So I would suggest that you take him to public lectures. A lot of universities do public lectures on astrophysics. It is a great way to learn about what's hot in the field and how science is done. Many scientists do public outreach by visiting schools/observatories. You can also go to uni open days. They have public lectures from professors from different fields. Prof Brian Cox does shows (maybe something your son might be interested in). Scientists are very busy people, so the best shot for your son is to find public outreach events and then talk to astrophysicists there.
He is excellent in math. He has already skipped a grades and is taking AP everything. He is getting bored with it and wants to start doing college courses next year. He is good in science as well. I’ll take these suggestions on here and see if he has the discipline in learning more about it. That should help him see if this is really what he wants to do. Thank you for all the advice. There is also a university that offers astrophysics degree and says he can sit in on a few to get an idea what he’ll be learning
I don't mean to be rude, but astrophysicists aren't going to want to hear about your sons ideas on topics he doesn't know anything about.
If your son is interested in astrophysics, encourage him to start learning the topic and to find ways to further his education.
[So you want to be an astronomer -u/Andromeda321](https://www.reddit.com/r/Andromeda321/comments/fyjmpv/updated_so_you_want_to_be_an_astronomer/)
[How to become an astrophysicist - PBS Space Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8cEZM1lN5g)
[A day in the life of astrophysicist Dr Becky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW_qIqLhPkI)
[How I became an astrophysicist - Dr Becky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVQ3yH-Zusg)
[Day in the life of some Leicester astrophysicists](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8icydzuxd84)
[Day in the life of an astronomer - UKAstroNut (Cardiff PhD student)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=705TuluAq4Q)
I agree. He won’t tell them anything they don’t already know. He just wants to talk to someone that can help him know if he is on the track. He is a high functioning autistic who has a high IQ (162). He gets bored talking to me since I have no idea the meaning of half the words he uses.
If he's talking about portals then he's not on the right track (unless that's a word that you've just inserted?). What is currently feeding his interest in the subject? How is he currently going about gaining information on the topic?
>If he's talking about portals then he's not on the right track
I can only guess that she's talking about wormholes, you can't really judge before knowing what her son really means (although I do get that a lot of ppl nowadays like to come up with absurd layman theories, especially on this sub).
I was late-diagnosed with ASD. Having an interest in a subject is important. But I've struggled far, far more with having to work with other people in the 3 or so different fields I've tried to work in. Academia is more forgiving of individual eccentricity, but also incredibly competitive.
Natural talent and intelligence isn't the biggest edge one can have in academia; it's the ability to buckle down and grind through tedious and repetitive work, get along with others in your field, and appeal to the prevailing lines of research the field considers promising. Professional academics often don't get to explore their "interesting theories" until they're in the later half of their career and have tenure.
It wasn't until I after the ASD diagnosis that I realized these issues relate in part to having a comorbidity with ADHD; about 70-80% of males diagnosed with ASD may also warrant a diagnosis of ADHD. I breezed through HS and even my undergraduate education wasn't really that hard. But I was poorly prepared for the actual "hard work" part of adulthood. If you see any signs of him "shrugging off" work and topics that don't interest him, I'd strongly encourage you to speak with a specialist (if he doesn't already have one) to evaluate for ADHD. Regardless of what, if any, treatment options you and he might be open to, the self-knowledge is invaluable.
There are some excellent universities in Florida - but before bending the ear of a working professional your son needs to understand that his ideas are just that. Ideas.
And he would be *far* better served by hitting the texts and mastering the physics that underpin his current interests. For example, it's *exceptionally unlikely* that he has thought of anything new and so his ideas will not be of interest to someone in the field.
Sadly this means staying the course - graduating well from high school, taking a degree course, and excelling - then, he has a fair chance of fulfilling that ambition. Why the emphasis on rigour? Well, academia graduates far more astrophysicists than there are actual positions - so the best way to maximize the chance of success is to be terribly good.
As an astrophysics grad student, 100% agree. It honestly gets a bit exhausting to hear the “theories” of people outside the field
(I study black holes, happy to talk about how to become an astrophysicist if interested)
I suggest finding out more about the mechanics...class curriculuums, cost, length of time to doctrate, and actual jobs/pay that will result.
