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WILLIAM SHATNER:
From great thinkers
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to revolutionary inventors...
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...to brilliant artists...
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geniuses have used their
mysterious powers to shape
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the course of human history.
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Genius.
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It's a word we use to describe
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extraordinary individuals
whose intellect or abilities
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go far beyond the norm.
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But is genius a special quality
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that only a select few
are born with?
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Or, can it be unlocked
in anyone's brain,
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at any time, with the right key?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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♪ ♪
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SHATNER:
In this suburb located
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seven miles from downtown
Los Angeles,
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lives Kashe Quest.
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Although Kashe is similar
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to other three-year-olds
in some ways,
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her mental abilities
are astonishing.
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Some experts have even
claimed that she is a genius.
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SUKHJIT ATHWAL:
Let's do a few elements.
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-Are you ready?
-Yeah.
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-Are you ready?
-Yeah.
All right, what's this one?
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All right, what's this one?
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-Chlorine.
-Chlorine. What's this one?
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-Helium.
-Helium.
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What's this one?
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What's this one?
-Beryllium.
-What's this?
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-Beryllium.
-What's this?
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-Beryllium.
-What's this?
KASHE:
Copper.
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KASHE:
Copper.
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You got to take turns.
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SHATNER:
Since the age of two,
Kashe has been able
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to visually recognize
and memorize
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to visually recognize
and memorize
the elements
on the periodic table,
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the elements
on the periodic table,
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and all 50 states on the map,
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which the vast majority
of children her age cannot do.
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In fact, Kashe is the youngest
person ever admitted into Mensa,
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the most prestigious
high-intelligence society
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in the world.
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in the world.
But is it really possible
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But is it really possible
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for someone who is
only three years old
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for someone who is
only three years old
to qualify as a genius?
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to qualify as a genius?
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ATHWAL:
Very early on, she was
just always keen to learning.
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ATHWAL:
Very early on, she was
just always keen to learning.
She identified all, you know,
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She identified all, you know,
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She identified all, you know,
basic preschool skills
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basic preschool skills
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at 18 months,
which were shapes, colors,
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numbers, letters and sounds.
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Once we started reading her
books and doing puzzles,
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we just realized how much
she was actually retaining.
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Show Mommy South Africa.
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Kashe is a toddler
with gifted abilities.
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There it is!
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There it is!
Our pediatrician did say
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Our pediatrician did say
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she's doing a lot of things
that, in her history
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of being a pediatrician,
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she has not seen
other children do.
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Show Mommy Indonesia.
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And that's what led us
to get her tested
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And that's what led us
to get her tested
to identify her IQ.
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to identify her IQ.
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There it is!
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And we found out
that her IQ was 146.
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SHATNER:
According to experts,
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an IQ, or intelligence quotient,
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higher than 140
qualifies as genius-level.
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For decades, scientists have
used various kinds of IQ tests
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to try and unravel
the mystery of what makes
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someone a genius.
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DARRIN McMAHON:
The basis of
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what we call the IQ test
was developed
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by a French psychologist
by the name of Alfred Binet,
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at the beginning
of the 20th century.
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That original diagnostic
developed by Binet
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was then taken
by the American psychologist
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Lewis Terman at Stanford.
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He does this big study
around San Francisco
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where they just administer
the IQ test to school children
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and he tries to weed out
anyone below an IQ of 140,
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which he identifies
as the genius level.
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SHATNER:
There were two boys
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who participated in Terman's
study who would go on to win
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the Nobel Prize in Physics
when they grew up.
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the Nobel Prize in Physics
when they grew up.
William Shockley
and Luis Alvarez.
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William Shockley
and Luis Alvarez.
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But curiously, because their
IQs were less than 140,
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But curiously, because their
IQs were less than 140,
the study did not consider them
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the study did not consider them
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to have genius-level
intelligence.
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McMAHON:
It just goes to show you that
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genius and intelligence
are not the same thing.
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You can have a high IQ,
but not necessarily
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have all the other kind of
skills that are necessary to...
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have all the other kind of
skills that are necessary to...
to produce great things.
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to produce great things.
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RAMANI DURVASULA: The big
problem with this word "genius"
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is that nobody agrees
upon the definition.
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All we do know
is when we hear it,
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we know that the person,
who is a so-called genius,
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is in possession
of abilities or skills
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that are far beyond
the pale of what most
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ordinary human beings possess.
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SHATNER:
But if an IQ score
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doesn't answer the question
of what makes
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doesn't answer the question
of what makes
someone a genius,
then what does?
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someone a genius,
then what does?
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What is the common trait,
or combination of traits
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What is the common trait,
or combination of traits
that allows geniuses to make
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that allows geniuses to make
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such important
contributions to society?
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such important
contributions to society?
Some experts believe
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Some experts believe
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00:05:08,927 --> 00:05:10,765
that a clue can be found
by examining both
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the role that geniuses
have played in history
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and how our perception
of genius has changed over time.
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DEAN SIMONTON:
Genius is
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a term that actually
goes back to ancient Rome,
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a term that actually
goes back to ancient Rome,
and therefore, it's acquired
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and therefore, it's acquired
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a lot of different meanings
in 2,000 years.
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If you look at a lot
of historical examples
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of geniuses like Aristotle
and Plato,
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Isaac Newton, Beethoven
and Albert Einstein,
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these are people who are making
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very important, highly valued
contributions to our...
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our culture,
to our civilization.
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We're talking about science,
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literature, something
that is valued by the culture,
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an artistic masterpiece,
an absolutely
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an artistic masterpiece,
an absolutely
incredible contribution
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incredible contribution
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to a major area of achievement.
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McMAHON:
We need to be cautious
about thinking of genius
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as a universal trait.
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Genius is less a quality
inherent in people...
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...and more a label that
we apply to people of supreme
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intelligence or creative
capacity or productivity.
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intelligence or creative
capacity or productivity.
And the criteria that we use
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And the criteria that we use
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to apply that label change.
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Different skills, different
gifts, different capacities,
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they change from time to place
and have changed over history.
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SHATNER:
Our understanding
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of the nature of genius
has clearly evolved.
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of the nature of genius
has clearly evolved.
And will continue
to evolve in the future.
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And will continue
to evolve in the future.
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But there's another
question about genius
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But there's another
question about genius
that has been debated
for centuries.
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that has been debated
for centuries.
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Do some people
come into the world
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already possessing genius
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or is it developed after birth?
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One dominant idea
that evolves around genius,
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One dominant idea
that evolves around genius,
is that genius is born,
not made.
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is that genius is born,
not made.
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The great kind of test case
in this regard is Mozart.
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Mozart is a child prodigy,
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Mozart is a child prodigy,
he has genius
from the beginning,
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he has genius
from the beginning,
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and he carries that out
throughout the rest of his life.
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And so to contemporaries,
he seemed to confirm
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this belief
that genius is just there.
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Either you have it or you don't.
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Looking at the other side
of things,
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we know that his father
was a music teacher,
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and the he surely clocked
the requisite 10,000 hours
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of training and practice to make
him the prodigy that he became.
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So there is this kind of idea
now that just intelligence
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is not enough, so there is
a big debate about this.
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But we don't know. (laughs)
That's what makes it a mystery.
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SHATNER:
Today, there are some
experts who believe
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that genius is a special quality
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that certain individuals
are simply born with.
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that certain individuals
are simply born with.
But not everyone
agrees with that theory.
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But not everyone
agrees with that theory.
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In fact,
at Johns Hopkins University
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In fact,
at Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore, Maryland,
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in Baltimore, Maryland,
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a program has actually
been instituted
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for the purpose
of developing geniuses.
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It's called CTY, or
the Center for Talented Youth.
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DURVASULA:
CTY or the Center
for Talented Youth
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00:08:16,101 --> 00:08:16,134
DURVASULA:
CTY or the Center
for Talented Youth
identifies gifted youth
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identifies gifted youth
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and gives them all kinds
of enriched
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educational experiences,
higher level coursework.
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Things that are
typically at a higher level
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than what a child would
be receiving at school
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in that particular grade
or age level.
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With the idea being that
because these children
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are such talented children,
that they need
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00:08:37,945 --> 00:08:40,884
this enrichment to be able
to cultivate them
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00:08:40,951 --> 00:08:44,290
so that they can sort of reach
their fullest potential.
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00:08:44,290 --> 00:08:44,324
so that they can sort of reach
their fullest potential.
Some of the famous alumni
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00:08:44,324 --> 00:08:46,897
Some of the famous alumni
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00:08:47,029 --> 00:08:50,637
of CTY include Mark Zuckerberg,
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00:08:50,737 --> 00:08:54,478
Sergey Brin, who was
the cofounder of Google.
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00:08:54,678 --> 00:08:57,718
So clearly, some of the people
who've come out of this program
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00:08:57,818 --> 00:09:00,924
have shaped society
in rather permanent ways.
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00:09:02,326 --> 00:09:05,099
SIMONTON:
Our civilization,
our culture, is pretty much
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00:09:05,199 --> 00:09:08,607
defined by our geniuses
in the past.
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00:09:08,773 --> 00:09:11,479
And when a society
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00:09:11,646 --> 00:09:12,815
loses its geniuses,
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00:09:12,915 --> 00:09:15,486
when it stops
producing its geniuses,
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it descends into a dark age.
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00:09:19,093 --> 00:09:20,764
And so that leads
to the question,
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00:09:20,831 --> 00:09:24,237
what are some things
we should look for to identify
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00:09:24,237 --> 00:09:24,304
what are some things
we should look for to identify
geniuses or potential geniuses?
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00:09:24,304 --> 00:09:26,743
geniuses or potential geniuses?
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00:09:26,943 --> 00:09:29,248
And what can we do
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00:09:29,314 --> 00:09:32,888
to encourage the emergence
of genius because
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00:09:32,988 --> 00:09:35,961
genius is an important
thing to cultivate.
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00:09:37,798 --> 00:09:41,573
Is it true that real genius
can only blossom
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00:09:41,672 --> 00:09:44,912
when someone receives
the proper attention?
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00:09:44,945 --> 00:09:47,918
It's an interesting notion,
but it also makes you wonder,
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what happens
when a gifted person
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doesn't receive
the right kind of guidance?
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Perhaps a clue can be found
in the story of a man
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00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,613
who many believe
to be the embodiment
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00:10:01,779 --> 00:10:03,883
of evil genius.
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SHATNER:
A 16-year-old math prodigy
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00:10:13,101 --> 00:10:15,807
is invited to attend
Harvard University--
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00:10:15,874 --> 00:10:18,780
one of only a handful
ever to be admitted so young.
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00:10:19,949 --> 00:10:22,453
As an adult, he goes on
to become a brilliant
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00:10:22,453 --> 00:10:22,555
As an adult, he goes on
to become a brilliant
and distinguished
mathematics professor.
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00:10:22,555 --> 00:10:24,959
and distinguished
mathematics professor.
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00:10:25,092 --> 00:10:29,434
His name is Ted Kaczynski or,
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00:10:29,434 --> 00:10:29,467
His name is Ted Kaczynski or,
as he's better known today,
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00:10:29,467 --> 00:10:31,137
as he's better known today,
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00:10:31,137 --> 00:10:34,010
the "Unabomber."
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00:10:34,177 --> 00:10:36,482
LIS WIEHL:
Ted Kaczynski was
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00:10:36,749 --> 00:10:40,790
a brilliant man, a wunderkind
when he was a child
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00:10:40,824 --> 00:10:45,734
who turned all that brilliance
and genius towards evil.
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00:10:45,934 --> 00:10:47,437
(sirens wailing)
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00:10:47,704 --> 00:10:49,274
REPORTER: The Unabomber
has been spreading terror
244
00:10:49,374 --> 00:10:53,850
one small bomb
at a time for 17 years.
245
00:10:54,985 --> 00:10:58,760
WIEHL:
From 1978 until 1995,
246
00:10:58,860 --> 00:11:01,632
Ted Kaczynski
bombed universities,
247
00:11:01,799 --> 00:11:04,437
tech centers, an airline.
248
00:11:06,074 --> 00:11:09,548
Three people died
and 20-some were maimed
249
00:11:09,748 --> 00:11:11,719
over the time.
250
00:11:11,886 --> 00:11:14,090
And he would transport
251
00:11:14,257 --> 00:11:16,328
the bombs in different ways.
252
00:11:16,328 --> 00:11:17,831
Some he mailed
253
00:11:17,898 --> 00:11:20,804
and others, he would actually
deliver it, leave,
254
00:11:20,870 --> 00:11:24,010
and then sit back
and wait for the reaction.
255
00:11:26,047 --> 00:11:30,791
He kept the nation
in suspense and fear.
256
00:11:30,890 --> 00:11:33,763
People were afraid
of opening mail.
257
00:11:35,032 --> 00:11:36,068
MOSS:
The term "Unabomb"
258
00:11:36,167 --> 00:11:38,305
comes from the code word
given to the case
259
00:11:38,338 --> 00:11:43,014
because the initial few bombs
appeared to have something to do
260
00:11:43,081 --> 00:11:47,256
with either universities
or with the airline industry.
261
00:11:48,358 --> 00:11:52,200
Now, later there were
other targets, but by then
262
00:11:52,266 --> 00:11:54,203
the code name for the case
had already been chosen.
263
00:11:55,306 --> 00:11:57,343
SHATNER:
But what led Ted Kaczynski
264
00:11:57,343 --> 00:11:57,377
SHATNER:
But what led Ted Kaczynski
down such a dark path?
265
00:11:57,377 --> 00:11:59,682
down such a dark path?
266
00:11:59,782 --> 00:12:02,053
Many researchers believe
it traces back
267
00:12:02,186 --> 00:12:04,024
to when he was
identified as being
268
00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:07,129
exceptionally intelligent
when he was very young.
269
00:12:08,131 --> 00:12:11,940
Ted Kaczynski, uh,
is a very interesting
270
00:12:12,106 --> 00:12:15,078
case because evidently
271
00:12:15,112 --> 00:12:19,154
he was a pretty well-adapted
kid in elementary school,
272
00:12:19,187 --> 00:12:21,993
and actually was considered
to be something of a leader.
273
00:12:22,093 --> 00:12:24,666
And then, somebody got
the bright idea
274
00:12:24,798 --> 00:12:26,936
that he should take an IQ test.
275
00:12:27,069 --> 00:12:31,111
He did, and got
an IQ score of 167.
276
00:12:32,213 --> 00:12:35,452
You have to have 140
to be defined as a genius.
277
00:12:36,454 --> 00:12:38,793
So, what's 167?
278
00:12:38,926 --> 00:12:41,131
That's one
out of a million people.
279
00:12:41,264 --> 00:12:43,468
It was recommended by the school
280
00:12:43,535 --> 00:12:46,341
that he skip a grade
when he was only ten years old.
281
00:12:46,441 --> 00:12:47,945
So to skip from
fifth to seventh grade.
282
00:12:48,078 --> 00:12:49,982
The problem with it is
283
00:12:50,082 --> 00:12:53,155
he was with older kids
that he didn't know.
284
00:12:53,255 --> 00:12:56,227
He became more and more
socially isolated.
285
00:12:57,229 --> 00:12:59,034
David, his younger brother,
286
00:12:59,133 --> 00:13:01,504
reports that at one point,
Kaczynski was
287
00:13:01,504 --> 00:13:01,538
reports that at one point,
Kaczynski was
being very mean to him.
288
00:13:01,538 --> 00:13:03,275
being very mean to him.
289
00:13:03,341 --> 00:13:07,050
And Ted says, "Sometimes
geniuses can be sadistic."
290
00:13:07,249 --> 00:13:09,020
He was acknowledging
291
00:13:09,153 --> 00:13:11,291
that as a genius,
he could be bad,
292
00:13:11,357 --> 00:13:14,932
sadistic, and he could work
that genius for evil.
293
00:13:16,134 --> 00:13:19,373
SHATNER:
Ted Kaczynski graduated
from Harvard in 1962,
294
00:13:19,373 --> 00:13:19,374
SHATNER:
Ted Kaczynski graduated
from Harvard in 1962,
at the age of 20.
295
00:13:19,374 --> 00:13:21,245
at the age of 20.
296
00:13:22,380 --> 00:13:25,687
He then pursued his PhD
at the University of Michigan,
297
00:13:25,854 --> 00:13:27,523
where he did groundbreaking work
298
00:13:27,523 --> 00:13:27,558
where he did groundbreaking work
in the field of mathematics.
299
00:13:27,558 --> 00:13:29,962
in the field of mathematics.
300
00:13:31,131 --> 00:13:32,868
PUCKETT:
One of the hallmarks
of his intelligence
301
00:13:33,034 --> 00:13:35,205
was in the late '60s.
302
00:13:35,272 --> 00:13:38,445
He won an award for his
dissertation, in fact, his PhD
303
00:13:38,546 --> 00:13:41,953
in Mathematics
at Ann Arbor in Michigan,
304
00:13:42,019 --> 00:13:45,192
because he solved a theorem
that had been thought
305
00:13:45,292 --> 00:13:48,800
unsolvable for decades
by mathematicians.
306
00:13:48,933 --> 00:13:50,570
He solved it, and published it.
307
00:13:52,173 --> 00:13:54,444
WIEHL:
From Michigan, then
he went to Berkeley
308
00:13:54,444 --> 00:13:55,446
to teach mathematics.
309
00:13:55,512 --> 00:13:58,419
He was the youngest
assistant professor
310
00:13:58,518 --> 00:14:01,458
that the mathematics
department had ever had.
311
00:14:01,524 --> 00:14:04,363
But the students hated him,
absolutely loathed him.
312
00:14:04,430 --> 00:14:07,203
He didn't have any class hours,
he wouldn't talk to them.
313
00:14:07,303 --> 00:14:09,107
I mean, he was very
disdainful of everybody.
314
00:14:11,177 --> 00:14:12,782
PUCKETT:
His genius was in everything
315
00:14:12,914 --> 00:14:16,020
but social commerce
with other people.
316
00:14:17,056 --> 00:14:18,860
He wasn't able to negotiate
317
00:14:18,993 --> 00:14:20,930
the social world
with other people.
318
00:14:22,433 --> 00:14:25,172
And so, he grew convinced
319
00:14:25,239 --> 00:14:28,311
that he had to get away
from people, away from society.
320
00:14:29,581 --> 00:14:31,786
SHATNER:
In 1969, Kaczynski
321
00:14:31,952 --> 00:14:34,257
suddenly and unexpectedly
322
00:14:34,357 --> 00:14:36,763
resigned from his position
at Berkeley.
323
00:14:36,996 --> 00:14:41,639
He then withdrew from society
by moving to Lincoln, Montana,
324
00:14:41,639 --> 00:14:41,706
He then withdrew from society
by moving to Lincoln, Montana,
where he lived in a small cabin
325
00:14:41,706 --> 00:14:44,110
where he lived in a small cabin
326
00:14:44,210 --> 00:14:48,018
that did not have
running water or electricity.
327
00:14:49,487 --> 00:14:53,461
WIEHL:
The cabin was just
this rustic place off the grid,
328
00:14:53,461 --> 00:14:55,433
8 by 12 feet,
329
00:14:55,567 --> 00:14:57,203
but that was
his getting off the grid,
330
00:14:57,369 --> 00:14:58,873
and getting so far away
331
00:14:59,006 --> 00:15:01,277
from civilization, everything.
332
00:15:03,515 --> 00:15:07,123
PUCKETT:
He was very happy when
he first moved to the woods.
333
00:15:07,256 --> 00:15:08,960
He wrote rapturously about it,
334
00:15:09,093 --> 00:15:11,297
about how beautiful it was.
335
00:15:12,500 --> 00:15:15,172
But then, planes started
flying overhead.
336
00:15:15,239 --> 00:15:18,713
He noticed motorcyclists
riding through the forest
337
00:15:18,980 --> 00:15:22,621
and disturbing the nature
that he was glorying in.
338
00:15:22,621 --> 00:15:22,655
and disturbing the nature
that he was glorying in.
It turned to bitter hatred
339
00:15:22,655 --> 00:15:24,958
It turned to bitter hatred
340
00:15:25,125 --> 00:15:27,229
of the technological society.
341
00:15:27,396 --> 00:15:29,569
He viewed technology as evil,
342
00:15:29,668 --> 00:15:32,073
as the evolution
of technology as evil,
343
00:15:32,139 --> 00:15:36,147
and the technical class
as perverting the human spirit.
344
00:15:37,684 --> 00:15:39,187
MOSS:
What he discovers is,
345
00:15:39,287 --> 00:15:41,593
he can't get away
from society even there.
346
00:15:41,692 --> 00:15:43,963
The society that
he's trying to escape
347
00:15:44,130 --> 00:15:46,602
is closing in on him anyway.
348
00:15:46,702 --> 00:15:48,239
And there's nothing
he can do about it,
349
00:15:48,405 --> 00:15:49,741
so he strikes back.
350
00:15:51,579 --> 00:15:53,983
PUCKETT:
He had taught himself
bomb making.
351
00:15:54,116 --> 00:15:56,589
He ended up
creating chemical mixes,
352
00:15:56,689 --> 00:16:00,129
melting his own components,
and casting them
353
00:16:00,262 --> 00:16:02,533
and putting them
into the devices,
354
00:16:02,601 --> 00:16:06,308
carving wood to make
specific trigger switches.
355
00:16:06,441 --> 00:16:08,779
He was a brilliant
criminal in that
356
00:16:08,779 --> 00:16:08,813
He was a brilliant
criminal in that
he was able to expertly
357
00:16:08,813 --> 00:16:11,585
he was able to expertly
358
00:16:11,685 --> 00:16:15,392
exclude anything identifying
himself, any hairs,
359
00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,098
any fibers, any fingerprints.
360
00:16:19,166 --> 00:16:21,805
He was unlike any bomber
that we had seen before.
361
00:16:23,275 --> 00:16:27,016
SHATNER:
In 1978, Kaczynski
carried out his first attack,
362
00:16:27,082 --> 00:16:29,721
by mailing a parcel
containing a homemade bomb
363
00:16:29,721 --> 00:16:29,755
by mailing a parcel
containing a homemade bomb
to Northwestern University.
364
00:16:29,755 --> 00:16:31,659
to Northwestern University.
365
00:16:31,759 --> 00:16:34,732
It was the beginning
of a reign of terror
366
00:16:34,798 --> 00:16:37,972
during which he carried out
a total of 16 bombings
367
00:16:38,071 --> 00:16:41,110
over the course
of nearly two decades.
368
00:16:42,246 --> 00:16:45,285
For Kaczynski, these attacks
were not random killings
369
00:16:45,352 --> 00:16:48,292
but rather targeted strikes
against the institutions
370
00:16:48,358 --> 00:16:53,201
he believed represented
technological society.
371
00:16:53,335 --> 00:16:56,742
His purpose was
to-to wake people up
372
00:16:56,742 --> 00:16:56,809
His purpose was
to-to wake people up
to the dangers of technology.
373
00:16:56,809 --> 00:16:58,647
to the dangers of technology.
374
00:16:58,746 --> 00:17:01,719
He would not have been
able to promote his views
375
00:17:01,785 --> 00:17:05,627
if he had not gotten
the attention of the media
376
00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,566
and the government
and law enforcement,
377
00:17:08,566 --> 00:17:10,535
by killing people
378
00:17:10,535 --> 00:17:10,536
by killing people
with his bombs.
379
00:17:10,536 --> 00:17:11,906
with his bombs.
380
00:17:12,106 --> 00:17:13,576
That was his goal.
381
00:17:14,778 --> 00:17:18,853
SHATNER:
In 1995, Kaczynski wrote
an anonymous 35,000-word
382
00:17:18,853 --> 00:17:18,886
SHATNER:
In 1995, Kaczynski wrote
an anonymous 35,000-word
anti-technology manifesto
383
00:17:18,886 --> 00:17:21,692
anti-technology manifesto
384
00:17:21,759 --> 00:17:25,566
that he demanded to be
published in major newspapers.
385
00:17:25,566 --> 00:17:26,869
Ironically...
386
00:17:27,136 --> 00:17:29,675
it was a decision that
would lead to his undoing.
387
00:17:31,411 --> 00:17:35,153
PUCKETT:
Ted's brother, David,
had read the manifesto and
388
00:17:35,252 --> 00:17:37,056
phrases jumped out
at David right away
389
00:17:37,189 --> 00:17:38,659
and he had to try
to push them down,
390
00:17:38,659 --> 00:17:38,726
and he had to try
to push them down,
"It can't be, it can't be."
391
00:17:38,726 --> 00:17:40,162
"It can't be, it can't be."
392
00:17:41,297 --> 00:17:43,268
There were phrases
that appeared in the manifesto
393
00:17:43,368 --> 00:17:45,072
that were unusual spellings
that appeared,
394
00:17:45,272 --> 00:17:47,276
that were unusual,
395
00:17:47,443 --> 00:17:49,815
and David recognized it.
396
00:17:50,115 --> 00:17:53,990
The upshot was that finally
David and his wife
397
00:17:54,123 --> 00:17:56,260
went to an attorney in D.C.
and said,
398
00:17:56,394 --> 00:17:58,465
"We'd like to approach the FBI."
399
00:17:58,632 --> 00:18:01,572
SHATNER:
On April 3, 1996,
400
00:18:01,672 --> 00:18:04,077
FBI agents finally
arrested Kaczynski
401
00:18:04,276 --> 00:18:06,414
at his Montana cabin.
402
00:18:08,418 --> 00:18:10,624
He was found guilty
on all counts
403
00:18:10,757 --> 00:18:12,359
that were charged
in the indictment.
404
00:18:13,562 --> 00:18:16,802
Had the "Unabomb Manifesto"
not been published,
405
00:18:16,869 --> 00:18:19,708
it's my view that we probably
would still be looking
406
00:18:19,708 --> 00:18:19,741
it's my view that we probably
would still be looking
for Theodore Kaczynski.
407
00:18:19,741 --> 00:18:21,277
for Theodore Kaczynski.
408
00:18:22,580 --> 00:18:26,288
WIEHL:
Ted's evil genius
helped him build bombs
409
00:18:26,454 --> 00:18:27,924
that nobody could trace.
410
00:18:28,191 --> 00:18:32,033
And yet, the evil genius
needed to be fed with hubris
411
00:18:32,199 --> 00:18:33,770
and acknowledgement,
412
00:18:33,869 --> 00:18:36,474
and that ultimately
was his downfall.
413
00:18:38,445 --> 00:18:41,852
The life of Ted Kaczynski
tells a cautionary tale
414
00:18:41,952 --> 00:18:45,960
of a brilliant
and educated mind gone bad.
415
00:18:46,194 --> 00:18:49,802
But fortunately, genius
comes in many different forms,
416
00:18:49,901 --> 00:18:53,308
like in the case
of two bicycle repair men
417
00:18:53,374 --> 00:18:56,715
who managed to change
the course of human history.
418
00:19:06,568 --> 00:19:09,975
SHATNER: Witnesses gather
to watch the final test
419
00:19:09,975 --> 00:19:10,075
SHATNER: Witnesses gather
to watch the final test
of a revolutionary
new flying machine
420
00:19:10,075 --> 00:19:12,914
of a revolutionary
new flying machine
421
00:19:12,981 --> 00:19:15,920
invented by brothers
Wilbur and Orville Wright.
