Take a brain check: ToI

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1380844,flstry-1.cms

A group of nerds and geeks who speak gobbledy-gook? We beg to differ, say members of IQ-based group, Mensa.

All you brilliant Bangaloreans, sharpen your pencils. Your chance to become a part of a hallowed group of big-brainers is here. Mensa's Bangalore chapter is conducting it first test for membership in the city next month.

Mensa is an international society of 'super-bright' people whose IQs are in the top two percent of the population. Today, there are 100,000 Mensans in 100 countries of the world.

It's represented in every continent except Antarctica, and has over a 1,000-plus members in India, and over 50 in Bangalore, where they are contactable at www.mensabangalore.org.

Members come from various professions and have diverse interests. Sugandhi G, president of the Bangalore chapter, says, "We try and meet once a month, and while we do debate or have quiz and puzzle-solving sessions, we've also done fun stuff like rock climbing, trekking and movies."

Dr Savitr Shastri, a member doing his masters in surgery, did the test because of a friend. "It's not an insanely high IQ test," he says, "It's just a common ground for people of high IQ to meet up. In fact, it's a rather diverse bunch of people worldwide, though in Bangalore it's mostly techies."

He's one of two doctors who are members, and he pooh-poohs the idea that it's a snobbish lot of intellectuals meeting to indulge in nerdy talk. "In fact, we've tried starting a band. Some are into quizzes and puzzles, but music's my idea of a good time."

Would it give him a kick to put it in his bio-data? No, he says. "But I might look for other Mensans if I moved location. Mensa's far from mystical we're just normal people."

Says member and corporate lawyer Lahar Appaiah, "I've always enjoyed crosswords and puzzles, so I figured I could give it a decent shot." While not allowed to discuss the test contents, he just says, "They judge you on your intellectual abilities."

Appaiah himself writes on heavy metal, the cricket team and has debated on top action movies.

While Mensa Bangalore hasn't organised visits to a submarine or origami workshops like the Mumbai chapter, it's planning to do more soon. Appaiah says they want to dispel the myth that the brainy are eccentric or arrogant.

"In debates, they just stand behind their opinions. They're convinced their opinion is right, and they have the substance to back it up."

FAMOUS MENSA MEMBERS

Geena Davis, actor

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert

Joyce Carol Oates, author

Norman Schwarzkopf, general of Desert Storm

Isaac Asimov, sci-fi author

Jean Auel, author RUMA SINGH

MENSA FACTOIDS

Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill and Lance Ware. They decided to form a society for bright people with the objective of enjoying each others' company.

Mensa means 'table' in Latin. The name stands for a round table-style society, where race, colour, nationality, age, political and educational background are irrelevant.

Contrary to belief, not all Mensa members are from professions traditionally considered high-intelligence. They might be students, lawyers, farmers, truck drivers, actors.

Most Mensans are between 20-60 years. In Bangalore, the average Mensan is 20-35.

Candidates for membership in Mensa must achieve a score at or above the 98 percentile on a standard IQ test.

The test's a two-hour, culture neutral test it doesn't test maths or English skills, and requires no preparation.