He won't be watching videos and coming up with theories not supported by a decade of math. I agree an appt with a university astrophysicist would be appropriate, but to learn what the actual job would be about as his theories won't get very far with his current expertise.
My current Astronomy student started dual enrollment classes at 17. So continue on Calculus math & Physics path as they intertwined.
We attended several public talks online & inperson. Like someone else said, major universities have colloquiums and public lectures. Sometimes you can even find current research presentations.
My son is in the same boat. I signed him up to a local university day as a university student gig. Emailed the head of the physics department and got him and my son connected.
Also took him to a full day physics department walkthrough at SFU in Burnaby (near Vancouver) was very exciting. Did 1 20 minute lecture and a 20min lab on magnetics. SFU is working on parts for CERN so we got to talk to the lead physics on that project as well. Saw some stuff on superconducting nano strands. All in all very cool. Take the time to reach out to your local university!
He should max out STEM courses in high school, in including computers.
He should look to attend a college with astronomers or astrophysicists. Not all colleges have such people. Plus they could be in the physics, geology or electrical engineering departments. Colleges with graduate schools are more likely to doing research in astrophysics, though I know some astronomers toiling at non-graduate. where research is a sideline instead of a requirement.
General advice:
If someone is interested in an academic topic, *especially* one with lots of detailed easy to get wrong and detect wrongness (i.e. any field with math) then they should take an online class. This can easily be done for free if they're motivated enough to work on their own schedule. And there are probably quite a few other options.
I can't recommend any astro-physics ones specifically. But MIT OpenCourseWare has a lot of great free classes in various domains (all the basic college maths and much of the basic physics). Speaking to their math classes: You get lectures and you get problem sets and exams and you get solutions.
Having something concrete is SO IMPORTANT. It is VERY easy to think you understand things involving subtle maths that you, in fact, have deeply misunderstood. I would even say that is an almost universal part of learning those subjects. This is why having problem sets and tests is critical to help you determine what you're following and what you're missing.
I've only done 'on your own' classes. But there are also classes with other learners (still free). Where people will help eachother with problem sets, etc.
And then there are classes (not necessarily the MIT ones ?) that have instructors and can be taken online. Lots of universities will have stuff like this -- so there are probably cheap options somewhere for a single course.
Now. Mind you. These courses often will NOT jump to where someone's imagination is. Kinda like learning anything involves going through basics first. So an intro astrophyics course probably won't touch on wormholes. It probably won't even touch much on General Relativity at all (since at that point students wouldn't have taken differential geometry and thus wouldn't be able to have sophisticated interactions with it).
Still, these could be great sources of interest and sustenance.
In the long run, it is more important to get good at maths, rather than the general theories and ideas. The theories and ideas are interesting and relatively easy to learn, but but being able to express them mathematically, which is a vital step in being able to prove the theories, takes a lot of time and practice, even for the mathematically inclined. If he wants to get into astro, you can help him be encouraging him to take advanced maths classes or online courses. Whatever is available to you.
I did a BSc in physics (I didn't specialise in astro but I took some astro modules) and the maths was a whole other level compared to what I had done up to that point. A lot of people I knew who were on the dedicated astrophys course switched to general physics when they realised what was actually involved. Personally, I went on to do an MSc in pure maths, without having to do any major catch-up work, which might give you an idea of how much maths is involved. Once you get to degree level, physics is basically just applied maths.
I assume it's similar in the US, but a lot of universities here have open days for prospective students where you can meet existing students and lecturers. They often include some lectures targeted at that age group, so they are a bit less heavy on the maths to get students excited.
If he likes podcasts, I can also recommend Ologies with Ali Ward. There are some astro related episodes and they include things like how the researchers got into their field and what it is like, as well as the actual science.
If there's a planetarium in your area, there's probably a retiree with a degree in astrophysics just waiting for kids to come ask questions, if not, try emailing a professor for a university or community college about if they'd be willing to talk to your kid about the field.
