Meet Britain's 'smartest' siblings - who joined Mensa age 10 and 11
Meet Britain's 'smartest' siblings - who have a combined IQ of 314 and were accepted into Mensa at the age of 10 and 11. Twins Krish and Keira Arora, from Hounslow, London, became members of the highly exclusive society just six months apart. Krish took the IQ test in November at the age of 10, after he was inspired by his role model Young Sheldon - the main character in the Big Bang prequel series. He scored a mind-boggling 162 - a result which makes him smarter than Albert Einstein, who is believed to have had an IQ of 160. Meanwhile, Keira decided she wanted to give the Mensa admission a go after seeing that her brother had been accepted. She became a member this May at the age of 11, thanks to her impressive score of 152. Only people with IQs in the top two per cent of the global population qualify for Mensa.
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2 days ago
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2-Year-Old Boy with ‘Formidable Intellect' Becomes the Youngest-Ever Member of Mensa
A 2-year-old U.K. boy just became the youngest person ever to be accepted into Mensa The toddler, named Joseph Harris-Birtill, said his first word at seven months and read his first book out loud from cover to cover at 21 months Joseph knows the Greek alphabet and is currently learning Morse codeA toddler from England just became the youngest person ever to be accepted into Mensa. Joseph Harris-Birtill, who was born on Nov. 23, 2021, was admitted into the organization — which accepts people with IQs in the top 2% of the general population — at 2 years and 182 days old, per Guinness World Record. His parents, Dr. Rose Harris-Birtill and Dr. David Harris-Birtill, who are both lecturers at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told Guinness that Joseph began showing signs of being advanced for his age quite early on. 'It soon became clear that he was an exceptional little being,' Rose told the outlet. 'He first rolled over at five weeks, said his first word at seven months and read his first book out loud from cover to cover at [21 months].' 'By 2-and-a-quarter years old, he was reading out loud fluently for 10 minutes at a time, could count to 10 in five languages and could count forwards and backwards to well over 100,' she continued. Rose told Guinness that Joseph knows the Greek alphabet and is currently learning Morse code. He also has recently become interested in the periodic table. 'His interests are vast and varied, and he is always keen to learn more,' the proud mom explained. Rose said that Joseph, who is 'very kind and loving, confident and curious,' doesn't yet seem to know that he is more advanced than his peers, and noted that he loves giving hugs and sharing his toys with other kids. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. She added, 'He loves a challenge and is really exhilarated by complexity, whether learning chess or poring over new words and concepts that he hasn't come across before.' Joseph's parents told Guinness that they initially reached out to Mensa in an attempt to find guidance on raising a highly-abled child. 'I searched online for any further support available, and saw that Mensa offers resources and membership for highly able children,' she explained. Rose added, 'It is a common misconception that everything is super easy for gifted children. But everyone needs appropriate stimulation and understanding throughout their lives, and highly able learners can sadly have their unique talents dimmed by the pressure to fit into environments that simply haven't been properly designed for them." She noted that while Joseph is 'fortunate enough to attend a brilliant nursery [school],' she and her husband hope that Mensa will provide their son with 'a community of peers as a source of further support as his formidable intellect continues to grow and develop.' The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! The second-youngest member of Mensa is currently Isla McNabb of Kentucky, who was 2 years and 195 days old when she joined. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Meet Britain's 'smartest' siblings from London who joined Mensa aged 10 and 11
Meet Britain's 'smartest' siblings - who have a combined IQ of 314 and were accepted into Mensa at the age of 10 and 11. Twins Krish and Keira Arora, from Hounslow, London, became members of the highly exclusive society just six months apart. Krish took the IQ test in November at the age of 10, after he was inspired by his role model Young Sheldon - the main character in the Big Bang prequel series. He scored a mind-boggling 162 - a result which makes him smarter than Albert Einstein, who is believed to have had an IQ of 160. Meanwhile, Keira decided she wanted to give the Mensa admission a go after seeing that her brother had been accepted. Krish is smarter than Albert Einstein. (Image: SWNS) She became a member this May at the age of 11, thanks to her impressive score of 152. Only people with IQs in the top 2% of the global population qualify for Mensa. Krish said: "I was ecstatic when I got my result. Really, really happy." Keira added: "I wanted to try the test once Krish got his results. I felt a bit of pressure but I was pleased when I did it." Krish is a maths whizz and recently taught himself the Year 9 syllabus in just 22 days, despite only being in Year 6. In his spare time, he enjoys robotics and coding, and reached Grade 8 piano after just two years of playing. Both siblings are part of Mensa. (Image: SWNS) Keira on the other hand loves English, poetry, and music - and is the lead singer of her school band. At the age of 11, her favourite book is Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre - and she recently wrote a poem from the perspective of an AI tool. Krish said: "My maths teacher gave me the syllabus for Key Stage 3 and I taught myself. "I don't want to go too far ahead though, such as into GCSEs and A-levels, because I want to stay with my friends." Keira agreed. She said: "I don't find school academically challenging, but I still enjoy going as I get to spend time with my friends." The genius duo will in September be starting secondary school, with Krish headed off to elite grammar school Queen Elizabeth's and Keira beginning her studies at highly-selective Tiffin Girl's School. Keira starts secondary school in September. (Image: SWNS) Keira said: "I'm a bit scared because I've always been with Krish. But I'm also a bit relieved because it gets a little competitive." Although they are only just starting Year 7, Krish and Keira already have