An Interview with Tiberiu Sammak on His Interests (Part Three)

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2020/08/15

Abstract

Tiberiu Sammak is a 24-year-old guy who currently lives in Bucharest. He spent most of his childhood and teenage years surfing the Internet (mostly searching things of interest) and playing video games. One of his hobbies used to be the construction of paper airplanes, spending a couple of years designing and trying to perfect different types of paper aircrafts. Academically, he never really excelled at anything. In fact, his high school record was rather poor. Some of his current interests include cosmology, medicine and cryonics. His highest score on an experimental high-range I.Q. test is 187 S.D. 15, achieved on Paul Cooijmans’ Reason – Revision 2008. He discusses: interests; thy those interests; some of the cutting-edge interests in the fields of cryonics; the specific interests in cosmology; the specific interests in medicine; a really good paper aircraft; great reasoning ability with poor academic performance; drawing; other examples of some of the drawings; solace in drawing; the largest drawing projects; hopes for some of the high-IQ communities; meaning out of life; the supernatural; the greatest painters, artists, or cartoonists; a profoundly gifted individual from a genius; any resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue; the importance of the examples of interfaith marriages; interfaith marriages; the unanswered questions; life; some of the emotionally difficult and trying times; if the high reasoning ability creates difficulties in life; and if the high reasoning ability reduces difficulties in life.

Keywords: cosmology, cryonics, drawing, life, medicine, paper aircraft, Tiberiu Sammak.

An Interview with Tiberiu Sammak on His Interests (Part Three)[1]^,[2]*

*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citation style listing after the interview.*

1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What kinds of things interest you, on the internet?

Tiberiu Nicolas Sammak: My interests are fairly diverse and broad, ranging from random trivia facts to scientific or, medical articles and publications. When something catches my interest, I try digging and finding all the information available about that something. It’s pretty much an exhaustive and sometimes tiring procedure which most of the time gives me a somewhat clear image about the stuff I am searching for, also helping me in connecting and stringing together bits of information and giving me the capacity to more or less sieve and discard unnecessary information. It’s the curiosity and my desire to have a better understanding about something that push me to explore and continue the investigations about that particular something.

2. Jacobsen: Why those things?

Sammak: I search stuff that I consider interesting or at least worth checking, usually on a whim. As for why, it’s because I find those things intriguing and some of them even meaningful.

3. Jacobsen: What are some of the cutting-edge interests in the fields of cryonics?

Sammak: I’ve been interested in the cryoprotectants and the technology used in the vitrification process lately. For starters, in cryonics, vitrification refers to a technique whereby desired organs or body parts are solidified without allowing ice formations to appear. This is mainly done to prevent structural damage that could potentially arise in the tissues (freezing has a deleterious impact on tissues, causing irreversible damage) and to avoid intracellular freezing and cell shrinkage. Another crucial factor regarding the vitrification procedure is the toxicity level of the cryoprotectant used. These solutions have to undergo many testings before they are deemed usable and reliable. The most modern cryoprotectant that I’m aware of is M22, which has proven to be significantly less noxious than its predecessors (such as B2C, VM3 or VS41A). However, I believe the cryoprotectant technology is still in its infancy. All the effort and progress notwithstanding, the crossing of the blood-brain barrier by the cryoprotectant solution is hardly possible (this is probably an understatement), resulting in the dehydration of the brain tissue and the implicit brain volume reduction. Furthermore, there have been no successfully transplanted organs after vitrification, with the exception of a rabbit kidney. This shows conclusive evidence that there’s much more work and improvement to be done. It also shows that vitrified organs could properly function again. I’m looking forward to seeing the development of new cryoprotectant solutions and how the testing of these will pan out. I’m fairly confident that new cryoprotectants will be engineered, rendering the actual M22 obsolete. Technological advancement will most likely make this feasible, I believe. Cryonics is a severely underfunded field, chiefly because most view it as pseudoscience and dismiss it as quackery. Many people look askance at the industry of cryonics. I’d like to be more open-minded about it, considering it’s probably the only current possibility to ever be conscious again after the biological death, whereupon eternal oblivion awaits. No matter how extremely small that chance is, it’s still a possibility that someday you may regain your consciousness.

