Do you know the scientific name for apricot?
We didn’t think so.
But a 12-year-old boy Rahul from Barnet in North London does. A contestant on the latest series of Child Genius, the Indian-origin boy became an overnight sensation after correctly answering every question he was asked on the show, including the scientific name for apricot.
The British reality competition series has children aged 8 to 12 battling against one another in intelligence tests.
Rahul, who is competing against 20 contestants, has already become a hero on the show.
He has an IQ of 162, which qualifies him to become a member of Mensa, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world, reports BBC.
He received full marks in a spelling test, and scored higher than any contestant in a timed memory round. Competing for the ‘Child Genius’ title, Rahul already thinks he’s a genius. “I always want to do the best, and I’ll do that no matter what the cost. I think I’m a genius. I’m good at mental maths, general knowledge and I find it quite easy to memorise stuff,” he told BBC.
Social media was flooded with appreciation from the viewers of the show, with one of them calling Rahul his “new favourite person.”
Rahul’s father, IT manager Minesh, says he’s no less than Einstein. “As a comparison Rahul is as clever as Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking,” he said.
The finale of the show will be held over the weekend where they will crown UK’s ‘child genius’.