Changes

Throughout the lecture Rick and I maintained our role as the resident observers, exchanging amused glances every now and then.

And of course, exactly as I predicted, the Professor trolled everyone at the end.

"Jotting down some notes won't ever hurt you, guys", was what he said.

When Professor Osby finally wrapped up the lecture, Casandra turned to us with a mischievous grin. "Alright, you two, how about we grab a bite? I'm starving, and I bet you guys are too."

Rick, already starting to appreciate Casandra's company, chimed in, "I'm game. Food is always a good idea."

I nodded in agreement, "Sure, let's do it. I'll just give Olivia a quick call."

Casandra, seemingly unfazed by the mention of Olivia, responded, "Sounds good. We'll be right outside, no rush."

I dialed Olivia's number and waited for her to pick up. After a brief conversation and confirming our dinner plans for the evening, I stepped out of the hall to join Casandra and Rick, who were engaged in a lively discussion about favorite food spots in the area.

Just as we were about to head out, Professor Osby's voice boomed from behind us, "Max, wait a second!"

I turned to my friends. "You guys go ahead; I'll catch up in a sec." With a nod, they continued on, leaving me to face whatever Professor Osby had on his mind.

As my friends walked ahead, I approached Professor Osby, responding with a respectful, "Yes, Professor?"

He looked at me with a keen gaze and said, "Max, I've read your paper on evolutionary algorithms. Impressive work."

A bit of a proud grin slipped onto my face. "Thanks, Professor. Appreciate that."

He continued, "Listen, next semester, I'm teaching an AI class for your major. Given your interest and aptitude, you don't need to attend the regular lectures. You can use that time for your own research,  and dive into whatever interests you."

I was kinda surprised but nodded, "Sounds amazing, Professor. I'll make it count."

With a firm pat on my shoulder, he said, "Good. Keep pushing, Max. Can't wait to see what you cook up. Also, there's one more thing..."

Leaning in like he's letting me in on a secret, he added, "Max, ever thought about shooting a message to the MIT Dean? Pitch the idea of focusing on research instead of sticking to the usual academic track."

"Is that possible?", I asked

"Hmm... When I was a student, I tried floating the idea as a second-year, and they finally gave me the go-ahead when I hit my fourth year, but with your thesis. I guess it would be less of a hurdle"

I raised an eyebrow, pondering the possibilities. "Are there specific point requirements for this kind of arrangement?"

Professor Osby chuckled, "Oh, absolutely... It's all about points in academia. If you've got a stack of important papers, universities might just give you a research-only position. No need to babysit some kids, I mean students."

He continued, "Actually, there was this guy... what was his name... he solved the millennium question..."

"Grigori Perelman, the one who solved the Poincaré conjecture?"

"Exactly! That's the guy. He was offered a research-only position at some Russian University, but he ended up quitting it and he didn't even accept the million-dollar price for solving the millennium question. What a weird guy..."

"That sounds crazy, not weird", I added

"OK, Max, good talking with you. Keep on doing what you're doing.", he said and picked up his bag.

"Yes, Professor"

Professor Osby seemed like a chill guy.

Feeling a fresh burst of energy, I caught up with Casandra and Rick.

We came up to a local cafeteria and Olivia was already waiting there. She greeted me with a warm hug, and I could sense the momentary hesitation – she probably wanted to give me a kiss but pulled back when she noticed Casandra and Rick by my side.

The four of us snagged a spot in the corner, and the chat was smooth. We talked about everything and nothing, from some oddballs we spotted during the lectures to binge-worthy TV shows.

Casandra turned to me, looking curious. "So, Max, what was it about during the lecture? What was I supposed to know about you?"

Before I could even come up with an answer, Olivia with an impish grin, decided to spill the beans, "Oh, Max here is the genius of our bunch. He's got some important theses out. It's a big deal."

Well... I guess these were facts, feeling a surge of confidence, "Yeah, I've got one in Math/Electronics and another in AI."

Casandra's eyes widened, "Wait... what in the fuck? Aren't you a first-year? How is that even a thing?"

I shrugged, embracing the moment, "It is what it is"

"What is it about?"

"One's about inverse functions, and the other on AI, evolutionary algorithms to be more specific."

Casandra looked genuinely impressed, "That's wild. How do you even manage all that?"

I chuckled,  "Honestly, lots of coffee, late nights, and a touch of madness." - "I do not recommend..."

As we continued our chat, we learned more about each other. Casandra dropped the bomb that she's not even from the USA; she hails from Canada.

Strangely, I got the sense that she was more intrigued by what Oliv had to say than Rick or me. Maybe there was something about Olivia that caught her attention.

After a pleasant time at the cafeteria, we exchanged goodbyes. Olivia suggested we plan something for the next weekend, and I readily agreed.

I headed back to my room, accompanied by Rick, but Casandra swung her curly hair and went her way. I guess she had something to do.

...

The following four days my main focus was on writing my second AI thesis, to have something to talk about during the Slack call. 

I tried to dodge as many lectures as I could. But in the few I hit up, there was this funky vibe with Casandra.

Whenever Rick or I tried to engage her in conversation or help her with class-related matters, it felt like Casandra's mind was a million miles away.

The comets in my dream blurred ever so slightly, and it hit me that my craving for sleep had taken a nosedive, 4 to 5 hours of sleep was more than enough. Could this be the result of the changes?

During those four days, I have also thought back to the conversation I had with Professor Liam Osby.

The research-focused studies topic could wait; I'd likely fire something off to the Dean next week. But what truly gripped my attention was what the Professor mentioned at the end...

The Millenium Questions...

Could I take on one of those? Was I good enough? I doubted it, but I could check them out.

Grigori Perelman was quite young when he solved one of those. So, it shouldn't be outta reach... unless the Poincaré conjecture was the only correct one.

With that thought in the back of my mind, I made significant progress with my AI thesis.

It was enough to present it.

...

Friday morning rolled in, and we had a quick session on the flow of a basic computer setup. It was called Harvard's Architecture.

The usual deal with those architectures was that in the old days, universities used to brawl over who had the first computer and which one came up with the top-notch architectures.

Just like little kids in a sandpit.

But... with that done, I hightailed it back to my room, firing up the PC. The meeting was about to kick off in an hour or two.

We ordered a pizza with Rick and he was working on an app of his own, something about posting novels online. I wonder what Lucas would think about it.

I finally jumped into the Slack convo, and there were already three members of the MetaMath team on it.

"Oh, look who just joined! It's Max, the guy from MIT.", someone said, I had no idea who it was.

A different voice chimed in, "Welcome, Max. I'm Professor Samuel, the head of the Computer Science team. Glad to have you on board. Your insights are welcomed, but remember, that I have the final say, so if something won't seem feasible to me, we probably can't do it"

"Hey, everyone. I'm Maximilian Sullivan from MIT."

"And look, Professor Samuel, don't you worry. What I've got is a game-changer. Your old solutions won't hold a candle to it. Trust me on this."

At that moment, an uncharacteristic wave of confidence washed over me. These weren't words I'd usually toss around.