[xanderlewis]

> likely, literally, the most intelligent person currently alive.

Why do people always seem to say this about Tao? What makes him different from, say, other recent Fields medalists?

I feel like it has something to do with having been a child prodigy more than anything else (and because he’s somehow known to laypeople worldwide when other names aren’t). I’m not even sure what the most intelligent person is supposed to mean, especially when the domain of expertise is so narrow.

I have no particular opinion on the man; it’s a genuine question.