1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: There's Charles w Chuck Bryant and Jerry Rowlands lurking um 4 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 1: in the background. And this is Stuff you should know. 5 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: Smarty pants a dish m hm hmm. We're doing MENSA right, 6 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: Oh god, no I thought you were. I thought we 7 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: were doing a cage free re dux. Yes, this is 8 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: about MENTA. That's what I have pulled up to Chuck. 9 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: So this works out just fine. All right, let's do it. 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: So um. Dave Russe helped us out with this one. 11 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: And um he mentioned a bit of news that if 12 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: you looked up MENSA recently, would be hard to miss. 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: But I believe it was their youngest member ever was 14 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: inducted into MENSA. Mensa by the way, UM, for those 15 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: of you who don't know, IS bills itself as the 16 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: High i Q Society. It stands for it doesn't stand 17 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: for anything, so, which is super smart if you stop 18 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: and think about it. Yeah, it feels like it should 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: be an acronym, but it's not. Definitely. I'm with you, 20 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: but it will just go ahead and say it means 21 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: table in Latin yeah, and in Spanish slang it's a 22 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: female goofball or dumb person. Strangely enough, the irony Is 23 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: had tip to Dave Rus for putting that one out. 24 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: So as I was saying, it's a high i Q society, 25 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: it's society for smarty pants, as you put it, and 26 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: they inducted they inducted their youngest member recently, who was 27 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: two years old. Two years old, sure, and they don't 28 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: so they don't discriminate by age, which is great bully 29 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: for them. And I believe on their website they say 30 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: they're their membership ranges and ages two to a hundred 31 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: and two. I knew they were going to say that, 32 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: and I wonder if there's like a hundred and four 33 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: year old MENSUM members, Like what the F Yeah, I 34 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: just I didn't fit in with the cool uh whatever. 35 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: It's not even a rhyme, you know what I mean. Yeah, 36 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: I've always felt really bad about UM, the people in Uh. 37 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: Why what is that Christmas song? Kids from one too? 38 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: It's like year olds still appreciate Christmas. You know. I 39 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: cut that whole group out, And then you stop and 40 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: think this is written in the mid century and there 41 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: was like almost no one living to ninety two because 42 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 1: they were all having coroneries from cigars and scotches and 43 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 1: steaks all at once. It's kind of a random age, 44 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: though it is, but it rhyme, which is what I 45 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: think means it did here too. But regardless of this 46 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 1: two year old cache quest, um, just a queues a 47 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: button has an i Q of on, which means she's 48 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 1: got it all basically, and with an i q of 49 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: ont six, that puts her well above the minimum wronment 50 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: to be accepted in a MENSA, which is usually about 51 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: an i q of about one thirty two. Yeah, so 52 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: you may have seen that in the news if you 53 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, David is right to point out 54 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: if you mentioned mensa, the first thing most people will say, 55 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: and I don't know how this got so into the 56 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: public consciousness, but they will generally say, oh, you know, 57 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: Gina Davis is a MENSA member. Uh, she must have 58 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: mentioned in an interview or something. But it's been a 59 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,839 Speaker 1: long time, because I've heard that for a long long 60 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: time as like the sort of go to fact for MENSA. Yeah, 61 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: I also heard another thing about Gene Davis. She used 62 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: to bake cookies and bring them to like meetings. She was. Well. 63 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: I heard another thing about Gina Davis because our our 64 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: friend and friend of the show, Jesse Thorne, interviewed her 65 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: on his great interview show Bulls Eye, and he said 66 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: that Gina Davis is the best person and he said 67 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: she is exactly what you hope she would be. And 68 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: everyone just felt like it was their cool aunt. Oh 69 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: that's pretty Everyone in the office like she was just 70 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: the nicest person and it she sounds like the kind 71 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: of person who would bake cookies in her MENSA style. Yeah, 72 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: and Jesse Thorn's hearing this and it's like she didn't 73 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: bring cookies to Army. Maybe she did so, um so Yes. 74 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 1: Gina Davis is world renowned as the uh, the most 75 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: famous member of MENSA, even though plenty of famous people 76 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: have been members of MENSA over the years. Bucky Fuller, 77 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: Arthur C. Clark was a vice president of MENSA International 78 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: for a while. Sharon Stone famously told people in the 79 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: nineties that she was in MENSA, and she finally called 80 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: out by MENSA saying like, no, you're not in MENSA. Yes, 81 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: she did lie, apparently for a good decade, until somebody 82 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: finally said something about it. And then James Woods is 83 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: often confused as a member of MENSA, but I don't 84 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: believe he actually is. Who else the guy who created 85 00:04:54,720 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: the anti virus software McAfee John McAfee. Uh. And yeah, 86 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 1: there's there's a handful of people. And then, as we'll 87 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: talk about later, there are a lot of journalists who say, well, 88 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: I qualified to be in MENSA, but I didn't want 89 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: to be involved. Yeah, because that's the one thing about 90 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: men says. A lot of the popular press that's done 91 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: on that group takes easy pot shots at them because 92 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: they are a group of of their a high i 93 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: Q group and they're by definition very smart people, but 94 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: also enjoying a club like that it bestows a bit 95 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: of an air of superiority onto you. So there's a 96 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: there's a certain undercurrent of that, and so people who 97 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: write about them, recover them, usually take pot shots at 98 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: them and generally lump them all into one big group. 99 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: But that's not necessarily fair to say, because they are 100 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: a very collection of people. For sure, there are weird 101 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: undercurrents that are distasteful here there um, but overall, um, 102 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: they seem to be okay from what I can tell. Yeah, 103 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: and they are all kinds of mensines, which is what 104 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: they're called, uh, from all kinds of backgrounds in socio 105 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: economic strata. I guess we could break down the percentages 106 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: here if you want to get specific, U it is 107 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,239 Speaker 1: sixty six percent uh male, this is from their stats, 108 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: thirty four percent female, UH, two percent to have a 109 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: four year degree or more, sixty three graduate degree or more, 110 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: thirty percent boomers, Gen X thirteen millennial, and then the rest. 111 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: But it's it's not a big group though. UM like 112 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,559 Speaker 1: their total membership is a little less than a hundred 113 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: and fifty thousand worldwide, with about fifty thousand of those 114 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: being in the States, UH and nineteen thousand mean in 115 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: the UK where it was founded. But it's uh a 116 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: lot more people could be in MENSA that aren't in MENSA. 117 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 1: Does that make sense? Dave did them ath as if 118 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 1: to show off that he could be a member of 119 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: MENSA if he wanted to. But what MENSA membership means 120 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: is that you have tested in aptitude for intelligence within 121 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: the top two of people. So in the United States, 122 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: say there's three million, just to make it easy, but 123 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: I think there's much more than that. Now, UM that 124 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: would be six million people who would who would qualify 125 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: as members of MENSA, and yet, like you said, there's 126 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: only about fifty thousand in there. Yeah, I mean, and 127 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: I get if some people think that's a weird thing 128 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: to say, because you still have to take these tests, 129 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: you have to be good at test taking. But if 130 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: you just go by numbers of the top two percent 131 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: of intelligence, then sure, yes, but it also reveals something 132 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: that it's not for everybody, Like, just by virtue of 133 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: being smart or testing really well on an intelligence test, 134 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: that doesn't mean you automatically want to be a member 135 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: of a group that that shares that in calm, and 136 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: that's an extra there's a very slight tranche of people 137 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: who qualify or who would qualify, who actually do want 138 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: to join MENSA. But the ones who do join MENSA 139 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: seem to tremendously enjoy and feel very accepted and happy there. Yeah, 140 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: And that's also in itself a pot shot that journalists 141 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: have taken commonly, which is, these are people who who 142 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: are smart enough to be in MENSA and want to 143 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: be able to tell everybody that they're in MENSA. And 144 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: you know, I'm sure there is some of that to 145 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 1: some degree. There are people that like to to flaunt 146 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: their Harvard degree or you know, drop the H bomb 147 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: as they say, or or their Ivy League education or 148 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: their MENSA membership. But I'm sure there are out of 149 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: a hundred and fifty thousand people, there are lots of 150 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: Gina davis Is that probably are just like, oh, yeah, 151 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: I'm in that, but it's really no big deal. Yeah. 152 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: The worst of the worst are people who are in MENSA, 153 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: went to Harvard, are on keto and are in the 154 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: cross fit Oh God, make it stop, and who recently 155 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: quit social media. Can you imagine? Ye? Should we talk 156 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: about the history party of one? That's a good joke. 157 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: Uh So MENSA got its start in six like I 158 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: mentioned in the UK, and it sort of happened by chance. 159 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: On a train there was a post grad student from 160 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: Oxford named a Lancelot where who was coming home for Christmas. 161 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: Break shared a cabin with a fifty year old named 162 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:36,719 Speaker 1: Roland Barrel or Beryl, and Burrill was like, oh, you 163 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: got to Oxford. You know what. I wanted to go 164 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: to Oxford. I couldn't get into Oxford and it sort 165 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,199 Speaker 1: of haunted me. And uh, he said, you know, I'm 166 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 1: into all kinds of stuff. Though I'm a smart guy. 167 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: I'm into chronology and astrology, and where said, that's that's 168 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 1: very interesting. I'm into testing intelligence, the younger Lancelot said. 169 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: He said, I was in the army in Britain and 170 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: we did aptitude testing on troops. I became fascinated by it. 171 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: When I went to Oxford, I was surrounded by smart people, 172 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: and I thought it would be really cool to form 173 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: a high i Q society within a school of people 174 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 1: that were already super intelligent. And Burrell said, very interesting, huh. 175 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: I envisioned him clapping his hands together and saying splendid. Okay, 176 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: because you left something out about him. One of the 177 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: things that usually is touted about, um what what Beryl 178 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: was into a barrel um is that he had a 179 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: plan to make all men were very brightly colored clothing. 180 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: I could not, for the life of me find out 181 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: why or what the point was, but it's yeah, so 182 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: so so. Barrell said, you know, this is a very 183 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:55,839 Speaker 1: great idea. I think we should we should explore this further. 184 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: And young Lancelot, where post doc UH student at Oxford, said, well, 185 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: you know, older gentlemen who have only just met on 186 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: this train. Why don't you come stay with me at 187 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: Oxford when I get back to school after Christmas break? 188 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: And Burrell took him up on it, and um, it 189 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: was there that they hatched the plan for MENSA after 190 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: Burrell was given an intelligence test UM by Lancelot Where 191 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 1: and When when Lancelot Where calculated the results and said, 192 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: Mr Burrell, you are within the top one percent of 193 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: all people in terms of intelligence. It's widely reported that 194 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: Roland Burrell cried because he was so happy and touched 195 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: by that right and had funding uh to start this 196 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: thing up, which was key. And so how it really 197 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: went down was he told them that he cried and said, 198 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: oh can I see the results? And Where quickly watted 199 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: them up and said that's not important. Take my word 200 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: for it. You're in the top one percent. Make the 201 00:11:55,200 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: checkout dumoi and Burrell said splendid. Uh. But they needed 202 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: a name, and like you said, uh, they landed on MENSA. 