Ridiculous History IQ Tests are (Kind of) Dumb
Apr 2, 2026
A lively dive into the history and quirks of IQ testing. They trace the test's origins, ethical missteps, and how it was used to sort and harm people. The conversation covers cultural bias, attempts at fairer tests, and why scores only capture a narrow slice of cognition. They also touch on soaring generational scores and whether extreme reported IQs mean much.
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Binet Designed Tests To Diagnose Not Rank
- Alfred Binet created an alternative to Galton's memory-focused tests by measuring judgment, comprehension, reasoning, and attention.
- Binet aimed to diagnose children needing educational help rather than rank or label them permanently.
Give Students Test Accommodations When Needed
- Schools and parents should accommodate different learning needs, for example by granting extra time on exams for students with anxiety.
- Noel Brown cites his child's assessment in Atlanta that yielded useful test-time accommodations.
Stanford Binet Turned Binet Into A Comparative Scale
- Louis Terman adapted Binet's work into the Stanford-Binet test in 1916, making an individually administered IQ measure for young children.
- Modern IQ uses deviation scoring with a mean of 100 and SD around 16 to compare individuals.