There really isn't much of a contest. One of our number has a Ph.D. from the world's top-rated university World University Rankings 2012-2013 - Times Higher Education with the obligatory post docs, etc. and is a world class bass player. I would think it will be hard to top him, but he is too modest to tell us about it.

Not hard to figure out who you're referring to, and you're no slouch yourself (if I may say so). I would pose this question to you, him, and everyone on this thread: Have you learned more in a classroom, or "out in the real world" on your own? We must define "education" imo ;)

ps: As alluded to by others...I have certainly known some "educated idiots" if degrees are what defines an "education"....YMMV.

It's not the degree, it's how you use it.

The degree may get you an interview, but your capabilities get you the job.

My parents had 3 children - myself and my two older brothers - neither of which went past their first year in junior college.

As the youngest - it was "up to me" to do the deed so I suffered through 5 years of college and finally earned my BS in Agriculture majoring in Ornamental Horticulture.

I can tell you......I couldn't wait to get out....and never wanted to take a damn test again!

Giving credit where due - the University of Florida gave me the tools I needed to succeed in my field and I have stayed in my field now for 36 years.

But I still get my hands dirty every day......and love (almost!) every minute of it! :)

Which one?

My grandfather had no formal education at all. He spoke five languages, built the most beautiful mandolin I have ever seen from scratch as well as several houses. My father in law quit school when he was twelve and can do math in his head that makes my head hurt.

I would say most of my education came after saying the Hippopotamus Oath and the guy said congrats you are a doctor. All the smartest people I know are not particularly educated, in the classical sense.

Wait...you took the Hippopotamus oath? And they let you operate? Lol

I just know it's not me. :)

Yeah, but isn't he a hippy surfer that runs around in questionable crowd?

I have a Certificate from the local Community College that says I am a certified cabinet-maker, but I'm not really that good at it; also, it isn't really a degree.

Had a top surgeon say to me one day, "I know some very well educated people, but some of them sure are dumb".

Interesting that no one has mentioned the website host.....

MIT grad, IIRC...

Well he does live in California. I thought it was redundant to say more ;)

There's an old saying that no lawyer earns his keep for at least the first two years, and some never do. School taught me the principles of what I needed to know and taught me how to tech myself the rest.

OK, I'll bite, who? or is it whom?

Todd.

Obtaining any degree requires a capacity to retain information for variable periods of time, endure and postpone gratification. Very few degrees can be used as a reliable barometer of intelligence. I have my share of degrees from okay schools but know that I'm more curious than bright...and have a real capacity to delay gratification.

I aspire to be among them.

I don't agree with the thought that advanced degrees don't equal intelligence. Sure, there are many different levels, and many different ways of obtaining a degree, but an advanced graduate degree indicates that you've at least got the discipline to study, comprehend and retain (at least in the short term) a fair amount of information. Any graduate degree will require a thesis, which (at least as far as I'm aware) requires original thinking and a contribution to the field as one of the requirements. I'm sure there are some who can bluff their way through, but very few.

I do, however, completely understand the notion that "real world" smarts don't necessarily relate to one's training, and maybe more often than not, don't relate at all. But that doesn't in any way diminish the value of the training and education. Consider a college level athlete who maybe knows he or she is very talented at using their body, but doesn't know what sport suits them best. They will train day and night to improve their muscular abilities, reaction times, etc. and that training will be useful in any sport. Training your mind is no different.

I do think that measuring intelligence based on education is a useless pissing contest akin to basing self-worth on who's willy is the biggest.

To the original question, I have a dual major PhD in Psychology (1 PhD, 2 Specializations). But in agreement with the replies, I think actually what we see here on this site is a really intelligent group of people regardless of degrees. That is one thing that I REALLY like about this site...

This is one of the reasons I got my PhD. When I got my first job out of college, I worked for this dimwit with a PhD. I came to the conclusion, if he could do it, I could definitely do it.

Funny, car related thing, NO ONE I went to grad school with had any clue about cars. It was quite sad. My Professor asked the question "If your patient says he is going to loosen the lug nuts of his wife's car's wheels, do we have a duty to warn the wife". A male student asked what a "lug nut" was. Lame.

The whole "education doesn't equal intelligence" is something you only hear from lightly educated people. Just sayin'...

FWIW, I'm lightly educated but I have half of a great education, (University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, ranked #1 in the land when I attended). :)

Oh, I always you were a PhD in Bio. or related field, or a research professor. Was it the other guy from OR?

There does frequently seem to be an inverse relationship between raw intelligence and common sense. I think that's what some (misguided) folks here are referring to as "dumb educated people". They aren't dumb. At least not if they have serious credentials.

A Psychology PhD, on the other hand, can be had by some pretty mediocre MFers in my experience. That one always gets a raised eyebrow from me. I know two people right off the top of my head who wrote thesis basically about themselves and got those degrees. They sell those at McDonald's.

But any serious degree cannot be had by some average shmuck, no matter how good they are at lug nuts. The smartest person I know is my brother and his academic achievements are truly dazzling. Everyone in his crowd of friends is the same way- full professors of Chinese with doctorates from Harvard and Stanford, investment bankers who engineered the govt. bailouts in 2008, people who are doing the math on feeding millions of starving people, etc...

None of them know a Nissan from a Porsche. They would think that it's insipid to care. So let's not get carried away with how much smarter we are. But the world needs ditch diggers and gear heads, so there's a place for even me. :D