David Letterman Daniel Tammet Mathematics Genius Prodigy | Free slideshow @ www.j.mp/BharatanMaths

What I say will be ridiculous. I am young, but I love that you always look beautiful here in a charming way and a beautiful and charming woman. Yes, she's fine. Here we go, our next guest is the subject of a fascinating new documentary called. Brain Man, airing on Science Channel, please welcome Daniel Hammett, ladies, gentlemen, okay, I've established my ignorance on the subject, so help us if you can, how would I describe it to you? Well, I'm missing the event and what does that mean? I mean strictly speaking, well, there are different types of events. I'm a religious participant, but they just said it means someone with exceptional mental abilities, exceptional perhaps even in people without any problems.

I mean, I had epilepsy when I was a little kid and we think maybe. Seizures activate something in the brain. I think so. Without this seizure, you may not have had these skills socially. I guess it's a good thing you're stern. It's right? Yes Yes. I mean, it's perfect. If there is a heaven, there is no downside, it is a lot of work, what would be part of the appeal of some of the downsides of this? Well, I was also recently diagnosed with Asperger's, which is a form of high-functioning autism, so what? The scientists who have studied me believe that it is epilepsy and autism combined that has caused the user's abilities and I know it's interesting that the two negative events have actually produced this rarefied positive absolutely and and and what are the symptoms? ? which manifest for Asperger's in terms of Asperger's inability to socialize very easily a very strong and limited interest in particular areas I have always loved numbers and I have always loved words and language too and these are the two areas in which I seem to have a real ability to thrive and do well, but at the expense of social interaction, yeah, I mean, you have to use it, it's like you're fine sitting here talking, thank you, that's very nice of you to say, I mean, you are too kind.

Thanks, no, it's taken a long time. I'm 26 now and I had two seizures when I was I think about four since it didn't happen again just in one episode there were several seizures I mean the first one was very serious he almost died oh yeah but as you grew up it seemed like you got over them, it's that more or less a cure yes, that's fine, so let's add now what this has left you and I just don't understand what What can you do so that everyone else can be well last year, March 14, which is pi day in the United States, pi day, yes to day?

I love cake. I love cake, but it's not your kind of cake, it's a mathematical number, yeah, yeah. tied to what happens so they hired me where pi day is

free

1-4 and those are the first numbers in the number 3.14 third month and anything else fall day yes third month 14 please that's right , so I recited PI, which is an irrational number, meaning it cannot be expressed as a fraction, it goes on forever and ever. I recited it from memory in over twenty-two thousand five hundred places and it took me five hours and we had a lot of individual analysis to check that I made no mistakes and it only took me a few weeks to learn the numbers and it was really good because we raised a lot of money for anti-crime charities. epilepsy in the UK and I really showed that being a server and having these advantages and disadvantages should not be a problem. go back now, go back to the recitation of Pi, it took you, you say, five hours to read approximately how many digits there were in that number, so I recited PI two twenty-two thousand five hundred and fourteen decimal places, it took me five hours and nine minutes. and the hardest part was actually the physical side because it was like running a marathon in your head if you can imagine it's just a constant flow of numbers and I had some water and some Banaras and chocolate to keep my energy up.

I like bananas, yes, and, and, and, and someone other than Asan Sivan, couldn't they not have memorized this? Yeah, they're pretty good and people have done it, but it's taken them years and they usually have to make several attempts because right, it's a great thing to do and you still remember it now yeah, it happened yeah, I mean the other thing when I'm learning numbers, so what I'm doing is visualizing numbers, it's not when you look at a number and look at, say, 43, you only see the number four and three, but most people do, but when I look at different numbers, you know , whatever the number is, I see colors, shapes and textures, it's something called synesthesia because my brain is working.

In such a way that I am looking and also experiencing the color, so it is two senses combined, so I had not seen the show before. I have to say from London that no and when I'm sitting with you, Naina, marching with you and me. I'm seeing that you know a very handsome man. I have to tell you, well, let me say my number, but I have to tell you, you know, you look like the number 1 1 7, well, you look like 1 1 7, give it one one seven, that's a hot number. is tall is is a is a lanky number a little wobbly a little wobbly yeah and I'm full of Crisco now I uh, what about birthdays?

It's like a party trick or it's something that shows off your ISM wisdom or power or whatever. It's, I mean some units, okay, my birthday is, I guess my birthday is worse, how does it work? I tell you what my birth is, tell me what your birthday is April 12 yes 1947 April 12 1940 a case oh you were born on a Saturday and you know, I don't know, you don't know, okay, you will turn 65 in 2012 and that will be the first day, okay, then you can take a towel and on a Thursday, ah, can you make some money? So you're not being stupid about it, but are you on the show?

This is rarefied. It's a gift. Doesn't it show something rare? Only a handful of people do this. Yeah, I mean, there are something like 25 sages on earth if people are studying. You're right, that's right, there are scientists in the United States, in California and also in places like Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom, who study me because what they are looking for is to see if people you know can do this or not. it is easier to learn numbers to speak another language what is your birthday my birthday is January 31, 1979 you had a one in seven chance on Wednesday I went early it was Wednesday Daniel it is a great pleasure to meet you III I hope we have expressed something of what are you able to do here the documentary is Brain Man and it will be on Science Channel well, good luck to you.

Thank you very much, thank you, thank you, ladies, gentlemen, back without feeding Tom.