203 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 1: I think initially they wanted to call it UM Capital 204 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: mm E n S, which was short for the Mental 205 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,439 Speaker 1: Health Society. That's just not even close. No, it's pretty 206 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: where yeah, where's the h H? And also there was 207 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: I think a a gentleman's magazine called Men's. Uh that's 208 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: in scare quotes. And so they said, well, how about mensa, which, 209 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: like you pointed out, is Latin for table, because I 210 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: just envisioned its like all these smarty pants sitting around 211 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: a round table talking about wonderful things. And they said, 212 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: I guess they said, shut, that's as good a name 213 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: as any. So originally, if you've ever seen that Simpson's 214 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: episode where Lisa joins Mensa, UM, I don't remember that one. 215 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: It's it's a pretty good one. Uh. It's a cautionary 216 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: tale about um mensa, letting an intelligent elite determine the 217 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,079 Speaker 1: fate of everybody else at the while just completely discounting 218 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: anyone who's not an intelligent elite, right, Um, And like 219 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: Comic Book Guy and Dr Hibbert and a couple of 220 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: other character Sideshow mel, they're all in. They're all in 221 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 1: Mensa with her, and they basically take over the town 222 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: if I'm not mistaken, and it just goes awry, it 223 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: ends up going terribly awry. Um, But that's kind of 224 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: originally what Lancelot where and Roland Barrel were, Um, we're 225 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 1: envisioning when they founded mensa, this group of the most 226 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: intelligent uh Britishers Britton's say, yeah, um in in the UK, 227 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: who would kind of be assembled to be a group 228 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 1: that the government or scientific projects or whoever wanted to 229 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: tap their intelligence could tap their intelligence. That was the 230 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: original idea for mensah. And by the way, the keen 231 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: eared listener would have just picked up on my one 232 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: word impression of Juliu Sibbert. What did you say. I'm 233 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: not going to repeat. It's got You've gotta be a 234 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: keen listener man. So, uh, if you heard it, then 235 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: hats off to you. You're not allowed to rewind if 236 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: you're listening at home. Can I rewind? You can't rewind. 237 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: Nobody can rewind. You had to have heard it live, 238 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: okay okay? Uh And and like two people will have 239 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: gotten it and one person and the rest of us 240 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: are all mad. Now, Oh that's okay, I'll do it 241 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: for you off Mike. Uh So, yeah, they wanted they 242 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: wanted to kind of from the sounds of it, almost 243 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: like a Rolodex of Smarties because they wanted to not 244 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: just have that list, but they even said in their 245 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: charter they wanted it in the hands of anthropologists and 246 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: ministers of the crown, like they wanted people that mattered 247 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: to have this list on hand, like who do who? 248 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: You know? I need a smart person, let me look 249 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: at my mental list. Uh. And their goal, I think, 250 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: did you mention was six d people with their contact 251 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: information so they could get in touch. And it took 252 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: them thirteen years uh to get to that. That benchmark 253 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty nine is when they finally got it. 254 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: And it wasn't until some American ex pats joined in 255 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: England got written up by the Village Voice in the 256 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: New York Times that it kind of really started to 257 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: gain a little bit more traction in the States and 258 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 1: then around the world. So it's it's crazy that it 259 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: took him thirteen years to what because right after that, 260 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: and I guess it was because of the interest among Americans, 261 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: UM that initially started out, like you said, with ex pats, 262 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: and then after a couple of articles captured everybody else's attention, 263 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: UM that it just took off. Like if you saw 264 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: a chart, it would look like that hockey stick of 265 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: um of global warming. I think it is. Remember that 266 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: from the nineties the hockey stick crash. So that's pretty 267 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: much what mentsa UM membership would look like it from 268 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty UM. And it was largely thanks to a 269 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: few people UM over the years. But one of the 270 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: first people who really kind of helped meant to take 271 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: off as an organization was a guy named John Cardella, 272 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: who was an American pr guy UM, and he took 273 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: this group that was almost had like fraternity like origins, 274 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: like apparently Roland Barrel UM had a uh like part 275 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: of the early rules was to have a woman seated 276 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: on a throne wearing a leopard skin and nothing else 277 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: UM as part of the meetings. Like it was they 278 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: had that kind of vibe to it. And when Cadella sure, 279 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: you know, and it kind of Anton LaVey vibe UM. 280 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: And so when John Cadella UM came in the picture, 281 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: he like kind of dusted off all that stuff and 282 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: UM turned it into a legitimate type of organization, definitely 283 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: legitimized it, if not made it legitimate, right, So in 284 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:10,199 Speaker 1: fifty nine they had six hundred. By sixty seven, a 285 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 1: mere eight years later, uh, it had swelled up to 286 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: twelve thousand and change. And uh, you know that he 287 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: would get people on TV. It was that kind of thing. 288 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: Like he was a genuine pr guy. So all of 289 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: a sudden there were MENSA members, some very charismatic that 290 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: we're being sort of bandied about in articles and on television. 291 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: Well there's one in particular. He was the chairman, I believe, 292 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: and he was the guy who I think would go 293 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: on like Johnny Carson and stuff like that. That's right, 294 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: that's what I was talking about, Victor. Uh. True. M 295 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,239 Speaker 1: Sarah Briakoff, I think so I've seen it, seen it 296 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: compared to or Cerebral. So I think it's Cerebriakoff. Yeah, 297 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: there's an extra vowel in there that's coming up the works. 298 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: That's right up my alley. Though. Should we take a break, Sure, 299 00:17:57,880 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: all right, let's take a break. We'll be right back, 300 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: all right. So member member MENSA is gaining members very steadily. Uh, 301 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: it is growing throughout the decades. You could, if you 302 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,159 Speaker 1: wanted to be a member, you could mail them some money. 303 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: And I know a cynical view would be like they're 304 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: just like trying to make money, but it's an organization 305 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 1: that that you know, that needs money to run. Um. 306 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,640 Speaker 1: I doubt if they like or have some super rich 307 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 1: fund that they dig into but is when you look 308 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: at the things they do, it's really nothing like super lavish. 