While they are far more likely to be noticed for other things, it's always been the case that some of our most attractive female celebrities are also packing a surprising amount of brain power.

Perhaps the starkest example of this combination of smarts and sex appeal comes from Jayne Mansfield, the pin-up queen from the '50s whose 160 IQ was matched in impressiveness by her 40-inch bust.

While it's possible that no one of note has sported such a stunning combination since, some of today's most comely celebs are bringing their fair share of intelligence to the equation.

After the jump, study the best of these hybrids of beauty and brains.

Natalie Portman
Natalie takes her academics as seriously as she does her acting: The striking brunette graduated from Harvard; has published two papers in scientific journals; and once guest lectured a course on terrorism at Columbia.

Maggie Gyllenhaal
The "Dark Knight" star backs up her image as a thinking-man's enchantress with a degree from Columbia. Smarts run in her family, as her brother Jake also attended the Ivy League school.

Kate Beckinsale
Before she headed off to Oxford, Beckinsale's creative writing netted her a W. H. Smith Young Writers award. We have to assume the stories were about a beautiful girl who longs to grow up and meet a handsome compiler of lists.

Mira Sorvino
The magna cum laude graduate of Harvard must have gone method for her Oscar-winning portrayal of a hopelessly stupid hooker in "Mighty Aphrodite."


Sharon Stone
While Stone's claims of a 154 IQ are unsubstantiated, she did enter college at 15, and is so far the only person with the wherewithal to translate a crotch flash into a legitimate acting career.
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