Celebrating a Legacy of Genius

I wanted to share some remarkable moments and achievements from my family history.

My mom, Leeanna Ruth Mickelson Benedict, speaking with the renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan. This moment captures her intellectual curiosity and passion for learning.

My grandfather, Anthony Gorman Benedict, was the youngest person accepted to Cal Tech in the 1930s and was widely considered a genius. He once posed a question that stumped Albert Einstein and was later proven correct. During a meeting with Cal Tech professors in the summer of 2017, they unanimously proclaimed my grandfather's question was valid, and Einstein's initial dismissal was incorrect. This insightful question eventually contributed to the development of the Richter Scale, which we use today to measure earthquakes.

The modern analysis of this historical exchange by some of the brightest minds at Cal Tech—who recently discovered Planet 9—further validates my grandfather's brilliance.

My grandpa and my mom were both extraordinary individuals, truly "badass Benedicts."