309 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: They don't have like yacht parties and stuff from what 310 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: I can tell. No, but I've never run across any 311 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: kind of intimation that it's a money making scheme of 312 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 1: any sort. Yeah, I just mean for the listener, like, 313 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 1: uh oh yeah, mail them a check and they'll send 314 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 1: you a test. But that's how it works. You mail 315 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,160 Speaker 1: them a check back in the day, they would send 316 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: you a test um. They I think it was Cerebrakov 317 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: who said, you know what we can also do is 318 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 1: we can have these supervised like actually someone would come 319 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: and administer a test. Uh, it would be a little 320 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,880 Speaker 1: more official, might cost a little more money. We need 321 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: a constitution, so they said, not a bad idea, And 322 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: if you read their constitution, the three tenants are really 323 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 1: pretty great. It's identifying foster human intelligence for the benefit 324 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: of humanity, no problem there, encourage research in the nature, 325 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: characteristics and uses of intelligence, check and provide us stimulating 326 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: in a alectual and social environment for members. Sounds good 327 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: to me, yeah, of course. And then number four forced 328 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 1: breeding of people according to intelligence. Yeah, no problems, right, No, 329 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: they didn't do that. So UM, there was kind of 330 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:22,399 Speaker 1: a heyday. It seems like, uh in the sixties, I think, 331 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: And apparently there's a lot of attention at first between 332 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,639 Speaker 1: UK and US and UM. Within just a couple of 333 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: years of coming on the scene, the Kansas City chapter 334 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,159 Speaker 1: stage of revolt against the UK headquarters six shooters, and 335 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: basically I saw that they launched like a poison pen 336 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: attack where they were right. Yes, they would write the 337 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: employers of these MENSA like higher ups and like and 338 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:48,640 Speaker 1: basically accused them of terrible stuff and and finally got 339 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 1: the American chapters to basically be independent and equal UM, 340 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: and that formed Mensa International. But the sixties were kind 341 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,439 Speaker 1: of a heyday. The seven seemed to be hohum. And 342 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: then apparently the eighties took off because UM, from what 343 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: I saw in this article, and I can't remember what 344 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:12,880 Speaker 1: what maybe the independent from it said that the kind 345 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: of the through line of an organization like MENSA, the 346 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 1: idea that some people are just naturally more intelligent than others, 347 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: really jibes with that Reagan, Thatcher era of mentality of UM, 348 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 1: of getting away from the idea that you know you 349 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: can achieve if you're given the right kind of stuff. 350 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: It's like, no, you got this problem over here, We 351 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: got that you know, we're over here. We're not gonna 352 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: help you, because why would we, Because you're you're beyond help, 353 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: You're not naturally gifted. That kind of conservative uh thread 354 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: that was really present in the in the Thatcher Reagan 355 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 1: eighties made MENSA a lot more respectable or a lot 356 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: more appealing during that time from what I saw. Yeah, 357 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: and I think in England it peaked in the nineties 358 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: or specifically with about thirty thousand there and now as 359 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:08,199 Speaker 1: fewer than twenty thou So, uh, Dave said, you know, 360 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:10,639 Speaker 1: some of this might be, you know, the MENSA image 361 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: problem might be to blame. But you know, it's just 362 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: one of those organizations. It's gonna have its ups and 363 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: downs over the years. I'm sure as far as membership numbers, 364 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 1: you know. Yeah, So, um, how do you get in, Chuck, 365 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: If you want to get into MENSA? What do you do? 366 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: Hot shot? You bake some cookies for Gina Davis? Sure 367 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: that doesn't hurt Uh, No, you it's really easy, actually, uh. 368 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 1: In in practice, you just need to score within the 369 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: top two percent of an intelligence test and that it's 370 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: it's not like you can just take any intelligence test. 371 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 1: It depends on UM. Well, I mean, now there's an 372 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 1: official MENSA test that that you take, but uh, there 373 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: are also other i Q tests that can qualify, the 374 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:05,439 Speaker 1: Stanford Benet test, the Catel three B test, and I 375 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,199 Speaker 1: think we should hold off on sort of the the 376 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 1: big reveal, the big twist here for another few minutes. Okay, Uh, 377 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: we'll keep that in her hip pocket. Uh. An official 378 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 1: from your country will administer uh their tests to you, 379 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 1: and uh it takes a couple hours if you take 380 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,360 Speaker 1: the official ment to test. These are those If you've 381 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,199 Speaker 1: ever taken an i Q test, you know it's not 382 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: like the s A T. It's it's a logic and 383 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 1: reasoning test generally. Uh. And the questions are things like, uh, 384 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: you're you're doing a lot of sequencing, like look at 385 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,200 Speaker 1: these shapes, which shape would come next? Which number would 386 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: come next? Uh. It does test verbal intelligence and vocabulary 387 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,440 Speaker 1: and stuff like that. Math is a part of it, 388 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 1: but it's times, which is one of the big sort 389 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: of not caveats. But the big thing you have to 390 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: remember is you have to be a good test taker 391 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 1: and you have to be able to take tests under 392 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,919 Speaker 1: pressure time to pressure, right, like that one scene in 393 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: Swordfish with poor poor Hugh Jackman. I didn't see that. 394 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,400 Speaker 1: You didn't miss much at all. Ok So, um, that's 395 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:17,959 Speaker 1: the standard mentor test menta admissions test. Um. And some 396 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: people say, well, hold on, if you're a non native 397 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: English speaker and you're in America, that that's those tests 398 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,359 Speaker 1: are have been shown to be biased towards certain people, 399 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,680 Speaker 1: usually based on language. So Mental also administers what's called 400 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:36,680 Speaker 1: the culture fair test, and it's nothing like yeah, it's 401 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: nothing but shapes and symbols and um, you know what 402 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,439 Speaker 1: what comes next kind of thing. And I took a 403 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: test like that. It was I think Norwegian in origin, 404 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,199 Speaker 1: and I got to like question six before I'm like, 405 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: I have no idea whatsoever what shape would come next. 406 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: The first few I was like, okay, I can do this, 407 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 1: and then it just got so increasingly difficult that I 408 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: just I just stop. I just had no idea what 409 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: was next? This recently? You did that for this? Yeah, 410 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: I was yesterday, um, and I I a little a 411 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: little blood coming out of my ear. I felt really disoriented, 412 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,360 Speaker 1: and I woke up in a pool of my own urine. Yeah, 413 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: you can also take a thirty minute online like MENSA 414 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: workout thing for free, which is sort of just an 415 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: amuse bush uh to see if you might want the 416 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: full deal, the gift of the Chef. I thought about 417 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,000 Speaker 1: taking one of these for this episode, and then I 418 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: was like, I don't want to. I don't care. Yeah, 419 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's that's I think. Another thing too, 420 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 1: is like this. This, like taking a test like that 421 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 1: is probably up your alley if you're interested in becoming 422 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: a MENSA member. Yeah. I don't think I'm great at 423 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: tests like that, And maybe I don't want to know 424 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: that I am or am not. Maybe I'm just happy 425 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,880 Speaker 1: with my life. Yeah, I'm happy doing my New York 426 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: Times cross word and spelling be and playing word all 427 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 1: and that's good enough for me. I think that's fine. 428 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: I mean, it's not like you're proving anything to anybody 429 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 1: by becoming a member of MENSA, except maybe to yourself. 430 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 1: I tried. I mean, honestly, I was like, oh, that'll 431 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: be fine. I'll take it, and I'll embarrass myself to 432 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: our listeners by saying what I scored. And every time 433 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:20,880 Speaker 1: I went to do it, I don't want to do this. Yeah, 434 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: so I didn't do it. So they there's a there's 435 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 1: a whole hook to that whole thing. A catch, I 436 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 1: guess is what you'd say. If you use the right word. Um. 437 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: You can take those tests, the Standard test or the 438 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: culture Fair Test once one time each and if you 439 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 1: don't pass, meaning you don't score in the top two 440 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:48,160 Speaker 1: percent of the average American UM, you can never take 441 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,720 Speaker 1: those tests again, like you just have been denied admission 442 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: into MENSA through those tests. There is another way, there's 443 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: a back door man way. That is what I think 444 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 1: they call all it at MENSA. Yeah, this was the 445 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: thing we were keeping in our hip pocket. Uh, you 446 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: don't have to take this test because two thirds two 447 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 1: thirds of all members did not take that official MENSA test. 448 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 1: They you can also pay a fee. Not just people 449 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 1: like what pay like a thousand bucks to get in, No, 450 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:25,160 Speaker 1: pay a regular forty dollar fee, and they can accept 451 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: results from about a hundred and fifty different standardized intelligence 452 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: tests that they evaluate based on you know, the general population. 453 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 1: So they'll basically just say, give us your test that 454 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 1: you took, we'll see if you're in the top two percent, 455 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: and you can get in that way. That's a big 456 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: back door. It sure is a big backdoor, chuck um 457 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:49,120 Speaker 1: so Uh. One of the ways that you could get 458 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 1: in is if you qualified for your high school's gifted program, 459 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 1: or if you're super smarty pants, your middle school or 460 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: even elementary school's gifted program. They gave you a bunch 461 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,760 Speaker 1: of different telligence tests back then. If your school didn't 462 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,480 Speaker 1: burn down in a fire, it's possible they still have 463 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:09,199 Speaker 1: those records and you could have them via a sealed 464 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:13,360 Speaker 1: envelope from the school, uh sent to send your your 465 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 1: test results. SEMENSA mental will check it out and be like, yeah, 466 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: you're in, buddy, you're in now. Question about these gifted programs? 467 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: Does that mean like the AP classes? All right, here's 468 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: the deal. My friend, I was in AP English and 469 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:31,159 Speaker 1: AP History and then when I saw and we'll go 470 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: ahead and mention this. You can submit your S A 471 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: T and a C T scores, your g R and 472 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 1: your ls ats uh and if between eighty I'm sorry, 473 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: between seventy four and ninety four, if you scored A twelve, 474 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 1: if ye're higher on the S A T, you would 475 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: get into MENSA even retroactively. Yeah, and buddy, I scored 476 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: in eleven seventy. I wasn't as far off as I thought. Oh, 477 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: that's great, you're not in mensa. But that's great. No, 478 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: but if I would have known that back then, I 479 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: might have tried a couple of more times. Once I 480 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: took it once too, I got a ten ninety. That's 481 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: good too. No, it's it's average. No, no, no, to ninety. 482 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: I think. I think anything that breaks a thousand is 483 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: on the higher side, not high high, but it's higher 484 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 1: than average, right, I don't. I don't think so. I 485 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 1: think that's pretty comfortably right in the middle of average. 486 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: They don't even score it that way anymore though, right, No, 487 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 1: they don't. So up to after ninety four, they won't 488 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: accept your s a T scores anymore because the s 489 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 1: a T switched from testing general intelligence to testing what 490 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: you've learned in school thus far. So it was like 491 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: it went from being like an i Q test basically 492 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: to a um an exit exam for for high school. 493 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: I think that they changed it would do worse on 494 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 1: that kind of tests, actually would have done worse. Yeah, 495 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: I think I took the intelligence one. I don't remember 496 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: because it's I definitely took it in well, now, I 497 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: probably were taking a ninety or I probably would have 498 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: taken it in like ninety three. I think you would 499 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: have taken it your sophomore or junior year, right, Yeah, 500 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: so it's probably that I took it. So I took 501 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: the the original intelligence test tonight. I got a ten 502 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 1: ninety and it doesn't feel great, Chuck. I feel good 503 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: saying it out loud, but it doesn't feel great. Uh. Well, 504 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: that got I mean that was back then very easy 505 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: to get into the University of Georgia. It's a lot 506 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: harder now. They've really tightened tightened it down. Yeah, because 507 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: of the Hope grant, which started the year I started 508 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: to try to get in. So it got hard to 509 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:39,560 Speaker 1: get into Georgia the year that I started to try. 510 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: And I gotta tell you so when I showed up 511 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: with my ten ninety s A T score keep walking Pale, 512 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: did you do you remember your high school g p A? 513 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: What are you bleating the fist? I don't even know 514 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: what that is. I don't remember my g p A. 515 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: I want to say it was, it wasn't. I mean, 516 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: my brother I think was a four, oh, of course, 517 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: but I think I was like a three two or something. 518 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: Both threes. I mean it was pretty slightly above average, 519 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: because I would think mine was probably lower than that. Like, 520 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: I was not at all interested in school. I liked history, 521 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: I thought earth science was pretty cool. It wasn't until 522 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 1: I got to college and wanted to like go to college. 523 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,200 Speaker 1: I just suddenly, like turned from Saul to Paul all 524 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 1: of a sudden as far as college is concerned, and 525 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: just completely started to take things seriously and got interested 526 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: in learning. And it was then that I started to 527 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: become like a four oh student in college, not not 528 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: at all in high school for a student. Uh well, 529 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: I went to some easy colleges the way to Georgia. 