My introduction

Hello my name is Andrew and I am a High School student from Elyria, OH. I don't have much in the background of science, just a couple high school courses and some classes I took through the community college in my city. I'm 17, 18 on june 28. I am considered a gifted student, with an IQ much higher then the others in my class (154) and I have been thinking a lot lately on how I can change the world. And because my friends aren't much into science I came here to look for help and guidance and the chance to bounce my ideas of people who do know what they are talking about.

Hello.

What are your educational goals at the moment?

And is there a certain area(s) that you're particularly interested in?

also the two posters above me are in stiff competition IMO for best internet posters ever, so listen to them...


...unless I say otherwise, then listen to me. Exclusively, without thinking.

Just kidding, never listen to me.

Anyways, welcome aboard! I look forward to learning from you and teaching you!

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What are your educational goals at the moment?

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well right now im just hoping to pass high school....i kinda got lazy and failed every class this semester...so itll be a push to pass but i can do it.

but my ultimate education goal is to get 3 PHds:

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Genetic Engineering

and an MD in Brain Surgery...

but my current mental trains have taken me into the lands of chemistry and such. (read my topic in the chemistry thread, its the part of the reason i came here)

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And is there a certain area(s) that you're particularly interested in?

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I'm really into biology, chemistry, and physics

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Anyways, welcome aboard! I look forward to learning from you and teaching you!

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thanx ;D and im looking forward to being learned

No offense, but two PhD's and an MD is quite ambitious for someone who may not pass high school. If this is just a recent lapse on your part and you're usually extremely motivated, than I still wish you luck. After you graduate high school you're setting yourself up for nearly 20 more years of schooling; maybe less if you work on some of your degrees concurrently, but considering how different they are from each other I'm not sure how easily you could wing that - or maybe you already have some ideas on research projects that would combine two or more of those fields?

PhD's simply take time; time to pass all the required classes, time to get funding for and set up your dissertation research, time to gather the data and write up your results. I'm not so sure about MD's; if you're only going for research and not practice I'd imagine you don't have to go through residency and all that.

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Originally Posted by paralith

No offense, but two PhD's and an MD is quite ambitious for someone who may not pass high school. If this is just a recent lapse on your part and you're usually extremely motivated, than I still wish you luck. After you graduate high school you're setting yourself up for nearly 20 more years of schooling; maybe less if you work on some of your degrees concurrently, but considering how different they are from each other I'm not sure how easily you could wing that - or maybe you already have some ideas on research projects that would combine two or more of those fields?

PhD's simply take time; time to pass all the required classes, time to get funding for and set up your dissertation research, time to gather the data and write up your results. I'm not so sure about MD's; if you're only going for research and not practice I'd imagine you don't have to go through residency and all that.

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I can mix the brain and robotics and genetic engineering pretty easily for me to figure out, and i just need motivation to pass the knowledge is already here.

To mix all 3 of these together is pretty simple, but sounds kind of out of this world to talk about. but ill try.

implanting a robotic piece onto a human is easy and has been done for years, but getting that human part onto a robot is another story. Through genetic engineering u can tell stem cells to become nerve cells how to grow and what stimuli to respond to. If you mix that with a little mad scientist you could in theory, implant a brain into a robotic shell, and the nerve cells that you manufactured in a lab to be a perfect match so they can be combined with the brain stem and the robotic "spine" so to speak to create a super being and the first robo-sapien so to speak.....

which seems very far out, but with the power to regrow human body parts, and putting robotic limbs onto people, its a very near reality. And i'm hoping to be a front runner in it some day

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Originally Posted by Brokenazs

implanting a robotic piece onto a human is easy and has been done for years,

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Perhaps, but how complicated has the interface been? Do we have complex artificial limbs that are under complete and complex control of the brain of the amputee? Do these limbs work just as fluidly as the real thing? Yes we are getting close, but it's not a done deal. You make it sound like it is.

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but getting that human part onto a robot is another story. Through genetic engineering u can tell stem cells to become nerve cells how to grow and what stimuli to respond to.

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You'll have to give me a source on that one. I would think that if we had complete knowledge of the control of nerve cell creation and growth, a lot of paralyzed people would have been cured by now.

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If you mix that with a little mad scientist you could in theory, implant a brain into a robotic shell, and the nerve cells that you manufactured in a lab to be a perfect match so they can be combined with the brain stem and the robotic "spine" so to speak to create a super being and the first robo-sapien so to speak.....

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Are you talking about growing a brain in isolation and then implanting it into a robot, or removing a brain that grew in a human body and then implanting it into a robot? Very different things, but both very complicated; I think the step I mentioned above with completely interfacing a robotic limb with a human brain needs to be accomplished first.

