>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
AND THIS NEXT STORY IS
INCREDIBLE.
THIS MORNING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE POWER OF THE HUMAN MIND AND
HOW TO UNLEASH IT.
YOU'RE ABOUT TO MEET A MAN WHO
MANY OF US CAN RELATE TO.
HE STRUGGLED IN SCHOOL, HE
WASN'T PARTICULARLY FOND OF IT.
BUT THEN COMES THE PART MOST OF
US CANNOT RELATE TO.
ONE DAY HE BECAME A MATH GENIUS.
WATCH THIS.
MEET JASON PADGETT.
JASON IS A MATHEMATICAL GENIUS.
>> THE INNER BOUNDARY OF PI IS F
OF X TIMES THE SIGN OF PI
DIVIDED BY X.
>> BUT HE WASN'T ALWAYS GIFTED.
>> I REMEMBER SAYING, MATH IS
STUPID.
>> JASON WAS A TYPICAL TEENAGER.
>> GOING OUT WITH MY BUDDIES ON
THE WEEKENDS, CHASING GIRLS.
GOING TO PARTIES.
>> THEN ON A REGULAR NIGHT OUT
WITH FRIENDS, ON FRIDAY, THE
13th, DECEMBER OF 2002, JASON
WAS ATTACKED.
>> I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING COMING,
I JUST HEARD, MORE THAN FELT,
THIS THUD IN THE BACK OF MY
AND I SAW A BRIGHT FLASH OF
LIGHT.
THE NEXT THING I KNEW, I WAS ON
THE GROUND.
>> JASON WAS RUSHED TO THE
HOSPITAL AND TREATED FOR HIS
INJURIES.
>> IT GAVE ME THIS REALLY STRONG
MEDICINE SHOT AND SENT ME HOME.
AND I REMEMBER ON THE WAY HOME
THINKING HOW BIZARRE EVERYTHING
LOOKED.
>> WHEN JASON AWOKE THE NEXT
MORNING, HIS VISION WAS MORE
THAN BLURRY.
>> EVERYTHING THAT WAS PERFECTLY
SMOOTH BEFORE, WHEN IT MOVED HAD
THIS THESE LITTLE TINY EDGES.
IT LOOKED CHOPPY LIKE YOU WERE
WATCHING AN OLD FASHIONED FLIP
BOOK.
>> JASON WOULD DRAW WHAT HE WAS
SEEING, BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN IT
UNTIL A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A
STRANGER IN A MALL.
>> AND HE SAID, HEY, I'M A
PHYSICIST.
HE GOES, WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON
THERE?
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO
TALK ABOUT SPACE TIME AND THE
DISCRETE STRUCTURE OF THE
UNIVERSE.
HE GOES, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYBODY DOING IT IN LAYMAN TERMS
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT
TAKING A MATH CLASS?
>> SO JASON WENT BACK TO SCHOOL,
AND IT TURNED OUT THAT STRANGER
WAS RIGHT.
JASON WAS SEEING COMPLEX
MATHEMATICAL OBJECTS EVERYWHERE.
BUT WHY?
>> I SAW A SHOW WITH A DOCTOR
NAMED DR. DALE TREVFORD AND HE
WAS DOING A SHOW WITH SAVANTS,
AND I SENT HIM AN E. M-MAIL,
SAYING, AM I LOSING MY MIND?
>> HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
ACQUIRED SAVANT SYNDROME.
>> THEY FOUND I WAS USING AREAS
OF THE BRAIN THAT WE NORMALLY
DON'T HAVE CONSCIOUS ACCESS TO.
I THINK IT IS NOT JUST POSSIBLE,
THAT IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT WE
ALL POSSESS THESE ABILITIES.
>> OMG.
PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME JASON
PADGETT.
[ APPLAUSE ]
I HAVE SO MUCH I WANT TO TALK TO
YOU ABOUT.
OKAY, SO FIRST OF ALL, YOU
WEREN'T VERY GOOD IN SCHOOL
MATH?
