Boy Genius, 6, Demonstrates Remarkable Brain Power
Pop quiz: name all of the U.S. presidents in the order they served. Now, say the alphabet backward, and then tell me which day of the week March 19, 2001 fell on. And for good measure, list all 50 states in alphabetical order. Can’t do it? What if I told you a 6 year old boy could ace this quiz?
His name is Pranav Veera, and he’s the true definition of “boy genius.” The kindergarten student from Loveland, Ohio has pushed the limits of brain power. At just 6 years old, Veera has an IQ of 176. Just one person in a million has an IQ higher than 176. Einstein’s IQ was around 160. The average IQ? 100.
Forget Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?; the question now is “Are you smarter than a kindergartener?” If that kindergartener is Pranav Veera, the answer is probably no.
The child seems to have a photographic memory. At just 4 years old, Veera could remember the colors of each letter in his alphabet set. His parents began noticing his advanced brain power, and thought it was a good idea to have him tested. That’s when they found out just how remarkable their son’s brain really was. The experts at Powers Educational Services said his brain power was one in a million.
You might think a boy genius would spend all of his time with his nose in books, but that’s not the case. In many ways, Pranav Veera is just like any other 6 year old. He loves playing video games on his Wii, and he enjoys the outdoors. His parents are set on raising him as normally as possible to ensure he doesn’t feel alienated.
So, what’s the secret to Veera’s brain power? If you ask University of Michigan professor Richard E. Nisbett, “genetics may play some role in intelligence, the more dominant factors are nurturing teachers and involved parents.”
And Veera certainly has both nurturing teachers and involved parents. His mother and grandmother regularly engage him at home. They say his main interests revolve around numbers. Anything that associates with numbers (dates, statistics, etc.) seems to really capture Veera’s attention. Veera studies Excel spreadsheets full of information that interests him, and with a photographic memory, all of the information stays with him.
Of course, this impressive brain power does pose a potential problem. Keeping Veera engaged at home and school could prove difficult. Sure, there are classes for gifted students, but with an IQ of 176, teachers will face a serious challenge of pushing Veera in a typical classroom setting. As it stands right now, his kindergarten teacher is teaching him to count in the millions while his peers are learning numbers up to 100.
The key will be for his teachers to find interesting ways to engage him. Luckily, Veera has a thirst for knowledge. His current teacher said that even though he already knows so much, Veera shakes with excitement when it comes to learning new things.
So, how does Veera plan to put his amazing brain power to use? The 6 year old plans to be an astronaut. And with an IQ of 176, he certainly has the ability to accomplish it.