big plans for their futures. Krish said: "I want to study maths at Cambridge and then do something maths-related, like an actuary." Keira said: "I want to study English and Law at Oxford, and then become a commercial lawyer. "I think it will suit me because I'm good at negotiating, like with Krish over the TV remote." Parents Mauli and Nischal, who between them have degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, and business administration, admitted that there were some early signs of the twins' intelligence. The two hope to go to Cambridge and Oxford. (Image: SWNS) Mum Mauli, who is a senior manager at an IT company, said: "We noticed earlier with Krish. His reading speed was far beyond his age and his spelling was very accurate. "When we'd put on YouTube for him, he'd be watching maths tutorials - and by the age of four he was doing complex divisions. "He also had a lot of patience. It's rare for a four-year-old to sit still and do maths equations for half an hour. "With Keira, she was such a lively and playful child that we didn't really notice until later. "But with her 11+ exams, we noticed her approach to complex questions - and then she started getting feedback on her writing. "Teachers say she already writes like an author. She puts such emotion into her stories. It's well beyond her age." Mauli said that she and dad Nischal, who used to be a management consultant but is now a private landlord, are very proud of their kids - although admittedly a little shocked by how everything has unfolded. She said: "We're quite speechless a lot of the time about everything. "It does put pressure on us as parents as we want to make sure we keep exposing them to things that interest them. "But it's amazing for them as when we took them to their Mensa exam, they were the only kids. Everyone else was an adult. "No one else in the family is a member of Mensa - and we're not interested in taking the test. Recommended Reading Girl becomes fastest 8 year-old to run a 5k in the world 'I befriended a stray dog in Bali - I need £3,00 to bring her home to Beckenham' London bride saves £3.5k by finding wedding dress on Vinted "Imagine if we didn't pass! "I'm not as brave as Keira was - trying after Krish got accepted." This July, Krish and Keira are heading to their first Mensa event - where they have been invited to meet with various admissions officers from Oxford and Cambridge University. Their other summer plans include games of chess and monopoly, which they admit get a bit "competitive", as well as a rewatch of their favourite film - the 'twin classic' The Parent Trap.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Hi, 'Mom'! James Webb telescope discovers MoM-z14 — the most distant, early galaxy ever seen
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spotted the most distant galaxy observed to date — breaking its own record yet again. The galaxy, dubbed MoM-z14, is "the most distant spectroscopically confirmed source to date, extending the observational frontier to a mere 280 million years after the Big Bang," researchers wrote in a new study that appeared May 23 on the preprint server arXiv. In other words, the galaxy emitted light just 280 million years after the birth of the universe; after its long journey across the cosmos, that light is only now reaching Earth and JWST's infrared sensors. "It's pretty exciting," Charlotte Mason, an astrophysicist at the University of Copenhagen who wasn't involved in the study, told New Scientist. "It confirms that there really are these very bright galaxies in the universe." Since beginning operation in 2022, JWST has spotted more bright, ancient galaxies than scientists expected, challenging previous theories about the universe's infancy. "This unexpected population has electrified the community and raised fundamental questions about galaxy formation in the first 500 [million years after the Big Bang]," the authors wrote. As more examples trickle in, scientists are working to confirm whether these luminous objects really are ancient galaxies. Study lead author Rohan Naidu, an astrophysicist at MIT, and colleagues combed through existing JWST images for potential early galaxies to check. After identifying MoM-z14 as a possible target, they turned the telescope toward the peculiar object in April 2025. One way scientists can measure an astronomical object's age is by measuring its redshift. As the universe expands, it stretches the light emitted by distant objects to longer, "redder" wavelengths. The farther and longer the light has traveled, the larger its redshift. In the new study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, the team confirmed MoM-z14's redshift as 14.44 — larger than that of the previous record holder for farthest observed galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0, at 14.18. Related: James Webb telescope sees 'birth' of 3 of the universe's earliest galaxies in world-1st observations MoM-z14 is fairly compact for the amount of light it emits. It's about 240 light-years across, some 400 times smaller than our own galaxy. And it contains about as much mass as the Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that orbits the Milky Way. RELATED STORIES —James Webb telescope spots Milky Way's long-lost 'twin' — and it is 'fundamentally changing our view of the early universe' —'I was astonished': Ancient galaxy discovered by James Webb telescope contains the oldest oxygen scientists have ever seen —'Totally unexpected' galaxy discovered by James Webb telescope defies our understanding of the early universe The researchers observed MoM-z14 during a burst of rapid star formation. It's also rich in nitrogen relative to carbon, much like globular clusters observed in the Milky Way. These ancient, tightly-bound groups of thousands to millions of stars are thought to have formed in the first few billion years of the universe, making them the oldest known stars in the nearby cosmos. That MoM-z14 appears similar could suggest that stars formed in comparable ways even at this very early stage in the universe's development. Though scientists still aim to confirm more high redshift galaxies, researchers expect to find even more candidates with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, an infrared telescope designed to observe a large swath of the sky, which is set to launch by May 2027. But JWST may break its own record again before then. "JWST itself appears poised to drive a series of great expansions of the cosmic frontier," the authors wrote. "Previously unimaginable redshifts, approaching the era of the very first stars, no longer seem far away."
