Daniel Paul Tammet
Daniel Tammet speaking at Reykjavík University
Born	January 31, 1979 (1979-01-31) (age 29) London, England, UK
Spouse	Neil Mitchell
Website www.optimnem.co.uk

Daniel Paul Tammet (b. January 31, 1979) is a British high-functioning autistic savant gifted with a facility for mathematical and natural language learning. He was born the first of nine children to middle-class parents in London.^[1] In his memoir, Born on a Blue Day, he talks of how having epilepsy, synaesthesia, and Asperger Syndrome all deeply affected his childhood. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 494 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 1980 pixel, file size: 339 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Daniel Tammet giving a speech at Reykjavík University on 21 June, 2007. ... Reykjavík University (Háskólinn í Reykjavík) is a private university in Reykjavík, Iceland, which is chartered by the Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Icelandic Industries and the Confederation of Icelandic Employers. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... An autistic savant (historically described as idiot savant) is a person with both autism and Savant Syndrome. ... For other meanings of mathematics or uses of math and maths, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ... In the philosophy of language, a natural language (or ordinary language) is a language that is spoken, written, or signed by humans for general-purpose communication, as distinguished from formal languages (such as computer-programming languages or the languages used in the study of formal logic, especially mathematical logic) and... For other uses, see Synesthesia (disambiguation). ... Asperger syndrome (also Aspergers syndrome, Aspergers disorder, Aspergers, or AS) is one of several autism spectrum disorders (ASD) characterized by difficulties in social interaction and by restricted and stereotyped interests and activities. ...

Biography

Synaesthesia

Experiencing numbers as colours or sensations is a well-documented form of synaesthesia, but the detail and specificity of Tammet's mental imagery of numbers is unusual. In his mind, he says, each integer up to 10,000 has its own unique shape, colour, texture and feel. He can intuitively "see" results of calculations as synesthesic landscapes without using conscious mental effort, and that he can "sense" whether a number is prime or composite. He has described his visual image of 289 as particularly ugly, 333 as particularly attractive, and pi as beautiful. 6 apparently has no distinct image.^[1][2] Tammet not only verbally describes these visions, but has also created artwork: a watercolour painting of Pi. For other uses, see Synesthesia (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with Natural number. ... In mathematics, a prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 which has exactly two distinct natural number divisors: 1 and itself. ... A composite number is a positive integer which has a positive divisor other than one or itself. ... 280 is the natural number after 279 and before 281. ... This article is about the number 300. ... When a circles diameter is 1, its circumference is π. Pi or π is the ratio of a circles circumference to its diameter in Euclidean geometry, approximately 3. ...

Tammet was the subject of a documentary in the UK entitled The Boy With The Incredible Brain, which was first broadcast on the British television channel Five on May 23, 2005.^[3] The documentary showed highlights of his pi recitation feat, studying the Icelandic language (which is considered particularly difficult) in one week and his meeting with Kim Peek, a world famous savant. In one moment of the show, Peek hugged Tammet and told him, "Some day you will be as great as I am," to which Tammet replied that "that was a wonderful compliment, what an aspiration to have." Five, launched in 1997, is the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue television channel to launch in the United Kingdom. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Icelandic (íslenska) is a North Germanic language spoken in Iceland. ... Kim Peek (born November 11, 1951), is a savant with a photographic or eidetic memory and developmental disabilities, possibly resulting from congenital brain abnormalities. ... Look up savant in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Pi

Tammet holds the European record for reciting pi to 22,514 digits in five hours and nine minutes.^[4] This sponsored charity challenge was held in aid of the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) on “Pi Day”, March 14, 2004, at the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, UK.^[5] The NSE was chosen to benefit from this event because of Tammet's experience with epilepsy as a young child. Professor Allan Snyder at the Australian National University said of Tammet: "Savants can't usually tell us how they do what they do. It just comes to them. Daniel can. He describes what he sees in his head. That's why he's exciting. He could be the 'Rosetta Stone'."^[6] For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... When a circles diameter is 1, its circumference is Ï€. Pi or Ï€ is the ratio of a circles circumference to its diameter in Euclidean geometry, approximately 3. ... The National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) is the largest medical charity in the field of epilepsy in the UK, providing services for people with epilepsy for over 100 years. ... Pies for a celebration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Free pie being handed out at the University of Waterloo Larry Shaw, the founder of Pi Day at the Exploratorium Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day are two unofficial holidays held to celebrate the mathematical constant Ï€ (Pi). ... is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Old Ashmolean Building as it stands today The Museum of the History of Science, located in Broad Street, Oxford, is home to a collection of historic scientific instruments and is the worlds oldest surviving purpose-built museum building. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... Allan Snyder is recognised for discoveries in the fields of mind sciences, visual neurobiology, communications and optical physics. ... The Australian National University, or ANU, is a public university located in Canberra, Australia. ... A savant (suh-VAHNT) is a learned person, well versed in literature or science, often with an exceptional skill in a specialized field of learning. ... This article is about the ancient Rosetta Stone . ...