>> I WAS HORRIBLE.
I USED TO MAKE FUN OF MATH AND I
WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE MATH IS
STUPID, AND HOW DOES THAT APPLY
TO ANYTHING IN THE REAL WORLD.
AND NOW IT IS THE REAL WORLD.
>> IS IT TRUE YOU DID NOT
PROGRESS PAST PREALGEBRA.
>> YES.
>> IS IT TRUE YOU DID YOUR
SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL
TWICE?
>> YES.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> I GRADUATED, BECAUSE MY
FRIENDS ACTUALLY DID THE FINAL
REPORT FOR ME.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> SO YOU -- YOU WERE LIKE A
JOCK.
YOU WERE A PARTY GUY.
>> ALL I DID WAS CHASE GIRLS.
GOOF OFF.
IT'S SO EMBARRASSING, BUT, YEAH.
IT WAS -- A MILE-WIDE -- LIKE A
MILLIMETER-DEEP LIFE.
>> YOU WEREN'T WORKING ON YOUR
MATH, YOU WERE WORKING ON YOUR
MULLET.
>> MY MULLET AND MY BICEPS.
>> SO YOU WERE OUT HAVING A GOOD
TIME AT THE BAR, THIS HORRIBLE
ATTACK HAPPENS.
AND FOR HOW LONG -- LIKE, IN THE
DAYS AND MONTHS AND YEARS RIGHT
AFTER THAT, WHEN YOU'RE SEEING
SHAPES AND ALL OF THAT, DID YOU
HAVE ANY IDEA YOU HAD A NEW
GIFT?
>> I MEAN, I KNEW THERE WAS
SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENING.
BUT AT FIRST, REMEMBER THINKING,
I'M SEEING WHAT I PERCEIVE TO BE
MATH EVERYWHERE.
BUT THEN I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I
SEE SOMEBODY THAT'S TALKING TO
THEMSELVES.
AND THEY DON'T KNOW THEY'RE
CRAZY.
WHAT IF I THINK I'M SEEING MATH
EVERYWHERE AND I REALLY DON'T.
>> DID YOU WORRY YOU WERE CRAZY?
>> FOR A WHILE.
I WOULD GO BACK AND FORTH.
BUT THEN I WOULD DRAW IT, AND IT
WOULD MAKE SENSE.
AND SO I STARTED MAKING UP MY
OWN SYMBOLS TO DESCRIBE IT.
AND IT TURNS OUT, WHEN I WENT
BACK TO SCHOOL, I HAD THE
SYMBOLS THAT REPRESENTED THE
SAME THINGS.
I JUST MADE UP DIFFERENT SYMBOLS
THAN WHAT TRADITIONAL MATH DOES.
>> SO THEY LOOKED KIND OF LIKE
THIS, RIGHT?
>> YEAH, THESE ARE FRACTALS.
AND EVERY SHAPE IN THE UNIVERSE
IS A FRACTAL.
SPACE TIME ITSELF IS A FRACTAL.
FRACTALS ARE SHAPES THAT WHEN
YOU TAKE THEM APART INTO PIECES,
THE PIECES ARE THE SAME AS THE
WHOLE.
SO OUR VEINS, OUR LUNGS, OUR
BRAINS, OUR NEURONS, EVERYTHING
FOLLOWS THESE FRACTAL
ALGORITHMS.
CANCER, EVEN.
>> YOU SOUND SO SMART.
SO YOU'RE SITTING IN THE MALL,
AND INSTEAD OF JUST DRINKING
LIKE YOUR ORANGE JULIUS, YOU'RE
WORKING ON, LIKE, THESE CRAZY
DRAWINGS.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND I MEAN, IT WAS JUST BY
CHANCE SOME PHYSICIST WALKS BY
AND SEES YOUR DRAWING.
>> HE LOOKS OVER, AND HE'S LIKE,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
ARE YOU STUDYING MATH?
AND I WAS LIKE, I'M TRYING TO
DESCRIBE, YOU KNOW, THE
STRUCTURE OF SPACE TIME --
DISCREETLY.
