For most folks, a blow to the head does nothing but make you a bit dull witted. But for some lucky individuals, a serious head injury is like a one-way ticket to Einsteinland.
Take Jason Padgett, for example. Dude got in a bar fight and it turned him into a math genius.
True story.
Padgett is one of about 40 known individuals with “acquired savant syndrome,” according to a recent profile in the New York Post. After his injury, he found he was suddenly able to comprehend complex geometrical problems and he grew obsessed with math and physics.
“I believe I am living proof that these powers lie dormant in all of us,” Padget says.
This guy might be on to something. He is a genius, after all.
Next time you feel confused about an important decision?
Whack!
When you are stumped by a Sunday crossword puzzle.
Bam!
In those quiet midnight moments when you are overwhelmed by the infinite complexity of the cosmos?
Kah-blam!
With just a few precisely-targeted concussions, you could be well on your way to a Nobel Prize.
Then again, if brain busting was really so effective at boosting cognitive ability then we would expect college football players to sweep the valedictorian awards across the nation. That doesn’t seem to be happening.
In all seriousness, I’m glad things worked out so well for Mr. Padgett, but I cannot recommend this method of skull bashing brain boosting. Sounds far too painful.
Plus, it would be weird if college football players actually started doing their homework. Just think how deserted those weekend keg parties would get.
Nathan Harden is editor of The College Fix and author of the book SEX & GOD AT YALE: Porn, Political Correctness, and a Good Education Gone Bad.
Follow Nathan on Twitter @NathanHarden
(Image: bruckeelb.Flickr)
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