A 9-year-old child prodigy in Belgium is expected to graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
Laurent Simons, of Belgium, started studying electrical engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology when he was 8 and will complete a three-year program in 10 months, The New York Times reported. His final project is an electrical chip that is connected to the brain.
"Then, I want to study medicine and do a Ph.D. and make artificial organs," he told The New York Times.
He was raised by his grandparents while his parents worked in the Netherlands. They are all doctors. He now lives with his parents.
"His grandparents always taught us he's very special," father Alexander Simons told The Times. "We thought they were taking him too seriously."
Laurent, who has an IQ of 145, started school at 4 and was in high school at 6 years old.
"Laurent is the fastest student we have ever had here," Sjoerd Hulshof, the director of education at the university, said in a statement, CNN reported. "Not only is he hyper intelligent but also a very sympathetic boy."
His instructors rave about his academic abilities.
"Laurent's absorption capacity is very high, which means that everything goes much faster and we can cover a lot more material in a short span of time," Peter Baltus, a professor at the university and the boy's mentor, told the Times. "It's been quite special and enjoyable."
In his off-time, Laurent has interests similar to most kids, playing video games, posting on social media and watching Netflix.
Ultimately, he would like to develop artificial hearts.
"My goal as a scientist is life extension," he told AD, an online publication in the Netherlands. "My grandfather and grandmother are heart patients and I want to help them."
About the Author