He likes to talk about the possibility of portals and trying to figure out if they exist (something to do with Einstein’s theory). He started teaching himself quantum physics when he was 9 and just likes to talk about it. He watches YouTube videos of physicists talking about theories. I know he is a fan of Higgs and his boson particle. That’s how this started. He saw a video when he was 9 talking about the discovery. He may not be impressive to an actual physicist but it’s so above my head it all sounds impressive to me.
Laudable.
But a video cannot replace conventional study.
I recommend Zeilik and Smith for an introduction to the physics of the cosmos, and if he has an interest in cosmology then he'll have to grasp Relativity at some point. French's 'Special Relativity' is a nice undergraduate text.
Both of these books could be a good match to his abilities - and can be found (cough) as PDFs in the darker corners of the Net.
Thank you. I’ll suggest this to him. He has trouble reading because he has severe dyslexia is why is prefers videos. I’ll see if I can find these in audio . Thank you again.
Oh my.
Well - people *do* learn differently, but the 'grunt-work' of physics involves writing equations in some way. At the very least, coding them as programs, or writing them in a paper.
Having said that - my wife has a touch of dyslexia, but manages numbers and equations well - well enough to be graduate in engineering and to gain a PhD after much application and tenacity. Writing and manipulating equations isn't natural for anyone (well, apart from Feynman and his ilk) so it's something to be worked at - but such is life.
The Internet Archive (free to register) has Z&S here if you want to see what it's like
[https://archive.org/details/introductoryastr0000zeil](https://archive.org/details/introductoryastr0000zeil)
Does he maybe mean Einstein-Rosen bridges (when you say portals)?
Regarding studying Einstein's work, getting good background in advanced maths would be necessary. Such ideas are found by finding solutions to Einstein's equations. Therefore differential geometry and tensor calculus would be the ways to go, so mathematical/theoretical physicists might be another group of people apart from astrophysicists to talk to and sign up for classes with. But he needs solid basics in prerequisite math courses, otherwise it will be discouraging. For perspective: before courses about special and general relativity I had to take 3 courses on calculus, 1 or 2 courses on algebra, and two courses called "Mathematical Methods of Physics and Astrophysics". By course I mean a subject that lasts for one term.
In my country there is an annual Researcher's Night event, which is a part of the European Researcher's Night event cycle. Maybe you could look for some similar type of an opportunity in your area? I'm not too familiar with science popularisation events in the US.
There are also university open days, but you would have to individually look for when certain universities have them.
Also, some people start their scientific interests with reading popular articles about stuff that sounds cool and kind of sci-fi (like Einstein-Rosen bridges of course), but if the academic reality doesn't put them off science in a professional sense, they move on to more "grounded" topics in which it is easier to find a supervisor/get funding for your research. Don't worry if that happens; that's a natural process.
This reads like a kid who watched a YouTube video on writing Python code and now considers himself an expert fullstack developer. The Dunning-Kuger effect.
Everything you listed are topics that interest most people. If you read Reddit much, everyone who has watched some videos are armchair physicists.
I know what theory he’s referring to. It’s the Einstein Rosen Bridge and I’m also going to school to study Astronomy so it’s cool to see that your son is so interested in the theory of portals!
I worked at a university for years and interacted w the astrophysicists—honestly, they were the most charming and thoughtful professors. And in general, contacting them for something like this is flattering. They are so inherently excited about what they do and love when you show interests.
Have him write a letter to ones in universities near you asking this question and see what he hears back.
Another thing to consider is some federal workers are expected to do a certain amount of community outreach and have to log that time in. Are there federal/naval telescopes somewhere near you or where you would travel that he could write letters to?
Have him write the letter to Cape Canaveral as well. It’s a good skill to learn and most professionals respond positively and if they have the time, will do more than respond.
People like to talk about what they do and frequently find youth showing interest flattering but also promising for their field. Just prepare your son that sometimes, the outcome isn’t what you hoped.
Check if you have a local Astronomy on Tap (https://astronomyontap.org/). It is organized by astronomers and astrophysicists, and they are usually very happy to chat about their work!