Language abilities

Tammet speaks eleven languages including English, French, Finnish, German, Spanish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Estonian, Icelandic, Welsh and Esperanto. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... This article is about the language. ...

He particularly likes Estonian, because it is rich in vowels. Tammet is creating a new language called Mänti. Mänti has many features related to Finnish and Estonian, both of which are Finno-Ugric languages. Some sources credit Tammet as creating the Uusisuom and Lapsi languages as well.^[7] Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... A constructed or artificial language — known colloquially as a conlang — is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary have been devised by an individual or group, instead of having naturally evolved as part of a culture. ... Mänti (likely pronounced mahn-tee) is a language created by autistic savant Daniel Tammet. ... Finno-Ugric group with dark green on map of language families Finno-Ugric (IPA:[ËŒfɪnoʊˈjuːgɹɪk]) is a grouping of languages in the Uralic language family, comprising Hungarian, Finnish and Estonian, and related languages. ...

Tammet is capable of learning new languages very quickly. To prove this for the Channel Five documentary, Tammet was challenged to learn Icelandic in one week. Seven days later he appeared on Icelandic television conversing in Icelandic, with his Icelandic language instructor saying it was "not human" and "genius!". Segments of the interview showing Tammet responding to questions in Icelandic were televised on the January 28, 2007 edition of the CBS news magazine, 60 Minutes.^[2] is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... A newsmagazine, sometimes called news magazine, is a usually weekly magazine featuring articles on current events. ... This article is about the CBS news magazine. ...

Born on a Blue Day

In 2006, Tammet traveled to the United States to promote his memoir, Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant.^[1] Tammet was born on a Wednesday, a day he perceives in his mind as the colour blue. While on his U.S. book tour, he appeared on several television and radio talk shows and specials, including 60 Minutes and David Letterman's Late Show.^[1] In February, 2007, Born on a Blue Day was serialised as BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week in the United Kingdom. As a literary genre, a memoir (from the French: mémoire from the Latin memoria, meaning memory), or a reminiscence, forms a subclass of autobiography, although it is an older form of writing. ... A talk show (U.S.) or chat show (Brit. ... This article is about the CBS news magazine. ... David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.) is an Emmy Award-winning American television host and comedian. ... The Late Show can refer to: The Late Show, the Australian comedy television show of 1992-93. ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ...

Personal life

Tammet and his domestic partner, software engineer Neil Mitchell, have been together for six years. They live together in Kent where they have a quiet regimented life at home with their cats, prepare their meals from their garden, and prefer their privacy.^[8][9] Tammet and Mitchell together operate the online e-learning company Optimnem, where they create and publish language courses. Tammet has publicly discussed his relationship with Mitchell, his savant abilities, and his sexual orientation.^[10][11] Domestic partner or domestic partnership identifies the personal relationship between individuals who are living together and sharing a common domestic life together but are not joined in any type of legal partnership, marriage or civil union. ... Software engineering (SE) is the profession concerned with specifying, designing, developing and maintaining software applications by applying technologies and practices from computer science, project management, and other fields. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

See also

• Tito Mukhopadhyay
• Stephen Wiltshire

Rajarshi Tito Mukhopadhyay (b. ... Stephen Wiltshire Stephen Wiltshire: Times Square - oil on canvas Tokyo skyline Stephen Wiltshire MBE, (born 1974) is an accomplished architectural artist who has been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. ...

References

is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Five, launched in 1997, is the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue television channel to launch in the United Kingdom. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• A Look at an Autistic Savant's Brilliant Mind from NPR's Talk of the Nation
• Brainman program from The Science Channel
• Optimnem, Tammet's e-learning company
• Video excerpt from Daniel Tammet, the Brainman documentary
• Daniel, the Incredible Brain
• 60 Minutes report on Daniel Tammet
• Daniel Tammet on The Late Show
• Tammet, Daniel; Safer, Morely. (2006). 60 Minutes: Brain Man (.SWF) [video]. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.

‹The template Lifetime is being considered for deletion.›  Talk of the Nation is a talk radio program based in the United States, produced by National Public Radio, and is broadcasted nationally on weekday afternoons (Eastern Standard Time). ... The Science Channel is a television channel spin-off from the Discovery Channel, which features only science-related television shows. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...