CAN SPACE BE CUT INFINITELY
SMALLER, IS THERE A LIMIT.
AND SO WE STARTED TO TALK.
AND HE SAID, WOW, THIS LOOKED
VERY MATHY, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYBODY TALK ABOUT IT IN LAYMAN
TERMS.
HE SAID, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW
WEIRD THIS IS.
HE SAID, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT
ABOUT GOING BACK TO SCHOOL,
TAKING A MATH CLASS.
AND I SAID, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A
GOOD IDEA.
>> IS IT TRUE HE ALSO SAID TO
YOU, THIS IS THE KIND OF THING
PEOPLE WINN NOBEL PRIZES FOR.
>> I SAID, WHAT IF I'VE EVER
DISCOVERED NOTHING NEW.
HE SAID PEOPLE HAVE WON NOBEL
PRIZES FOR FINDING EASY WAYS TO
DESCRIBE DIFFICULT CONCEPTS.
>> WHAT WAS THE FIRST MATH CLASS
YOU TOOK?
>> ALLGEBRA 99.
I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD GRAPH A
LINE AT THE TIME.
>> DID YOU JUST KILL THE
STUDENTS IN THAT CLASS?
THEY JUST GOT CRUSHED BY YOU.
>> I CAME IN WITH ALL OF THESE
DRAWINGS, AND I WAS EXPLAINING
TO MY TEACHER THAT CIRCLES DON'T
EXIST AND ALL OF THESE OTHER
CONCEPTS.
AND SHE WAS CONFUSED AT FIRST.
>> POOR TEACHER.
>> YES.
BUT ONCE I GOT TO CALCULUS, THEN
WE REALIZED IT WAS THE SAME
THING.
IT WAS LITERALLY IDENTICAL.
I WAS DOING INTEGRALS WITH
TRIANGLES INSTEAD OF WITH
RECTANGLES.
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF
THAT.
BUT I GET THAT YOU BLEW DOORS IN
CALCULUS.
OKAY.
SO YOU ACE ALL OF THESE CLASSES
>> RIGHT.
>> AND THEN YOU'RE LIKE -- AT
THIS POINT, ARE YOU LIKE,
SOMETHING HAPPENED DURING THE
ACCIDENT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> OKAY.
>> SO ONE DAY I WAS WATCHING TV.
I KIND OF BECAME A HERMIT FOR
ABOUT THREE I CAN-AND-A-HALF YE
I WENT FROM THIS WILD PARTIER,
TO LITERALLY LOCKING MYSELF IN
MY HOUSE BECAUSE SOME OCD AND
OTHER BAD THINGS CAME AT THE
SAME TIME.
>> SO IT WASN'T ALL RAINBOWS AND
UNICORNS.
>> THERE WAS THIS DARK TIME, BUT
AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS HAVING
THIS AWAKENING MATHEMATICALLY,
SO IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND KIND OF
SAD AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT WHEN THAT PHYSICIST TOLD ME
TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, I WENT TO
SCHOOL AND I MET MY WIFE.
AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, FROM
THAT POINT --
>> AWW.
>> CHANGED FOR THE BETTER.
GOT ME BACK OUT INTO THE WORLD.
[ APPLAUSE ]
YOU KNOW WHAT, LOVE -- EVEN IF
YOU GOT THE BIG BRAIN, LOVE IS
ALWAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> SO YOU -- WE PICKED UP IN THE
PIECE WHERE YOU FIGURE OUT,
OKAY, I'M GOING TO CONTACT DR.
TREFFORD.
HE FLEW TO FINLAND, AND THEY DID
A STUDY ON HIS BRAIN,
>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
WE ARE TALKING TODAY ABOUT THE
HIDDEN POWER OF THE HUMAN BRAIN.
AND HERE WITH US IS JASON
PADGETT.
HE WAS ATTACKED OUTSIDE OF A BAR
AT AGE 32.
SUFFERED A BRAIN INJURY.
