked me into it! So no, I (and I'm sure many others here) don't happen to have a low IQ and are certainly not trying to discredit your apparently high IQ to feel better about our own! As I said, I don't believe that I am amazingly clever (PhD or no PhD)- I certainly know people in our department who I think are much smarter than me. Anyway, I doubt that most people on this forum happen to know of the top of their head what their IQ score is. And if IQ was genuinely considered to be the hallmark of a good researcher, then exam marks, experience, and good references wouldn't mean a thing- we would simply sit an IQ test and the person with the highest IQ would get the post. Anyway, the original post was just about the assumptions people make when you say you are doing a PhD, irrespective of one's actual ability. I didn't expect it to turn into quite such a debate! KB.

======= Date Modified 19 Nov 2009 17:14:29 =======
Well that isn't the probability of us having 'low' IQs- I assume you're meaning that is the probability of us having 'lower' IQs than you, which obviously isn't the same thing at all, or what I was asking you. And given that this is a forum for PhD students, then you are not dealing with a population with an average IQ of 100 anyway, so you would be wrong to assume that the same percentages etc would apply to the PhD population, hence this probability would not be applicable in this context. And just to really upset you, I happen to know that you do not have the highest IQ out of everyone on this forum anyway! Unlucky :)

Anyway, I can feel myself being dragged into a very petty argument with you, which I am not going to allow myself to do, it is detracting from the main debate on this thread. KB

Hmmm, I am not convinced about the charm bit ;-)

You weren't convinced about the intelligence bit either; must suck being wrong twice in a row 8-)

hmmm now cleverclogs you did say 'raw' charm, so perhaps your charm intelligence is no so high :-)

I suspect that actually I have not been wrong twice in a row, but then neither of us can prove that right or wrong seeing as though it is rather subjective, so it's a bit of a pointless battle really!

I didn't do well in school at all. Repeated twice and still didn't get enough points to do what I wanted to do. Got to where I am in a roundabout way (National service, unpaid internships, etc). No degree, no masters. I'm preparing for my viva exam in early December now. Must be doing something right. ;-)