Daniel Tammet

Daniel Tammet Paris portrait

Daniel Tammet
Born	Daniel Paul Corney Birth date -1st March 1966 London, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Writer, autistic savant
Notable work	Born on a Blue Day, Embracing the Wide Sky, Thinking in Numbers

Daniel Tammet (born 31 January 1979) is a British writer and autistic savant. He is known for his exceptional abilities in mathematics, linguistics, and memory. Tammet has written several books about his experiences and insights into the human mind.

Early Life

Daniel Tammet was born as Daniel Paul Corney in London, England. He grew up in a large family and was diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age. Tammet also has autism, which he has described as a significant influence on his life and abilities.

Abilities

Tammet is an autistic savant, a condition that includes extraordinary capabilities in specific areas. He is particularly noted for his synesthesia, a condition where one sense is simultaneously perceived as if by one or more additional senses. For example, Tammet perceives numbers as having distinct shapes, colors, and textures. This unique perception allows him to perform complex mathematical calculations with remarkable speed and accuracy.

Achievements

In 2004, Tammet set a European record by reciting the number pi to 22,514 decimal places. He has also learned to speak several languages, including Icelandic, which he famously learned in just one week for a television documentary.

Writing Career

Tammet has authored several books that explore his life and the workings of the human mind. His first book, Born on a Blue Day, is a memoir that details his experiences growing up with autism and his extraordinary abilities. His subsequent books, Embracing the Wide Sky and Thinking in Numbers, delve deeper into the nature of intelligence, creativity, and the human brain.

Personal Life

Daniel Tammet lives in Paris, France, with his partner. He continues to write and speak about his experiences, advocating for greater understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity.

Bibliography

• Born on a Blue Day (2006)
• Embracing the Wide Sky (2009)
• Thinking in Numbers (2012)

See Also

• Autism spectrum disorder
• Savant syndrome
• Synesthesia
• Pi