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Daniel Tammet aka Brain Man
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I recently followed a link on a search engine news page entitled "Brain Man." It took me to the Sixty Minutes TV show's video clips of their recent interview with Daniel Tammet, an extemely unique individual among us on the planet. His nickname Brainman came about from a Science Channel documentary about his savant abilities. Unlike Kim Peek, the inspiration for the Tom Cruise / Dustin Hoffman film, "Rain Man," with which most of us are so familiar, Tammet has consciously taught himself the social interactive skills that autistic people normally lack. This sets him in an even more unique category among savants.
He can explain how his amazing mind works to the rest of us.
Daniel Tammet has unbelievable abilities of memory and calculation of numbers. He broke a European record for reciting the numeric representation of Pi to over 22,000 digits. When you and I can barely remember our 4-digit ATM PIN, wouldn't it be helpful to understand how he does this? He can calculate 512 to the 4th power and spit out the answer faster than you or I could punch it into a calculator.
Tammet's descriptions of how he sees numbers in his own mind is a sublime vision that I can only personally compare to the scene in which Cuba Gooding Jr. is teaching Robin Williams how to fly in the film, "What Dreams May Come." Tammet apparently sees numbers with shapes and colors. His calculations are like a journey through and an instantaneous vision of the beautiful landscape in his mind.
While we mere mortals may never quite understand or ever duplicate Tammet's numeric visions, there are some earthly mnemonic methods you can employ to increase the capabilities of your memory with numbers. One method that I have tried myself involves assigning phonetic sounds to the numbers zero to nine, which then create words, and the words can then paint visual images of long numbers. This phonetic method is taught in "Advanced Mega Memory." It takes some initial motivation to learn a new skill, dedication to practice it, and then some tenacity to continue using it -- but I can certainly vouch that it works.
Daniel Tammet's story personally inspires me. Here are some additional links you may want to check out:
Born on a Blue Day - Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant
Daniel Tammet's memoir
Optimnem
Daniel Tammet's website
Brainman, At Rest in His Oasis by Sarah Lyall, New York Times
A well-written, recent update about Tammet's home life in Kent.
(registration required -- or -- bugmenot.com)
Autism, Autism Spectrum and Asperger Syndrome
wikipedia
Neuro Diversity - a great resource for parents and info on autism
Also: check out another version of the Ekman facial recognition game/test.
Daily Doses and Tiny Treasures
Blogdrive blogs written by parents of special kids
Three more movies I've seen and loved:
