The school behind Silicon Valley's geniuses

Silicon Valley has literally changed the world since the twentieth century. This place was the starting point for hundreds of technologies used in our daily lives. And many of the geniuses behind them studied at Stanford University. Today, the campus is a third the size of Paris. A gigantic academic community that, nevertheless, was not founded with this idea in mind.

Initially, the Stanfords were middle-class Californians whose wife wanted to promote learning. There was nothing prestigious about the university at the time. Several years later, two engineering students met: Hewlett and Packard. Today, their names are synonymous with computers, printers and more. At the time, they were just two buddies tinkering with machines in a garage.

By talking to the Dean of Engineering, Frederick Terman, they were able to secure space on the university's extensive grounds to set up a workplace and use Stanford's brains to develop new technologies. This custom was the starting point for Silicon Valley.

Today, these huge research centers continue to develop innovative ideas with the help of students. Now, however, getting into this institution requires a well-rounded curriculum vitae demonstrating one's abilities, a willingness to work like a madman and an annual outlay of $80,000. As one student interviewed in this report puts it, statistically, young Americans are more likely to survive a bullet to the head than to get into this university.

Running time: 15 minutes