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Wyatt Baek
me@wyattbaek.xyz
Chino Hills, CA
Hi there! I’m a high school student passionate about cognitive science and political science.
“This guy is ambitious, he’s smart, and for a brief moment… you’re reminded of ‘The Social Network,’ Mark Zuckerberg, and all the other tech nerds from the 2000s.”
— SĂĽddeutsche Zeitung, “one of the largest and most influential daily newspapers in Germany”
I also started my own country.
(Yes, you read that right.)
It all started when I found something strange on a map… at 9 years old.
We then went viral on social media with over 2 million views.
Then we received international press attention.
Here’s how it happened.
It all started when we found two pieces of land between Serbia and Croatia, on the west bank of the Danube, that no country claimed.
The red line is where Croatia drew its border.
But Serbia didn’t agree. It drew the border along the Danube instead.
The gap was land that no country claimed.
Terra nullius. No man’s land.
So I did… and started a new country called Gapla in the process.
Hail Gaplastovia
At first, we started small. Nothing more than a group of friends.
But then, people began to find us.
Over 1,400 people joined from over 150 countries.
That’s our Dutch ambassador and former deputy mayor, receiving an award from the King of the Netherlands.
We printed passports, ID cards, and even license plates.
A researcher at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany even cited Gapla to explore international borders.
We were interviewed by The Guardian, will be featured in The State, the second largest newspaper in South Carolina and will be featured on “Micronations”—a 2026 Tribeca Festival documentary.
Gapla’s nonprofit organization—the Gaplan Representation Organization (GRO)—which promotes youth political participation, ethnic reconciliation, and refugee rights—was even invited to speak at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City!
International Attention
Eventually, Gapla received international attention from prominent news outlets across Europe—including Deutsche Welle, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Tages-Anzeiger, N1, Jutarnji List, and Danas.
Featured Projects
The best of my work, other than Gapla and the GRO.
Stylometry Study
Conducted a study at Chino Hills High School on the prediction of intelligence quotient (IQ) scores using stylometric methods—linguistic features, large language model raters, and machine learning models. Achieved 9% lower errors than the best method reported in the literature.
Catter
Developed a website that helps users easily administer adaptive assessments using the gold-standard Item Response Theory (IRT). The website is designed for psychologists, educators, and teachers.
PolitExplore
Developed a website that helps users discover their political views beyond the traditional left–right spectrum, find candidates who share their views, and learn more about government and politics.
As of June 2026, this app is still in development. Unfortunately, it is not yet publicly available, but I’m working on getting it ready for production!
SchoolExplore
Developed a website helping students choose secondary schools and universities using high-quality data sources and an objectively weighted, statistically rigorous methodology. This offers an alternative to the dominant Niche website, which rely on self-reported data and subjective weighting.
WSB Studios on YouTube
Created a YouTube channel featuring niche technology tutorials. The channel has over 450 subscribers and 40,000 views, and features tutorials on creating a cryptocurrency, creating a file extension, and accessing the dark web.
Want to contact me?
If you have any questions or would like to work with me, contact me below.