It’s impossible to argue convincingly that some particular individual is the smartest person in the city. Smart at what: academics, music, The Settlers of Catan? Smart at taking I.Q. tests?
So there’s no way to crown a winner, but you might throw Bill Best’s name in there for any such contest. I got to meet Bill as part of a story for Columbia Metropolitan magazine. He doesn’t like to brag about himself. When you have about 120 U.S. patents to your name, you don’t really have to.
He is still thinking and tinkering at the age of 84, and it was a pleasure to write about his work.