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IQ Metrics Research

Research you can check, cite and reuse

Original studies, rankings and technical reports from the IQ Metrics research team. Every number links to its source, every study publishes its method, and the data is yours to download under CC BY 4.0.

  • Named primary sources
  • Method with every study
  • Open data, CC BY 4.0
33Studies and reports
770Public data sources
234,079Data points published
CC BY 4.0Open licence
The library

Every study, newest first

Data studies built from public sources, reports from our own test results, explainers of published research and technical reports. Filter by type or search by topic, place or source.

33 studies
Data studyIntelligence testing

Which IQ test do scientists use? The Wechsler scales, in 16,721 papers

Papers naming each of 38 IQ and cognitive tests, 1990-2025, counted in two indexes: the Wechsler scales lead, Raven's is catching up, and old editions linger.

Key finding16,721 Wechsler papers (63%); Raven's 3,290; 60% of recent WAIS/WISC papers name a replaced edition.

Published
Nov 2026
Version
2026.11.1
Coverage
38 tests, 1990 to 2025
Sources
10
Data studyBrain and cognition

How much of the brain have we mapped? 21 connectomes, 1986 to 2026

Every published connectome we could read, from a roundworm to a cubic millimetre of human cortex, with neurons, synapses, teams and what a whole mouse or human brain would take.

Key finding21 connectomes; fruit fly 166,700 neurons; mouse 0.12% mapped; human 0.00002%.

Published
Nov 2026
Version
2026.11
Coverage
21 connectomes, 1986 to 2026
Sources
27
Data studyBrain and cognition

How fast do humans think? 47 activities measured in bits per second

Forty-seven human activities, from typing and speech to memory records, the Rubik's Cube and brain chips, turned into bits per second and set against the "10 bits per second" claim.

Key finding47 activities; median 7.5 bits/s; 24 below 10; speech 39 bits/s; best brain chip 7.2.

Published
Nov 2026
Version
2026.11
Coverage
47 activities, 1951 to 2026
Sources
22
Data studyBrain and environment

Does heat affect your brain? 36 studies and 41 exam windows, measured

Every study we could read on heat and thinking, plus our own count of how hot national exam days have become in 40 cities since 1981.

Key finding18 of 27 studies: worse when hotter; 33 of 41 exam windows hotter (+0.68 °C).

Published
Nov 2026
Version
2026.11
Coverage
36 studies; 41 exam windows, 1981 to 2025
Sources
53
Data studyNeurotech and intelligence

Can a dish of brain cells be intelligent? Organoid intelligence, every experiment counted

Every published experiment on living neurons and brain organoids, graded for evidence, with the CL1 neuron-count conflict and the "million times less energy" claim traced to their sources.

Key finding23 experiments; 10 of 20 pass all five checks; 0 replications found; dishes hold 70,000-1,000,000 cells.

Published
Nov 2026
Version
2026.11
Coverage
23 experiments, 2001 to 2026
Sources
52
Data studyHuman evolution and the brain

Are human brains shrinking? Every measured skull, 7 million years

Every measured skull from Sahelanthropus to today in one table, from three open datasets, and what they say about the claim that human brains shrank 3,000 years ago.

Key findingH. sapiens skulls: 1,458 cc older than 11,700 years, 1,297 cc in the last 100 years; 48.8% of skulls are from the last 100 years.

Published
Nov 2026
Version
2026.11
Coverage
851 skulls, 7 million years
Sources
18
Data studyThe brain and the body

What happens to the brain in space? Every astronaut brain study

Every peer-reviewed study of the brains and thinking of people who flew in space: how the brain moves and swells, whether it recovers, and whether astronauts think any worse.

Key findingFluid spaces +11.6% to +24%; still +6.4% at 7 months; brain 2.52 mm higher after a year; no lasting drop in thinking.

Published
Nov 2026
Version
2026.11
Coverage
41 studies, 1998-2026
Sources
55
Data studyAnimal intelligence and the brain

How smart were dinosaurs? Every dinosaur brain measured

Every measured dinosaur brain on one scale of brain size for body size, the T. rex neuron dispute, and how few dinosaurs have ever had their brain measured.

Key findingTroodon 6.5x a reptile's brain; T. rex 1.2-2.2; T. rex neurons 0.25-3.3 bn; 45 of 1,851 genera measured.

