There are many diverse definitions that attempt to describe the concept of genius, and many philosophers, scientists and thinkers have exerted a tremendous amount of energy to understand and describe the concept. According to Keith Simonton, who has studied and researched geniuses since the 1970s, geniuses are people who possess "the intelligence, enthusiasm, and endurance to acquire the needed expertise in a broadly valued domain of achievement." These people then must use their advanced talents to make productive and significant contributions to the field, and the work must be respected by peers as both "original and highly exemplary."
Thus, people who display superior intelligence and excellent skills related to a certain field and provide great works that dramatically improve or influence the field are considered geniuses. While this too can be arbitrary, Simonton asserts that indicators of this level of expertise include the number of times the discoveries of a scientist are cited or the works of an artist are appreciated.
Many researchers debate the accuracy and effectiveness of IQ tests and the ability of the tests to predict or determine genius. For instance, supporters can cite a study in which elite and prestigious scientists scored an average of 150 on IQ tests, which is 50 points higher than the average of the general population. However, Simonton contends that there are many different kinds of IQ tests and that the results can be unreliable or misleading.
Many researchers argue that people who are geniuses reached that condition because of their genetics and thus were born geniuses. A study conducted by BBC Focus Magazine indicated that geniuses have a denser concentration of minicolumns in their brains than the rest of the population, and these minicolumns provide geniuses with enhanced thinking skills and increased abilities to retain information. Furthermore, the study showed that geniuses have fewer thalamus receptors in their brains than the normal population, which helps them more easily filter out useless information while absorbing valuable information.
Many researchers also argue that genius results from the person's environment and not her genetics and thus that people are not born geniuses but instead reach that level through intense dedication, relentless hard work and incessant practice. Anders Ericsson, a scholar and professor of psychology at Florida State University, supports the 10-year theory. This theory suggests that a person must commit at least 10 years -- or 10,000 hours -- of dedicated practice to a craft to master the complex intricacies of that craft. Researchers such as Ericsson insist that environments conducive to hard work and education along with committed practice are the primary factors responsible for developing genius.
Although many researchers that study the causes of genius select nature or nurture and defend their respective side exclusively and passionately, many experts also emphasize the importance of both factors as influences on geniuses. Simonton argues that genetics and environment are both significant factors and that genius is often sparked by the combination of nature and nurture. For instance, geniuses tend to be "open to experience, introverted, hostile, driven, and ambitious," which are all personality traits caused by environmental influences as well as by genetic inheritance.