Matteo Paz
Matteo Paz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2006 or 2007 (age 18–19) |
| Education | Pasadena High School Massachusetts Institute of Technology (currently enrolled) |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Known for | Developing an artificial intelligence model that identifies celestial objects |
| Awards | Regeneron Science Talent Search (2025) |
Matteo Paz (born 2006 or 2007) is an American astronomer who developed an artificial intelligence model that identifies celestial objects.
Biography
If I could give one piece of advice to young people with ambition, just start it. You're never gonna know, before you start, where you can go. You're never gonna know how exactly you're gonna do it. But you're first step will lead into your next and that's really just how you do great things in life.
Before enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Paz attended Pasadena High School in Pasadena, California, where he participated in the Math Academy Program.[2] This allowed him to receive the equivalent of a undergraduate degree in mathematics while in high school. In the summer of 2022, he joined the California Institute of Technology's Planet Finder Academy, where he was mentored by J. Davy Kirkpatrick and Andrew Howard.[3][4]
Paz and Kirkpatrick analyzed NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer's dataset. Paz began building an AI model that could analyze the dataset and identify objects in space. In six weeks, the model was capable of identifying such objects. By 2024, it had flagged 1.5 million candidate objects.[3] In November 2024, he published his paper, A Submillisecond Fourier and Wavelet-based Model to Extract Variable Candidates from the NEOWISE Single-exposure Database, in The Astronomical Journal.[5]
In March 2025, Paz won first place in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for his AI model at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and received the $250,000 prize.[6]
Paz works at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center.[3]
Personal life
Paz enjoys snowboarding.[7]
Awards and honors
Bibliography
- A Submillisecond Fourier and Wavelet-based Model to Extract Variable Candidates from the NEOWISE Single-exposure Database (The Astronomical Journal, 2024). DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/ad7fe6.[5]
References
- ^ SocietyforScience (2025-03-12). Meet Matteo Paz, 1st Place Winner of the 2025 Regeneron STS. Retrieved 2025-06-29 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Steward PhD Alum Mentors Teen Who Wins $250K for Using AI to Discover 1.5 Million Hidden Objects in Space | Steward Observatory". astro.arizona.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ a b c Tuhin, Muhammad (2025-04-11). "The High Schooler Who Found 1.5 Million Hidden Objects in Space: The Story of Matteo Paz and His Cosmic Algorithm". Science News Today. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ Bernard, Adrien (2025-04-16). "At 18, he discovers 1.5 million unknown celestial objects with his AI algorithm 🌟". Techno-Science.net. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ a b Paz, Matthew (2024). "A Submillisecond Fourier and Wavelet-based Model to Extract Variable Candidates from the NEOWISE Single-exposure Database". The Astronomical Journal. 168 (6): 241. arXiv:2409.15499. Bibcode:2024AJ....168..241P. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad7fe6.
- ^ "Regeneron Science Talent Search 2025 Awards More Than $1.8 Million to High School Seniors for Innovative Research on Classifying Celestial Objects, Treating a Rare Muscle Disease and Solving a Long-Standing Math Problem". Society for Science. 2025-03-11. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ FOX 11 Los Angeles (2025-04-14). Pasadena high schooler earns top science award. Retrieved 2025-06-28 – via YouTube.
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