Here’s a glimpse of how classical education works in the 21st century. If that’s of interest, and I hope it is, you have to watch this interview by Charlie Rose of Nathan Myhrvold, a practical scientist, enthusiastic intellectual, and helper of inventors. No one interested in what’s possible to do is too busy to miss this, even during final exams.
Nathan Myhrvold, formerly Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, is co-founder of Intellectual Ventures, which is seeking to build a large invention portfolio. He funds people with ideas and with a team help turn it into something useful, such as a machine that keeps medical seriums at correct temperatures for months without electricity.
The most important thing we’re working on … is trying to figure out how to improve inventions.
He personally holds more than 18 U.S. patents and has applied for more than 100.
Myhrvold began college at age fourteen, studied mathematics, geophysics, and space physics at UCLA. At Princeton he earned a master’s degree in mathematical economics and completed a PhD in theoretical and mathematical physics by age 23. For one year, he held a postdoctoral fellowship at Cambridge working under Stephen Hawking.
Oh, and he said that Tablet PCs are just beginning to open up an unknown potential.
Thanks, Charlie, for bringing Nathan back for another time on your program. It’s an inspiration.
Nathan Myhrvold Interview by Charlie Rose May 20, 2010.
See interview also on Intellectual Ventures , Myhrvold’s intellectual ventures company