4. Jacobsen: What are the specific interests in cosmology?

Sammak: Cosmogony, theories regarding the origin of the universe, the mechanisms behind the formation of celestial bodies, sustainability of life on other planets (not necessarily Earth-like) and the possible outcomes concerning the fate of the universe are perhaps the subtopics I’m most curious about. I’d like to mention that my fourth interest is probably a subfield of astronomy (cosmology being a branch of astronomy). Yet, I consider the study of potentially life-bearing planets really important.

5. Jacobsen: What are the specific interests in medicine for you?

Sammak: I have a keen interest in the etiology of certain diseases. I’m also very interested in the process of carcinogenesis and the histology and cytology of neoplastic formations, notably malignant ones. The National Center for Biotechnology Information website has some very informative articles and papers presenting different case reports. The hindrances I encountered while reading some of the papers were the abbreviations (especially used for proteins) and some of the terminology used, which were obviously attributed to my lack of sufficient knowledge.

6. Jacobsen: What goes into making a really good paper aircraft?

Sammak: The shape and folding accuracy are probably the vital features when constructing a paper plane. For example, if you aim to create a good glider, its shape should be square- or trapezoid-like. It should also have a slightly heavier front to provide sufficient stability to glide for longer periods of time. Likewise, if you plan on making a decent paper rocket, which translates to high speed and a straight-line flight, the best shape might have the resemblance of an acute isosceles triangle. Another factor which is fairly important in creating an original and high-quality paper airplane is represented by the time you are willing to invest into this activity. Coming up with a satisfactory prototype is easier said than done. It’s a hobby that requires dedication and a lot of trial and error. Also, fine-tuning the paper aircraft, such as finding the ideal folding for the flaps or deciding whether minor modifications would increase the gliding time for gliders or the distance in the case of rockets after producing the initial model are pretty important elements to consider when attempting to build a paper plane too, in my view.

7. Jacobsen: How do you juxtapose great reasoning ability with poor academic performance in high school?

Sammak: Not studying enough (or at all) cannot bring good grades. Back then (in high school) I used to spend a lot of time doing something else than studying. I was well-aware of my decision and constantly getting bad grades didn’t really bother me. I devoted my time and energy delving into the intricacies of paper aircraft construction and into the not-so-known mechanics of certain games, also gathering as much relevant information as I could if something genuinely interested me. I think that keeping one’s mind sharp can also be done by playing specific video games or by solving different “puzzles” as well. However, by no means am I encouraging that one should neglect one’s studies (like I did). Studying regularly requires self-discipline, discipline I did not have.

8. Jacobsen: Why did you get into drawing?

Sammak: I tried to express my ideas and to capture some of my favorite images from nature on paper. On reflection, those were probably the main reasons why I got into drawing.

9. Jacobsen: What are some other examples of some of the drawings for you?

Sammak: One of my creations includes a deserted and partly ivied water tower nearby an old welcome sign. My idea behind this drawing was to capture a particular part from a ghost town.
Some other drawings depict a withered tree in a barren desert with big teardrops pouring down its branches, a decrepit theatre containing the sock and buskin above its curtain with marionettes coming out of masks’ mouths, a decaying tree with rotten mushrooms near the base of its trunk (these three illustrations are separate drawings).

10. Jacobsen: Do you find solace in drawing that some may find in prayer or meditative practices?

Sammak: Not really, no. To me, drawing is just an enjoyable pastime.

11. Jacobsen: What have been some of the largest drawing projects for you? What inspired them and the kept the length of time going into them?

Sammak: None of my drawings turned out to be really lengthy creations, since all of them were made on A4 size papers. If I were to choose some though, probably my theatre and water tower drawings (both mentioned above) would be the ones that took me the most to finish.
I derive my inspiration from nature, industrial areas and desolate places. A need for closure and wanting to see my creations in their final form were some of the reasons that pushed me to keep working on my drawings. I tried to refine and augment my drawings by integrating specific details into them.

12. Jacobsen: What are your hopes for some of the high-IQ communities?

Sammak: I have none. I consider that the only actual benefit of joining such a society is the possibility to communicate with other individuals who also took a certain cognitive ability test.
Such a community has no real purpose other than that of creating a medium where society’s members can exchange opinions and share their ideas on different topics.