AND AS PART OF HIS RECOVERY,
DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD BECOME OR
PERHAPS ALWAYS WAS A MATH
GENIUS.
AND YOU GO TO FINLAND TO FIGURE
OUT -- IS THAT -- DR. TREFFORD
SAID FINLAND WAS THE PLACE TO
STUDY YOUR LANE?
>> I DIDN'T HAVE INSURANCE AT
THE TIME, SO I WAS ABLE TO GO TO
FINLAND TO GET FUNCTIONAL MRIs
DONE FOR FREE.
>> THAT IS A WHOLE OTHER SEGMENT
WE COULD DO.
>> YES.
>> SO WHAT DID THEY FIND?
>> FUNCTIONAL MRIs MAP THOUGHT
SO THEY FOUND I HAD A CONSCIOUS
ACCESS TO PARTS OF THE BRAIN WE
NORMALLY DON'T HAVE CONSCIOUS
ACCESS TO.
BASICALLY, REWIRED ITSELF.
THE BRAIN HAS MORE PLASTICITY
THAN APPARENTLY WAS BELIEVED
BEFORE.
AND IT MAKES NEW CONNECTIONS,
DEPENDING ON WHERE THOSE
CONNECTIONS ARE MADE, YOU CAN
ACTUALLY HAVE A GIFT.
SOME BAD THINGS THAT COME, BUT
YOU CAN ALSO HAVE A GIFT, AND
LUCKILY, FOR ME, THIS GIFT IN
MATH CAME WITH IT.
>> THEY COULD FIGURE OALL OF THT
OUT BY SEEING WHAT SYNAPSES WERE
FIRING AND LOBES THAT ARE
NORMALLY DORMANT WERE NOT FOR
YOU.
>> SO, LIKE, IF YOU'RE WRITING,
THE PART OF YOUR BRAIN THAT
CONTROLS WRITING IS USING MORE
OXYGEN, BECAUSE IT'S WORKING.
AND IT SEES WHERE YOUR BRAIN IS
USING OXYGEN AND HOW MUCH.
SO WHEN YOU'RE IN THERE WRITING,
IT SAYS, OH, THAT CONTROLS
WRITING.
SO THEY PUT ME IN THERE, HAD ME
DO MATH AND WATCHED WHAT PART OF
MY BRAIN WORKS SO THEY COULD SEE
WHAT AREAS ARE CONTROLLING MATH.
>> SO HOW GIFTED ARE YOU?
>> YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS.
SOMETIMES I'M WAY AHEAD.
BECAUSE I CAN VISUALIZE IT.
BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, WHEN
WE DID DERIVATIVES IN CALCULUS,
EVERYBODY GOT IT BEFORE ME.
I THOUGHT, SOMETHING IS WRONG
WITH ME.
THEN I REALIZED IT WAS TWO BEAMS
OF LIGHT MOVING RELATIVE TO EACH
OTHER AND THEN I WAS AHEAD OF
EVERYBODY ELSE.
>> WOW.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> BUT UNTIL I SEE IT -- THE
RIGHT WAY, THE WAY THE UNIVERSE
SEES IT, I DON'T GET IT.
AND THAT'S MY QUESTION IS,
LIKE -- WE CAN GRAPH X SQUARED,
BUT HOW DOES THE UNIVERSE KNOW
WHAT X SCAQUARED IS.
>> AGAIN, TOO DEEP.
YOU'VE LOST ME.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS AUDIENCE,
ARE YOU SEEING FRACTALS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND WHEN SOMEBODY MOVES, IT'S
LIKE SEEING PICTURE FRAMES, AND
THE FASTER THEY MOVE, IF THEY
START TO ACCELERATE, THE PICTURE
FRAMES GET FARTHER APART OR
CLOSER TOGETHER.
AND THE RATE IN WHICH THEY
CHANGE RELATIVE TO LIGHT IS HOW
FAST IT'S MOVING.
>> DOES IT TELL YOU ANYTHING
ABOUT LIFE?
