[Timo]

Just saw this interesting article about autistic savants. The intersection of perception and computation is very interesting to me. How do people just compute in their head? Draw what they see. How does learning to draw differ from those who just "report" what they see, almost like a photocopier?

In my experience so many people are convinced about things they can't do, so it's particularly odd then to run across the example of savants who can't do many "normal" things but can do "extraordinary" things. Makes you want to redefine "normal", dunnit? Take a look.

[maxelson]

Nephew. Autistic (upgraded and downgraded from PDD to Aspberger's periodically, depending on what genius is examining him at the time). Photographic memory, ability to compute the most insane shite in his head. He says the answers are just there- he goes through no process, like his subconciousness is taking care of it. He has no ability to project, no ability to decode and his comprehension isn't. He can read aloud to you, but he cannot tell you what it is that he just read or what it means. When reading to himself, he cannot put the images together into a cohesive theme- can't run the movie in his head, if you will.
His memory for events is astonishing. The detail... the detail. He can relay it ALL to you, but he does not know what it all means.
Absolutely fascinating. I don't consider it tragic, it is just his world.
Thanks for the article.

[daimoni]

.

[MindFad]

Thanks for the article. Really is amazing. And I agree -- not tragic at all.

[MikeM32]

That's an interresting topic. As an artist I believe I was born with a talent. But it's the argument between talent and acquired skill that many refute. I've heard it said that "anyone can learn how to draw/act/write/dance/sing" etc. etc.

I hate to sound like a "snob" but I believe I was born with an ability to draw, something that cannot be "learned". Am I a "better" artist because of that? That's completely subjective, but it's what I was meant to do.

I can totally relate to the lack of certain social skills as a young man because I'd literally lock myself away in my room and do nothing but draw and create. I had my first animated movie and graphic novel penned-out by the age of 13.

Sadly the "real world" has a tendency of crushing those visions.

Mike

[rjenkinson]

mike... he said autistic, not artistic.

-r.

[MikeM32]

Originbally posted bgy rjenkinson:
mike... he said autistic, not artistic

Actually that's a good topic in and of itself, but yes I did mis-read the title (duh).

I'm told now that I had A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder) as a kid, so maybe there's a relation.

There's always a certain level of madness involved in the creative types. It's what makes us interresting.

Mike

[eep!]

It's a fine line between madman and genius.

i think i'd like a photographic memory, i can remember the most inane crap, but the important stuff gets lost somewhere between receptors and storage, if you know what i mean.

haven't read the article just yet, so i'll get back to it.

OT: mike, what were your graphic novel (it's a comic book goddammit!!! ) and animated film about? (if you don't mind my asking, that is)

[Face Ache]

Originally posted by eep!:
<STRONG>It's a fine line between madman and genius.</STRONG>

And a fine line between artistic and autistic.

If I do arty stuff I switch off and tap into something subconcious. It just flows. Like magic.

OK, bad cheesy magic, but...

[KaptainKaya]

Originally posted by Face Ache:
<STRONG>

And a fine line between artistic and autistic.

If I do arty stuff I switch off and tap into something subconcious. It just flows. Like magic.

OK, bad cheesy magic, but... </STRONG>

kinda reminds me when I light up to do a project

[Sven G]

I think it's simply amazing what the human mind can do when it is free and "relaxed": perhaps artists (and "autists": BTW, in Italian "autista" also means driver/chauffeur - interesting analogy...) are simply an expression of what, potentially, everyone could be (without negative side effects, of course) in a more free, open and democratic society...

[ 04-05-2002: Message edited by: Sven G ]

[scaught]

Originally posted by KaptainKaya:
<STRONG>


kinda reminds me when I light up to do a project </STRONG>

this waiter i used to talk to while hanging out at a dennys a few years back swears he smoked his way through every paper he had to write for his masters degree in history. we're talking ****ed up topics like "batallion 543's role in the battle of bla bla in northwest france in 1947". maybe weed is the secret to unlocking the secret talents of autism?

[clRagnarok]

weed is the secret to everything.

[Face Ache]

Originally posted by scaught:
<STRONG>

this waiter i used to talk to while hanging out at a dennys a few years back swears he smoked his way through every paper he had to write for his masters degree in history. we're talking ****ed up topics like "batallion 543's role in the battle of bla bla in northwest france in 1947". maybe weed is the secret to unlocking the secret talents of autism?</STRONG>

No dude, because you were talking to a waiter not a history professor.

[Timo]

OK so pot turned our history prof into a waiter ... any other secrets for turning on the creative tap?

[Cipher13]

Originally posted by Sven G:
<STRONG>I think it's simply amazing what the human mind can do when it is free and "relaxed": perhaps artists (and "autists": BTW, in Italian "autista" also means driver/chauffeur - interesting analogy...) are simply an expression of what, potentially, everyone could be (without negative side effects, of course) in a more free, open and democratic society...

[ 04-05-2002: Message edited by: Sven G ]</STRONG>

It's a phase of human evolution; an experiment of nature, if you will.

As are those who posess pyrokinetic, telekenitic, telepathic and psychic powers, and whatnot; if any of those exist, at the current time, to any great extent; which I believe they do.

The brain is waking up.

It is capable of anything; and when we can harness that, well, wow. Just wow.

[scaught]

Originally posted by Timo:
<STRONG>OK so pot turned our history prof into a waiter ... any other secrets for turning on the creative tap?</STRONG>

well. he actually ended up being the museum curator at the wright patterson air force base, but whatever.

[Too Much Coffee Woman]

Originally posted by Face Ache:
<STRONG>No dude, because you were talking to a waiter not a history professor. </STRONG>

oh my god! that is so funny.....i'm still laughing (it's like 5 minutes later)