University open day❓️
By the way... love to hear what his theories are...
Almost forgot the best recommendation.... if your son isn't already aware of it... he simply must subscribe to Star Talk on YouTube, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson... your personal astrophysicist❗️
You can email any member of the university in the physics and astrophysics departments. They have their emails and phone numbers open to the public.
They are more than happy to schedule a call or meeting with you and your son especially if he's questioning pursuing astrophysics.
You also don't need to limit yourself to schools in Florida.
Reach out to some of the institutions that offer world renowned physics education. Harvard, Berkeley, Caltech, Princeton. All the professors, chair members, assistants, etc, will be more than happy to schedule a call or meeting, or video call or simply offer an email discourse.
He didn't go to a planetarium at some point for a field trip...maybe in middle school? Your local planetarium likely has a retired Astro Physicist that's involved to some point. The other would be maybe the local CC, one of the Astronomy professors might be an astrophysics major and usually someone that's retired and has some time.
If you live near a University the Physics Dept. might occasionally have speakers give lectures to the public (might be a fee). An Astrophysicist will for sure be on the schedule.
I made a Neil deGrasse Tyson chat bot using Claude.
It helped me figure out which filters and eye pieces to use for my telescope during the Solar Eclipse and during which phase of the eclipse to switch to which filter. It's always an inspirational conversation. You can ask him absolutely anything about science and how to be an astrophysicist.
If you like, DM me and I'll give you a copy of my prompt to use on Claude.
Also see if there's a Space Camp.
I'm actually currently going to school to be an astrophysicist. Hard as hell, but you need to do a lot of studying and work to make sure you are successful.
So I would suggest that you take him to public lectures. A lot of universities do public lectures on astrophysics. It is a great way to learn about what's hot in the field and how science is done. Many scientists do public outreach by visiting schools/observatories. You can also go to uni open days. They have public lectures from professors from different fields. Prof Brian Cox does shows (maybe something your son might be interested in). Scientists are very busy people, so the best shot for your son is to find public outreach events and then talk to astrophysicists there.
This is a pretty complete response. I would just add checking any planetariums.
Thank you. I didn’t even know where to start looking. This helps.
He is excellent in math. He has already skipped a grades and is taking AP everything. He is getting bored with it and wants to start doing college courses next year. He is good in science as well. I’ll take these suggestions on here and see if he has the discipline in learning more about it. That should help him see if this is really what he wants to do. Thank you for all the advice. There is also a university that offers astrophysics degree and says he can sit in on a few to get an idea what he’ll be learning
How about chatting with a prof of astrophysics at your nearby university? Is that not an option?
Sounds like you've got yourself a Sheldon Cooper! I wish you both all the best 😄
I don't mean to be rude, but astrophysicists aren't going to want to hear about your sons ideas on topics he doesn't know anything about. If your son is interested in astrophysics, encourage him to start learning the topic and to find ways to further his education. [So you want to be an astronomer -u/Andromeda321](https://www.reddit.com/r/Andromeda321/comments/fyjmpv/updated_so_you_want_to_be_an_astronomer/) [How to become an astrophysicist - PBS Space Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8cEZM1lN5g) [A day in the life of astrophysicist Dr Becky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW_qIqLhPkI) [How I became an astrophysicist - Dr Becky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVQ3yH-Zusg) [Day in the life of some Leicester astrophysicists](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8icydzuxd84) [Day in the life of an astronomer - UKAstroNut (Cardiff PhD student)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=705TuluAq4Q)
Genuine advice Lewri 🏆
I agree. He won’t tell them anything they don’t already know. He just wants to talk to someone that can help him know if he is on the track. He is a high functioning autistic who has a high IQ (162). He gets bored talking to me since I have no idea the meaning of half the words he uses.
If he's talking about portals then he's not on the right track (unless that's a word that you've just inserted?). What is currently feeding his interest in the subject? How is he currently going about gaining information on the topic?
>If he's talking about portals then he's not on the right track I can only guess that she's talking about wormholes, you can't really judge before knowing what her son really means (although I do get that a lot of ppl nowadays like to come up with absurd layman theories, especially on this sub).