422
00:19:18,659 --> 00:19:20,997
CHIP WALTON:
Orville took his position
in the cradle.
423
00:19:20,997 --> 00:19:21,064
CHIP WALTON:
Orville took his position
in the cradle.
Wilbur was on the right wing.
424
00:19:21,064 --> 00:19:23,268
Wilbur was on the right wing.
425
00:19:23,468 --> 00:19:25,539
They started the engine.
426
00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,211
And lo and behold,
40 feet down the rail,
427
00:19:28,344 --> 00:19:29,648
the aircraft lifts up.
428
00:19:30,716 --> 00:19:33,756
They flew 120 feet
in 12 seconds.
429
00:19:35,358 --> 00:19:37,864
12 seconds
that changed the history
430
00:19:37,864 --> 00:19:37,865
12 seconds
that changed the history
of mankind forever.
431
00:19:37,865 --> 00:19:39,333
of mankind forever.
432
00:19:40,603 --> 00:19:42,140
SHATNER:
The successful test
433
00:19:42,239 --> 00:19:43,876
of the Wright brothers'
flying machine
434
00:19:43,976 --> 00:19:46,582
was a watershed moment
in human history.
435
00:19:46,615 --> 00:19:50,691
The 12-second flight proved
that sustained, controlled,
436
00:19:50,790 --> 00:19:54,631
powered flight was,
in fact, possible.
437
00:19:54,731 --> 00:19:57,403
For the Wright brothers,
this achievement was
438
00:19:57,503 --> 00:19:59,674
the fulfillment
of a childhood dream.
439
00:20:00,877 --> 00:20:02,045
SHILO BROOKS:
One of the most
440
00:20:02,045 --> 00:20:02,113
SHILO BROOKS:
One of the most
extraordinary things
about the Wrights
441
00:20:02,113 --> 00:20:03,716
extraordinary things
about the Wrights
442
00:20:03,783 --> 00:20:06,288
is the fact that they were
two ordinary people
443
00:20:06,420 --> 00:20:09,661
from a middle-class family
in Ohio.
444
00:20:12,032 --> 00:20:16,575
Their father was a bishop,
and he was a voracious reader,
445
00:20:16,642 --> 00:20:19,681
and so there were books
in the Wright household
446
00:20:19,681 --> 00:20:20,817
of all sorts.
447
00:20:20,917 --> 00:20:24,692
Their mother was
a sort of mechanical wiz.
448
00:20:24,791 --> 00:20:27,831
She loved fixing things,
building them toys,
449
00:20:27,831 --> 00:20:28,833
and so they got
450
00:20:28,833 --> 00:20:28,866
and so they got
a sort of taste from her,
451
00:20:28,866 --> 00:20:30,870
a sort of taste from her,
452
00:20:30,870 --> 00:20:30,904
a sort of taste from her,
a kind of mechanical taste.
453
00:20:30,904 --> 00:20:32,439
a kind of mechanical taste.
454
00:20:34,811 --> 00:20:36,214
COLLINS:
The story of the Wright brothers
455
00:20:36,314 --> 00:20:38,820
actually started
25 years before Kitty Hawk
456
00:20:38,919 --> 00:20:41,290
when they were seven
and 11 years old...
457
00:20:42,493 --> 00:20:43,562
...when their father
brought home
458
00:20:43,662 --> 00:20:46,902
the toy flying machine
built by a Frenchman
459
00:20:46,902 --> 00:20:48,606
Alphonse Pénaud.
460
00:20:48,672 --> 00:20:51,912
This was powered by the force
of a twisted rubber band.
461
00:20:52,012 --> 00:20:54,183
And that really amazed
the Wright brothers
462
00:20:54,416 --> 00:20:56,688
'cause they had never seen a toy
flying machine in their lives.
463
00:20:58,424 --> 00:21:02,299
Being curious, they played
with it and they broke it,
464
00:21:02,432 --> 00:21:03,836
but they didn't
just throw it away.
465
00:21:03,836 --> 00:21:03,869
but they didn't
just throw it away.
First they repaired it,
466
00:21:03,869 --> 00:21:05,773
First they repaired it,
467
00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:09,581
but then they started to
reproduce the toy themselves.
468
00:21:11,417 --> 00:21:13,221
SHATNER: The Wright brothers
chose to pursue their dream
469
00:21:13,421 --> 00:21:14,725
of taking flight,
470
00:21:14,791 --> 00:21:18,600
not by attending a prestigious
university but rather
471
00:21:18,732 --> 00:21:22,139
by opening a small bicycle shop
472
00:21:22,372 --> 00:21:24,410
in 1892.
473
00:21:25,613 --> 00:21:28,351
BROOKS:
The Wrights owned
the Wright Cycle Company
474
00:21:28,451 --> 00:21:30,857
in, uh, Dayton, Ohio,
and they were
475
00:21:30,957 --> 00:21:34,631
bicycle salesmen, uh,
and-and repairmen.
476
00:21:35,833 --> 00:21:38,672
They were always curious,
477
00:21:38,772 --> 00:21:42,513
technically minded,
motivated young people
478
00:21:42,580 --> 00:21:45,920
who built a bicycle shop
and made a profit
479
00:21:46,020 --> 00:21:49,260
in order to put money
into test flights.
480
00:21:49,360 --> 00:21:51,430
At one point,
Wilbur says the problem
481
00:21:51,530 --> 00:21:53,736
of flight is actually
a thousand problems.
482
00:21:53,802 --> 00:21:57,577
First, you have to raise
the money to solve the problem.
483
00:21:57,677 --> 00:21:59,480
Well, that's a very
different disposition
484
00:21:59,614 --> 00:22:01,619
than the technical mind who can
485
00:22:01,685 --> 00:22:03,923
figure out the, uh, the
equations for air pressure
486
00:22:04,023 --> 00:22:05,626
and lift
and these sorts of things.
487
00:22:06,662 --> 00:22:08,097
And that is a very
different mind
488
00:22:08,164 --> 00:22:11,337
than the mind that's interested
in fashioning actual parts
489
00:22:11,437 --> 00:22:15,445
from muslin and wood,
and building a motor
490
00:22:15,512 --> 00:22:17,684
and propellers
and these sorts of things.
491
00:22:18,652 --> 00:22:22,359
And what really gave the Wrights
492
00:22:22,492 --> 00:22:25,232
the impetus they needed to solve
493
00:22:25,398 --> 00:22:26,769
all of those problems
494
00:22:26,835 --> 00:22:29,708
was that they were relentlessly
curious about the world.
495
00:22:29,774 --> 00:22:32,179
And if someone said that
something couldn't be done,
496
00:22:32,179 --> 00:22:32,213
And if someone said that
something couldn't be done,
they thought, why not?
497
00:22:32,213 --> 00:22:33,782
they thought, why not?
498
00:22:35,786 --> 00:22:37,824
SHATNER: In 1899,
the Wright brothers performed
499
00:22:37,957 --> 00:22:39,493
their first flight experiment
500
00:22:39,628 --> 00:22:42,132
by testing a rudimentary
kite flyer.
501
00:22:43,167 --> 00:22:44,537
They also looked to nature
502
00:22:44,671 --> 00:22:48,077
for clues on how to solve
the problem
503
00:22:48,077 --> 00:22:48,078
for clues on how to solve
the problem
of powered flight.
504
00:22:48,078 --> 00:22:49,948
of powered flight.
505
00:22:51,050 --> 00:22:54,056
They saw all these examples
in nature of flight,
506
00:22:54,056 --> 00:22:54,123
They saw all these examples
in nature of flight,
the butterfly, the dragon flies,
507
00:22:54,123 --> 00:22:57,263
the butterfly, the dragon flies,
508
00:22:57,429 --> 00:22:59,801
the buzzards and vultures.
509
00:22:59,868 --> 00:23:03,074
And they found that there
were two methods of flight:
510
00:23:03,074 --> 00:23:06,381
the fast wing beaters,
511
00:23:06,548 --> 00:23:08,051
and then the soaring birds.
512
00:23:08,117 --> 00:23:10,824
They patterned their
machine after a particular bird,
513
00:23:10,856 --> 00:23:15,165
the turkey vulture, which
was a very good soaring bird.
514
00:23:15,231 --> 00:23:17,369
They would read books
about animal locomotion
515
00:23:17,536 --> 00:23:18,839
and look at birds' wings.
516
00:23:19,974 --> 00:23:21,812
And people were like,
"What are those guys doing?"
517
00:23:21,845 --> 00:23:24,450
But they were looking at the way
the birds twist their wings.
518
00:23:24,551 --> 00:23:27,557
Because neither
of them went to college,
519
00:23:27,724 --> 00:23:28,693
the Wrights benefited
520
00:23:28,859 --> 00:23:30,763
from breaking the chains
521
00:23:30,830 --> 00:23:33,534
that might have otherwise
have bound their minds.
522
00:23:34,871 --> 00:23:37,542
SHATNER:
The Wright brothers
took these unconventional
523
00:23:37,643 --> 00:23:39,815
observations of animals
flying in nature,
524
00:23:39,914 --> 00:23:43,656
and applied them
to their flight experiments.
