What Can We Learn from a Real "Rain Man"
NewtonKid
huge sums in his head in moments.
He came to fame a few years ago when he recited pi to the 22,514th
digit without skipping a beat. He speaks 10 languages. Learn Islandic
and Lithuanian in a week? No problem.
Daniel Tammet has a rare form of autism called savant syndrome - one
of 50 in the world today. As he drifts off to sleep at night he sees a
landscape of numbers - numbers of all different colors and sizes -
which soothes him. Some numbers have shapes and sounds.
To know more about Daniel Tammet, read his new memoir: "Born on a Blue
Day." Tammet believes that his savant talents likely resulted with a
short bout with epilepsy, and cites examples involving others. While
he writes of seeing numbers as shapes and colors, this book offers no
insight into how he actually performs complex calculations. On the
other hand, Daniel is trying to help expert researchers understand
these processes, so perhaps someday others will benefit. His really
special skill is being able to communicate well with others - a talent
most savants lack.
Talents the rest of us can only dream about. Challenges, too. Read
more at:
http://newtonkid.com/stories.aspx