530 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: Well my deal was I and I still am like this. 531 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 1: I have a hard time tackling anything with enthusiasm that 532 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,960 Speaker 1: don't want to do. So I've always been that way 533 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,719 Speaker 1: since I was a kid. And so in my English 534 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 1: classes I made A S and B S. And in 535 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: my non major classes, not all of them, but the 536 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 1: ones I wasn't super into, I made C S and 537 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 1: a D or two. Oh yeah, I have those under 538 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 1: my belt too, especially math. And it wasn't because I 539 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't try. I just genuinely couldn't get math. And one 540 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: of the best things I ever did as far as 541 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:29,120 Speaker 1: math is concerned, was I took geometry twice in high 542 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 1: school and the second time it just clicked, like I understood, 543 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: Like I was walking around like I was Pythagoras. All 544 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: of a sudden at high school. I just understood geometry 545 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 1: that second time around. It was really cool. It was 546 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 1: a great feeling to to just have something like that 547 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: click that was so foreign, it's so difficult before, all 548 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 1: of a sudden, I just understood it the second time around. Well, 549 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,880 Speaker 1: and we went to school in an era when boy, 550 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 1: there were not a lot of accommodations made for different 551 00:32:56,240 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: kinds of learning at all, much less different learning disabilit 552 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: at ease, and uh, it was just it was a 553 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 1: different time. There's so much better now about you know. 554 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 1: Every kid learns in their own way, and uh, and 555 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 1: we can try and accommodate that. And then a lot 556 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 1: of schools, not every school obviously, still a lot of 557 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 1: work to be done. Yeah, I can't remember. I guess 558 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: it was probably the NBC Nightly News, the National News. 559 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 1: They have like a sweet human interest story like at 560 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: the end of every every show, and they had one 561 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,480 Speaker 1: recently and it was about an integrated school in that 562 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: like they didn't separate kids with like learning disabilities or 563 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: um um physical uh, I don't even know what you 564 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: call it differences, thank you um and kids who don't 565 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: have those, Like they were all in the same class together, 566 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: and I was like, holy cow, it's a huge improvement, 567 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:48,960 Speaker 1: you know, because they used to be like if you 568 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: had facial differences and no cognitive disability whatsoever, just facial differences, 569 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: they would put you in a class with Yeah. I mean, 570 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: like it was like the dark cages in the eighties 571 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 1: and nineties even you know when we were in school. Um, 572 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: but the like now they're just integrating kids, at least 573 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:10,839 Speaker 1: in this one school. I thought it was so cool. 574 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 1: But it was based on this Instagram post where this, uh, 575 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: this little kid, I think he was probably about five 576 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: or six, has cerebral palsy and he just had a 577 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: little friend who was a girl who was the same age, 578 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 1: who just loved him like like and just played with them. 579 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 1: They were like best friends. She didn't seem to treat 580 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:32,440 Speaker 1: him any differently than she did any of the other kids. 581 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: But it's just like so touched her mom. She posted 582 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:37,279 Speaker 1: on Instagram. Of course, it went viral and it was 583 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: a sweet story. But I just thought it was really remarkable, 584 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: and I was really glad to hear that. Now they're 585 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 1: just like integrating kids by age level, not and not 586 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:48,600 Speaker 1: separating them by anything else. So hats off to school 587 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: districts doing that. The final kind of test we should 588 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 1: mention that can get you in uh as. If you 589 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: were in the military prior to night you might be 590 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:00,879 Speaker 1: able to use your aptitude tests that you took back then. 591 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:05,440 Speaker 1: Now they do more vocational aptitude testing, but back pre 592 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: eight they would do intelligence testing and you can use 593 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:10,279 Speaker 1: some of those if you did. You want to take 594 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 1: a break and then talk about what you do if 595 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 1: you get into MENSA. Let's do it, okay, Chuck, so um, 596 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: let's see if you get into MENSA. There's a lot 597 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:53,719 Speaker 1: of things people do. One thing people do is take 598 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: the test, say I'm in MENSA, and like you know, 599 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:58,880 Speaker 1: congratulate themselves for a couple of weeks and that's it. 600 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: Other people like join MENSA because they have this sense 601 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,960 Speaker 1: and rightfully so that they will probably meet a lot 602 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 1: of people like them who are smart, probably really like games, 603 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 1: really like trivia, really like Star Trek. That is not 604 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:18,800 Speaker 1: a stereotype that is for real, Um, might be into nudism, 605 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:21,799 Speaker 1: might really love beer, just stuff that you would have 606 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:26,760 Speaker 1: like an interest in. But if you if you wanted 607 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 1: to hang out with other high i Q people who 608 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 1: have interests in that, you could do worse than joining MENSA. 609 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,399 Speaker 1: I think. Yeah, Um, you have to be an active member. 610 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 1: You have to keep up with your dues, which you're 611 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 1: seventy nine bucks a year. Uh, And it's they have 612 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 1: not a sliding scale, but they have a if you 613 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:46,239 Speaker 1: sign up for and pay multiple years at a time, 614 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:49,320 Speaker 1: you can get that number down by average and stuff 615 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:52,080 Speaker 1: like that. Or you can pay for like a lifetime 616 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 1: membership pro rated by your age if you want to 617 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: pay all at once and save some money. But the 618 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:59,319 Speaker 1: dues are seventy nine bucks a year. And then like 619 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:02,320 Speaker 1: you said, there are are they're what they're called special 620 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: interest groups. If you want to um drill down in 621 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: your local area and be a member of like the 622 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 1: MENSA Investment Club is a really popular one where imagine 623 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 1: people sit around and talk about finances in smart ways 624 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 1: to take care of your money. Um, it's like any 625 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:20,439 Speaker 1: other you know, local group that you you know, there's 626 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: probably a MENSA Knitting group. Uh, it's just it's just 627 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 1: that you're meeting with people that are like minded and 628 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: that they're all good at take their high Q and 629 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,399 Speaker 1: they're good at taking those kind of tests right, right. 