What is the minimum IQ needed to understand Bitcoin on a basic level?

[beetcoin]

while i'm not very smart, in my mind i have been ruminating over the idea of money (for a few years now), how its basic functions work and the like.. more recently, i've been learning a lot more about it.

i think it has more to do with your desire to learn about how money drives the world, than it does about what your IQ is.. at least for the average person.

[1714043885]

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[remotemass]

With an IQ of 110 you can do it.
You need to spend a year or two learning C++ with a good textbook. I would recommend:

Learn Professional Programming Skill in C++ Programming Language by Adalat Khan
and
Object-Oriented Programming in C++ by Nicolai M. Josuttis

If you master these two books you will be fine regarding C++ but you may need a bit more knowledge regarding networking programming, and concurrent programming with threads, for understanding p2p technology, namely discovering network nodes using IRC, sockets, etc.

To score very high in a Mensa IQ exam you need an entremely good vocabullary, which you don't need to master C++ coding and you need to be good with pattern recognition and brain teasers that although may tell a lot about how sharp and fit your brain is, how quick, focused and able to memorize you are, and for that matter how intelligent you are, will not actually be decisive in your ability to understand bitcoin and its code.

What you need is the chance of getting to know the best resources and to dedicate enough time to them.

First you need to understand bitcoin, generally.
1) Watch "United Colors of Bitcoin" on youtube a few times,
jotting down notes, until you get it. Five times may be enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6sOFXHlhuE
2) Consolidate your knowledge with a more detailed and technical
explanation with the video: How Bitcoin Works Under the Hood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx9zgZCMqXE
Watch it also as many times as necessary, after you are confident
you did understand quite a lot of the previous video.
3) Then you need to understand the code.
Buy these two books on amazon: Learn Professional Programming Skill in C++ Programming Language by
Adalat Khan and Object-Oriented Programming in C++ by Nicolai M. Josuttis
Focus on the first book. Dedicating two hours of reading it a day, for a few months.
If you dedicate two hours a day, by March or April your C++ will be fine to grasp the
code.
In the meantime print the 12,222 lines of code of the original
client code http://www.scribd.com/doc/189139502/Bitcoin-12-222-lines-of-code
(files: base58.h, bignum.h, db.cpp, db.h, headers.h, irc.cpp, irc.h, key.h, main.cpp, main.h, market.cpp, market.h, net.cpp, net.h,
script.cpp, script.h, serialize.h, ui.cpp, ui.h, uint256.h, util.cpp and util.h) and get familliar with it, having a mental picture of it and of the line numbers - as clearly as possible.

The different pieces of the puzzle will start to couple and in a year or two you will understand it all. And you don't need a high IQ. With a 110 IQ you are fine.

[johnyj]

IQ is irrelevant here, computer to its root is just some switches that even a child can understand, but when it reaches a high level of complexity, only those who are continuously working in this area can follow the development. I think most of the people don't understand how IP protocol and internet works, but that does not stop them from using it

If you don't understand how bitcoin works, you can still use it, but there is a big concern that you might lose your wallet, that is serious. So as long as people can make sure that their bitcoins are safe, the rest of the details are not important

In a traditional model, people rely on banks to protect their money, so they don't really bother how fiat money works either, as long as they can safely deposit and withdraw their money with banks

For beginner, I think blockchain.info wallet with two-factor authentication is enough good, since the wallet is backed up by the server and only user have the encryption password to the wallet

[polarhei]

IQ is normally irrelevant here. You are just required to ask right questions.

If you need an index seriously, I think 95 (with understanding how natural number can be calculated), then should be okay.

[railzand]

I think the minimum IQ is 102.02103041

You feel me?

This

and/or remotemass's answer (no 42!)

[remotemass]

and/or remotemass's answer (no 42!)

Ah, ah, 42! the answer to life, universe and everything
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aboZctrHfK8

[Lauda]

It's very similar to the minimum IQ required to stop oneself from starting a new thread every time they come up with another inane question.

Not really similar.

[zimmah]

42! is an incredibly large number, not anywhere near 42.

42! = 1405006117752879898543142606244511569936384000000000

[railzand]

42! is an incredibly large number, not anywhere near 42.

42! = 1405006117752879898543142606244511569936384000000000

Douglas Adams would be proud