What a delightful question that mystery fans have debated for decades! Both are brilliant fictional detectives, but they showcase different types of intelligence.

**Sherlock Holmes** excels at:
- Deductive reasoning and observational skills
- Vast knowledge across multiple disciplines (chemistry, anatomy, literature, etc.)
- Lightning-fast connections between seemingly unrelated facts
- Physical evidence and forensic analysis

**Hercule Poirot** shines through:
- Psychological insight and understanding of human nature
- "Order and method" - systematic, methodical thinking
- Reading people's emotions and motivations
- Using his "little grey cells" for abstract reasoning

Holmes tends to be more flashy and immediate with his deductions, while Poirot often takes a slower, more contemplative approach that digs into the "why" behind crimes.

If forced to choose, many argue Holmes has the edge in pure intellectual horsepower and breadth of knowledge. But Poirot might actually have a better success rate because he understands people better - he's less likely to be deceived by emotional manipulation or overlook human factors.

Really, they're both geniuses operating at such a high level that comparing them might be like asking whether Einstein or Newton was smarter - they're brilliant in complementary ways!

Which detective's approach do you find more impressive?