13. Jacobsen: Where do you get meaning out of life?

Sammak: I get meaning from my ideas and from building up conceptual chambers in my mind’s empire. I get meaning from the outer world as well, exploring, observing and trying to understand by my own how different things work.

14. Jacobsen: Do you believe in the supernatural? If so, why? If not, why not?

Sammak: I don’t, although I enjoy watching some gripping horror or thriller movies which include such events. Most, if not all of the theories pertaining to supernatural occurrences rely on mere assumptions and anecdotal evidence.

15. Jacobsen: Who seem like the greatest painters, artists, or cartoonists in history to you?

Sammak: I cannot answer this because I do not have enough knowledge on famous individuals and the like. I am not interested at all in famous or well-known historical figures. Granted, I have some favourite musical artists and painters, whose work I consider inspiring and beautiful. All of my favourite musical artists are contemporary artists.

16. Jacobsen: What seems to differentiate a profoundly gifted individual from a genius?

Sammak: I guess that a higher raw ability and a stronger determination are the key ingredients which separate a very talented individual from a genius.

17. Jacobsen: Do you see any resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue? Do you have any opinions or thoughts on the long history of the conflict there, especially within the context of personal background?

Sammak: No, I do not. I am not acquainted with the existing economical and political intricacies and the ongoing internal issues from that place. I would like to refrain from making baseless speculations or a contextual analysis when I am not even aware of the territory’s sociohistorical background.

18. Jacobsen: What is the importance of the examples of interfaith marriages, as seen with your parents?

Sammak: It shows that people can live together regardless of their religious background.

19. Jacobsen: How do interfaith marriages keep their ties from fraying and provide an example of showing reconciliation at the most intimate of settings?

Sammak: Understanding that people have different beliefs regarding religion is essential when it comes to such marriages, I believe. No one should impose their views on others when it comes to religious matters.

20. Jacobsen: What do you consider the unanswered questions?

Sammak: What will happen at the end of time? Will cryonics prove to be successful or is it just wishful thinking? Will I ever eat turnip soup? How did the universe come into existence? How many times have I used the left click button on my personal computer mouse? These are just a few examples of unanswered questions, from a plethora of unanswered questions.

21. Jacobsen: What do you hope to do with your life?

Sammak: I want to live a decent life, ideally without being affected by neurodegenerative diseases or other life-threatening conditions. Obviously, I want to live as long as possible.

22. Jacobsen: What have been some of the emotionally difficult and trying times for you?

Sammak: I am yet to encounter a truly challenging moment in my life. I believe I did not face any significant or really hard to overcome situations. However, I stumbled upon quite a lot of minor difficulties. These small issues did not really interfere with my well-being, generally speaking. If they did interfere, they did for a short period of time.

23. Jacobsen: How does the high reasoning ability create difficulties in life?

Sammak: It does not, in my opinion. It is always one’s personality, quirks or eccentricities that might lead to certain problems in some social settings. No one is an oddball because of a high mental ability. The demeanor and way of being determined if someone is rather unusual when compared to others. Everyone has their idiosyncrasies, which, if more pronounced, could sometimes make a person stand out in a social environment. People who get a high score on aptitude tests (or just consider themselves important based on their achievements or based on some other stuff) and deign to talk to someone they consider below their abilities are usually obnoxious and most of the time delusional. Sometimes such people feel victimized without knowing that it was their condescending behavior that made others reject them.

24. Jacobsen: How does the high reasoning ability reduce difficulties in life?

Sammak: Having a high reasoning ability is always an advantage. The capacity to connect seemingly unrelated concepts and ideas and the critical thinking ability help one to have a better and more comprehensive understanding, resulting into a heightened awareness and into a better decision-making strategy.

Appendix I: Footnotes

[1] Reason – Revision 2008, IQ 187 (S.D.15).

[2] Individual Publication Date: August 15, 2020: http://www.in-sightjournal.com/sammak-three; Full Issue Publication Date: September 1, 2020: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

*High range testing (HRT) should be taken with honest skepticism grounded in the limited empirical development of the field at present, even in spite of honest and sincere efforts. If a higher general intelligence score, then the greater the variability in, and margin of error in, the general intelligence scores because of the greater rarity in the population.

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