Talk:Peak Human Intelligence/@comment-9597460-20130615005924/@comment-9597460-20130615034926

I think I agree; much confusion arises from the fact that in fictional worlds, the capabilities of what passes for human can be so much greater than in our own verse.

An interesting and perhaps surprising example here is Zephram Cochrane from Star Trek: First Contact. Here's a guy who, working with an abandoned missile silo, is able to invent FTL drive, seemingly on his own. No wonder everybody on Federation earth worships him.

Now consider our own world. I have no idea if FTL drive is actually possible (I suspect not), but if it is, what would it take to develop it? Tens of thousands of scientists, engineers, techicians and administrators, using the cutting edge of scientific theory and technological invention, from myriad different disciplines and specialities, along with access to billions upon billions of dollars, working together for decades on end.

So by this consideration, where would Zephram Cochrane fit on our scale? Peak Human Intelligence or Enhanced Intelligence? He certainly seems smarter than the likes of Kitty Pryde and Barbara Gordon. But I'm kind of hesitant to rank him up there with Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom.