The 11-year-old boy has recently caused a stir in public when he achieved an IQ score higher than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
Kevin Sweeney, a boy with autism, has been able to memorize the periodic table since he was 5 or 6 years old and could read difficult texts even before starting elementary school.
This gifted child went to the Quaker Meeting House in Edinburgh to take an intelligence test, where he subsequently received an IQ score of 162, placing him among the smartest people in the world.
Kevin Sweeney received an IQ score of 162. (Photo: Dailymail).
Kevin, the only child who took the test on July 16, is now ranked above theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who has an IQ of 160, and Albert Einstein, who never officially took this test before.
“We are very proud to be Kevin’s parents; we always knew he was truly smart and often bragged to others that he is a genius,” said Mr. Sweeney, a physical education instructor, adding that this pride has invigorated his spirit.
At the age of 6, Kevin could memorize the periodic table in just one week, and everyone tested him on it. They would ask Kevin a number, and he could immediately tell them what it was, what the symbol was, and which element it referred to, “without any mistakes.”
Kevin’s family watches the show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” every day when it airs. Initially, they thought he simply enjoyed watching it because the contestants were very intelligent. However, Kevin sat there and answered questions quickly.
Kevin’s father even recounted how his son could instantly answer a question worth £250,000 on the show before the answer choices appeared.
Mr. Sweeney added: “When another show asked about the bus fare in Harry Potter, the boy insisted that their provided answer was wrong. He went up to his reading room, found the exact page in the book containing that information, and within seconds proved that he was right, as the movie used a different fare.”
Kevin and his family are very proud of his achievements. (Photo: Dailymail).
Kevin’s father, Eddie Sweeney, 40, proudly shared how significant this event is in Kevin’s life, as he was extremely excited to learn his IQ result. “Kevin ran around the garden when he found out the result. It means so much to him, more than we could imagine. We hope this is a great boost for our son. Life will certainly have challenges for Kevin, and we truly want to maximize his potential and give him every opportunity possible in life.”
Both Mr. Sweeney and Kevin’s mother, Laura, 39, shared that they always knew Kevin was a genius.
“The boy scored at the top, beyond imagination compared to other children his age and even older ones. In that intelligence test, no other children participated; everyone around him was an adult. We thought he might be overwhelmed being surrounded by adults, but no, he was completely confident and engaged everyone in conversation.”
Mr. Sweeney further explained that he and Laura took the test several years ago due to their love for puzzles, but Kevin was too young to do so at the time. Kevin’s parents hope that following this recent test result, it will help open new doors for Kevin in the future.
After his astonishing result, Kevin has now received an invitation to join Mensa. It is known that Mensa is an organization for individuals with high IQs, representing 2% of the world’s population, with over 145,000 members worldwide. This organization was founded in 1946 in Oxford by Lancelot Lionel Ware, a scientist and lawyer, and Roland Berrill, an Australian lawyer.
