15-year-old child prodigy in Belgium completes PhD in Quantum Mechanics

A 15-year-old, Laurent Simons, at Antwerp University, Belgium have successfully defended his PhD thesis, last week. This is one of the earliest cases of the completion of a doctorate in the field. His work focused on the complex areas of the study, such as Bose polarons in superfluid and supersolid systems. These are the kind of topics that are explored in advanced stages of an academic career. Simons reportedly has an IQ of 145.

Laurent Simons, Belgium's ‘Little Einstein’

Born on December 26, 2009, Laurent Simons is also called ‘Little Einstein'. He started his primary school journey at the age of four and finished at six. He completed his bachelor in electrical engineering before reaching the age of 10 from the Eindhoven University of Technology. He completed another Bachelor's in Physics from the University of Antwerp at the age of 12, ie, he completed six semesters in one year. He further completed a tailor-made Master of Science program in Antwerp in cooperation with universities in Israel, the UK, and the US. Reports suggest that Laurent has a photographic memory. In November 2022, he started working in a doctoral position in experimental physics at the Max Planck Institute in Munich. Simons said that he wants to start working on his goal to create superhumans.

People heaped praises on Laurent "Congrats, Laurent, you are a genius, but don't forget you are a normal teen too, play and spend time with your teen friends! Be multi-dimensional! Travel, play, hang out." His parents, Alexander and Lydia, have been extremely cautious with him since his childhood, turning down offers from various technological institutes in China and the US. Laurent has also opened up about the experience that pushed him towards science, after losing his grandparents, his focus is on “extending life expectancy.” His approach aims to combine physics, chemistry, medicine and artificial intelligence.