Did Einstein's descendants inherit Einstein's IQ?

[luisam]

Einstein's descendants did inherit his IQ, to an extent. First let's step back a little bit and talk about IQ heritability. IQ is highly heritable, and that heritability is largely driven by genes (from 50% to more than 70% according to most estimates, some going as high as 90%). However, there are a few things to take into account when you are talking about exceptionally intelligent people. First, you have the fact that Einstein's children, obviously, also have a mother, and therefore inherited their IQs from her as well. Now, Mileva Maric, Einstein's wife, was also pretty smart. In fact, she contributed to some of Einstein's work. But assuming she was less smart than Einstein, that would have been a factor driving the children's IQs down. Secondly, there is the concept of regression towards the mean. What this tells us is that if both your parents are exceptional in a certain respect, you will probably be exceptional in that respect as well but not as much as your parents. So if both your parents are geniuses, you might be just as smart as them, you might be even smarter than them, but more likely you will be pretty smart, but not quite as smart as them.

 

Now on to Einstein's descendants. The thing you have to understand is that the Einstein family has been plagued with health problems. You see, Einstein had three children. There was Lieserl, who died in infancy (probably when she was one-year-old). Not much can be said about her intelligence, obviously. There was Eduard, who was a promising medical student, but then started developing schizophrenia. He was institutionalized for a large part of his life and the primitive treatment methods he was subjected to deeply affected his cognitive abilities.

Then you have Hans Albert Einstein. Hans Albert was a pretty brilliant scientist. He was a professor of hydraulic engineering at UC Berkeley and the world's foremost expert on sediment transport.(*) That might not sound as impressive as his father's achievements, but that still makes him a pretty smart person. Hans Albert's children, again, had many of the health problems that characterized the first generation of Einstein descendants. You see, Hans Albert had four biological children, but only one of them, Bernhard Einstein, ever survived to adulthood.

 

Bernhard was a pretty smart guy. He became a physicist, worked in engineering for Texas Instruments TXN -0.19% and Litton Industries, and received half a dozen US patents in his lifetime. That's pretty decent, but that's not quite as great an achievement as his grandfather's.

Bernhard had five children, but no information seem to be publicly available on any of them. Let's assume they have lives similar to their father's: pretty successful by normal standards, pretty unsuccessful compared to their great-grandfather.

 

Here's the thing: we have the IQs of none of these people, and we don't want to judge their lives. However, at least with regards to their scientific achievements, you could say that this is a good example of regression to the mean: from the greatest physicist in the world to the foremost expert in a relatively restricted scientific field to a pretty good engineer. That's what the Einstein lineage looks like.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/08/16/einstein-was-a-formidable-genius-but-what-about-his-kids/#145baa60f008

 

(*) According to my late hydraulics professor in the university, Federico Lovera, who developed his doctoral thesis on sediment transport with Hans Einstein in Stanford University, Albert Einstein used to say that no one in the world understood better river hydraulics and sediment transport than Hans and he considered fluvial hydraulics much more complex than quantum mechanics and relativity

 

[tao]

An interesting question?:  From where did Einstein inherit his IQ (genious)?   Any ideas?  

[luisam]

52 minutes ago, adi said:

An interesting question?:  From where did Einstein inherit his IQ (genious)?   Any ideas?  

 

Obviously, parents of exceptionally intelligent people, like Einstein's, might be just have ordinary or at least, not a really outstanding intelligence level. Also, a parent might be exceptionally intelligent but lack the proper education.  So, even if you are by no way an "Einstein", hopefully your smart kid might grow up to have a really exceptional IQ.

By the way, with so many exceptionally smart babies, why there are so many dumb adults?

[tao]

Thanks (for the article). 

So, anything may happen -- without cause. 

 

"The only thing that we know is that we know nothing — and that is the highest flight of human wisdom."  ~ Leo Tolstoy

[FreeRyde]

4 hours ago, luisam said:

 

Obviously, parents of exceptionally intelligent people, like Einstein's, might be just have ordinary or at least, not a really outstanding intelligence level. Also, a parent might be exceptionally intelligent but lack the proper education.  So, even if you are by no way an "Einstein", hopefully your smart kid might grow up to have a really exceptional IQ.

By the way, with so many exceptionally smart babies, why there are so many dumb adults?

 

Since the most recent U.S. Presidential election, the majority have been asking the same question.

[WALLONN7]

25 minutes ago, FreeRyde said:

 

Since the most recent U.S. Presidential election, the majority have been asking the same question.

