Laurent Simons, born in Ostend, Belgium, in 2010, has accumulated academic advances at an unusual speed. He finished high school at the age of eight, graduated with a degree in physics in 18 months, and received a master’s degree in quantum physics at the age of twelve. Today, even before reaching the age of majority, he has already defended a doctoral thesis in one of the most complex scientific fields.
His doctorate at the University of Antwerp focuses on quantum physics, a field that studies the behavior of the smallest particles in the universe and which, in Simons’ own words, can be considered “the foundation of everything.” Among other projects, he worked with Bose-Einstein condensates at ultra-low temperatures and explored analogies between boson states and black holes.
Despite his age, the young prodigy has an extensive CV: he followed electrical engineering programs at the Technical University of Eindhoven, completed internships in quantum optics at the Max Planck Institute and participated in various high-level research environments. A conflict with the Dutch university, which did not want to accelerate his graduation for fear of media pressure, led him to transfer to Antwerp (Amberes), where he was able to progress at the rate of his abilities.
Simons does not hide the ambition of his life project. His goal, he explains, is to move closer to a realistic form of biological “immortality”: dramatically extending life expectancy and improving the human body through technology. To achieve this, he wants to combine physics, chemistry, medicine and artificial intelligence in an interdisciplinary approach that goes from fundamental understanding of the subject to clinical applications.
The next step is already underway. After defending his thesis in Antwerp, he moved to Munich, where he completed a second doctorate in medical sciences with a specialization in artificial intelligence. He estimates it will take him between a year and a half and two years to complete it and, after that, he plans to continue working in academia, researching and improving his knowledge at the interface between physics and medicine.
His talent has attracted the interest of major investors and technology companies who are closely following his trajectory. According to the child’s father, they have received contacts from “incredibly wealthy” people interested in supporting their projects, although, as of yet, no agreement has been reached. Laurent himself does not rule out a future foray into the business world, but for now he assures that he prefers to concentrate on science.
Despite the “child prodigy” aura that surrounds him, Simons maintains habits typical of any teenager. He enjoys spending time with his friends, playing video games, and participating in Marvel movie marathons. Her family insists that in addition to the records, she strives to ensure that her education is compatible with a balanced personal life.
The case of Laurent Simons once again opens the debate on how to manage extreme talents in childhood and adolescence. However, he summarizes his horizon with a fixed idea: using his intelligence and his training to improve medicine and prolong human life, convinced that the combination of fundamental science and artificial intelligence will be fundamental to building the “superhumans” that he imagines.
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