They've got brains, and they're not afraid to use them! Here's the list of the MOST intelligent people in 2010, from the Daily Beast. The list was compiled with the help of a group of MacArthur Genius Award recipients, so we know they know what they're talking about.
1. JON STEWART
If you're not watching the Daily Show, you should be, according to this list. Jon Stewart (and of course his pal Stephen Colbert) serve up smarts with a side of funny. This year Stewart was more than a television show host. He and Colbert hosted the Rally to Restore Sanity in Washington, D.C.
2. BILL and MELINDA GATES
We're not sure how donating to charity makes you 'intelligent,' but clearly there was never any question that Bill was a smart cookie.
3. STEVE JOBS
The nerds shall inherit the earth! Joining Gates, Jobs is also a super-smart techie. The introduction of the iPad has continued the revolution begun by the Internet.
4. MARK ZUCKERBERG
OK, MacArthur geniuses, did you really need to be "geniuses" to come up with this list? Zuckerberg, like Jobs and Gates before him, is a clear leader in our current technological times.
5. J. CRAIG VENTER
Finally, someone everyone hasn't heard of, although they perhaps should have. J. Craig Venter brought us a living organism created from a synthetic genome. That's artificial intelligence, with the potential to help with energy, food and all kinds of things in the future.
6. JULIAN ASSANGE
The founder of Wikileaks has been more in the news in the U.S. for the debacle over his Swedish arrest warrants, but clearly his actions have ruffled more feathers than that. The U.S. government is trying to figure out how to charge Assange with espionage, thousands of strangers around the world are launching a technological battle in his name, and diplomats worldwide are hoping their name won't turn up in the next leaked cable. It takes a smart man to have done what Assange has done, and not be dead yet.
7. PERRY CHEN, YANCEY STRICKLER, CHARLES ADLER
Though not as famous as the web gurus as the top of the list, these three are having a significant impact. Together, they've found a way to fund startups, so the worthy projects don't have to only hope for the benevolence of the Gates' foundation.
8. FELISA WOLFE-SIMON
Remember when NASA made waves announcing the arsenic-eating creature they discovered? That was Wolfe-Simon. She and her team are the ones who discovered the creature that defies what we thought we knew about life on Earth.
9. MICHELLE RHEE
Oprah called her a "warrior woman," and battle is what Rhee is doing in the public school system. She has a vision for how education reform should happen, and she's not taking no for an answer.
10. AARON SORKIN
He's not a techie, but he writes about them. This Hollywood mainstay (remember "You can't handle the truth!"? He wrote that.) has only gotten better with age. If you aren't familiar with his filmography, you should check it out.
Looking for more? You can find the rest of the list at
The Daily Beast.
