11-Year-Old Graduates With Degree In Astrophysics

Gotenosente writes "11-Year-Old Moshe Kai Cavalin has graduated from East Los Angeles Community College with a degree in astrophysics. 'At a time when his peers are finishing 6th grade, this only child of a Taiwanese mother and an Israeli father is trying on a cap and gown preparing to graduate with a 4.0 from community college.' The article continues with a quotation by the boy, hinting at his modesty, 'I don't consider myself a genius because there are 6.5 billion people in this world and each one is smart in his or her own way.' Daniel Judge, Cavalin's statistics professor, says, 'Most students think that things should be harder than they are and they put these mental blocks in front of them and they make things harder than they should be. In the case of Moshe, he sees right through the complications.'"

Comments

Two Year Associate's Degree of Liberal Arts

[eldavojohn]

It is amazing to have done this by age 11 but it is a 2 year associates degree of liberal arts in astrophysics.

Once again, I'm not trying to detract from his accomplishments but this isn't exactly as intensive as a four year bachelor's of science.

I was looking for a course plan from that college but could not find one for astrophysics ... if you look up regular physics, it simply says "The item you selected does not have a Certificate/Degree." Please note their general catalogue has no mention of astrophysics. This is the extent of all of their Physics courses:

• PHYSICS 001 Mechanics of Solids
• PHYSICS 002 Mechanics of Fluids, Heat and Sound
• PHYSICS 003 Electricity and Magnetism
• PHYSICS 004 Optics and Modern Physics
• PHYSICS 006 General Physics I
• PHYSICS 007 General Physics II
• PHYSICS 011 Introductory Physics
• PHYSICS 021 General Physics I with Calculus
• PHYSICS 022 General Physics II with Calculus

Leaves a bit to be desired. Is it possible to "get" a degree in physics (let alone a special area of physics) with the most advanced course being "Optics and Modern Physics?" I think in my undergrad we touched on relativity in required physics courses with several advanced courses devoted entirely to it and its special forms.