Researchers have found Daniel Tammet eloquent at describing what it's like to be autistic. (ABC News)Englishman Can Visualize Complex Math, Learn Icelandic in Seven Days, But Had Difficulty Learning to Walk and Express Himself (video clip)
A genius explainsDaniel Tammet is an autistic savant. He can perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations at breakneck speeds. But unlike other savants, who can perform similar feats, Tammet can describe how he does it. He speaks seven languages and is even devising his own language. Now scientists are asking whether his exceptional abilities are the key to unlock the secrets of autism. He authors a book: "Born on a Blue Day".
June 11, 2005 — Daniel Tammet of England can verbally reel off the number pi to 22,500 decimal places in just over five hours — though he admitted after a recent demostration that it made him "very tired."
Tammet, 26, is a phenomenon. He has done lots of amazing things — like learning Icelandic, one of the world's most difficult languages, in just seven days.
That's because Tammet is an autistic savant. His extraordinary abilities stem from a combination of autism and a condition known as synesthesia. His form of autism, however, leaves him with less limited verbal skills than many other autistics.
Source: ABC News/ ABC video
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