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Are you good with numbers?
I bet you’re not as good with numbers as Daniel Tammet is!
Nor, do you see numbers in quite the same way as he sees numbers.
Who is Daniel Tammet, you ask?
Daniel Tammet is what they call an “autistic savant”. He was featured on Good Morning America this morning.
What struck me as particularly unusual (and very interesting) was the fact that he sees numbers as colors and shapes, rather than as digits.
That, and the fact that he can figure out the answer to virtually any mathematical equation — without the aid of a calculator, pen, paper, or any other tool. I think he said where most calculators can carry out the digits to about 15 places… he can go to 100 places!
People Who “See” Numbers Differently
This is especially fascinating to me, because we recently discovered that our little nephew has an uncanny ability with numbers.
He is in the first grade. At the age of 7, he is able to tell you exactly how many letters are in any word or phrase. Don’t know where (or why) he ever picked up on that type of skill. His parents are as bewildered as the rest of us.
The strangest part, is the fact that he can even do this with words he’s not familiar with and phrases he’s never heard before! And there’s really no limit the number of words in a phrase… he can still count out the total number of letters.
And he does this without looking at the word or phrase… it’s all in his mind.
We’re talking 7 here folks…
To top it off, his reading and comprehension level is off the charts! Wherever he is — at home, church, in the car, at a restaurant — he will almost always pick up the nearest book and just start reading it, cover to cover, silently (and rapidly) to himself.
Ask him what he read, and he can pretty much quote it line-for-line.
Anyways… back to Daniel Tammet.
Daniel Tammet’s Fascinating Story
On GMA this morning, their lead-in was this:
“…a man with savant syndrome describes how his mind works.”
It was a fascinating interview!!
Unlike most autistic individuals, Daniel is highly functioning, yet he continues to fine-tune his social skills every day.
They say that his skill with numbers started after his epileptic fit as a child. (Which is also interesting, because I believe our nephew experienced something similar.)
Ever since the age of 3, when he suffered an epileptic fit, Tammet has been obsessed with counting. Now he is 26, and a mathematical genius who can figure out cube roots quicker than a calculator and recall pi to 22,514 decimal places. Source
Read an excerpt from Daniel Tammet’s book, “Born On A Blue Day“.
Some Interesting Stories About Daniel Tammet
- Who is Daniel Tammet?
- A genius explains his ways
- Daniel Tammet is brilliant with numbers, but he’s still managing to solve other conundrums
- What’s up with Daniel Tammet?
- How he does such complex sums so quickly
- Daniel Tammet’s official web site
Video Showing Daniel’s Adeptness With Numbers
My Other Articles Regarding Autism
- How Autism Has Touched My Life… And The Lives Of So Many Others
- Inside The Mind Of An Autistic Child
- How Autistic Are You???
Professionally, I pursued my Masters Degree in Family Therapy at Texas Tech — where I obtained invaluable expertise and experience helping people with a wide variety of physical and emotional health issues. Personally, I think it's useful when people realize that they're not the only one going through a difficult time. So any time that I think my personal health experiences would be helpful to someone else going through the same thing, I will share my story here. With health issues that I've personally experienced (like Endometriosis, Lyme Disease, Hysterectomy, Skin Cancer, Ganglion Cysts, Autism, and other topics that very few people enjoy talking about) and health products that I've found beneficial (like sleep aids, essential oils, and medications)… I do my best to provide my own raw and honest firsthand experiences that I think others would appreciate hearing about and (hopefully) find helpful. I'm grateful that I have a number of friends who have also been willing to share their very personal stories here — regarding their own physical and emotional health. When I'm not writing about health topics, you will find me sharing Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