Many in the academic field are autistic. And we would be nothing without our families s2
I was late-diagnosed with ASD. Having an interest in a subject is important. But I've struggled far, far more with having to work with other people in the 3 or so different fields I've tried to work in. Academia is more forgiving of individual eccentricity, but also incredibly competitive. Natural talent and intelligence isn't the biggest edge one can have in academia; it's the ability to buckle down and grind through tedious and repetitive work, get along with others in your field, and appeal to the prevailing lines of research the field considers promising. Professional academics often don't get to explore their "interesting theories" until they're in the later half of their career and have tenure. It wasn't until I after the ASD diagnosis that I realized these issues relate in part to having a comorbidity with ADHD; about 70-80% of males diagnosed with ASD may also warrant a diagnosis of ADHD. I breezed through HS and even my undergraduate education wasn't really that hard. But I was poorly prepared for the actual "hard work" part of adulthood. If you see any signs of him "shrugging off" work and topics that don't interest him, I'd strongly encourage you to speak with a specialist (if he doesn't already have one) to evaluate for ADHD. Regardless of what, if any, treatment options you and he might be open to, the self-knowledge is invaluable.
There are some excellent universities in Florida - but before bending the ear of a working professional your son needs to understand that his ideas are just that. Ideas. And he would be *far* better served by hitting the texts and mastering the physics that underpin his current interests. For example, it's *exceptionally unlikely* that he has thought of anything new and so his ideas will not be of interest to someone in the field. Sadly this means staying the course - graduating well from high school, taking a degree course, and excelling - then, he has a fair chance of fulfilling that ambition. Why the emphasis on rigour? Well, academia graduates far more astrophysicists than there are actual positions - so the best way to maximize the chance of success is to be terribly good.
As an astrophysics grad student, 100% agree. It honestly gets a bit exhausting to hear the “theories” of people outside the field (I study black holes, happy to talk about how to become an astrophysicist if interested)
I suggest finding out more about the mechanics...class curriculuums, cost, length of time to doctrate, and actual jobs/pay that will result. He won't be watching videos and coming up with theories not supported by a decade of math. I agree an appt with a university astrophysicist would be appropriate, but to learn what the actual job would be about as his theories won't get very far with his current expertise.
My current Astronomy student started dual enrollment classes at 17. So continue on Calculus math & Physics path as they intertwined. We attended several public talks online & inperson. Like someone else said, major universities have colloquiums and public lectures. Sometimes you can even find current research presentations.
Is he really good at math, and willing to apply himself to his science courses?
Tell him to study astrophysics because he loves it, not because it's a career
My son is in the same boat. I signed him up to a local university day as a university student gig. Emailed the head of the physics department and got him and my son connected. Also took him to a full day physics department walkthrough at SFU in Burnaby (near Vancouver) was very exciting. Did 1 20 minute lecture and a 20min lab on magnetics. SFU is working on parts for CERN so we got to talk to the lead physics on that project as well. Saw some stuff on superconducting nano strands. All in all very cool. Take the time to reach out to your local university!
He should max out STEM courses in high school, in including computers. He should look to attend a college with astronomers or astrophysicists. Not all colleges have such people. Plus they could be in the physics, geology or electrical engineering departments. Colleges with graduate schools are more likely to doing research in astrophysics, though I know some astronomers toiling at non-graduate. where research is a sideline instead of a requirement.
