Is he genius-level? How well-learned in physics and chemistry is he? Does he have a bachelor's degree or a PhD? Can he be called a scientist? Personally, I'd like MacGyver to maybe have at least one PhD because to me, MacGyver is just too damn smart to not be an expert in at least one area.

I don't think it matters!

You don't necessarily need letters after your name to be intelligent!

Well no, but it at least indicates that he learned this stuff somewhere.

I'd prefer if he iisn't degreed in any of these, and is an autodidact. To me that is more inspiring than someone who fronted $ to earn a degree. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for education but I think having Mac be naturally curious and eager to learn will inspire more folks than a PhD Mac.

Not to steer the topic of course but I think the return of Macgyver, along with 2 versions of Sherlock is amazing. I'm hoping such shows ignite a passion fro the younger generation to science.

I think that's also part of the Mac-character. MacGyver studied all that because he found it interesting in the first place not because he wanted to become a full-time scientist. That's one thing they gotta keep in mind. Mac liked the subjects he studied but he wanted to travel around the world as well. I hope they kept that in as well.

Hmm, good question. I think for me he had to have gone to some school, become a physicist, or a chemist; but decided the routes those career paths followed simply bored him too much, so started working Freelance doing what he liked.
Which is pretty much what he does.

Advantages of being a freelance is that 1. He takes the jobs he wants
and 2. No one quite offers services like his.

They should, however, at least give the definitive IQ of MacGyver in the reboot. If Walter O Brien from Scorpion can have an IQ of 197 (and idk if we can even really believe that the legit real life Walter that the show was based on has an IQ that high), if he has that kind of IQ maybe MacGyver can be smarter. After all, a lot of people are smart but not a lot would be able to come up with the things that MacGyver does. He's one of a kind, so it would be interesting to see just how smart he is. And with how easy we can obtain info and knowledge now, I'll bet that he'll be at least smarter than the old MacGyver was.

I don't know how smart or intelligent the old Mac was. Maybe just slightly smarter than most people since most people could still relate to him. But I don't want MacGyver to become some sort of autistic brianiac sitting in a lab or office being a mathematician or something doing all sort of equations nobody understands and that he constantly has to be watched because he can't be alone. So no IQ of 197 or higher, thank you very much.

I'd give him more of an IQ between 120-130 because he should be able to relate to kids. If that can't be, I think you miss the goal of the show. The motivation of the show and maybe the later seasons was, if he can do it, you can do it and it doesn't have to be that hard.

I don't think the new Mac has got to be smarter than the old Mac. Mac just studied the old fashion way with his nose in the books while we just have to click.

You guys might find this discussion about MacGyver's memory useful here.

I do admit, an IQ higher than 197 is a bit too over the top for him

But I do, however, think that MacGyver chose to use his smarts differently. Yknow those classmates in school that are always said to be 'smart' by others because of the things they liked and always want to do that had something to do with 'mind skills', and not really because of high grades? I would think of MacGyver as that kind of person. AHAHAHA I mean, with his smarts he could have also changed the world through being a scientist or so, but he chose to be a hero and in some way because of that, he inspired a lot of people, too but we'll never know what he could have achieved in the science field. Maybe he could have MacGyvered a cure for cancer already, if we take into consideration that in the show he was shown as a man who can solve pretty much everything.

How was Mac in school btw? Did he have high grades in all of his subjects? Or did he just have high grades in science, tech, engineering, and mathematics because of his skill and talent? Are there any episodes that would suggest anything about Mac as a student? Or do you guys have any deductions? He did win a barricade contest and was in his school's hall of fame, but anyone who has a forte in that kind of thing can achieve that, regardless of how good his grades in other subjects were.

Mac did not chose to be a hero. MacGyver chose to be independent and discover the world. Like I said: he chose his studies because he thought it was interesting. He's not a lab person. I don't really believe in a Dr. Mac. If he gets couped up in an underground lab at Phoenix, the poor man would lose his mind. He just had a healthy interest in all sorts of science. Physics, Chemistry, engineering..., Since he graduated in college I think he knows pretty much there is to know about these subjects. But I think he rather uses it when it's necessary on an easy to understand way than to brag with his knowledge and some paper with his name on.

I think Mac was a straight-A student. Perhaps a B here or there but I can not picture Mac coming home with a rapport card full of C's or D's. He's too interested for that. He does mention he got his first chemistry set at the age of ten from Harry in Phoenix Under Siege. And fixing lawn mowers and making carts out of his bike in 1963, I'd say Mac had a pretty early start to develop skills and talents on several things. It's all just a matter of maintaining and further develop these talents if you want to get ahead in life. One thing's for sure, Mac's no dummy.

You know, There's a.. bollywood movie lol, 3 Idiots.
That has a character that I believe, resembles a lot what Mac could've been when in college. In an Indian engineering university, which is one of the most demanding places in the world.

You can check it out, but it's about 1 guy that was born a genius (that drags along two not-so-smart guys in adventures), and he's constantly messing with the teachers, bullying the bullies, standing up for who needs him.. and getting Straight A's without even trying.

STILL I would be careful with that take, lol

Because I would be either very Resilient (or very very intrigued) by someone portraying MacGyver as a recuperating Savant, for example. That was born with Savant syndrome, and a severe case of Autism, and had to teach himself to speak, relate to people, and understand them.

Now that's a little dark, but fascinating fanfic.