The test includes four categories (math/science; computers/programming; nerd culture; science fiction) and questions such as, “What is the half-life of a free neutron?” and “What medical condition is primarily responsible for preventing Homer Simpson from being a genius?”
Ellen Spertus, 33, of San Francisco, the 2001 winner, took the crown by wearing a corset made of circuit boards and counting in binary on her hands. Ellen was unable to answer the question about how many processors were available in her house, as she claims to own too many to count, what with her bread machine, electric car, and other electronic devices.
This year’s contest included a contestant playing jazz piano while lying down on the bench and reaching backward over the keyboard, and another giving a PowerPoint slide presentation on speaking Russian.