In the field of brain research, there is no subject more intriguing than the savant: a person with a mental, behavioural or physical disability who manifests acute powers of observation, mathematical aptitude or artistic talent. These three documentaries offer a rare window into the mysterious world of the savant, and reveal how the study of such remarkable individuals is helping neuroscientists to better understand the nature and capabilities of the human brain.
THE MEMORY MASTERS – Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 9 pm ET/PT: The extraordinary abilities of certain savants are giving researchers greater insight into how human memory works. In this episode, viewers will meet "memory masters" such as Orlando Serrell (pictured left) of Virginia, who can recall every detail from every minute of his life since he suffered a head injury at the age of 10, and Kim Peek of Salt Lake City, the real-life inspiration for Rain Man: a human hard drive with a brain capable of storing and instantly recalling anything from an entire encyclopedia to a list of every area code in the United States.
THE EINSTEIN EFFECT – Wednesday Dec. 29 at 9 pm ET/PT
Can studying the brains of savants help us to understand where human creativity comes from? In this episode, viewers will meet two young autistic men with extraordinary artistic abilities: 18-year-old Matt Savage of Boston (pictured right), who has been playing jazz piano since he was seven years old, and 36-year-old Stephen Wiltshire of London, England, who draws detailed, panoramic cityscapes entirely from memory.
A LITTLE MATTER OF GENDER – Friday Dec. 31 at 9 pm ET/PT
Do fundamental differences between the brains of men and women account for the relatively higher incidence of male savants? In this episode, viewers will meet one of the world's rare female savants: Temple Grandin, a Colorado academic and a high-functioning autistic whose unique insight into animal behaviour has earned her renown as a consultant to the U.S. livestock industry.
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