Published
Nov 2026
Version
2026.11
Coverage
31 dinosaurs, 45 genera measured
Sources
13
Data studyMemory and the brain

How far can human memory go? Memory world records, 1993-2026

Every memory world record since 1993, against athletics records and a normal memory span: how far trained memory goes, how fast the records grew, and who holds them.

Key findingDeck of cards 12.74 s; 4,620 digits an hour (685x a normal span); memory up to 841% vs sport 9%.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
356 records, 1993-2026
Sources
18
Data studyIQ scores in the news

Higher IQ than Einstein? Every "162" Mensa child in the news, counted

Every news story that said a child has a higher IQ than Einstein or Hawking, 2007 to 2026: how many, the score they share, and what it is on the usual IQ scale.

Key finding307 stories, 74 children; 91% give 162, the test's top; 162 is about 139 on the usual scale; 3 explain it.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
307 stories, 2007-2026
Sources
7
Data studyBrain technology

How many people have a brain chip? Every implant counted, 1998-2026

Every person who has had a brain-computer interface implanted for long-term use, 1998 to October 2026: how many, where, why, and how fast the number is growing.

Key findingAt least 138 people; 69 since 2024; China's new programmes 45 vs Neuralink 21; NEO approved for sale.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
138 people, 1998-2026
Sources
31
Data studyAI and human reasoning

AI vs the world's best teen mathematicians

Where every AI result at the Math Olympiad would have ranked among the human contestants, 2024-2026, and 67 years of Olympiad results.

Key findingIMO-certified AI gold: joint 27th of 630; the problem every AI missed: 6 humans solved it; 42.1% of Fields Medallists since 1990 were IMO medallists.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
67 Olympiads, 1959-2026
Sources
14
Data studyHistory of great minds

Where were history's great minds born?

3,553 great minds born 1400-1999 by birthplace: per million people, by century and city, with the golden ages of cities and where prize winners moved.

Key findingSwitzerland leads per head (5.6 per million per century); the United States by count (950); Vienna's golden age 1875-1924.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
3,553 people, 1400-1999
Sources
10
Data studyAge and creative achievement

How old were history's great minds at their breakthrough?

How old the winners of 663 science prizes and 132 historical geniuses were when they made their breakthrough, 1901-2026.

Key findingMedian age 39; physics 35, chemistry 39, medicine 39; 11% at 50 or older; the wait for the prize now 30 years.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
663 breakthroughs, 1901-2026
Sources
9
Data studyGenius and the brain

Famous brains weighed: did history's great minds have bigger brains?

Every recorded brain weight of 136 famous people, from 19th-century autopsy reports to Einstein, against the average for their age and sex: who was heavier, where the records disagree, and whether size tracked IQ.

Key finding87% heavier than average for their age; Turgenev 2,012 g; Einstein 1,230 g; no link to IQ estimates.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
136 people, 1828-1955
Sources
18
Data studyBrain and memory

Which famous brain and intelligence findings held up?

56 famous brain and intelligence findings, each matched with its largest independent replication: what held up, how much effects shrank, and who still cites the failures.

Key finding43% held up, 26 failed; replication effects were 62% smaller; failed findings were still cited.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
56 findings, 1999-2024
Sources
99
Data studyReasoning tests and puzzles

The world's shortest IQ test: how many people really pass it?

Every published result of the bat-and-ball problem we could read in the original, pooled: how many people solve the "world's shortest IQ test", by country and kind of sample.

Key finding35% solve the bat-and-ball problem; 21% get all three right; the famous 17% is 2005 US students.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
91 samples, 26 countries
Sources
50
Data studyGenius and the history of IQ

The IQs of 301 geniuses: Cox's 1926 estimates, in full

Catharine Cox's 1926 IQ estimates for 301 historical geniuses, transcribed in full from her fold-out tables and checked: why the famous 180-plus figures are corrected numbers.

Key findingOnly 9 of 301 at 180+ before correction, 57 after; correction adds 20 points on average; Shakespeare unrated.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
301 people born 1450-1850
Sources
5
Data studyUniversities and the top science prizes

Which universities produce the most prize-winning scientists?

Where 1,571 winners of the Nobel, Fields, Turing and 15 other top prize categories took their first degree and their doctorate, 1901-2026.

