I have just come across an absolutely fascinating story, and I had to share it. It’s about a woman named Marilyn vos Savant, who according to Guinness World Records holds the highest IQ in the world – an incredible 228 points. That is significantly higher than Einstein (160-190), Hawking (160), or even Elon Musk (155). But here’s the interesting part: despite this extraordinary intelligence, she was ridiculed for answering a seemingly simple question.

Marilyn was not a normal child from a young age. At ten years old, she could memorize the contents of entire books, had read all 24 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, and already set this record for the highest IQ in the world. One might think the world was at her feet. But she later said: "Actually, no one was particularly interested in me, mainly because I am a girl." She attended a regular public school, briefly studied at the University of Washington, but then dropped out to support her family.

Then came the turning point in 1985. Guinness officially listed her as the record holder, she appeared on magazine covers, and was a guest on talk shows. Soon after, she got a column in Parade Magazine – "Ask Marilyn" – a dream for any writer. But that was about to change quickly.

It all started with a question in September 1990. The so-called Monty Hall problem, named after the host of a game show. The scenario was as follows: You stand in front of three doors. Behind one is a car, behind the other two are goats. You choose one door. The host opens another door and reveals a goat. Now the question: Should you switch?

Marilyn’s answer was clear: Yes, you should switch. And then the backlash came. Over 10,000 letters landed in her office, about 1,000 of them from PhD students. 90 percent of people were convinced she was wrong. The reactions were sometimes brutal: "You are the goat!", "You totally messed up!" Some even asked if women understand mathematical problems differently than men.

But here’s the fascinating part: she was right. When you think through the probabilities, the chance of winning by switching is actually two-thirds, not 50 percent. MIT conducted computer simulations and confirmed her answer. Even MythBusters tested the problem and arrived at the same result. Some scientists later admitted their mistakes and apologized.

What fascinates me most: why could so many intelligent people not see this? The answer lies in the fact that our brain tends to "reset" a situation when new information is added. With only three options, the problem becomes intuitively harder to grasp. Most people simply assumed the odds were 50-50 – logical, but wrong. The story actually shows that it’s not just about having the highest IQ in the world, but also about how our mind sometimes fails at its own limits, even when the solution is right in front of us.