630 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:36,800 Speaker 1: And again, if you want some like unkind um characterizations 631 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:39,040 Speaker 1: of you know, what it's like at some of these, 632 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: like you, you can just throw a rock on the 633 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:44,880 Speaker 1: internet and you'll find some article about somebody who like 634 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:46,959 Speaker 1: took the MENSA test and ended up at a MENSA 635 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,279 Speaker 1: meet up and now they're writing about it, but they're 636 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: not really a member kind of thing. There's plenty of 637 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:54,879 Speaker 1: stuff out there, but suffice to say that like these 638 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:58,440 Speaker 1: are just there're people who really like board games and 639 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 1: really like um uh beer and are probably like really 640 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:07,399 Speaker 1: sexually active to a surprising degree. Um. And one thing 641 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 1: I saw, Chuck that seems to be genuine is that 642 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:16,120 Speaker 1: there is a kind of a libertarian, right leaning bent 643 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:21,319 Speaker 1: that seems to be fairly common in the mental world. Yeah, 644 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 1: and the modern mental world. I've seen that in more 645 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:28,120 Speaker 1: place than one. Uh. And you know, I, like you said, 646 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:30,799 Speaker 1: someone will go to one of these conferences and then 647 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 1: do a write up about it and say, like there 648 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 1: was a lot of drinking late night. There was a 649 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,359 Speaker 1: lot of people hooking up. It's sort of like any 650 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:40,279 Speaker 1: conference you would go to again, except they're made up 651 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:42,200 Speaker 1: of people that are good at taking this kind of test. 652 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 1: But there there usually is some sort of mention of like, yeah, 653 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:47,919 Speaker 1: there seemed to be a sort of right wing bent 654 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,800 Speaker 1: two uh, and again there's a hundred fifty thousand members. 655 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:57,800 Speaker 1: That's a generalization, but at least that's what's being written. Yeah. So, UM, 656 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,719 Speaker 1: the the big deal gathering that they have every year, 657 00:39:01,719 --> 00:39:04,239 Speaker 1: the big conference is called the Annual Gathering the a 658 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:07,960 Speaker 1: g UM. Last year they had one for it was 659 00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:10,680 Speaker 1: like a world gathering because it was the seventy five 660 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,680 Speaker 1: anniversary of Mensas founding UM and they had that in 661 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:20,719 Speaker 1: Houston of all places. UM. So one is coming up 662 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:25,840 Speaker 1: in July. It's at the Golden Nugget in Sparks, Reno, Nevada, 663 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 1: and they're having the Hidden Figures author Margaret Lee Shadow Lee, 664 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:34,719 Speaker 1: who's I think she is the keynote who's going to 665 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,720 Speaker 1: speak about Hidden Figures. There's also a drag show during 666 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:42,600 Speaker 1: a breakfast brunch UM I probably on Saturday or Sunday. UM. 667 00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 1: And then the other thing they're going to do is drink, drink, 668 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 1: play games, drink and drink. I think is what what 669 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:53,320 Speaker 1: else is going to go on at the a G 670 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 1: It's really interesting. There are other smaller get together as. 671 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:01,200 Speaker 1: There's one called the UH Colloquium, which is an annual thing. 672 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:05,239 Speaker 1: It's just one day and it's you know, they'll have 673 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,000 Speaker 1: like themed topics at this one, like crime scene intelligence 674 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:10,960 Speaker 1: would be one. Uh. There are mind Games, which is 675 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:15,400 Speaker 1: a four day board game extravaganza where people this is 676 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,799 Speaker 1: since nineteen they get together and play board games and 677 00:40:19,239 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 1: You're a game can actually qualify as MENSA select on 678 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:27,440 Speaker 1: the label if they deem it. So so technically the 679 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 1: stuff you should know board game uh might be played 680 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 1: at the mind Games conference that it might even get 681 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: that stamp one day. Yeah, you never know, you never know. 682 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,120 Speaker 1: I mean Apples to Apples, got it? And our game 683 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:44,320 Speaker 1: is at least as popular as that. Yeah, Taboo, got it? Yeah, 684 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:48,920 Speaker 1: it's categories uh. And then there's Culture Quest. It's obviously 685 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:53,040 Speaker 1: MENSA members are probably generally into stuff like trivia, and 686 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:55,760 Speaker 1: there's a trivia Dave calls it a trivia throw down 687 00:40:56,719 --> 00:41:01,000 Speaker 1: where they play trivia games against one another. So one 688 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,520 Speaker 1: of the other things about MENTA that it's well known 689 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:06,480 Speaker 1: for at their meetups is that people will wear name 690 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:11,399 Speaker 1: tags UM, third try and the the There'll be a dot, 691 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:15,279 Speaker 1: a colored dot next to their UM their name, and 692 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:17,919 Speaker 1: depending on the color of the dot, it indicates how 693 00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:22,080 Speaker 1: welcoming they are toward hugs from other people. And this, 694 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:24,000 Speaker 1: by the way, is like this has been going on 695 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:26,800 Speaker 1: for a while. This is kind of like a longstanding 696 00:41:26,840 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: Mensa tradition. It is very forward thinking because frankly, we 697 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:35,160 Speaker 1: could all kind of use the green dots or the 698 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:38,600 Speaker 1: hug dot system. Yeah. I mean a lot of people. 699 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:41,880 Speaker 1: I'm a hugger, but a lot of people don't like 700 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:44,839 Speaker 1: to be hugged. And it's, uh, it's one of these 701 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: things I just learned m in the past few years 702 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 1: that like with uh, with choosing what you do with 703 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 1: your body and what people do to your body, that 704 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,440 Speaker 1: you shouldn't just go up and hug somebody. Mm hmm. 705 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,560 Speaker 1: That's you know, it's just not some people genuinely don't 706 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: like that kind of human contact. And it's not like 707 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,319 Speaker 1: I go up and just like tackle everyone I see, Like, 708 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:10,359 Speaker 1: I don't think I've ever uh, I don't think I've 709 00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:11,920 Speaker 1: ever been in a situation, in a situation where I 710 00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:15,480 Speaker 1: made someone uncomfortable anything like that. But it's good to 711 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,839 Speaker 1: realize that, like, yeah, not everyone is into the same 712 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:23,640 Speaker 1: level of human contact and you shouldn't put your norm 713 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 1: on them. And they have a very elegant way of 714 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:29,560 Speaker 1: doing that with these green dots and yellow dots or 715 00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:32,440 Speaker 1: red dots or blue dots. Yeah, green is all. Hugs 716 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:36,160 Speaker 1: are welcome. Yellow chugs ask before hugging, Well, that's chuck. Now, 717 00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:40,920 Speaker 1: red dot, no hugs at all, that's you. Blue Yeah, 718 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:44,880 Speaker 1: it should say burns like acid. Blue dot means I'm single. 719 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 1: I think that means more than I'm single. You know what. 720 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:48,799 Speaker 1: I think that means like lead with your hips when 721 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 1: you're hugging. Yeah, I think so. So what else, Chuck, 722 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,680 Speaker 1: What else do we have to say about MENA? Well, 723 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:57,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I think we've talked about their image problem 724 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 1: a bit. Like you said that you can throw a 725 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:04,040 Speaker 1: rock on the internet and and open almost any article 726 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:08,279 Speaker 1: and you will see someone bagging on mensa, uh in 727 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:11,480 Speaker 1: kind of a snotty way. And I don't know, man, 728 00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:13,400 Speaker 1: the more I read about it, the more I just thought, 729 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:16,680 Speaker 1: you know what, these are probably a lot of these 730 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:19,400 Speaker 1: people probably got teased growing up because they may be 731 00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:27,480 Speaker 1: fairly bookish, and uh like stop now, like your adults 732 00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:33,200 Speaker 1: don't continue this sort of bullying in in newspapers by saying, yeah, 733 00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:35,000 Speaker 1: I went to these things and it was a bunch 734 00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:38,000 Speaker 1: of dorks playing board games and trying to get laid. 735 00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:41,239 Speaker 1: Like they literally say that stuff in these articles. They do, 736 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:46,560 Speaker 1: and so I don't think it's just out of meanness. 