Is Tony Stark's Genius Realistic?

[FallenApple]

In real world terms. I mean, he became a top expert in thermal nuclear physics in one night. That's ridiculous.

 

[dkotschessaa]

If it were possible to quantify how non quantifiable some of your questions are, this would be the least quantifiable I have seen. (Seriously though, I like some of your questions).

No idea.

-Dave K

 

[BillTre]

A related question might be:
Is Tony Stark smarter than he is Self-Confident (AKA arrogant)?
(Going for more non-quantifiable here.)

 

[FallenApple]

If it were possible to quantify how non quantifiable some of your questions are, this would be the least quantifiable I have seen. (Seriously though, I like some of your questions).

No idea.

-Dave K

I like to talk about ideas more. There's more discussion that way, even if things end up more open ended.

 

[FallenApple]

A related question might be:
Is Tony Stark smarter than he is Self-Confident (AKA arrogant)?
(Going for more non-quantifiable here.)

Maybe not. That's his downfall. But consider this, if he became a top expert overnight, he must have learn hundreds of facts/constants/equations etc in a few hours. At the very least, he must be a very rapid speed reader with a photographic memory, in addition to a very high intellect just to understand it. I don't know if this has ever been done in human history.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Maybe not. That's his downfall. But consider this, if he became a top expert overnight, he must have learn hundreds of facts/constants/equations etc in a few hours. At the very least, he must be a very rapid speed reader with a photographic memory, in addition to a very high intellect just to understand it. I don't know if this has ever been done in human history.

What do you mean one night? I've seen the movies but I must have missed something. My impression was that he had long training in whatever...

 

[dkotschessaa]

I like to talk about ideas more. There's more discussion that way, even if things end up more open ended.

That's why I like them.

 

[FallenApple]

What do you mean one night? I've seen the movies but I must have missed something. My impression was that he had long training in whatever...

It's in the original avengers film. He had training in his specific field where he built his ironman suit. I suppose its a variety of engineering, computer science and subfields of physics.



At time 1:50

Actually, he learned thermal nuclear astrophysics in one night. It's been a while since I've seen the film. He was at a such a level where he could work with Bruce Banner whose been in the field for years.

 

[BillTre]

Maybe he has a plug like Neo or Johnny Mnemonic.

 

[BillTre]

It could be an undocumented accessory for his glowy power thing.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

There is no real world analogue because Tony Stark is a superhero. By definition he has abilities that are beyond the norm of human experience. He is listed by Marvel as having superhuman intelligence, which is the source of the rest of his capabilities and tools (from his megacompany to the suit)

http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Anthony_Stark_(Earth-616)#Powers_and_Abilities

 

[Logical Dog]

(Seriously though, I like some of your questions).

hahaha me too. Love ops spree of questions. : - )

 

[Ruby_338]

What do you mean one night? I've seen the movies but I must have missed something. My impression was that he had long training in whatever...

 

[russ_watters]

...he became a top expert in thermal nuclear physics in one night.

He did? To what are you referring? I only saw the movies, didn't read the comics. In the movies he is described as a lifelong science/engineering prodigy and early graduate of MIT.

 

[DrClaude]

In real world terms. I mean, he became a top expert in thermal nuclear physics in one night. That's ridiculous.

People who learned nuclear physics (or SR, GR, QM, ...) in one night are legion. They pop up all the time on PF

 

[dkotschessaa]

People who learned nuclear physics (or SR, GR, QM, ...) in one night are legion. They pop up all the time on PF

I mean I learned quantum physics by watching Michiu Kaku documentaries, so how hard can nuclear physics be?

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

You all missed Tony's secret weapon, the University of Youtube.

 

[UsableThought]

You guys are arguing the question all wrong. In the Marvel world, you can only make relative comparisons between characters. Usually this is "Who would beat the snot out of whom," but "Who's smarter" is a perfectly acceptable riff if a bit dull.

Of course to really duel in this manner, you are supposed to provide detailed evidence to back your claims, in the form of references to scenes from the comic books and/or movies (for the sake of rigor it's best to specify one or the other domain, not both). @FallenApple has provided the best example of this so far with TS's one-night stand with thermonuclear astro-whatever, thus rating him higher than Banner unless a counterpunch is offered. In the absence of a direct confrontation between the two parties you look for common denominators - time to learn thermo yadda yadda was a good one - and no problem with going out several degrees of separation.

SO . . .

Is Tony Stark smarter than Bruce Banner (see above movie clip)? Doc Doom? Reed Richards? Hank Pym? Etc. For the flavor of it when done properly see this thread - http://forums.superherohype.com/archive/index.php/t-480797.html
- from which I have pulled this quote at random:

How the hell is Hank McCoy higher than Hank Pym? Pym's a master of like 3 different fields; McCoy couldn't even cure the Legacy Virus, which is smack-dab in his field of genetics/biology. And Mr. Sinister and his own evil clone are better in that field than he is.