525
00:23:43,856 --> 00:23:45,727
This innovative approach
526
00:23:45,860 --> 00:23:48,899
would prove to be
a stroke of genius.
527
00:23:51,905 --> 00:23:52,907
WALTON:
The major breakthrough
528
00:23:53,007 --> 00:23:54,510
that the Wright brothers
discovered was,
529
00:23:54,677 --> 00:23:55,913
the curvature of the wing
530
00:23:55,980 --> 00:23:58,317
has a dramatic effect
on the ability
531
00:23:58,518 --> 00:23:59,587
to produce lift.
532
00:24:00,890 --> 00:24:03,161
Wilbur one day
was in the bicycle shop
533
00:24:03,161 --> 00:24:03,195
Wilbur one day
was in the bicycle shop
and he held a bicycle
534
00:24:03,195 --> 00:24:05,198
and he held a bicycle
535
00:24:05,265 --> 00:24:09,575
inner-tube box, and as he
twisted the ends of the box,
536
00:24:09,741 --> 00:24:11,645
he had an aha moment
537
00:24:11,778 --> 00:24:13,949
and realized that
the box ends move
538
00:24:14,049 --> 00:24:16,220
very much like the wing tips
of the birds.
539
00:24:17,522 --> 00:24:20,996
He integrated that idea into
what he called wing-warping
540
00:24:21,030 --> 00:24:25,071
and the wing design that we see
on the 1903 Wright Flyer.
541
00:24:27,677 --> 00:24:29,480
The Wright brothers always said
542
00:24:29,681 --> 00:24:31,819
when people asked them, "What
got you interested in flight?
543
00:24:31,918 --> 00:24:33,623
What made it such
that you wanted to solve
544
00:24:33,789 --> 00:24:35,058
the problem of flight?
545
00:24:35,125 --> 00:24:36,494
Why did you persevere through
all your failures?"
546
00:24:36,695 --> 00:24:38,164
They would say,
547
00:24:38,264 --> 00:24:40,803
"We did it for fun.
We were having fun."
548
00:24:40,903 --> 00:24:43,408
And then they would say,
"We were frustrated
549
00:24:43,642 --> 00:24:46,147
"that a lot of smart people
thought flight should work...
550
00:24:47,249 --> 00:24:48,753
"...and it didn't work.
551
00:24:48,819 --> 00:24:51,725
And we wanted to know why,
and we wanted to fix it."
552
00:24:52,927 --> 00:24:55,032
SHATNER:
The Wright brothers'
incredible innovations
553
00:24:55,131 --> 00:24:57,469
allowed them to solve
the centuries-old mystery
554
00:24:57,670 --> 00:24:59,306
of powered flight.
555
00:24:59,574 --> 00:25:01,979
In fact, so much of
what we take for granted today,
556
00:25:02,079 --> 00:25:05,820
from commercial airlines
to space shuttles,
557
00:25:05,986 --> 00:25:07,389
can be traced back to these
558
00:25:07,657 --> 00:25:12,667
two ordinary brothers and their
unlikely stroke of genius.
559
00:25:14,236 --> 00:25:16,040
There were many people
before the Wrights
560
00:25:16,140 --> 00:25:18,612
who attempted to create
flying machines.
561
00:25:20,148 --> 00:25:22,352
You can think about people
like Leonardo da Vinci.
562
00:25:22,352 --> 00:25:22,386
You can think about people
like Leonardo da Vinci.
You can think about
563
00:25:22,386 --> 00:25:23,556
You can think about
564
00:25:23,689 --> 00:25:26,093
Edison who was interested
in the problem.
565
00:25:26,093 --> 00:25:26,127
Edison who was interested
in the problem.
Alexander Graham Bell.
566
00:25:26,127 --> 00:25:27,864
Alexander Graham Bell.
567
00:25:27,997 --> 00:25:29,634
The genius
of the Wright brothers
568
00:25:29,701 --> 00:25:33,541
is what they had was
a gumption to say, "Why not us?"
569
00:25:33,642 --> 00:25:36,682
They became consumed
with solving a problem
570
00:25:36,815 --> 00:25:38,986
and I think
is a kind of testament
571
00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:40,856
to the geniuses that they are.
572
00:25:42,092 --> 00:25:45,833
Could it be true that,
like the Wright brothers,
573
00:25:45,966 --> 00:25:47,871
we are all put on this earth
574
00:25:47,970 --> 00:25:51,477
with the capability to do
something extraordinary?
575
00:25:51,711 --> 00:25:55,318
It's an inspiring thought,
and suggests that each of us
576
00:25:55,318 --> 00:25:55,385
It's an inspiring thought,
and suggests that each of us
has our own unique
brand of genius.
577
00:25:55,385 --> 00:25:58,291
has our own unique
brand of genius.
578
00:25:58,391 --> 00:26:00,897
For instance, there are
certain individuals
579
00:26:01,030 --> 00:26:02,968
who have the ability to perform
580
00:26:03,034 --> 00:26:06,575
incredible mental feats
that virtually no one else
581
00:26:06,775 --> 00:26:08,745
on earth can do.
582
00:26:13,622 --> 00:26:16,829
SHATNER: In this small town
just north of Milwaukee,
583
00:26:16,862 --> 00:26:20,703
stands the Treffert Center,
a state-of-the-art facility
584
00:26:20,836 --> 00:26:23,007
dedicated to the study of people
585
00:26:23,107 --> 00:26:25,746
who can perform
extraordinary mental feats
586
00:26:25,846 --> 00:26:28,384
such as the ability
to play any song
587
00:26:28,384 --> 00:26:28,451
such as the ability
to play any song
on the piano
after a single listen...
588
00:26:28,451 --> 00:26:30,188
on the piano
after a single listen...
589
00:26:32,125 --> 00:26:34,296
...and identifying
the day of the week
590
00:26:34,296 --> 00:26:34,363
...and identifying
the day of the week
for any given date in history.
591
00:26:34,363 --> 00:26:35,934
for any given date in history.
592
00:26:36,033 --> 00:26:39,506
Like, if I'm looking
at the year 1985,
593
00:26:39,741 --> 00:26:42,012
May 15 here.
594
00:26:42,145 --> 00:26:45,118
-It was a Wednesday.
-And which part...
595
00:26:45,151 --> 00:26:48,257
SHATNER: The individuals who
possess these incredible gifts
596
00:26:48,324 --> 00:26:53,034
have a rare condition that
is known as Savant Syndrome.
597
00:26:53,134 --> 00:26:54,938
JEREMY CHAPMAN:
Savant Syndrome is
598
00:26:55,004 --> 00:26:58,946
a spectacular condition
in which an individual
599
00:26:59,046 --> 00:27:03,120
who has significant
mental impairment...
600
00:27:04,757 --> 00:27:07,363
...also has some sort
of an island of genius
601
00:27:07,429 --> 00:27:11,070
that stands in stark
contrast to their disability.
602
00:27:11,170 --> 00:27:13,775
It's commonly
associated with autism...
603
00:27:15,245 --> 00:27:17,415
...but it can be other
types of neurodevelopmental
604
00:27:17,415 --> 00:27:17,449
...but it can be other
types of neurodevelopmental
or intellectual disabilities.
605
00:27:17,449 --> 00:27:18,952
or intellectual disabilities.
606
00:27:19,019 --> 00:27:22,392
There are a number of different
savant capabilities
607
00:27:22,425 --> 00:27:23,763
that we see.
608
00:27:23,929 --> 00:27:26,735
Anything from music
609
00:27:26,801 --> 00:27:31,210
to art, to mathematical
or calendar calculation
610
00:27:31,210 --> 00:27:31,244
to art, to mathematical
or calendar calculation
can be a savant skill.
611
00:27:31,244 --> 00:27:32,614
can be a savant skill.
612
00:27:32,813 --> 00:27:36,186
March 27, 1947.
613
00:27:36,186 --> 00:27:36,221
March 27, 1947.
That was a Thursday.
614
00:27:36,221 --> 00:27:37,724
That was a Thursday.
615
00:27:37,924 --> 00:27:40,730
(laughs) That's so cool.
616
00:27:40,863 --> 00:27:44,638
Um, how about March 27,
1974 then?
617
00:27:44,837 --> 00:27:47,142
A Wednesday.
618
00:27:48,311 --> 00:27:51,150
CHAPMAN: Ben Wilson
is a calendar calculator.
619
00:27:51,150 --> 00:27:52,386
You can ask him
620
00:27:52,452 --> 00:27:55,224
what day of the week was it
on such and such date
621
00:27:55,224 --> 00:27:55,258
what day of the week was it
on such and such date
in the past or future.
622
00:27:55,258 --> 00:27:56,562
in the past or future.
623
00:27:56,761 --> 00:28:01,503
March 18, 1837,
624
00:28:01,503 --> 00:28:01,537
March 18, 1837,
which was a Saturday.
625
00:28:01,537 --> 00:28:03,842
which was a Saturday.
626
00:28:03,942 --> 00:28:07,182
He estimates he has
about a 500-year span
627
00:28:07,248 --> 00:28:09,821
that you can ask him about,
and he can tell you
628
00:28:09,921 --> 00:28:11,558
that was a Tuesday,
that was a Wednesday.
