Plane built in school, history created in Harvard… Know why Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski is called the ‘Next Einstein’

There are very few scientists in the world who have attracted the attention of universities and the scientific community with their talent even in their teenage years. American physicist Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski is included among those selected names. Sabrina, who built and flew a plane with her own hands at the age of 14, is today researching the most complex mysteries of physics like black holes, quantum gravity and space-time.

The scientific work of Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski was also mentioned by the late Stephen Hawking. This is the reason why the international media often calls him the ‘Next Einstein’. However, this is not an official title, but is considered a symbol of his extraordinary scientific ability.

How did the dream of science arise in your mind at the age of 9?

Sabrina was born in 1993 in Chicago, America. Since childhood, he had a keen interest in mathematics, machines and flying. While most children play with toys, Sabrina spent time understanding the structure, engines and aerodynamics of airplanes. The family also encouraged his curiosity. This initial environment later took him into the world of science and aviation.

How did you make a plane at the age of 14?

At the age of just 12, Sabrina bought a kit of a single-engine aircraft named Zenith CH 601 XL and started assembling it. He assembled every part himself for about two years. The plane was ready even before he turned 14 and he later flew the same plane himself. At that time, she had not even reached the legal age to drive a car, but she caught the world’s attention by flying a plane. This achievement became the first major turning point of his career.

How to get admission in MIT?

Interestingly, Sabrina first applied to Harvard College, but she did not get admission. After this he applied to MIT. When MIT professors saw the aircraft he had built and his technical capabilities, he was granted admission from the waiting list. This decision was taken considering his academic record as well as his practical engineering ability.

Which record was created at MIT?

Even after reaching MIT, Sabrina’s pace did not stop. She completed her Physics degree in just three years and became the department topper with a 5.0 GPA. Nearly two decades later, she became the first woman to hold the top position in the Physics Department of MIT. He also received the prestigious Orloff Scholarship. This achievement shows that his talent was not limited to experiments only, but his performance in theoretical physics was also exceptional.

What kind of research was done at Harvard?

After MIT, Sabrina did her PhD from Harvard University. There he did research under the guidance of famous physicist Andrew Strominger. His main research focused on topics like Spin Memory Effect, Gravitational Waves, Space-Time, Black Hole and Quantum Gravity. His work seeks to understand how gravity and the quantum world interact with each other in the universe.

Why did Stephen Hawking mention?

Sabrina’s research was not limited to universities only. The scientific research of him and his team was mentioned by the late scientist Stephen Hawking in his last papers. This is considered a huge achievement for a young scientist. This gave him recognition in the international scientific community and his research started being looked at seriously.

Why reject offers worth millions of dollars?

According to reports, Sabrina got attractive opportunities from many prestigious institutions including NASA, Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin and Brown University. Media reports also mention an academic package of up to $1.1 million (about Rs 9 crore). But he did not accept these proposals. He believed that his goal was not economic success, but finding solutions to the most difficult scientific questions of the universe.

What mission are you working on today?

In the year 2021, Sabrina joined Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Canada. Here he started the Celestial Holography Initiative. Later this project also received a research grant of about 8 million dollars from the Simons Foundation. His current research focuses on understanding black holes, quantum gravity and the basic structure of the universe.

Why is his research so important??

The biggest challenge of modern physics is that Einstein’s theory of General Relativity and quantum mechanics still do not completely match each other. Sabrina’s research tries to build a bridge between these two theories. If scientists find a solution to this problem in the future, it could change the way we understand black holes, the Big Bang, time, gravity and the entire universe.

Why called ‘Next Einstein’?

Sabrina is called the “Next Einstein” not because she has surpassed Albert Einstein’s achievements, but because she is working on the most difficult and unresolved questions of physics in the same way that Einstein once changed the world’s thinking. Building an aircraft at a young age, extraordinary performance at MIT and Harvard, mention of his research by Stephen Hawking and giving priority to research by giving up offers worth crores of rupees—all these reasons have made him one of the brightest theoretical physicists of his generation. This is why many of the world’s most prestigious media organizations address him as the “Next Einstein”, although the scientific community does not consider it an official title.