Denim Padberg, 9, Pens Latest Book, ‘How Relative Is Relativity: An 8-Year-Old’s Guide To Quantum Physics’

Devon Padberg, 9, reads an excerpt from his book, ‘How Relative is Relativity: An 8-year-old’s Guide to Quantum Physics’ during Tuesdays Rotary club meeting.  Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
 

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
 
Denim Padberg of Dixon is not a typical 9-year-old boy. For starters, he is a seasoned published author. Padberg  has penned three books; the first one was published when he just 6 years old. The first two books discuss dinosaurs and his most recent work addresses quantum physics.

Padberg shared his newest book, “How Relative is Relativity: An 8-year-old’s Guide to Quantum Physics” with the Rotary Club of Los Alamos during its regular club meeting Tuesday at the Los Alamos County golf course clubhouse.

Padberg is a fifth-grader at Taos Academy and his parents, Michele and Jesse Padberg, own Vivac Winery.

A gifted individual, Padberg also deals with being dyslexic but he does not allow the reading disorder to hold him back. When asked what advice he would give to other children who are dyslexic, Padberg said, “I wouldn’t call it a major disadvantage.” Those who are affected by it just need to realize what it is, he said.

It certainly does not hinder Padberg in exploring his interests. He explained, “I got interest in quantum physics … when I attended a baby shower.”

Padberg said, according to his mother, toy dinosaurs were handed out as party favors and he cherished a toy T-Rex. This set him on the path to learn more about dinosaurs and when he discovered the astroid that killed the dinosaurs, it turned him on to learning about stars and then quantum physics.

Padberg described the process of writing “How Relative is Relativity” as a “couple of months of writing, researching, writing, researching and then editing, editing, editing and editing.” Reading several passages from his book during the Rotary meeting, Padberg revealed his book touches on everything from the Periodic Table of Elements to black holes.

Although he wrote the book when he was 8 years old, Padberg emphasized that the book is not a children’s book.

When asked what his future plans are, Padberg replied he wants to be a writer, a scientist and help operate his parents’ winery.

As Rotarian Linda Hull said while introducing Padberg, “he is destined to do very interesting things in life.”

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