629
00:28:11,758 --> 00:28:16,533
April 28, 1758,
630
00:28:16,533 --> 00:28:16,569
April 28, 1758,
which was a Friday.
631
00:28:16,569 --> 00:28:18,673
which was a Friday.
632
00:28:18,839 --> 00:28:20,442
It's pretty amazing.
633
00:28:21,845 --> 00:28:24,584
SHATNER:
According to statistics
gathered by the Treffert Center,
634
00:28:24,751 --> 00:28:27,122
there are nearly 300 people
635
00:28:27,222 --> 00:28:29,961
who are known to have
Savant Syndrome...
636
00:28:31,096 --> 00:28:34,303
...including
Stephen Wiltshire, who uses
637
00:28:34,403 --> 00:28:36,540
his photographic memory
to draw landscapes
638
00:28:36,540 --> 00:28:36,541
his photographic memory
to draw landscapes
by hand...
639
00:28:36,541 --> 00:28:38,378
by hand...
640
00:28:38,477 --> 00:28:42,553
and Derek Paravicini,
a renowned pianist
641
00:28:42,553 --> 00:28:42,653
and Derek Paravicini,
a renowned pianist
whose ability to identify
musical notes
642
00:28:42,653 --> 00:28:45,525
whose ability to identify
musical notes
643
00:28:45,525 --> 00:28:46,995
is so precise,
644
00:28:47,062 --> 00:28:50,268
experts have said that
he has absolute perfect pitch.
645
00:28:53,875 --> 00:28:57,115
CHAPMAN: The most mystifying
elements of savantism are
646
00:28:57,215 --> 00:29:01,023
the speed with which
they can do what they do,
647
00:29:01,123 --> 00:29:04,429
the accuracy with which
they can do what they do,
648
00:29:04,429 --> 00:29:04,497
the accuracy with which
they can do what they do,
and the automatic nature of it.
649
00:29:04,497 --> 00:29:07,268
and the automatic nature of it.
650
00:29:07,268 --> 00:29:07,269
and the automatic nature of it.
It takes no effort.
651
00:29:07,269 --> 00:29:08,572
It takes no effort.
652
00:29:08,872 --> 00:29:11,344
They can't articulate
what it is they are doing;
653
00:29:11,410 --> 00:29:13,314
they just say,
"I don't know, I just saw it."
654
00:29:14,584 --> 00:29:16,420
SHATNER:
One of the most notable
savants in modern times
655
00:29:16,420 --> 00:29:18,158
was Kim Peek,
656
00:29:18,190 --> 00:29:21,230
who served as the inspiration
for Dustin Hoffman's character
657
00:29:21,330 --> 00:29:24,570
in the 1988
blockbuster film Rain Man.
658
00:29:24,570 --> 00:29:24,637
in the 1988
blockbuster film Rain Man.
Before he passed away in 2009,
659
00:29:24,637 --> 00:29:27,342
Before he passed away in 2009,
660
00:29:27,475 --> 00:29:29,982
Kim had memorized
the complete text
661
00:29:30,148 --> 00:29:32,485
of more than 12,000 books.
662
00:29:33,487 --> 00:29:35,091
But what allows
663
00:29:35,158 --> 00:29:40,501
these unique geniuses to perform
such astounding mental feats?
664
00:29:41,905 --> 00:29:45,144
Some experts believe that
one reason may be that savants
665
00:29:45,211 --> 00:29:48,051
are able to tap into the power
of the human brain
666
00:29:48,184 --> 00:29:50,923
in ways that the average
person cannot.
667
00:29:52,058 --> 00:29:53,161
HEATHER BERLIN:
One of the theories
668
00:29:53,260 --> 00:29:55,866
of how genius is working
in the brains of savants
669
00:29:56,066 --> 00:29:58,304
is that you have
670
00:29:58,337 --> 00:30:02,011
the sort of compensation
in the brain of a disability.
671
00:30:03,114 --> 00:30:06,855
So if you think about
other kinds of disabilities,
672
00:30:06,955 --> 00:30:10,797
like someone
who is congenitally blind,
673
00:30:10,929 --> 00:30:13,001
what happens is
they start developing
674
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:14,604
an extraordinary ability
675
00:30:14,604 --> 00:30:17,109
to hear things because
676
00:30:17,242 --> 00:30:19,346
the hearing parts of the brain,
677
00:30:19,446 --> 00:30:21,517
they kind of take over
those visual areas
678
00:30:21,517 --> 00:30:21,551
they kind of take over
those visual areas
that aren't being used
679
00:30:21,551 --> 00:30:23,021
that aren't being used
680
00:30:23,154 --> 00:30:26,094
and have a greater
sense of hearing
681
00:30:26,260 --> 00:30:28,131
than a person who can see.
682
00:30:28,197 --> 00:30:33,274
So if you think about
a similar concept with savants,
683
00:30:33,374 --> 00:30:35,780
there might be certain
areas that are kind of
684
00:30:35,879 --> 00:30:37,316
utilizing other parts
of the brain
685
00:30:37,482 --> 00:30:39,052
that aren't being used as much.
686
00:30:40,989 --> 00:30:42,059
SHATNER:
Could it be that savants
687
00:30:42,225 --> 00:30:43,996
have extraordinary abilities
688
00:30:44,096 --> 00:30:47,302
because they've activated
areas in their brains
689
00:30:47,368 --> 00:30:51,611
that are normally
under-utilized by other people?
690
00:30:52,646 --> 00:30:54,650
It's just one
of the possible factors
691
00:30:54,650 --> 00:30:54,717
It's just one
of the possible factors
that scientists are exploring
692
00:30:54,717 --> 00:30:57,056
that scientists are exploring
693
00:30:57,155 --> 00:31:01,197
when it comes to
this rare form of genius.
694
00:31:01,263 --> 00:31:04,571
CHAPMAN:
Savant Syndrome is such
a mysterious thing.
695
00:31:04,670 --> 00:31:07,242
You have people who can do
amazing things...
696
00:31:08,277 --> 00:31:10,014
...and we don't know
how that works.
697
00:31:10,181 --> 00:31:11,217
One of the main reasons
698
00:31:11,316 --> 00:31:14,323
that we study savants
is to learn about
699
00:31:14,389 --> 00:31:16,594
their special and beautiful
talents and gifts.
700
00:31:17,930 --> 00:31:21,236
And it suggests that
we may have a lot of untapped
701
00:31:21,270 --> 00:31:24,811
potential lying dormant in all
of our brains that's unused,
702
00:31:25,011 --> 00:31:26,080
and imagine
703
00:31:26,180 --> 00:31:29,687
if we could find a way
to systematically access
704
00:31:29,687 --> 00:31:29,721
if we could find a way
to systematically access
these savant skills,
705
00:31:29,721 --> 00:31:31,223
these savant skills,
706
00:31:31,290 --> 00:31:33,995
how many amazing things
we could produce as humankind.
707
00:31:37,435 --> 00:31:40,342
Do our brains have
extraordinary powers
708
00:31:40,408 --> 00:31:44,182
that most of us simply
don't understand how to use?
709
00:31:44,282 --> 00:31:48,024
Untapped potential
that could transform us
710
00:31:48,190 --> 00:31:50,996
instantly into a genius?
711
00:31:51,096 --> 00:31:53,903
Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining
712
00:31:54,035 --> 00:31:56,574
the story of a man
who became a genius
713
00:31:56,574 --> 00:31:56,608
the story of a man
who became a genius
by sheer accident.
714
00:31:56,608 --> 00:31:58,578
by sheer accident.
715
00:32:07,328 --> 00:32:09,166
SHATNER:
32-year-old furniture salesman
716
00:32:09,299 --> 00:32:11,704
Jason Padgett
is enjoying an evening
717
00:32:11,704 --> 00:32:11,805
Jason Padgett
is enjoying an evening
singing karaoke
with some friends.
718
00:32:11,805 --> 00:32:14,176
singing karaoke
with some friends.
719
00:32:14,309 --> 00:32:18,017
But this seemingly
ordinary outing
720
00:32:18,150 --> 00:32:20,521
will change his life forever.
721
00:32:20,521 --> 00:32:20,556
will change his life forever.
PADGETT:
As we walked
722
00:32:20,556 --> 00:32:21,691
PADGETT:
As we walked
723
00:32:21,691 --> 00:32:21,758
PADGETT:
As we walked
out of the bar,
there was two guys
724
00:32:21,758 --> 00:32:23,328
out of the bar,
there was two guys
725
00:32:23,427 --> 00:32:26,166
that had been in there
watching us sing karaoke.
726
00:32:27,168 --> 00:32:29,440
They walked out behind us,
and one of them
727
00:32:29,506 --> 00:32:31,644
ran up and just smashed me
in the back of the head.
728
00:32:33,047 --> 00:32:35,686
I saw like a puff
of white light...
729
00:32:37,121 --> 00:32:39,459
...and the next thing
I knew, I was on the ground
730
00:32:39,492 --> 00:32:43,200
just being kicked and punched
in the head and in the back.
731
00:32:44,269 --> 00:32:46,240
They finally said,
"Give me your damn jacket."
732
00:32:47,508 --> 00:32:51,083
And I had on this little
$99 leather jacket
733
00:32:51,183 --> 00:32:53,388
and they grabbed it
and ran away.