 

[davmil]

14 hours ago, FreeRyde said:

 

Since the most recent U.S. Presidential election, the majority have been asking the same question.

 

13 hours ago, WALLONN7 said:

 

What of the people that voted for him? Born dumb or poorly educated (both is a possibility).  It took 2 to tango.

[funkyy]

Einstein was definitely not a noob...I should know!!!

[tao]

23 hours ago, FreeRyde said:

Since the most recent U.S. Presidential election, the majority have been asking the same question.

But not in Canada.  Why?: Justin Pierre James Trudeau!  

 

As long as Entre Amis remains alive, no worries, eh.  

 

[FreeRyde]

Quote

But not in Canada.  Why?: Justin Pierre James Trudeau!

 

As long as Entre Amis remains alive, no worries, eh.

 

 

The answer to your question is obvious even to those that didn't vote for Trudeau.

But I'll play along... What reasonably specific similarities do you draw in comparison?

 

You also lost me with your reference to the 2015 French comedy 'Entre Amis'.

[tao]

33 minutes ago, FreeRyde said:

The answer to your question is obvious even to those that didn't vote for Trudeau.

But I'll play along... What reasonably specific similarities do you draw in comparison?

 

You also lost me with your reference to the 2015 French comedy 'Entre Amis'.

First: Apologies for causing confusion ("But not in Canada.  Why?:"). 

 

Then:  "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."   ~ Eienstein.

 

(Hence kept the earlier post simple:) 

 

In keeping with the theme of Einstein's descendents inheriting his IQ, Justin's inheritance from Pierre was highlighted.  (Please don't read any more than this, especially political.  )

 

Entre Amis was Canada's gift to the United States on its bicentennial (Trudeau to Ford). 

 

[FreeRyde]

29 minutes ago, adi said:

n keeping with the theme of Einstein's descendents inheriting his IQ, Justin's inheritance from Pierre was highlighted.  (Please don't read any more than this, especially political.  )

 

 

Entre Amis was Canada's gift to the United States on its bicentennial (Trudeau to Ford). 

 

 

Nice references!

I learned something today.

Thanks!

[tao]

Q: Since you are from BC, FreeRyde, have you had the fortune to visit the Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau in the Premier Range?

 

Allow me this indulgence of recommending a book, please: Memoirs by Pierre Trudeau.  

 

 

[tao]

Pierre Trudeau's Legacy:

 

"We wish nothing more, but we will accept nothing less. Masters in our own house we must be, but our house is the whole of Canada."

 

and

 

"Canada will be a strong country when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them."

 

Vive le Canada!/Long live Canada! 

 

[FreeRyde]

1 hour ago, adi said:

Q: Since you are from BC, FreeRyde, have you had the fortune to visit the Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau in the Premier Range?

 

Allow me this indulgence of recommending a book, please: Memoirs by Pierre Trudeau.  

 

 

 

Years ago in another life, we often detoured to the nearby community of Valemount and surrounding areas to hike and fish for trout, kokanee, and whitefish at nearby lakes, whilst on vacations.

The village is lovely, and the area is beautiful and relatively untouched, with the exception of the lumber industry.

Located quite close to the Alberta border, it's only a few hours drive through the highway Pass, by Mt. Robson, and into Jasper National Park.

You can continue on to Banff National Park, and then back into B.C. to Glacier National Park, and eventually into the Okanogan region.

A nice relaxing and relatively inexpensive way to spend a week or two. Admittedly, gas was pretty cheap in those days.

In my later life, I have traveled as far as Russia and most countries between, but my fondest memories are of those vacations throughout B.C. and Alberta.

No, I am not B.C.'s Tourism Minister. It's just different strokes for different folks.

[tao]

1 hour ago, FreeRyde said:

Years ago in another life ...

Jasper National Park ...  Banff National Park, ... Glacier National Park ...

[...]

In my later life, I have traveled as far as Russia and most countries between, but my fondest memories are of those vacations throughout B.C. and Alberta.

No, I am not B.C.'s Tourism Minister. It's just different strokes for different folks.

No, I am also not a tourism minister nor a tourism promoter nor a tourist.  But it seems I have "the same strokes." 

 

Years ago in another incarnation: Jasper, Banff, Athabasca glacier [snow in July]  (Icefields Parkway) are the fondest memories.     (And Glacier national Park among others in the US).

 

The best of the best (favorite): Peyto Lake!

 

In later incarnation: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bangkok, Singapore, Indonesia, and as far as Australia.