Key findingHarvard 142, then Cambridge (101), Berkeley (81) and MIT (80); Harvard awarded the most doctorates; MIT second since 2000.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
1,571 winners, 1901-2026
Sources
14
Data studyAptitude tests and graduate hiring

Which big employers use aptitude tests?

What the graduate and intern hiring pages of 200 big UK, European and US employers say about aptitude tests, video interviews, assessment centres and AI.

Key finding26% name a reasoning test; 16 name the type; 9 name the test company.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
200 employers, Oct 2026
Sources
7
Data studyAnimal intelligence and the brain

Smartest animals: neurons vs test scores in 222 species

Published neuron counts for 222 species set beside the one self-control test given the same way to dozens of species: who comes first depends on the measure.

Key findingElephant: most neurons (257 billion); pilot whale: most cortex neurons; ravens tie chimpanzees at 100%.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
222 species, papers 2007-2022
Sources
33
Data studyBrain and learning

What teachers believe about the brain: neuromyths by country

Every published survey since 2012 of teachers' belief in brain myths, pooled myth by myth: 41 survey samples, 23,424 teachers, 25 countries.

Key finding93% of teachers believe in learning styles and 46% that we use only 10% of our brain; no clear decline since 2012.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
41 surveys, 2012 to 2026
Sources
52
Data studyBrain facts

The brain numbers everyone quotes, checked

Twelve viral brain statistics traced to their sources and checked against the best current study, with counts of the research papers that still repeat them.

Key findingOnly 1 of 12 holds up as usually stated; 4, including 60,000 thoughts a day, trace to no study.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
12 claims, sources from 1885 to 2026
Sources
83
Data studyGifted children and the history of IQ

Terman's Termites: what happened to 1,528 gifted children

Lewis Terman's 1921 study of 1,528 high-IQ California children, rebuilt from its published tables: how they were found, who was missed, and how their lives turned out to 1955.

Key findingYoungest in class beat the teacher's pick (88 vs 70); 121 boys per 100 girls; 70% of men with degrees by 1955.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
1,528 children, 1921-55
Sources
18
Data studyPlaces and education

The smartest places in the UK, 2026

All 361 UK council areas: England's ranked on adults' qualifications, GCSE and primary results; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on adult qualifications.

Key findingRichmond upon Thames ranks first and Fenland last; 25 of the top 50 are in London.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
361 council areas
Sources
7
Data studyPlaces and learning

The smartest cities in America, 2026: all 387 metros ranked on intellectual life

All 387 US metro areas ranked on bookstores, public libraries, museums, colleges and graduate degrees per person, with rank ranges, a rank within each size group and the 39 intellectual deserts.

Key findingAmherst-Northampton, MA ranks first; Boston, MA is the top big city; 39 metros are intellectual deserts.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
387 metros
Sources
10
Data studyUS states and schools

Gifted students by US state, 2026

Every state ranked on the share of public-school students in gifted and talented programs (CRDC 2023-24), with access by school, poverty and place, and a comparison with NAEP Advanced scores.

Key finding7.0% nationally; Maryland 21.0%, Vermont 1 student; 2.3x the access in low-poverty schools.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
50 states + DC
Sources
12
Data studyCountries and skills

The smartest countries in the world, 2026

86 countries ranked on PISA 2025 test scores and research output per person, with each country's change since 2012 and how its adults compare.

Key findingSingapore ranks first; 50 of 59 countries scored lower than in 2012.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
86 countries
Sources
6
Data studyHigh-IQ societies

Mensa by the numbers

Mensa membership by country and per person, the worldwide total its own websites disagree on, and 39 children who joined in two years of news.

Key findingSweden has the most members per person; the national counts add up to about 143,000.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
27 national Mensas
Sources
14
Research explainerAI and thinking

AI and your brain: every study on AI use and thinking

56 studies of generative AI and thinking, each checked against the paper: memory, learning, critical thinking, creativity and brain activity, with what each found and its limits.

Key finding19 studies found worse results with AI, 16 better and 17 mixed; it depends on how the AI is used.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
56 studies, 2023 to 2026
Sources
63
Data studyUS states

The smartest states in the US, 2026

All 50 states ranked on NAEP 2024 school test scores and the share of adults with a college degree, with income, school spending, adult skills and the change since 2006 beside the ranking.

