Thread by @iamluismalheiro

This woman has the Highest IQ ever recorded (228).

Miles away from Einstein (160-190), Hawking (160) or Musk (155).

Despite this, she was ridiculed for her answer to what seemed a simple problem.

Yet she saw what no one else could.

Here's her story: 🧵

Marilyn Vos Savant wasn't your usual kid.

By age 10 she:

• Memorized entire books
• Read all 24 volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica
• Had the highest IQ ever recorded (228)

She was destined to be a genius.

But the reality was different.

“No one paid much attention to me. Mostly because I was a girl, and I accepted that."

She attended a regular public school.

Left Washington University after 2 years to help run her parents' business.

And in 1985, fate took a sharp turn...

The Guinness Book of World Records listed her as "Highest IQ" with a 228 IQ

Marilyn was in the spotlight:

• Cover of major magazines such as the New York and the Parade Magazines.
• Appeared on Late Night with David Letterman.

She couldn't imagine what would come after...

Marilyn landed a position at Parade Magazine, starting her famous "Ask Marilyn" column.

The dream of someone with a passion for writing.

Which would soon become a nightmare.

All because of one question...

The Monty Hall Problem, September 1990.

Named after Monty Hall, the host of "Let's Make a Deal".

Here is the question she was asked: 👇

You're on a game show.

You got 3 doors.

1 has a car and the other 2 have goats.

You pick a door.

The host opens another door to reveal a goat.

Would you switch doors?

Her answer: "Yes, you should switch."

She got over 10,000 letters, with nearly 1,000 from PhDs.

90% stated how wrong she was:

• "You are the goat!"
• "You blew it, and you blew it big!"
• "Maybe women look at math problems differently than men."

But was she wrong?

Consider these 2 scenarios:

1. You pick the door with the car (1/3 chance):
• You switch, you lose

2. You pick a door with a goat (2/3 chance):
• Monty shows the other goat
• You switch, you win

Switching wins 2/3 of the time.

Eventually, she was proven right...

MIT ran computer simulations that confirmed her answer.

MythBusters conducted tests to prove it.

Some academics recognized their mistake and apologized.

But why did so many fail to see it?

The reasons:

• People tend to "reset" the scenario when presented with a new choice
• The small numbers (3 doors) make it harder to grasp
• They assume each door has a 50% chance

What is causing people to think like this?

Marilyn blames the compulsory schooling system.

She argues that this system:

• Creates passive learners
• Discourages independent thinking
• Inhibits exploration of preferred fields

Marilyn feels alone in a crowded room.

It's not easy being this smart.

Whenever she needs answers, there's no one to turn to.

Still, she regards her intellect as a blessing rather than a burden.

I hope you enjoyed this thread.

What was your initial response to the Monty Hall problem?

Did your answer change after the explanation?

What are your thoughts on the schooling system?

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