“Each of the recipients has been selected for having ‘shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction’ — and each will receive a $625,000 award from the foundation “as an investment in their potential,’ paid out over five years with no strings attached.” From NPR: Here are the 2017 MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant Winners. (Not a single one of these geniuses has ever challenged anyone to an IQ contest.)