IQ

In the past, tests to meaure intelligence have been notoriously plagued by ambiguity (what is intelligence?), by the difficulty in quantifying intelligence scientifically, by cultural and racial bias, and by our rapidly-evolving understanding of the complex interrelationships between what is innate vs. what is learned (nature vs. nurture).

Here is a link to a thoughtful discussion of several scales of measurement. I find the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) to be the most useful, because it derives from a wide range of verbal and performance subtests. It was developed and later modified by David Wechsler, a well-known American psychologist whose work influenced the thinking of my ex, herself a brilliant JD/PhD (attorney and psychologist). I also find the Wechsler scale appealing because it places my own IQ, roughly 135, within his "Superior" category, among the top 8.9 percent of the population -- a moderate ego boost, though not even close to genius potential. Perhaps in a future incarnation .....