Key findingMassachusetts ranks first with an index score of 79.1; 49 of 50 states scored lower on NAEP in 2024 than in 2019.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
50 states
Sources
7
Data studyBrain and age

At what age is your brain sharpest?

Peak ages for 15 thinking skills from 756,948 adults: when each skill peaks, how fast it declines, and how education and the time of day relate to scores.

Key findingOverall performance peaks at 25; math reasoning peaks latest, at 36.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
756,948 adults
Sources
5
Technical reportMethods

How IQ Metrics Research works: methods and standards

The rules behind every study: sources and licences, the eight-step build, own-data privacy rules, uncertainty, how to check a number, independence and corrections.

Key findingSources that forbid commercial reuse are refused; no study is sponsored; own-data groups under 100 people are never published.

Published
Oct 2026
Version
2026.10
Coverage
Every study
Sources
7
Open data

Download the data behind every chart

Each dataset is the full table a study was built from, one row per place or group, with a column dictionary in the study's method section.

DatasetFrom the studySizeLicenceUpdatedDownload
Which IQ Test Do Scientists Use? Papers Naming 38 Tests in Two Indexes, 1990-2025 (2026)most-used-iq-tests-2026-11-05-iqmetrics.csvWhich IQ test do scientists use?38 rows × 20 columnsCC BY 4.0Nov 2026 Download CSV
How Much of the Brain Have We Mapped? Published Connectome Reconstructions 1986-2026 (2026)how-much-of-the-brain-have-we-mapped-2026-iqmetrics.csvHow much of the brain is mapped?21 rows × 25 columnsCC BY 4.0Nov 2026 Download CSV
How Fast Do Humans Think? 47 Human Activities in Bits per Second (2026)how-fast-do-humans-think-2026-iqmetrics.csvHow fast do humans think?47 rows × 17 columnsCC BY 4.0Nov 2026 Download CSV
Exam-Day Heat in 41 National Exam Windows, 1981-2025, and a Ledger of Heat and Cognition Studies (2026)does-heat-affect-your-brain-2026-iqmetrics.csvHeat and your brain41 rows × 25 columnsCC BY 4.0Nov 2026 Download CSV
Organoid Intelligence: Every Experiment and Platform on Living Neurons, with Evidence Grades (2026)organoid-intelligence-2026-iqmetrics.csvOrganoid intelligence26 rows × 38 columnsCC BY 4.0Nov 2026 Download CSV
Every Measured Skull, 7 Million Years: Endocranial Volumes of Hominins and Chimpanzees from Three Open Datasets (2026)are-human-brains-shrinking-2026-iqmetrics.csvAre human brains shrinking?1223 rows × 25 columnsCC BY 4.0Nov 2026 Download CSV
The Brain in Space: Every Peer-Reviewed Study of Astronauts' Brains and Thinking, 1998-2026brain-in-space-studies-2026-iqmetrics.csvThe brain in space59 rows × 22 columnsCC BY 4.0Nov 2026 Download CSV
Dinosaur Brains: Every Published Brain and Neuron Estimate, with a Consistent Reptile Quotient (2026)dinosaur-brains-2026-iqmetrics.csvDinosaur brains115 rows × 23 columnsCC BY 4.0Nov 2026 Download CSV
Memory World Records, 1973-2026: Every Record on the IAM, WMSC, Memory League and Pi Listsmemory-world-records-2026-iqmetrics.csvMemory world records379 rows × 12 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Higher IQ Than Einstein? Every News Story Comparing a Child's IQ Score With Einstein or Hawking, 2007-2026higher-iq-than-einstein-2026-iqmetrics.csvHigher IQ than Einstein?307 rows × 19 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Brain Implants Counted: Every Long-term Brain-Computer Interface Implant, 1998-2026brain-implant-count-2026-iqmetrics.csvBrain implants counted138 rows × 12 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Math Olympiad and AI: Yearly Facts 1959-2026 and Score Counts 2024-2026ai-vs-math-olympiad-2026-iqmetrics.csvAI vs Math Olympiad196 rows × 16 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Where