Precocious genius: This is the 2-year-old boy who has broken all records with an extraordinary IQ
A 2-year-old British toddler has become the youngest boy to join MENSA, meaning his IQ is higher than 98% of the population.
The words “what a smart baby!” took on a different meaning with 2-year-old Joseph Harris-Birtill, a toddler from the United Kingdom. Born on November 23, 2021, little Joseph became the youngest person ever to be accepted to MENSA, at the ripe age of 2 years and 182 days. A few years back, Isla McNabb, a baby genius from Kentucky, broke the record with her admission to MENSA granted at 2 years old and 194 days.
How does one become a part of MENSA?
According to MENSA, membership is dependent on taking an "approved intelligence test" wherein the applicant scores "within the upper two percent of the general population."
Though MENSA does not provide a certain IQ that would grant access to the club, scoring in the 98th percentile on many of the approved tests would be associated with an IQ over 132.
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Little Joseph’s parents soon realized he was ‘exceptional’
According to the Guinness World Records, the youngest said his first word at 7 months, which surprised his parents, who quickly noticed how intelligent their son was. Joseph’s parents, David and Rose, are both academics, and said they turned to MENSA as it is one of the only organizations that creates resources for highly intelligent children.
His mother, Rose, who works as an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews, said that he and her husband soon realized their son “was an exceptional little being” soon after he was born. At five weeks, he rolled over, a milestone most infants achieve between 4 and 6 months. As previously mentioned, speech came naturally to Joseph, and his parents say that at just under two years old, he “read his first book out loud from cover to cover.” The detail of which book was left out of the story, but regardless, the mental capabilities of the child are shocking.
Though many who hear about Joseph’s story focus on his intelligence, his parents emphasized in interviews that their son is also warm, kind, and a friend to all children he meets. For his parents, these qualities are just as crucial as his IQ. Though he won’t be taking chemistry for a couple of years, David and Rose say he is learning the periodic table, while also taking on Morse code.
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