734
00:32:53,454 --> 00:32:55,291
-(siren wailing)
-SHATNER: After the attack,
735
00:32:55,458 --> 00:32:57,261
Jason was rushed to the hospital
736
00:32:57,328 --> 00:33:01,270
where doctors diagnosed him
with a severe concussion.
737
00:33:01,370 --> 00:33:04,777
He was given instructions
to rest and recover.
738
00:33:05,779 --> 00:33:08,150
But in the weeks
and months that followed,
739
00:33:08,217 --> 00:33:12,459
Jason realized that the beating
he suffered had, somehow,
740
00:33:12,492 --> 00:33:17,569
permanently altered his brain
in a very unexpected way.
741
00:33:19,272 --> 00:33:21,110
Right after the attack occurred,
742
00:33:21,243 --> 00:33:24,617
I remember on the way home
that night,
743
00:33:24,617 --> 00:33:24,651
I remember on the way home
that night,
everything looking so weird.
744
00:33:24,651 --> 00:33:27,456
everything looking so weird.
745
00:33:28,625 --> 00:33:32,532
Things that looked smooth
didn't look smooth anymore.
746
00:33:32,633 --> 00:33:35,238
They looked like there was
little tangent lines
747
00:33:35,438 --> 00:33:36,774
around the edges.
748
00:33:36,774 --> 00:33:36,841
around the edges.
Boundaries of objects stood out.
749
00:33:36,841 --> 00:33:39,446
Boundaries of objects stood out.
750
00:33:39,512 --> 00:33:42,987
Very quickly I understood
that what I was seeing
751
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,091
was mathematically related,
752
00:33:45,157 --> 00:33:47,462
and math describing,
you know, how things move,
753
00:33:47,563 --> 00:33:49,667
you know, across the sky
and things like that.
754
00:33:49,700 --> 00:33:54,009
I don't even know how I knew.
It-it just was-was obvious.
755
00:33:54,142 --> 00:33:56,347
SHATNER:
The injury to Jason's brain
756
00:33:56,380 --> 00:34:00,221
had unlocked un uncanny
new ability in his mind.
757
00:34:01,256 --> 00:34:02,392
He was now able to see
758
00:34:02,525 --> 00:34:04,597
the geometry of the world
around him,
759
00:34:04,664 --> 00:34:08,872
even though he had never
seriously studied mathematics.
760
00:34:10,207 --> 00:34:11,544
PADGETT:
Before my injury,
761
00:34:11,678 --> 00:34:13,280
I was one of those kids
that, uh,
762
00:34:13,414 --> 00:34:15,351
had a very free,
kind of silly lifestyle.
763
00:34:15,484 --> 00:34:17,455
Um, I just--
I goofed off a lot.
764
00:34:18,558 --> 00:34:21,130
I would say things like-like,
"Math is stupid,"
765
00:34:21,296 --> 00:34:22,833
or that it was kind of useless.
766
00:34:22,833 --> 00:34:22,866
or that it was kind of useless.
I didn't even finish algebra.
767
00:34:22,866 --> 00:34:24,837
I didn't even finish algebra.
768
00:34:24,837 --> 00:34:24,937
I didn't even finish algebra.
It was such a-a change
in my reality,
769
00:34:24,937 --> 00:34:28,712
It was such a-a change
in my reality,
770
00:34:28,712 --> 00:34:28,745
It was such a-a change
in my reality,
from the way I was before
771
00:34:28,745 --> 00:34:30,682
from the way I was before
772
00:34:30,816 --> 00:34:33,053
to the way I was
after the accident.
773
00:34:33,153 --> 00:34:35,391
And so, it was very
disorientating.
774
00:34:36,460 --> 00:34:37,830
SHATNER:
Jason is not the only person
775
00:34:37,830 --> 00:34:37,930
SHATNER:
Jason is not the only person
to develop remarkable
new abilities
776
00:34:37,930 --> 00:34:40,167
to develop remarkable
new abilities
777
00:34:40,301 --> 00:34:41,904
after suffering a head injury.
778
00:34:42,171 --> 00:34:45,011
In fact, scientists have
actually given the phenomenon
779
00:34:45,244 --> 00:34:46,513
a name.
780
00:34:46,614 --> 00:34:50,154
It's called
Sudden Savant Syndrome.
781
00:34:52,158 --> 00:34:53,662
BERLIN:
Sudden Savant Syndrome
782
00:34:53,762 --> 00:34:56,668
is this phenomena,
which is very rare,
783
00:34:56,734 --> 00:35:00,843
where somebody has some sort
of head trauma...
784
00:35:02,211 --> 00:35:07,221
...and they suddenly develop
an extraordinary ability.
785
00:35:08,323 --> 00:35:12,165
When this happens, brain damage
trips up the system.
786
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:14,870
Those people are
perceiving the world
787
00:35:14,870 --> 00:35:14,937
Those people are
perceiving the world
in a slightly different way.
788
00:35:14,937 --> 00:35:16,506
in a slightly different way.
789
00:35:17,676 --> 00:35:20,348
SHATNER: In 2011,
Jason sought the help
790
00:35:20,514 --> 00:35:22,218
of medical professionals
791
00:35:22,351 --> 00:35:23,922
to better understand
what exactly
792
00:35:23,922 --> 00:35:23,988
to better understand
what exactly
had happened inside his brain
793
00:35:23,988 --> 00:35:25,826
had happened inside his brain
794
00:35:25,926 --> 00:35:28,766
as a result of the injuries
he sustained.
795
00:35:28,832 --> 00:35:31,871
-DOCTOR: Ready, Jason?
-Yep, I am ready. (chuckles)
796
00:35:32,973 --> 00:35:35,946
PADGETT:
I went to Finland
and they did brain scans
797
00:35:35,946 --> 00:35:35,980
PADGETT:
I went to Finland
and they did brain scans
called a functional MRI.
798
00:35:35,980 --> 00:35:37,348
called a functional MRI.
799
00:35:37,515 --> 00:35:39,152
So functional MRIs show
800
00:35:39,219 --> 00:35:42,158
how much oxygen your brain
is using and where.
801
00:35:42,291 --> 00:35:43,895
There was a screen
in front of me
802
00:35:43,895 --> 00:35:43,962
There was a screen
in front of me
and they would flash
equations...
803
00:35:43,962 --> 00:35:45,699
and they would flash
equations...
804
00:35:46,968 --> 00:35:49,206
...real equations, and then they
would also flash dummy equations
805
00:35:49,372 --> 00:35:50,843
that meant nothing.
806
00:35:50,909 --> 00:35:55,117
And they would watch and see
what part of my brain activated
807
00:35:55,251 --> 00:35:57,088
when I was doing mathematics.
808
00:35:57,255 --> 00:35:58,559
And what they found was that
809
00:35:58,658 --> 00:36:00,696
I had conscious access
to parts of the brain
810
00:36:00,796 --> 00:36:02,498
that we normally
don't have conscious access to.
811
00:36:03,768 --> 00:36:07,175
Our brains are using calculus,
derivatives,
812
00:36:07,275 --> 00:36:10,314
advanced mathematics,
and it's all happening
813
00:36:10,448 --> 00:36:12,753
just naturally
in the background.
814
00:36:12,820 --> 00:36:14,591
We're all doing it.
We're just not aware of it.
815
00:36:14,723 --> 00:36:16,594
And I was forced
to be aware of it.
816
00:36:17,930 --> 00:36:19,433
SHATNER:
Since becoming a sudden savant,
817
00:36:19,532 --> 00:36:21,604
Jason has used
his unique abilities
818
00:36:21,671 --> 00:36:25,344
to create internationally
renowned pieces of art.
819
00:36:26,413 --> 00:36:27,883
Because he can see math
everywhere,
820
00:36:27,983 --> 00:36:30,288
he is able to draw
complex shapes by hand
821
00:36:30,421 --> 00:36:32,893
that are geometrically correct.
822
00:36:34,295 --> 00:36:36,300
Jason has also used his gift
823
00:36:36,366 --> 00:36:39,439
to conduct research
in the field of number theory.
824
00:36:40,441 --> 00:36:41,711
PADGETT:
I definitely think
825
00:36:41,811 --> 00:36:43,147
what has happened to me
is a blessing now.
826
00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:44,717
It's enriched my life in ways
827
00:36:44,817 --> 00:36:46,554
that I-I never would
have thought possible.
828
00:36:46,621 --> 00:36:49,292
I never would have thought
that I would be excited by math.
829
00:36:50,829 --> 00:36:54,335
SHATNER:
Approximately 32 cases
of Sudden Savant Syndrome
830
00:36:54,469 --> 00:36:56,306
have been diagnosed to date...
831
00:36:56,439 --> 00:36:59,346
including people
such as Derek Amato,
832
00:36:59,412 --> 00:37:02,185
who became a musical savant
after hitting his head
833
00:37:02,351 --> 00:37:04,557
in a diving accident.
834
00:37:04,657 --> 00:37:07,396
And Orlando Serrell,
who developed the ability
835
00:37:07,495 --> 00:37:10,435
to solve complex
calendar calculations
836
00:37:10,467 --> 00:37:13,741
after being struck in the side
of the head by a baseball.
