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1、Unit4BrainManAlmost25yearsago,60MinutesintroducedviewerstoGeorgeFinn,whosetalentwasimmortalizedinthemovie"RainMan."Georgehasaconditionknownassavantsyndrome,amysteriousdisorderofthebrainwheresomeonehasaspectacularskill,evengenius,inamindthatisotherwiseextremelylimited.MorleySafermetanother
2、savant,DanielTammet,whoiscalled"BrainMan"inBritain.Butunlikemostsavants,hehasnoobviousmentaldisability,andmostimportanttoscientists,hecandescribehisownthoughtprocess.HemayverywellbeascientificRosettastone,akeytounderstandingthebrain.________________________________________Backin1983,Georg
3、eFinn,blessedorobsessedwithcalendarcalculation,couldgiveyouthedayifyougavehimthedate."WhatdayoftheweekwasAugust13th,1911?"SaferquizzedFinn."ASunday,"Finnreplied."WhatdayoftheweekwasMay20th,1921?"Saferasked."Friday,"Finnanswered.GeorgeFinnisasavant.Inmorepoliticallyincorrecttimeshewouldhav
4、ebeencalledan"idiotsavant"-amentallyhandicappedorautisticpersonwhosebrainsomehowpossessesanislandofbrilliance.Askedifheknewhowhedoesit,FinntoldSafer,"Idon'tknow,butit'sjustthat,that'sfantasticIcandothat."Ifthisallseemsfamiliar,there?sareason:fiveyearsafterthe60Minutesbroadcast,DustinHoffm
5、animmortalizedsavantslikeGeorgeinthemovie"RainMan."Whichbringsustothatothersavantwementioned:DanielTammet.HeisanEnglishman,whoisa27-year-oldmathandmemorywizard."IwasbornNovember8th,1931,"Saferremarks."Uh-huh.That'saprimenumber.1931.AndyouwerebornonaSunday.Andthisyear,yourbirthdaywillbeona
6、Wednesday.Andyou'llbe75,"TammettellsSafer.Itisestimatedthereareonly50truesavantslivingintheworldtoday,andyetnonearelikeDaniel.Heisarticulate,self-sufficient,blessedwithallofthespectacularabilityofasavant,butwithverylittleofthedisability.Takehismathskill,forexample.Askedtomultiply31by31by3
7、1by31,Tammetquickly-andaccurately-respondedwith"923,521."Andit?snotjustcalculating.Hisgiftofmemoryisstunning.Brieflyshowhimalongnumericalsequenceandhe?llreciteitrightbacktoyou.Andhecandoitbackwards,toboot.Thatfeatisjustawarm-upforDanielTammet.HefirstmadeheadlinesatO
