February 20, 2005

An Autistic Savant Explains.
posted by Gyan 19 years ago
  • I'm still in denial that autistic savants can do what they do. I feel like I can't believe it until I actually have one work out a cube root in person. It's just seems too incredible.
  • Great story- Thanks for posting this. I hope the documentary runs on BBC America.
  • The coolest part to me was where he described specific visualizations to each number. Imagine the spookines if the visualizations were not capricious and other savants intuitively made the exact same assignments.
  • that's fucking crazy! like a cognitive synesthesia of sorts. wow.
  • Wedge, I was thinking that too! Some studies have found a link of sorts between autism and synesthesia.
  • Wow...great post. It's like a glimpse into the Other World, where things happen or are the way they are just because it would be cool if they did or were. That probably made little sense, but I swear it makes sense to me.
  • If you want more pi, here's the Chudnovsky Brothers.
  • This is an awesome article. In addition to the amazing description of synaesthetic mathematics and Tammet's ability to introspect, I was struck by how non-chalant the article was about the fact that his life partner happens to be a man. Here in the good old U.S.A, it would not be surprising for such an article to make a much bigger deal out of it in a "not-that-there's-anything-wrong-with-that" kind of way.
  • I thought the same thing, rhiannon.
  • Awesome article, thanks for that. I've always been amazed with this sort of thing. It really makes the mind boggle that some people are wired this way. As much as one could argue that this is a "gift" I often feel sorry for these people. If it's not exploitation it's the constant overstimulation they must face, as this person does. Truly sad but amazing all the same.
  • It's a gift, especially considering how he sees it in a positive light. I have autism, but in an almost opposite way. No good with numbers, but very good in spatial, linguistic and image/picture areas. My autism/abilities directly led me to the job I have now, I've never met anyone that can do what I do. I'm still socially "not right" though. Which I use to my own amusement. As for overstimulation, it's realtive. If the brain can handle the load, then it's not overstimulated.
  • Ouch. I'm going to have to look into this. I had no idea that the phenomenon often accompanies some form of brain damage. I temporarily had a condition similar to this (along with an obsession with counting) after an extremely high childhood fever. Most of the effects did not last.
  • Thanks for posting this!!
  • Dr. Ramachandran touches upon savantism and synesthesia in some of his books. Apparently damage to certain parts of the brain allows other parts to become "unrestrained" in output. Tammet in his obsessiveness and super-recall makes the Monk look like a piker in comparison.
  • Excellent article. The subjects of savantism and synesthesia have always fascinated me. MonkeyFilter: If the brain can handle the load, then it's not overstimulated. Sorry, Jacbo, I know I'm going to hell for that.
  • GramMa are you talking about naughty things again?
  • Pete: Don't you mean still?