She is 11 years old and enjoys swimming and playing the recorder. But while Victoria Cowie insists she is just like any other girl her age, in one respect she is very different.

The schoolgirl has just been admitted to Mensa after scoring 162 in an IQ test – better than the 160 thought to have been achieved by Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates.

The result puts her in the top 1 per cent of the British population in terms of intelligence.

Victoria, who has been offered scholarships to four prestigious fee-paying schools, said: ‘When I got the results, I was really surprised.

Victoria took the adult admission tests for Mensa, the society for people with a high IQ.

As well as surpassing brilliant scientists and Microsoft founder Mr Gates, her score gives her a higher IQ than Sigmund Freud, who is thought to have had an IQ of 156, Napoleon Bonaparte, with 145, and Hillary Clinton, with 140.

Only those with an IQ of 148 and above – the top 2 per cent of the population – qualify for Mensa. The average IQ is 100.

Victoria, who plays the piano, cello and saxophone as well as the recorder, hopes eventually to do a veterinary science degree.

But her parents aren’t quite sure where she gets her intelligence from.

Her father David, 42, said: ‘We think she was just born this way. Although myself and my wife are both clever, neither of us are in Mensa.

Read more

Laws are made to function a seemingly healthy community in a stable and disciplined fashion. However, there are many strange laws still in operation around the world. Some evoke a response of "Is this real?" and others evoke genuine laughter, but technically you could be prosecuted if you break the following laws.

Do Not Feed The Pigeons
It's illegal to feed pigeons in Venice, Italy. The pigeon poop actually pollutes the local buildings and a fine of around 50-600 USD should be enough to deter you.

Do Not Forget Your Underwear
In Thailand, it is illegal to leave the house if you are not wearing underwear.

Do Not Stare At Mannequins
One law to remember when on your family holidays in the UK is that any boy under the age of 10 may not see a naked mannequin!

Do Not Drive a Dirty Car
Dirty cars spotted in Moscow can end up with a 100 USD fine, although how dirty isn't defined.

Do Not Chew a Gum
Chewing gum isn't sold in Singapore and chewing it will get you in trouble, as will feeding the birds, spitting and not flushing public toilets. Singapore is a pristine and immaculate destination and they want to keep it that way.

Do Not Cheat On Exam
In Bangladesh, children 15 and older can be put in jail for cheating on their final examinations. Every year, Bangladeshi government takes strong measures to stop cheating and carries out a massive media campaign to forewarn students through print and television.

Do Not Have a S E X
In Bozeman, Montana, a law prohibits all sexual activity from the front yard of a home after sundown.

Do Not Make Ugly Faces
n Oklahoma, you can be arrested for making ugly faces at a dog.

Do Not Eat Chocolates
In England, it is illegal for a lady to eat chocolates on a public conveyance.

Beat Your Wife!
In South Carolina it is legal to beat your wife on the courthouse steps on Sundays.

An Indian concept prevalent among Hindus is not commonly followed in Northeast India. In this Christian dominated part of the country, people are usually more educated and ‘westernized’. But Ziona Chana from Mizoram thinks ‘differently’.

Chana is the ‘proud’ head of a jumbo sized family of 39 wives, 94 children, 14-daughters-in-laws and 33 grandchildren.


To accommodate his huge family he has constructed a 100-room, four storey building in Baktwang village. It almost looks like a hotel.


And how much does this jumbo family consume? One time meal – 60 KG potatoes, Over 100 KG rice and 30 chickens!

Chana thanks God for giving him a huge family to look after and considers himself ‘lucky.’

He sleeps in his own double-bedded room while his wives have to adjust in dormitories. The younger wives stay in rooms closer to his room.

And how often does a wife get to sleep with Chana? – A ‘rotation system’ is maintained, he says.

Surprisingly, all the wives get along very well and there is hardly any infighting among them.

Mr Chana is not finished yet. “To expand my family, I am willing to go even to the United States to marry” he proudly says.

Coincidentally, Mr Chana is also head of a sect that allows members to take as many wives as he wants.

THINGY (thing-ee) n.
For a female: Any part under a car’s hood.
For a male: The strap fastener on a woman’s bra.

VULNERABLE (vul-ne-ra-bel) adj.
Female: Fully opening up one’s self emotionally to another.
Male: Playing football without a helmet.

COMMUNICATION (ko-myoo-ni-kay-shon) n.
Female: The open sharing of thoughts and feelings with one’s partner.
Male: Scratching out a note before suddenly taking off for a weekend with the boys.

BUTT (but) n.
Female: The body part that every item of clothing manufactured makes “look bigger.”
Male: what you slap when someone’s scored a touchdown, homerun, or goal. Also good for mooning.

COMMITMENT (ko-mit-ment) n.
Female: A desire to get married and raise a family.
Male: Not trying to pick up other women while out with one’s girlfriend.

ENTERTAINMENT (en-ter-tayn-ment) n.
Female: A good movie, concert, play or book.
Male: Anything that can be done while drinking.

FLATULENCE (flach-u-lens) n.
Female: An embarrassing by-product of digestion.
Male: An endless source of entertainment, self-expression and male bonding.

MAKING LOVE (may-king luv) n.
Female: The greatest expression of intimacy a couple can achieve.
Male: Call it whatever you want just as long as we end up in bed.

REMOTE CONTROL (ri-moht kon-trohl) n.
Female: A device for changing from one TV channel to another.
Male: A device for scanning through all 75 channels every three minutes.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, GloboMaestro asked its insider experts to reveal their most romantic destination spots.

From a "Sex and Science" tour in San Francisco to a secret whispering gallery in New York, GloboMaestro's concierges highlight the hottest ideas, and the best ways to experience them.

For more insider travel tips, go to GloboMaestro.com, where top hotel concierges dish the inside scoop on their cities in video guides and personal blogs.

New York: Pop the Question at Grand Central's Whispering Gallery
On Grand Central's dining concourse right by the Oyster Bar you can whisper sweet nothings into one of the ceramic arches -- and then have your loved one hear you from the diagonal arch across the way as if you were talking face to face...

San Francisco: Take a "Sex and Science" Tour at The Academy
This Valentine's Day, love is in the air -- and in the water, and on land. That, at least, is what you can expect if you come celebrate the amorous joys of the animal kingdom at the California Academy of Sciences, which is hosting a private "Sex and Science" tour of the museum...

New York: Sample Aphrodisiac Truffles
What initially drew me to Vosges was the rich, chocolatey scent wafting down the street. Literally, you just follow your nose to this pretty little boutique on New York's Upper East Side: all plum walls, crystal chandeliers, and white filigree...

Miami: Dine Under the Stars
A sure-fire recipe for romance in Miami includes one or more of the following: a candle-lit table for two; a view of the ocean; and a sea of stars. Red Fish Grill checks all of these boxes...

Santa Monica: Go Tandem Biking
In Santa Monica, you only need one excuse to get up close and personal with your honey: a bicycle built for two! Rent a tandem bike from Blazing Saddles at the Santa Monica Pier, and head for the lovely Venice canals...

New York: Score Some Luxury Candles For Your Lover
Since 1884, Cire Trudon has operated only one store in the world -- in Paris. Now, the luxury French candle maker has opened a second store in New York. These candles aren't cheap, but they smell divine. If, like your love, you want them to burn long, this is the place to get them...