From the Orange County Register comes this report of an incredible child prodigy:
"Masoud Karkehabadi performs brain surgery on rats in a laboratory at the University of California, Irvine, but is too young to be on campus alone. He travels the country speaking about Parkinson's disease, but must be in bed by 10 p.m. most nights. He appeared on the Donahue show recently, but had homework that night.
"This is the life of a 13-year old mastermind from Mission Viejo, Calif.
"With an IQ over 200 -- 60 points above genius -- Karkehabadi has been researching a cure to Parkinson's disease since he was 11.
"In the past six months, he has become the youngest UCI graduate ever, been named an unpaid spokesman for the American Parkinson's Disease Association, met with U.S. senators, and presented his research before a group of doctors in Portland.
" 'I believe my intelligence is a gift from God," said Karkehabadi, who became interested in Parkinson's disease after reading about it in medical journals.
"I want to use it to the best of my capacity to help society."
"Karkehabadi fits in afternoon games of baseball and street hockey with kids from the neighborhood. He watches the 'X-Files', although he admits the show is getting 'scarier and scarier.' And he dressed up as Sonic the Hedgehog -- a character in a Genesis video game -- and went trick-or-treating on Halloween.
"Karkehabadi never went to elementary school, or junior high or high school. His early schooling was done at home with tutors. He finished books for all 12 grades by age 7. By age 9, he talked his father into letting him go to college. The family decided to hire a governess, Jacqueline Holden, to accompany him to classes and his lab.
"He plans to apply to medical school next year. He hopes to attend Harvard, Yale or Johns Hopkins universities.