Below 1,000 metres · 6σ
The Aphotic Society
“Where no light reaches, the rarest minds make their own.”
IQ 190 or higher (SD 15), six standard deviations above the meanabout 1 in 1 billion
The name
Aphotic comes from the Greek aphōtos, “without light”: the zone of the ocean below about 1,000 metres, where sunlight never arrives and the only light is made by the creatures that live there. The society's line says it plainly: where no light reaches, the rarest minds make their own.
The criterion
IQ 190 or higher (SD 15), six standard deviations above the mean. On the normal curve, about one adult in a billion reaches IQ 190: some eight people among everyone alive today.
Qualifying scores
| Test | To qualify |
|---|---|
| THETIS | IQ 190 or higher; retakes allowed, the best verified certificate counts |
| RUFIT | 36 of 36 (IQ 190); one attempt |
| PROTEUS | IQ 190 or higher on the score report |
| QUADRAVA-FR | Not eligible: its scores stop at IQ 170 |
Scores are deviation IQs (SD 15). There are no membership dues: the fee of your qualifying test covers the review of your application.
Roll of members
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The surface · 99.9th percentile
The Nereid Society
“First among those who see beneath the surface.”
IQ 147+ · 99.9th percentile1 in 1,000
About the Nereid Society
The trenches, below 6,000 metres · 7σ
The Hadal Society
“Beneath every depth, a deeper one.”
IQ 205+ · 7σ≈ 1 in 780 billion
About the Hadal Society