737 00:43:46,719 --> 00:43:51,200 Speaker 1: I think whether they're picking up on it um unconsciously 738 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:55,279 Speaker 1: or overtly, um, it's the people who write those kind 739 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:58,760 Speaker 1: of articles typically are not right leaning, so they're picking 740 00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:01,920 Speaker 1: up on that right leaning undercurrent. And then they're also 741 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:06,279 Speaker 1: they're also kind of pointing to like some disturbing and 742 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:10,000 Speaker 1: alarming and just straight up gross ideas that people from 743 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:14,040 Speaker 1: MENSA have supported over the years or at least proposed um. 744 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:17,120 Speaker 1: And so like, when you take a group that focuses 745 00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:22,520 Speaker 1: on i Q and inherently suggests that some people are 746 00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:26,040 Speaker 1: superior to others, that can lead you to all sorts 747 00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:29,640 Speaker 1: of like unsavory rabbit holes. And some people on MENSA 748 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:32,960 Speaker 1: or or parliaments are not afraid to like go down 749 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,279 Speaker 1: those rabbit holes and discuss them and talk about them 750 00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:40,800 Speaker 1: free speech is a huge, huge, um thing among mentions, 751 00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:42,839 Speaker 1: and they very much resent not being able to say 752 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:46,080 Speaker 1: whatever they want to say. UM. So it's it's it's 753 00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 1: with those articles. It's revealing there's like a culture clash 754 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:52,960 Speaker 1: between the person who's writing the article and the mentions 755 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:56,400 Speaker 1: that that are like the foil to them. That seems 756 00:44:56,440 --> 00:44:59,319 Speaker 1: to be like the crux of those articles. Yeah, and 757 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 1: there was a lot of news made UM kind of 758 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:05,080 Speaker 1: more recently when a comedian named Jamie Loftus, who by 759 00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:07,880 Speaker 1: the way, has a podcast on our network called The 760 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:13,520 Speaker 1: Bechtel Cast Great Show, Movie Show, UM. Jamie's comedian who 761 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:16,040 Speaker 1: did a four part episode called My Year in Mensa 762 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:19,880 Speaker 1: where she joined Mensa. UM. I think the story was 763 00:45:20,160 --> 00:45:23,360 Speaker 1: sort of just took the test one morning while hungover 764 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 1: and then didn't have a good experience and became the target. 765 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 1: There's this Facebook group, a mensa Facebook group that's a 766 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:34,920 Speaker 1: moderated called Firehouse, which can be very unkind and I 767 00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:38,279 Speaker 1: think she uh loft has had a bad experience there 768 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:42,239 Speaker 1: and again with the sort of alt right undercurrent, and 769 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:44,440 Speaker 1: so that's what the basis of that podcast was. So 770 00:45:44,640 --> 00:45:48,000 Speaker 1: I'm certainly not defending that stuff. You know, so yeah, 771 00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:51,600 Speaker 1: I mean no, anytime anybody's attacked online that sucks. Um. 772 00:45:51,719 --> 00:45:55,880 Speaker 1: But Dave I think kind of discovered like the genuine 773 00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:59,120 Speaker 1: criticism that you could level against MENSA as a whole, 774 00:45:59,640 --> 00:46:02,120 Speaker 1: and that is they're basing everything on i Q and 775 00:46:02,239 --> 00:46:06,400 Speaker 1: i Q tests test a certain kind of smartness, completely 776 00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:12,520 Speaker 1: leaves out things like emotional intelligence, street smarts, Yeah, that 777 00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:16,400 Speaker 1: kind of stuff like, um, like it's a group of 778 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:19,560 Speaker 1: people who do really well on aptitude tests. Who it's 779 00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:22,480 Speaker 1: a society of people who do really well on aptitude tests, 780 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:25,799 Speaker 1: and like the idea that they're joining the ranks of 781 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:28,520 Speaker 1: people who are in the top two percent of that 782 00:46:28,719 --> 00:46:32,440 Speaker 1: group of people, that type of person So um, the 783 00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:35,000 Speaker 1: fact that it's it's kind of bandied about is like 784 00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:41,000 Speaker 1: the the the society for intelligent people. Um, it kind 785 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,040 Speaker 1: of misses a lot. But he also points out that 786 00:46:43,080 --> 00:46:45,160 Speaker 1: they don't build themselves as that they build themselves as 787 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:48,600 Speaker 1: the high i Q society, which is a much narrower definition. 788 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:50,920 Speaker 1: And if you take it on its face value, then 789 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:53,520 Speaker 1: that makes sense. But most people out in the general 790 00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:56,760 Speaker 1: public who hear about MENSA don't kind of differentiate between 791 00:46:56,800 --> 00:46:59,480 Speaker 1: those two things. And if you get a hundred and 792 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,839 Speaker 1: fifty in of any people together in a group. Uh, 793 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:06,120 Speaker 1: you're gonna have a couple of hundred that are pretty 794 00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 1: bad people that do bad things on Facebook. Um. So 795 00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:15,400 Speaker 1: it's like, I just have a hard time sometimes when 796 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:19,680 Speaker 1: entire organizations get lumped in because of it. I don't 797 00:47:19,719 --> 00:47:21,680 Speaker 1: want to say a few bad apples, but just the 798 00:47:21,760 --> 00:47:26,279 Speaker 1: actions of of what's clearly a minority. Sure you know 799 00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:32,319 Speaker 1: what I mean. Yeah, except Nazis. Yeah, yeah, they were 800 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:36,120 Speaker 1: nothing but bad apples. That's right. Uh, Well, if you 801 00:47:36,160 --> 00:47:38,040 Speaker 1: want to know more about mental you can start poking 802 00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:41,560 Speaker 1: around the internet. And uh, since I said you can 803 00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:43,640 Speaker 1: start poking around the internet, that means it's time for 804 00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:51,160 Speaker 1: a listener mail. I'm gonna call this a young listener. Hey, guys, 805 00:47:51,200 --> 00:47:52,959 Speaker 1: brand new listener to the show. I first heard about 806 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:55,360 Speaker 1: you through the new book, which I checked out of 807 00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:58,839 Speaker 1: the library a day the day before my baby was born. 808 00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:01,680 Speaker 1: After my has been returned to work, I was trying 809 00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:03,040 Speaker 1: to figure out a way to get the baby to 810 00:48:03,120 --> 00:48:05,960 Speaker 1: sleep and tried reading to her. So I picked up 811 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:08,239 Speaker 1: stuff you should know, hoping the soothings out of my 812 00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:10,400 Speaker 1: voice would laller to sleep. And that is all My 813 00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:13,040 Speaker 1: husband walked in on me reading about Jack of ORKI 814 00:48:13,080 --> 00:48:16,360 Speaker 1: into a three week old and put a temporary moratorium 815 00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:20,600 Speaker 1: on reading to her. Uh, I think that's probably a joke. Um, well, 816 00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:22,600 Speaker 1: I was hooked, and now that I've returned to work, 817 00:48:22,840 --> 00:48:24,879 Speaker 1: I'm going through the backlog of episodes and learning while 818 00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:27,160 Speaker 1: in the car. Thanks for helping me get through that 819 00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:33,239 Speaker 1: postpartum period, Jessica. That's fantastic. I'm glad you're bringing them up, 820 00:48:33,280 --> 00:48:36,719 Speaker 1: young Jessica. Thanks you ver very much, and congratulations on 821 00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:41,960 Speaker 1: your little gift to the world. Yes, that's right. Well, 822 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:43,799 Speaker 1: if you want to be like Jessica and let us 823 00:48:43,800 --> 00:48:47,719 Speaker 1: know about your late night um readings or listenings or 824 00:48:48,040 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 1: goings on or anything like that, or if you've had 825 00:48:50,719 --> 00:48:53,560 Speaker 1: experiences in MENSA. If you're a member of MENSA, we 826 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:55,640 Speaker 1: want to hear from you. You can send us an 827 00:48:55,680 --> 00:49:02,240 Speaker 1: email to Stuff podcast at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff 828 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:04,280 Speaker 1: you Should Know is a production of I Heart Radio. 829 00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:07,279 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the I heart 830 00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:10,279 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 831 00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:13,880 Speaker 1: favorite shows. H