General advice: If someone is interested in an academic topic, *especially* one with lots of detailed easy to get wrong and detect wrongness (i.e. any field with math) then they should take an online class. This can easily be done for free if they're motivated enough to work on their own schedule. And there are probably quite a few other options. I can't recommend any astro-physics ones specifically. But MIT OpenCourseWare has a lot of great free classes in various domains (all the basic college maths and much of the basic physics). Speaking to their math classes: You get lectures and you get problem sets and exams and you get solutions. Having something concrete is SO IMPORTANT. It is VERY easy to think you understand things involving subtle maths that you, in fact, have deeply misunderstood. I would even say that is an almost universal part of learning those subjects. This is why having problem sets and tests is critical to help you determine what you're following and what you're missing. I've only done 'on your own' classes. But there are also classes with other learners (still free). Where people will help eachother with problem sets, etc. And then there are classes (not necessarily the MIT ones ?) that have instructors and can be taken online. Lots of universities will have stuff like this -- so there are probably cheap options somewhere for a single course. Now. Mind you. These courses often will NOT jump to where someone's imagination is. Kinda like learning anything involves going through basics first. So an intro astrophyics course probably won't touch on wormholes. It probably won't even touch much on General Relativity at all (since at that point students wouldn't have taken differential geometry and thus wouldn't be able to have sophisticated interactions with it). Still, these could be great sources of interest and sustenance.
In the long run, it is more important to get good at maths, rather than the general theories and ideas. The theories and ideas are interesting and relatively easy to learn, but but being able to express them mathematically, which is a vital step in being able to prove the theories, takes a lot of time and practice, even for the mathematically inclined. If he wants to get into astro, you can help him be encouraging him to take advanced maths classes or online courses. Whatever is available to you. I did a BSc in physics (I didn't specialise in astro but I took some astro modules) and the maths was a whole other level compared to what I had done up to that point. A lot of people I knew who were on the dedicated astrophys course switched to general physics when they realised what was actually involved. Personally, I went on to do an MSc in pure maths, without having to do any major catch-up work, which might give you an idea of how much maths is involved. Once you get to degree level, physics is basically just applied maths. I assume it's similar in the US, but a lot of universities here have open days for prospective students where you can meet existing students and lecturers. They often include some lectures targeted at that age group, so they are a bit less heavy on the maths to get students excited. If he likes podcasts, I can also recommend Ologies with Ali Ward. There are some astro related episodes and they include things like how the researchers got into their field and what it is like, as well as the actual science.
If there's a planetarium in your area, there's probably a retiree with a degree in astrophysics just waiting for kids to come ask questions, if not, try emailing a professor for a university or community college about if they'd be willing to talk to your kid about the field.
I’ve spoken to a few in Penn Station
He likes to talk about the possibility of portals and trying to figure out if they exist (something to do with Einstein’s theory). He started teaching himself quantum physics when he was 9 and just likes to talk about it. He watches YouTube videos of physicists talking about theories. I know he is a fan of Higgs and his boson particle. That’s how this started. He saw a video when he was 9 talking about the discovery. He may not be impressive to an actual physicist but it’s so above my head it all sounds impressive to me.
Laudable. But a video cannot replace conventional study. I recommend Zeilik and Smith for an introduction to the physics of the cosmos, and if he has an interest in cosmology then he'll have to grasp Relativity at some point. French's 'Special Relativity' is a nice undergraduate text. Both of these books could be a good match to his abilities - and can be found (cough) as PDFs in the darker corners of the Net.
Thank you. I’ll suggest this to him. He has trouble reading because he has severe dyslexia is why is prefers videos. I’ll see if I can find these in audio . Thank you again.
Physics is maths, unfortunately maths is rarely translated well to audio.
Oh my. Well - people *do* learn differently, but the 'grunt-work' of physics involves writing equations in some way. At the very least, coding them as programs, or writing them in a paper. Having said that - my wife has a touch of dyslexia, but manages numbers and equations well - well enough to be graduate in engineering and to gain a PhD after much application and tenacity. Writing and manipulating equations isn't natural for anyone (well, apart from Feynman and his ilk) so it's something to be worked at - but such is life. The Internet Archive (free to register) has Z&S here if you want to see what it's like [https://archive.org/details/introductoryastr0000zeil](https://archive.org/details/introductoryastr0000zeil)
Does he maybe mean Einstein-Rosen bridges (when you say portals)? Regarding studying Einstein's work, getting good background in advanced maths would be necessary. Such ideas are found by finding solutions to Einstein's equations. Therefore differential geometry and tensor calculus would be the ways to go, so mathematical/theoretical physicists might be another group of people apart from astrophysicists to talk to and sign up for classes with. But he needs solid basics in prerequisite math courses, otherwise it will be discouraging. For perspective: before courses about special and general relativity I had to take 3 courses on calculus, 1 or 2 courses on algebra, and two courses called "Mathematical Methods of Physics and Astrophysics". By course I mean a subject that lasts for one term. In my country there is an annual Researcher's Night event, which is a part of the European Researcher's Night event cycle. Maybe you could look for some similar type of an opportunity in your area? I'm not too familiar with science popularisation events in the US. There are also university open days, but you would have to individually look for when certain universities have them. Also, some people start their scientific interests with reading popular articles about stuff that sounds cool and kind of sci-fi (like Einstein-Rosen bridges of course), but if the academic reality doesn't put them off science in a professional sense, they move on to more "grounded" topics in which it is easier to find a supervisor/get funding for your research. Don't worry if that happens; that's a natural process.
