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Uncommon Genius




Millions of years of evolution have endowed Homo sapiens with remarkable intellect. But not all human brains are created equal. From the great powers of memory seen in savants to the skills of chess grandmasters, unusual talents can offer a unique window on how the mind works. This exclusive online issue examines genius in some of its most intriguing forms.

Meet Kim Peek, whose abilities provided the inspiration for the character Raymond Babbit in the movie Rain Man. Peek's severe developmental disabilities prevent him from managing the chores of daily life, but he has learned 9,000 books by heart so far, among other astonishing feats of memory. Other savants have musical or artistic talents.

Less well known than savant syndrome is Williams syndrome, a disorder in which affected individuals generally score below average on standard IQ tests, but often possess startling language and music skills, as another article in this issue describes. Mood disorders, too, have been linked to genius: it seems that manic-depressive illness and major depression can enhance creativity in some people.

Other articles focus on gifted children. These youngsters fascinate with their precocious intellect, but they often suffer ridicule and neglect. They also tend to be keenly aware of the potential risk of failure, which can prove emotionally paralyzing for them. Studies of such children have provided key insights into brain development--and revealed how best to nurture their extraordinary minds.

Our final article in the issue considers whether some geniuses are made, not born. Dissections of the mental processes of chess grandmasters have shown that their skills arise from years of "effortful study"--continually tackling challenges that lie just beyond their competence. Could comparable training turn any one of us into such an expert? Food for thought.

Islands of Genius by Darold A. Treffert and Gregory L. Wallace
Artistic brilliance and a dazzling memory can sometimes accompany autism and other developmental disorders

Inside the Mind of a Savant by Darold A. Treffert and Daniel D. Christensen
Kim Peek possesses one of the most extraordinary memories ever recorded. Until we can explain his abilities, we cannot pretend to understand human cognition

Rebuilding Broken Hearts by Smadar Cohen and Jonathan Leor
Biologists and engineers working together in the fledgling field of tissue engineering are within reach of one of their greatest goals: constructing a living human heart patch

Williams Syndrome and the Brain by Howard M. Lenhoff, Paul P. Wang, Frank Greenberg and Ursula Bellugi
To gain fresh insights into how the brain is organized, investigators are turning to a little known disorder

Manic-Depressive Illness and Creativity by Kay Redfield Jamison
Does some fine madness plague great artists? Several studies now show that creativity and mood disorders are linked

Uncommon Talents: Gifted Children, Prodigies and Savants by Ellen Winner
Possessing abilities well beyond their years, gifted children inspire admiration, but they also suffer ridicule, neglect and misunderstanding

Watching Prodigies for the Dark Side by Marie-Noëlle Ganry-Tardy
Gifted children who are not challenged can quickly grow bored with school, but a hidden fear of failure can lead to far greater problems

The Expert Mind by Philip E. Ross
The mental processes of chess grandmasters are unlike those of novices, a fact that illuminates the development of expertise in other fields