PRES01: Presidential Lecture 
Hosted by 

Session Description

In 2002, Jason Padgett was brutally attacked, causing a severe concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder. While some individuals suffer life-long negative repercussions from such an event, his brain injury turned Padgett into a mathematical genius, causing him to see the world through the lens of geometry. This condition is extremely rare and is termed Acquired Savant Syndrome. Padgett as a furniture salesman from Tacoma, Washington and prior to his brain injury had very little academic interest or ability. Following brain injury, he developed the ability to visualize complex mathematical objects and physics concepts intuitively. The injury appears to have unveiled a part of his brain that makes sense of mathematical structure. Padgett states that he sees shapes and angles everywhere “from the geometry of a rainbow -- to the fractals in water spiraling down a drain.” He now writes and draws remarkable geometric images. In this session, Padgett will talk about his amazing life story and the changes in his world due to injury.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:

1) Define Acquired Savant Syndrome;
2) Identify some of the key features of the basic anatomy and physiology of the normal, versus the injured, brain;
3) Understand certain complexities of the brain and brain injury that can, in certain cases, lead to positive as opposed to negative outcomes