On the other hand you can rate geniuses in much more interesting ways than how smart they are at science; see for example this backwards countdown in which you-know-who trumps the field: http://www.mtv.com/news/2137900/marvel-scientist-ranking/

 

[David VH]

How many bits of information does one have to digest before being an expert in thermonuclear physics? How many bits of information can a regular person digest in one night? If such calculations were possible, we could rate his superhuman intelligence against superman's strength for example. But I'm not sure we can get either number estimated down to an order of magnitude...

 

[FallenApple]

How many bits of information does one have to digest before being an expert in thermonuclear physics? How many bits of information can a regular person digest in one night? If such calculations were possible, we could rate his superhuman intelligence against superman's strength for example. But I'm not sure we can get either number estimated down to an order of magnitude...

A lot of bits. There should be an upper limit on intelligence though. Since information in the brain cannot be processed at faster than light speed.

If one where to do a calculation, it wouldn't be surprising to find Tony Starks IQ to be in the thousands.

He reminds me of this guy

 

[FallenApple]

There is no real world analogue because Tony Stark is a superhero. By definition he has abilities that are beyond the norm of human experience. He is listed by Marvel as having superhuman intelligence, which is the source of the rest of his capabilities and tools (from his megacompany to the suit)

http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Anthony_Stark_(Earth-616)#Powers_and_Abilities

The interesting thing is that Tony Stark in the comics just happens to be a very smart genius. He didn't get his powers from being a mutant because he's not one. All the others get their powers though unnatural means, such as radioactive spider bites, gamma rays, or reading magic books. But this didn't happen to him as well.
Maybe the writers weren't thinking this part though.

 

[dkotschessaa]

The interesting thing is that Tony Stark in the comics just happens to be a very smart genius. He didn't get his powers from being a mutant because he's not one. All the others get their powers though unnatural means, such as radioactive spider bites, gamma rays, or reading magic books. But this didn't happen to him as well.
Maybe the writers weren't thinking this part though.

Nah, this isn't uncommon at all. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_superheroes_and_villains_without_superpowers

 

[dkotschessaa]

BTW, here is a very cool story from This American Life about a woman who wanted to be a superhero: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/superpowers?act=2

Some doubt the stories claims, but I think it is plausible.

-Dave K

 

[newjerseyrunner]

He also had Jarvis to do grunt work and math for him, ho only had to learn the concepts.

If I had to place him with another fictional character, I'd place him around the intelligence of 7 of 9 from Star Trek Voyager: not quite Data, but far beyond Spock.

 

[russ_watters]

It's in the original avengers film. He had training in his specific field where he built his ironman suit. I suppose its a variety of engineering, computer science and subfields of physics.

At time 1:50

Actually, he learned thermal nuclear astrophysics in one night. It's been a while since I've seen the film. He was at a such a level where he could work with Bruce Banner whose been in the field for years.

I heard that as a joke.

 

[russ_watters]

There is no real world analogue because Tony Stark is a superhero. By definition he has abilities that are beyond the norm of human experience. He is listed by Marvel as having superhuman intelligence, which is the source of the rest of his capabilities and tools (from his megacompany to the suit)

That is so disappointing. I always thought of him as just an exceptionally good and well funded engineer (think; Elon Musk, but more engineering and less business) in a universe with slightly relaxed laws of physics. Gave me hope that if I applied myself more I could plausibly become him.

...then again, doesn't any average Mensa member have a an intelligence "beyond the norm"?

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

I heard that as a joke.

He traded nerd talk with Banner like he knew what he was talking about.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

That is so disappointing. I always thought of him as just an exceptionally good and well funded engineer (think; Elon Musk, but more engineering and less business) in a universe with slightly relaxed laws of physics. Gave me hope that if I applied myself more I could plausibly become him.

...then again, doesn't any average Mensa member have a an intelligence "beyond the norm"?

He created a completely new element from a diorama.

 

[russ_watters]

He traded nerd talk with Banner like he knew what he was talking about.

No, I mean the part about him learning it in one night sounded like a joke.

He created a completely new element from a diorama.

No he didn't -- the diorama was a schematic. His dad predicted the new element's existence. What Tony did was read the schematic and verify his dad's work. That makes him almost as smart as his dad.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

No, I mean the part about him learning it in one night sounded like a joke.

No he didn't -- the diorama was a schematic. His dad predicted the new element's existence. What Tony did was read the schematic and verify his dad's work. That makes him almost as smart as his dad.

Why does that make him almost as smart as his Dad?

And are you saying he didn't create that element or are you just playing semantic tag?

 

[russ_watters]

Why does that make him almost as smart as his Dad?

Because his dad did the harder part: making the prediction. All Tony had to do was read a schematic and follow directions.

And are you saying he didn't create that element or are you just playing semantic tag?

It is fair to say that Tony created it, but you gloss over how and I think that's important.

 

[Noisy Rhysling]

At worst it was a collaboration in my opinion.