Marilyn vos Savant

Marilyn vos Savant (born August 11, 1946) is an American magazine columnist, author, lecturer, and playwright who rose to fame through her listing in the Guinness Book of World Records under "Highest IQ". Since 1986 she has written Ask Marilyn, a Sunday column in Parade magazine in which she answers questions from readers on a variety of subjects.

Biography

Born in St. Louis to Mary vos Savant and Joseph Mach, Marilyn opposes the tradition of children taking their father's surname, instead using her mother's maiden name. Marilyn attended Washington University, but dropped out to pursue a career in writing and investing.

Related Topics:
St. Louis - Surname - Maiden name - Washington University

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Marilyn's listing in the 1986 Guinness Book of World Records brought her widespread media attention. Among the periodicals profiling her was Parade, which followed its article with a selection of questions and her answers to them, the popularity of which launched a regular question-and-answer column, Ask Marilyn. In the column she solves mathematical and logical puzzles and answers questions on a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, physics, politics, education, and human nature, as well as responding to more traditional requests for self-help advice. Her answers sometimes provoke debate; two particularly controversial cases, those of the Monty Hall problem and Fermat's last theorem, are discussed below. The column has also provided a basis for many of her books.

Related Topics:
Monty Hall problem - Fermat's last theorem

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Marilyn lives in New York City with her husband, artificial-heart pioneer Robert Jarvik. She is the Chief Financial Officer of Jarvik Heart, and assists her husband with cardiovascular disease research and prevention. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Economic Education and on the Advisory Boards of the National Association for Gifted Children and the National Women's History Museum, the last of which gave her a "Women Making History" award in 1998 "for her contribution to changing stereotypes about women". She was named by Toastmasters International as one of the "Five Outstanding Speakers of 1999", and in 2003 she received an honorary doctorate of letters from The College of New Jersey.

Related Topics:
New York City - Artificial-heart - Robert Jarvik - Chief Financial Officer - Jarvik Heart - Cardiovascular disease - Board of Directors - National Council on Economic Education - National Association for Gifted Children - National Women's History Museum - Toastmasters International - Honorary - The College of New Jersey

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