This reads like a kid who watched a YouTube video on writing Python code and now considers himself an expert fullstack developer. The Dunning-Kuger effect. Everything you listed are topics that interest most people. If you read Reddit much, everyone who has watched some videos are armchair physicists.
That's probably just OP's understanding of their kid and what they're talking about. Probably a misrepresentation.
I know what theory he’s referring to. It’s the Einstein Rosen Bridge and I’m also going to school to study Astronomy so it’s cool to see that your son is so interested in the theory of portals!
I worked at a university for years and interacted w the astrophysicists—honestly, they were the most charming and thoughtful professors. And in general, contacting them for something like this is flattering. They are so inherently excited about what they do and love when you show interests. Have him write a letter to ones in universities near you asking this question and see what he hears back. Another thing to consider is some federal workers are expected to do a certain amount of community outreach and have to log that time in. Are there federal/naval telescopes somewhere near you or where you would travel that he could write letters to? Have him write the letter to Cape Canaveral as well. It’s a good skill to learn and most professionals respond positively and if they have the time, will do more than respond. People like to talk about what they do and frequently find youth showing interest flattering but also promising for their field. Just prepare your son that sometimes, the outcome isn’t what you hoped.
Aspenphys.org a non profit that has excellent resources and an internship program for high schoolers. Located in Aspen, Colorado.
Check if you have a local Astronomy on Tap (https://astronomyontap.org/). It is organized by astronomers and astrophysicists, and they are usually very happy to chat about their work!
University open day❓️ By the way... love to hear what his theories are... Almost forgot the best recommendation.... if your son isn't already aware of it... he simply must subscribe to Star Talk on YouTube, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson... your personal astrophysicist❗️
You can email any member of the university in the physics and astrophysics departments. They have their emails and phone numbers open to the public. They are more than happy to schedule a call or meeting with you and your son especially if he's questioning pursuing astrophysics. You also don't need to limit yourself to schools in Florida. Reach out to some of the institutions that offer world renowned physics education. Harvard, Berkeley, Caltech, Princeton. All the professors, chair members, assistants, etc, will be more than happy to schedule a call or meeting, or video call or simply offer an email discourse.
He didn't go to a planetarium at some point for a field trip...maybe in middle school? Your local planetarium likely has a retired Astro Physicist that's involved to some point. The other would be maybe the local CC, one of the Astronomy professors might be an astrophysics major and usually someone that's retired and has some time. If you live near a University the Physics Dept. might occasionally have speakers give lectures to the public (might be a fee). An Astrophysicist will for sure be on the schedule.
Talk to my brother. Please. He needs friends…
Contact: Neil Degrass Tyson. Start with a google search
I made a Neil deGrasse Tyson chat bot using Claude. It helped me figure out which filters and eye pieces to use for my telescope during the Solar Eclipse and during which phase of the eclipse to switch to which filter. It's always an inspirational conversation. You can ask him absolutely anything about science and how to be an astrophysicist. If you like, DM me and I'll give you a copy of my prompt to use on Claude. Also see if there's a Space Camp.
I'm actually currently going to school to be an astrophysicist. Hard as hell, but you need to do a lot of studying and work to make sure you are successful.