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Lisa Young
16 November 2015
Beautiful Minds: The Psychology of the Savant
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/beautiful-minds-the-psychology-of-the-savant/
The intriguing endlessness of the mind in autistic people, suggest the
question Do we all have the ability to possess the genius ability that Savants do?
Some studies suggest that might be possible! In the documentary Beautiful
Minds: The Psychology of the Savant narrator Ben Gash describes a wide variety of
autistic people who have been studied for years. Experts have adapted the name
Savants also known as the knowing ones or Specialist for these geniuses.
Neuroscientists explain that Savant thinking is similar to a pitch dark room
with a shallow bright light shining in back of the room. The dim light in Savant
minds are considered the origins of where the Savant mental specialties lie. Many
Savants cannot fully function on daily life tasks without assistance, these tasks
include: taking a shower, eating, grooming, and most of all multi-tasking.
Kim Peek, the original Rain Man, was one of the first of many unique Savants
to be studied; they are currently still conducting precise tests on his mentally
capacity today. Peeks father, Fran Peek claims going to the library daily has allowed
Kim [to memorize] over two-thousand books, after only reading one time. Kim
Peek has many extraordinary specialties including, reading two pages of a book at
once, Peek has the ability to read the left page of a book with his left eye, and the
right page of the book with his right eye. He once read a book in fifty-three seconds

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and had a recall score of an easy ninety-seven percent. Although Peek possessed
this ability, he could not write until the age of nine, his first words he wrote were
pen and paper. Currently, Peeks large mental database holds over twelve thousand
books.
Ruediger Gamm, a mathematical and memory Savant, is also known as the
human walking calculator. As far as Gamm can remember, he had an extraordinary
gift. He is able to calculate extraordinarily large numbers. Gamm goes into details
and describes Since I was a child, I had a numerical grid in my head where I can fill
in what I had learned. Throughout his life Gamm has trained, and pushed himself
to go above and beyond any records held by any mathematical geniuses. To this
day, Gamm holds to record for calculating numbers to the powers of fifty, eight
trigonometry functions, and pi to five-thousand decimal points. He now makes a
living as a mind coach, and an advisor to various managers.
Orlando Sorrell, also known as the calendar Savant from Virginia, is an
acquired Savant meaning not born a Savant, but suddenly became one due to a
stroke or epileptic fit. Sorrells specific specialty, calendar Savant, is that he can
recall what day of the week a date falls on. In addition to this, Sorrell is also able to
tie what he specifically did that day, as well as what the weather was like. A
researcher conducting a test gave Sorrell randomly selected dates; Sorrell was able
to tell him the day of the week, the weather, and what he did that day. When the
researcher asked him how he was able to recall all the information, Sorrell could not
explain, he merely quoted I dont think about it, it just comes to me." Scientists
believe he is the living proof and the firm evidence we all have the ability to acquire
unbelievable knowledge, but how? Before Sorrell was hit in the head with a

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baseball, his life was pretty ordinary. He did not possess any of the unlimited mental
memory before; it was only until after he suffered a concussion from the hit of the
ball. The question now arises, why does our brain naturally suppress our ability to
maintain daily knowledge? Why are Savants brain hardwired differently than a
normal person?
The rhetorical situation that stood out the most in the videos is Pathos. Many
normal people feel some type of sympathy towards autistic people; they appear to
be fragile when compared to normal people, such as, caring for themselves. Autistic
people rely mainly on family members throughout their entire life. Although,
Savants show almost extraterrestrial talents for mathematics, arts, music, or
obscure knowledge; some Savants cannot handle loud noises, crowded areas, or
even the fact of being touched. Pathos was also demonstrated when researchers
were conducting the tests, they Savants were calculating the problems in their
heads. The reaction some viewers would have to this is an emotional amazement,
or left in awe over the astounding results the Savants displayed.
The audience this video was aimed towards is mainly to be informative to
normal people, and people who received news a family member are potentially
autistic. Some aspiring scientists or researchers who might have some insight on
the subject might fall into the category of the audience as well. It also contributes
the fact that although autistic people might have a disability some of them
contribute to society; they analyze business data statistics to economically enhance
companies

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In conclusion, the video was eye opening and informative of Savants
capabilities, and about autistic people. The video focused on the studies of why
Savants possess specific knowledge on specific subject, and how they unknowingly
contribute to the world. The studies provided in the video were very interesting, and
at times it was mouth-dropping. The answers the Savants were giving to the huge
outrageous number problems the testers were giving were out of this world. The
video described the overall goal of these studies could possibly result in our inner
geniusness becoming reality. To this day, researchers, professors, and scientists are
still in the process of unlocking the brains unique natural suppression of the
endless capacities we are all capable of.