I ran across these in some blog and found the second one in the youtube. I wonder if there are other people living lives like these and personally, I would go mad if I were one of them. They are wonders (no wonder) - it is like living a whole life in some thriller movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoxsMMV538U&

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vs6R5YZQ3c

(TJ, I forgot how to embed video here)

Nabi on Mar 26 2009, 02:40 AM said:

If I am not mistaken, then there are about 30 documented reports of savants like that.
(kim peek the most famous one==> google him and be astonished, he is also the one who inspired the makers of rainman)

If current neurobiology hypotheses are at least partially correct, some of us are scaringly close to them. The same stuff that makes us curious, creative and smart individuals, in excess leads to autistic spectrums. Considering how my memory works, and the small eccentricisms like singing quietly when concentrating, one or two wrong polymorphisms and I would find myself on the other side of normal. That creeps me out sometimes, and also fascinates me.

Telomerase on Mar 28 2009, 08:49 AM said:

Like you said, it's a spectral disorder and some symptoms falling esp within the very mild range are exhibited by "normal" people....the classics: social impairment i.e. they can't take cues from people and have difficulties interacting with them, they have a hard time understanding the feelings of others and can't express their own, they won't share, they're sticklers for routine (abhor changes)and exhibit repetitive behaviors..I know a lot of scientists like that.....seriously, there's been a lot of breakthroughs in the management of autism esp if started really early- mostly behavioral intervention and people affected by it still has a chance to live relatively normal lives...the savants are quite rare though...

pito on Mar 28 2009, 05:43 AM said:

Now, I have to any how watch this movie ASAP!

Nabi on Mar 30 2009, 07:35 PM said:

But the lists of assumed to be having a savant/Asperger syndrome is almost endless, from H.C. Andersen over Einstein up to Andy Warhol....

And here is a test if you are member of the list...

hobglobin on Mar 30 2009, 02:14 PM said:

even Kant and Wittgenstein...Beethoven..Mozart..Orwell....the greatness club..

It's quite wrong to suggest that only folk with autistic spectrum conditions et cetera can have savant skills.
But Asperger's syndrome does have a correlation with academic ability.

hobglobin on Mar 30 2009, 07:14 PM said:

I got three of them within 5 of the actual number and the other two within 10.

I do have Asperger's syndrome but I don't think it's related in this case.

Astilius on Mar 30 2009, 05:27 PM said:

but noone's suggesting this all inclusivity...there is a link but not all savants are autistic and definitely, not all autistic people are savants. Check this savant syndrome