Geniuses Are Born: 3,553 Great Minds by Birthplace, 1400-1999where-geniuses-are-born-2026-iqmetrics.csvWhere geniuses are born3553 rows × 18 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Age at the Breakthrough: Prize-Winning Scientists and Historical Geniuses, 1901-2026age-at-breakthrough-2026-iqmetrics.csvAge at breakthrough812 rows × 17 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Famous Brains Weighed: Post-mortem Brain Weights of 136 Eminent People, 1828-1955famous-brains-weighed-iqmetrics.csvFamous brains weighed136 rows × 24 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Replication scorecard: famous brain and cognition findings vs their largest replicationsreplication-scorecard-iqmetrics.csvReplication scorecard56 rows × 35 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Cognitive Reflection Test (bat-and-ball problem) results: published samples 2003-2026worlds-shortest-iq-test-crt-samples-iqmetrics.csvWorld's shortest IQ test91 rows × 23 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Cox (1926) IQ Estimates of 301 Historical Geniuses: Tables 12A and 12Biq-of-historical-geniuses-cox-1926-iqmetrics.csvCox's 301 geniuses312 rows × 25 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Top Science Prize Winners and Their Universities, 1901-2026universities-with-the-most-prize-winners-2026-iqmetrics.csvUniversities with the most prize winners1893 rows × 17 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Which Employers Use Aptitude Tests? Graduate Selection at 200 Big Employers, October 2026which-employers-use-aptitude-tests-2026-iqmetrics.csvWhich employers use aptitude tests200 rows × 30 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Smartest animals: neurons, brain size and test scores (2026)smartest-animals-neurons-tests-2026-iqmetrics.csvSmartest animals250 rows × 25 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Neuromyths among teachers: every survey by country, 2012 to 2026 (one row per survey and myth)neuromyths-teachers-surveys-2026-iqmetrics.csvNeuromyths by country229 rows × 25 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Brain numbers fact-check ledger 2026 (one row per claim)brain-statistics-fact-check-2026-iqmetrics.csvBrain numbers checked12 rows × 13 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Terman Study of the Gifted: Published Tables 1925-1959terman-study-of-the-gifted-tables-1925-1959-iqmetrics.csvTerman's gifted children study329 rows × 8 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Smartest Places in the UK 2026smartest-places-in-the-uk-2026-iqmetrics.csvSmartest places in the UK361 rows × 32 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Intellectual Life Index 2026: US metropolitan areassmartest-cities-2026-acs2024-iqmetrics.csvSmartest cities387 rows × 41 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Gifted Students by US State 2026gifted-students-by-state-2026-iqmetrics.csvGifted students by US state51 rows × 31 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Smartest Countries Index 2026smartest-countries-2026-iqmetrics.csvSmartest countries91 rows × 20 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Mensa by the numbers 2026 (national membership)mensa-statistics-2026-iqmetrics.csvMensa statistics28 rows × 14 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
AI and Your Brain study tracker 2026 (one row per study)ai-and-your-brain-studies-2026-iqmetrics.csvAI and your brain56 rows × 22 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Smartest States Index 2026smartest-states-2026-iqmetrics.csvSmartest States 202650 rows × 36 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
Peak Brain Age 2026 (aggregate results)peak-brain-age-2026-iqmetrics.csvPeak brain age19 rows × 12 columnsCC BY 4.0Oct 2026 Download CSV
How we research

Six rules every study follows

The same standards apply to a fifty-state index and to a two-page explainer. The full method, with the licences of every source we use and refuse, is published as its own report.

01

Named primary sources

Every figure traces to a named publisher: a national statistics agency, an international survey such as NAEP, PISA or PIAAC, or our own aggregated test results. Each one is linked.

02

The method is published

Each study explains, step by step, how the numbers were combined, with the weights and formulas, so anyone can rebuild the result from the same sources.

03

Uncertainty is shown

Where a source reports standard errors or margins of error, we carry them through. Close rankings are shown as likely-rank ranges, not single places.

04

Open data, open licence

Every study's table can be downloaded as a CSV under CC BY 4.0. Reuse it in your own work with a credit and a link to the study.

05

Privacy by design

Reports built on our own test results use totals only. Groups with fewer than 100 people are not published, and no personal data leaves our servers.

06

Dated corrections

Mistakes are fixed on the study page with a dated note in its version history. Studies are refreshed when their sources release new data.

Read the full method

Sources we use and refuse, the eight build steps, privacy rules and corrections.

In the lab

What we are working on next

Studies in preparation. Each one follows the same rules, and each one ships with its data.

Own-data report

IQ test scores by country, 2026

Average scores on the IQ Metrics test by country, from first attempts only, for countries with at least 100 test takers.

  1. Planned
  2. Data
  3. Analysis
  4. Review
Cite and reuse

For writers, researchers and journalists

Cite IQ Metrics Research

Each study has its own citation in four styles at the foot of the page. To cite the research section as a whole:

IQ Metrics Research. (2026). IQ Metrics Research: Data studies and open data. IQ Metrics. https://iqmetrics.org/research/

Working on a story?

Everything on these pages is built to be reused with a credit and a link.

  • The full data behind every chart, as a CSV
  • Every chart as a print-ready PNG, and a share card with the credit built in
  • Ready quotes under each study, attributable to the named analyst
  • Corrections made in public, with a date
Credit line
"IQ Metrics Research" with a link to the study you used. On air or in print, "IQ Metrics" and the page address are enough.
Embargoes
None. A study is live and citable the day it is published, and stays at the same address when it is refreshed.
Comment
Ready quotes sit in every study's press kit. For a quote on a specific figure, or the breakdown behind any number, write to the desk.
Reply time
Usually within one working day. A reported error is checked the same day.
Contact the research desk
The research team

Who builds and checks the studies

Leon Falkner

Leon Falkner

Data & Research Analyst

Leon owns the arithmetic on IQ Metrics: the percentile tables, the score converter and the figures in everyone else's drafts. On the research desk Leon pulls the data, builds each index and writes the method.

Profile and other work
Aarav Vardhan

Aarav Vardhan

Editor-in-Chief

Aarav is the standing reviewer on every page that reports a score, a percentile or a research finding, and signs off each study before it is published. Aarav is also the named contact for corrections.

Profile and other work
Updates and corrections

What changed, and when

  • Version 2026.11

    Which IQ test do scientists use?: First release. Next update due May 2027, or sooner when a new edition of a major test is released (WISC-V successor, WJ V uptake) or an index changes its coverage.

  • Version 2026.11.1

    Which IQ test do scientists use?: Corrected the UNIT2 edition year to 2016 and its publisher to PRO-ED (the first release said 2015 / Riverside; Buros record and PRO-ED catalogue). The dataset file now carries the date in its name. No count changed. Europe PMC counts and a precision check for every test will follow when the services are back.

  • Version 2026.11

    How much of the brain is mapped?: First release. Next update due May 2027, or sooner when a mouse or human block larger than MICrONS or H01 is published, the zebrafish whole-brain or the fly brain-and-cord preprints are peer reviewed, or the Wellcome Trust updates its mouse connectome estimates.

  • Version 2026.11

    How fast do humans think?: First release. Next update due May 2027, or sooner when the two 2025 preprints are published in journals, a memory or cube world record changes, or a brain chip passes 10 bits per second.

  • Version 2026.11

    Heat and your brain: First release. Next update due February 2027, after the 2026 exam seasons are complete in NASA POWER and new exam timetables are out; sooner if a study in the ledger is corrected or retracted.

  • Version 2026.11

    Organoid intelligence: First release. Next update due May 2027, or sooner when a second laboratory repeats a result or Cortical Labs or FinalSpark print a price or neuron count: 13 of the 23 experiments are from the last 22 months.

  • Version 2026.11

    Are human brains shrinking?: First release. Next update: when a paper re-tests the 3,000-year claim, or on 1 November 2027 with new data files.

  • Version 2026.11

    The brain in space: First release.

Questions

About IQ Metrics Research

What is IQ Metrics Research?

The research section of iqmetrics.org. It publishes data studies and indexes built from public sources, reports from our own aggregated test results, plain-English explainers of published research, and technical reports on how our test works.

Can I use your data and charts?

Yes. Studies and datasets are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence (CC BY 4.0). Credit IQ Metrics Research and link to the study page you used.

Is your research peer reviewed?

No. Each study is checked by our editor before it is published, and its method, sources and data are published so anyone can check the work. If you find an error, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it with a dated note.

Why don't you publish an IQ by country ranking?

School and adult skills surveys such as PISA and PIAAC measure skills, not IQ, and converting them into IQ points adds assumptions the data cannot support. We publish skills indexes and call them that.

How often are studies updated?

When the underlying source releases new data. Reports built on our own test results are refreshed every January at the same address, so links to them keep working.

Curious where your own score falls?

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