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which seems very far out, but with the power to regrow human body parts, and putting robotic limbs onto people, its a very near reality. And i'm hoping to be a front runner in it some day

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I agree that's probably a nearer reality than many people would think. (Technology tends to advance at an exponential rate, after all.) However, as a single dissertation project for multiple PhD's, it's rather high level and all the requisite technologies may not be in place by the time you're ready to start your research.

I think you should focus on robotics and artificial intelligence with the purpose of getting into robotic limbs. If you specialize and master a certain area you can make yourself indispensible to whatever group that takes on the idea you've talked about here - because I'm sure someone will some day and I'm also sure it will be a collaboration, not a one man job. That's a lot of knowledge to cram into your one head, even with a couple PhD's under your belt. Plus, from what I understand, a lot of work on artificial intelligence these days has to do with modelling organic nervous systems. I'd imagine that would be part of your required coursework.

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Perhaps, but how complicated has the interface been? Do we have complex artificial limbs that are under complete and complex control of the brain of the amputee? Do these limbs work just as fluidly as the real thing? Yes we are getting close, but it's not a done deal. You make it sound like it is.

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They are becoming more life like, im not saying the tech is perfect yet, but with the power in place it just needs someone to step up and design these types of limbs that are "user friendly" and just as real, responsive, and sensitive as the true limb. But using heat/pressure sensors would increase these "primitive" robotics effectiveness by a lot.

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You'll have to give me a source on that one. I would think that if we had complete knowledge of the control of nerve cell creation and growth, a lot of paralyzed people would have been cured by now.

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We have a general knowledge, and can grow body parts in labs, but i think before my dreams could happen there would need to be a brain transplant first...

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Are you talking about growing a brain in isolation and then implanting it into a robot, or removing a brain that grew in a human body and then implanting it into a robot? Very different things, but both very complicated; I think the step I mentioned above with completely interfacing a robotic limb with a human brain needs to be accomplished first.

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I mean both, taking a fresh brain would be similar, because the body wouldn't have gotten its motor skills yet, so it can be more easily learned. but a would be harder because, in the USA, anyways im pretty sure its illegal to use a human brain let alone grow one. and the brain is so complex'ed it would take years and years and years to master this art.

but my total goal is to help the paralyzed be able to walk again, because its the body not the brain that is limiting it.

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I agree that's probably a nearer reality than many people would think. (Technology tends to advance at an exponential rate, after all.) However, as a single dissertation project for multiple PhD's, it's rather high level and all the requisite technologies may not be in place by the time you're ready to start your research.

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and it is estimated that in the year 2029 that the knowledge of the brain and the knowledge of advanced robotics would meet at their peeks of knowledge.

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I think you should focus on robotics and artificial intelligence with the purpose of getting into robotic limbs. If you specialize and master a certain area you can make yourself indispensible to whatever group that takes on the idea you've talked about here - because I'm sure someone will some day and I'm also sure it will be a collaboration, not a one man job. That's a lot of knowledge to cram into your one head, even with a couple PhD's under your belt. Plus, from what I understand, a lot of work on artificial intelligence these days has to do with modelling organic nervous systems. I'd imagine that would be part of your required coursework.

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i know it would take a large team of experts to pull of a job such as this, but if i knew knowledge on every angle and subject of this then i would be able to be the top of the line in the robo/human creation field. And i need to find good schools which offer the right classes and will except someone from an upper middle class family with a not so perfect GPA.

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Originally Posted by Brokenazs

i know it would take a large team of experts to pull of a job such as this, but if i knew knowledge on every angle and subject of this then i would be able to be the top of the line in the robo/human creation field. And i need to find good schools which offer the right classes and will except someone from an upper middle class family with a not so perfect GPA.

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The lure of broad knowledge is very strong, I know. But consider: to have breadth AND depth in knowledge you will have to spend more years in school; years where others will be working on developing those very things you're interested in, and you're sitting in a class room. On the job, actual research training will probably be the greatest learning experience you'll ever have. I'm not saying you should skip steps to get there, but I am saying you shouldn't waste time in getting there.

The type of family you come from isn't an issue except if you can't get scholarships and you're depending on your parents to pay for school. Your GPA is an issue. It will limit your choices of schools, there's no getting around that. Making the most of your time wherever you are is more in your control. Get internships, volunteer to work in professors' labs. That kind of experience is very important for getting into grad school.

I think ill stick with the Robotics and AI then because its about a largest chuck of what i want to get into.

and im hoping getting an A in all the classes this semiester will raise my grade enough to at least get me a 3.+ and im going to be doing research at the community college in an unrelated subject, but it would still look good.