837
00:37:14,743 --> 00:37:16,982
These cases of instant genius
838
00:37:17,048 --> 00:37:20,589
have led some scientists
to believe it's possible
839
00:37:20,655 --> 00:37:24,195
that we could all have
the hidden potential for genius
840
00:37:24,329 --> 00:37:26,734
locked deep within our minds.
841
00:37:28,036 --> 00:37:30,842
I'm absolutely certain
that our brains
842
00:37:30,842 --> 00:37:30,876
I'm absolutely certain
that our brains
all have untapped ability.
843
00:37:30,876 --> 00:37:33,681
all have untapped ability.
844
00:37:33,748 --> 00:37:36,621
It's like we come loaded
with a certain amount of like
845
00:37:36,787 --> 00:37:38,290
software, like a computer.
846
00:37:38,357 --> 00:37:41,865
It's just a matter
of finding a way to tap it.
847
00:37:41,964 --> 00:37:44,603
Would you be willing
to endure a head injury
848
00:37:44,770 --> 00:37:46,641
to become a genius overnight?
849
00:37:46,774 --> 00:37:48,377
Well, there are those
who believe
850
00:37:48,510 --> 00:37:49,881
you don't have
to take that chance
851
00:37:49,914 --> 00:37:53,988
because soon we'll be able
to create new geniuses,
852
00:37:53,988 --> 00:37:53,989
because soon we'll be able
to create new geniuses,
not by accident
853
00:37:53,989 --> 00:37:55,458
not by accident
854
00:37:55,524 --> 00:37:58,598
but by harnessing the power
of genetic engineering.
855
00:38:05,979 --> 00:38:09,085
SHATNER: Scientists at the
Beijing Genomics Institute
856
00:38:09,385 --> 00:38:12,759
announce the launch
of an ambitious new project.
857
00:38:12,859 --> 00:38:16,166
Their goal is to see
if genius can be produced
858
00:38:16,399 --> 00:38:17,736
in a lab.
859
00:38:18,738 --> 00:38:19,841
BERLIN:
Some scientists
860
00:38:19,940 --> 00:38:24,249
collected the genetic data
from 2,000 people
861
00:38:24,415 --> 00:38:27,890
who have a very high IQ,
862
00:38:27,923 --> 00:38:30,963
and they were trying to crack
the code of the relationship
863
00:38:31,062 --> 00:38:33,869
between their genome
and their intelligence.
864
00:38:33,968 --> 00:38:37,408
If we crack the code
of understanding,
865
00:38:37,541 --> 00:38:40,014
say, the neural basis of genius,
866
00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:43,387
then we will have the capacity
ultimately to go in
867
00:38:43,554 --> 00:38:46,661
and manipulate people's brains
868
00:38:46,727 --> 00:38:49,700
at the genetic level
to make them super geniuses.
869
00:38:50,835 --> 00:38:52,005
SHATNER:
Is it possible that
870
00:38:52,104 --> 00:38:54,877
by manipulating certain genes,
scientists can
871
00:38:54,977 --> 00:38:59,587
unlock the potential
for genius in anyone?
872
00:39:00,956 --> 00:39:03,962
SIMONTON: There have been
attempts to see if you
873
00:39:03,962 --> 00:39:03,995
SIMONTON: There have been
attempts to see if you
can identify specific genes
874
00:39:03,995 --> 00:39:06,601
can identify specific genes
875
00:39:06,734 --> 00:39:08,738
that are associated with genius.
876
00:39:09,974 --> 00:39:13,180
It turns out this is
a very difficult thing to do.
877
00:39:13,447 --> 00:39:18,658
Most human characteristics
are what are called polygenic.
878
00:39:18,725 --> 00:39:22,499
That means they are made up
of multiple genes,
879
00:39:22,633 --> 00:39:27,174
and there are hundreds of genes
880
00:39:27,174 --> 00:39:27,275
and there are hundreds of genes
that are responsible
for intelligence,
881
00:39:27,275 --> 00:39:29,513
that are responsible
for intelligence,
882
00:39:29,546 --> 00:39:33,120
and these genes will often
interact in complex ways
883
00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:33,220
and these genes will often
interact in complex ways
that we don't
completely understand.
884
00:39:33,220 --> 00:39:35,491
that we don't
completely understand.
885
00:39:36,994 --> 00:39:41,403
MICHIO KAKU:
The point is that there's
no one "smart gene."
886
00:39:41,570 --> 00:39:43,642
Genius and intelligence
887
00:39:43,741 --> 00:39:46,480
is a collection of many genes,
many attributes
888
00:39:46,614 --> 00:39:49,787
that collectively create
this supernova
889
00:39:49,887 --> 00:39:52,826
that change the entire
intellectual landscape.
890
00:39:52,893 --> 00:39:56,166
So, I think that we are far
from being able to create
891
00:39:56,166 --> 00:39:56,233
So, I think that we are far
from being able to create
a race of super intelligent
892
00:39:56,233 --> 00:39:58,236
a race of super intelligent
893
00:39:58,236 --> 00:39:58,270
a race of super intelligent
genetically enhanced people.
894
00:39:58,270 --> 00:40:00,207
genetically enhanced people.
895
00:40:01,977 --> 00:40:03,080
SHATNER:
Perhaps another reason
896
00:40:03,180 --> 00:40:05,952
why genius is so
difficult to engineer
897
00:40:06,019 --> 00:40:10,662
is because it remains
an elusive, intangible quality
898
00:40:10,795 --> 00:40:13,100
that takes many different forms.
899
00:40:14,102 --> 00:40:16,073
DURVASULA:
One way to view genius
900
00:40:16,139 --> 00:40:19,581
is to just notice all
the different facets of it.
901
00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:21,984
There is not just
intellectual genius
902
00:40:22,051 --> 00:40:25,091
but musical genius,
athletic genius or what we call
903
00:40:25,190 --> 00:40:28,799
kinesthetic intelligence,
or social genius.
904
00:40:28,865 --> 00:40:33,608
Ultimately, we really
don't know what makes a genius.
905
00:40:34,877 --> 00:40:38,050
However, people who have
extraordinary abilities,
906
00:40:38,050 --> 00:40:38,116
However, people who have
extraordinary abilities,
whether that's intellectually...
907
00:40:38,116 --> 00:40:39,687
whether that's intellectually...
908
00:40:40,689 --> 00:40:42,693
...socially, creatively,
909
00:40:42,793 --> 00:40:45,799
we do have this sort of
fascination with them.
910
00:40:46,934 --> 00:40:49,574
We often view genius
as a superpower
911
00:40:49,673 --> 00:40:52,780
'cause we make the assumption
that a genius
912
00:40:52,946 --> 00:40:55,885
could help all of humanity.
913
00:40:57,889 --> 00:40:58,959
McMAHON:
It's very clear
914
00:40:59,058 --> 00:41:01,029
that human beings
believe that geniuses
915
00:41:01,096 --> 00:41:04,102
are exception to the ordinary
laws of nature,
916
00:41:04,102 --> 00:41:04,136
are exception to the ordinary
laws of nature,
uh, or of humanity.
917
00:41:04,136 --> 00:41:05,237
uh, or of humanity.
918
00:41:05,237 --> 00:41:06,239
That they can do
919
00:41:06,239 --> 00:41:06,340
That they can do
what ordinary
human beings can't.
920
00:41:06,340 --> 00:41:09,011
what ordinary
human beings can't.
921
00:41:10,648 --> 00:41:13,855
Geniuses are the X factor
that we need in the world.
922
00:41:14,021 --> 00:41:15,592
Geniuses give us inventions.
923
00:41:15,759 --> 00:41:17,997
They give us great art.
924
00:41:18,063 --> 00:41:21,102
They give us insights
that we wouldn't have otherwise.
925
00:41:21,102 --> 00:41:21,169
They give us insights
that we wouldn't have otherwise.
We don't want to strip the world
926
00:41:21,169 --> 00:41:23,140
We don't want to strip the world
927
00:41:23,140 --> 00:41:23,173
We don't want to strip the world
of magic, of mystery,
928
00:41:23,173 --> 00:41:25,277
of magic, of mystery,
929
00:41:25,578 --> 00:41:28,718
of the capacity to suspend
the ordinary rules.
930
00:41:28,851 --> 00:41:31,022
And this is
what geniuses give us.
931
00:41:32,626 --> 00:41:35,264
Just imagine a world
full of geniuses.
932
00:41:35,264 --> 00:41:35,331
Just imagine a world
full of geniuses.
(hisses)
It's certainly intriguing.
933
00:41:35,331 --> 00:41:37,469
(hisses)
It's certainly intriguing.
934
00:41:37,636 --> 00:41:39,773
But is it really possible?
935
00:41:39,873 --> 00:41:41,978
Perhaps, instead of
using technology
936
00:41:42,044 --> 00:41:45,786
to engineer brilliance,
we should simply appreciate
937
00:41:45,852 --> 00:41:49,660
that true genius is special,
unique, extraordinary,
938
00:41:49,726 --> 00:41:53,233
one of mankind's greatest
mysteries that remains
939
00:41:53,266 --> 00:41:55,270
unexplained.
940
00:41:55,270 --> 00:41:55,338
unexplained.
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941
00:41:55,338 --> 00:41:56,974
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