Are rocket scientists and brain surgeons really that much smarter than the rest of us?

London — Think rocket science and brain surgery are out of your league? Think again. According to research published in the British Medical Journal, neither career choice requires a level of intelligence much beyond that of the general public.

Researchers tested the cognition of neuroscientists and aerospace engineers using the Great British Intelligence Test, which measures spatial planning, working memory, attention, and emotion processing abilities, among other things. They compared the results of 748 neuroscientists and aerospace engineers to those of more than 18,000 members of the British public, and they found that aerospace engineers didn't score significantly higher than the public in any areas, while neurosurgeons were able to solve problems faster, but showed a slower memory recall speed.

As an aspiring neurosurgeon herself, lead author Dr Inga Usher found the results "quite funny, really," and says she "love[s] that, compared to the general population [the scores are] pretty evenly matched."