According to ScienceAlert, fifteen-year-old Laurent Simons has just defended his PhD thesis in quantum physics at the University of Antwerp, potentially making him the youngest person ever to earn a doctorate in this field. The Belgian prodigy, nicknamed “little Einstein,” started primary school at age four and finished by six, then earned his master’s in quantum physics exploring bosons and black holes by age twelve. With an IQ of 145 that only about 0.1 percent of people achieve and a reported photographic memory, Laurent’s academic trajectory has been extraordinary. After losing his grandparents at age eleven, he set his sights on an even more ambitious goal than a PhD: achieving human immortality, or at least significantly extending life. Despite receiving offers from IT giants in both the US and China to study at their research centers, his parents have reportedly denied all invitations so far.
The making of a prodigy
Laurent’s educational path is basically what happens when you fast-forward a typical academic career. Primary school in two years? Check. Master’s degree by twelve? Done. Now a PhD at fifteen. It makes you wonder what the rest of us were doing at that age – probably worrying about acne and video games. His story reminds me of other young achievers like Carson Huey-You, who earned his physics doctorate last year at 21 after reading chapter books by age two and tackling precalculus at five.
quantum-physics-to-immortality”>From quantum physics to immortality
Here’s the fascinating pivot: after mastering some of the most complex concepts in theoretical physics, Laurent wants to shift to medical science with the goal of extending human life. He’s explicitly said it’s not for himself but for others. This isn’t just academic curiosity – it’s personal, stemming from losing his grandparents. The jump from quantum mechanics to life extension might seem dramatic, but both fields require understanding complex systems at fundamental levels. And he’s not alone in this pursuit – scientists are already making progress with anti-aging research that shows promise in animal studies.
The youngest doctorate question
Is Laurent actually the youngest person ever to earn a doctorate? The reporting says “may very well be” because there’s no official ranking system. Guinness World Records tracks these things, but the verification process can be tricky. What’s clear is that he’s among an extremely rare group of individuals who complete this level of education before most people even get their driver’s license. The fact that tech giants are already courting him suggests the market agrees about his potential.
The child prodigy phenomenon
Child prodigies like Laurent raise interesting questions about education, potential, and pressure. His parents turning down all those corporate offers is telling – they seem focused on letting him develop at his own pace rather than being rushed into industrial research. These extreme cases of early achievement often involve specialized support systems and, in many cases, access to advanced industrial computing equipment and research tools that most students don’t encounter until graduate school. The real test will be whether these early starters maintain their momentum into adulthood and make the groundbreaking contributions their early achievements suggest.