>> THAT'S THE FUNNIEST PART
ABOUT IT.
I LOVE THE IF I HAVE SOME
CALIFORNIA SIDE OF WHERE THIS
GOES.
I WANT TO KNOW HOW THINGS GOT
HERE, WHERE THINGS ARE GOING,
WHY THEY WORK THE WAY THEY DO.
WHAT ARE WE ALL CAPABLE OF?
I KNOW WE ARE ALL DOING CALCULUS
CONSTANTLY.
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T WALK, YOU
CAN'T CATCH A BALL -- IF I THROW
YOU A BALL AND YOU CATCH IT, YOU
HAD TO CALCULATE THE
GRAVITATIONAL FIELD, THE TIME
LAG FROM THE BRAIN SIGNAL TO
YOUR HAND TO CATCH IT.
SO WE'RE DOING ALL OF THIS MATH,
IT'S JUST ALL IN THE BACKGROUND,
BECAUSE IF WE HAD TO CRUNCH IT
AS AN EQUATION, IT WOULD TAKE
TOO LONG AND WE CAN'T CATCH THE
BALL.
>> IS THIS THE FUTURE OF
HUMANITY?
SOMEHOW WE HAVE GREATER ACCESS
TO OUR OWN MINDS AND BECOME, YOU
KNOW, THESE INCREDIBLE HUMAN
COMPUTERS THAT CAN DO SO MUCH
MORE THAN WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW?
>> I THINK IT IS.
I REALLY THINK IT IS.
BECAUSE IT'S FOR SURE IN
EVERYBODY, AND THERE IS SO MUCH
RESEARCH IN THIS RIGHT NOW THAT
POTENTIALLY IN THE NEXT 20, 30
YEARS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE
TO GET ALL SORTS OF UPGRADES.
>> WHAT -- CAN YOU -- LIKE, CAN
YOU GO TO VEGAS WITH THIS?
[ LAUGHTER ]
[ APPLAUSE ]
I ACTUALLY DID GET STUCK IN
VEGAS ONCE.
>> NO WAY.
>> YEAH.
AND I PLAYED THIS ONE GAME
AND I WAS ABLE TO -- I DIDN'T
BEAT THE SYSTEM.
I FOUND A WAY -- THEY GAVE YOU
COMPS BASED ON YOUR AVERAGE BET.
AND YOU COULD BET TO LOSE AND
YOU COULD BET TO WIN.
AND I SAID, WHAT DOES THAT
MATTER?
AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOUR
AVERAGE BET, PLUS HOW LONG YOU
STAY HERE IS HOW MUCH COMPS YOU
GET AND SO I BET A THOUSAND TO
LOSE AND A THOUSAND TO WIN AND
SO I WOULD ALWAYS BREAK EVEN.
BUT I HAD A $2,000 AVERAGE BET.
AND I PLAYED FOR EIGHT HOURS AND
I GOT A MONTH'S WORTH OF FREE
HOTEL STAYS.
>> OH, MY GOSH!
[ APPLAUSE ]
SO NOW WHAT?
YOU'RE GOING TO BE BARRED.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE LIKE RAINMAN.
>> YEAH.
>> SO NOW WHAT DO YOU DO WITH
YOUR LIFE?
>> WHAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED
IN, I GOT INTO DOING STOCKS.
AND LOOKING AT FRACTAL
ALGORITHMS IN THE CHARTS.
AND I'M GOING TO BE TAKING MY
SERIES 57 TEST SO I CAN START
TRADING FOR OTHER PEOPLE,
BECAUSE I'VE BEEN AVERAGING 31%
APR.
>> YOU'RE HIRED!
CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING HIM AS
YOUR MONEY MANAGER?
[ APPLAUSE ]
WHO CAN SEE THE STOCK MARKET IN
THE SPECIAL WAY?
.
>> IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
>> I LOVE THIS STORY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING IT
WITH US.
ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND YOUR
WIFE AND YOUR GIRLS, YOUR KIDS.
THANK YOU,