Latest news with #DrRoseHarrisBirtill
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
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
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
British toddler, 2, becomes the youngest EVER Mensa member - after saying his first word at just seven months old
A British toddler has become the youngest ever member of Mensa - the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. Joseph Harris-Birtill was officially welcomed into the elite club at the age of just 2 years and 182 days. To qualify for Mensa, you must have an IQ of at least 132, putting you in the top two per cent globally. The youngster impressed the society after saying his first word at just seven months old. 'It soon became clear that he was an exceptional little being,' explained his mother, Dr Rose Harris-Birtill. '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 one-and-three-quarter years. 'By two-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.' Joseph is even younger than the youngest female Mensa member, Isla McNabb, who was 2 years 195 days old when she joined. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Joseph's parents, both 39, work in academic fields. His father, David, is a Senior Lecturer at the University of St Andrews, while Rose is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the same university and Editorial Director at the Open Library of Humanities. 'He's learning morse code, knows the Greek alphabet, and has recently gotten interested in the periodic table,' his mother explained. 'His interests are vast and varied, and he is always keen to learn more and loves a challenge.' Despite scoring at the 98th percentile, Joseph doesn't realise yet just how clever he really is, according to his parents. 'He is very kind and loving, confident and curious, and incredibly determined,' his mother said. '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.' His parents decided to reach out to Mensa to get more support for Joseph, after it became clear how advanced his reading skills were. His parents decided to reach out to Mensa to get more support for Joseph, after it became clear how advanced his reading skills were 'I searched online for any further support available, and saw that Mensa offers resources and membership for highly able children,' Rose said. 'We hope that this accomplishment can give him a sense of pride when he is older – it's a very unusual accolade and the credit is all his!' Rose hopes Joseph's story will help to raise awareness about highly able learners. 'It is a common misconception that everything is super easy for gifted children,' she said. '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. 'Joseph is fortunate enough to attend a brilliant nursery and has an excellent music teacher, and in Mensa we hope to provide him with a community of peers as a source of further support as his formidable intellect continues to grow and develop.' CAN YOU PASS A HIGH IQ TEST? TRY THESE MENSA QUESTIONS The following questions are taken from Mensa's online 'brain workout' and are similar to those in many IQ tests: Which same three-letter word can be placed in front of the following words to make a new word? SIGN, DONE, DUCT, FOUND, FIRM, TRACT, DENSE If you count from 1 to 100, how many 7's will you pass on the way? 10, 11, 19, 20, 21 There are 1200 elephants in a herd. Some have pink and green stripes, some are all pink and some are all blue. One third are pure pink. Is it true that 400 elephants are definitely blue? Yes or No 2 3 5 7 11 13 ? 14,15, 16, 17, 18 If a circle is one, how many is an octagon?2, 4, 6, 8, 12
