A Brain Injury turned him into a Math Genius

Jason Padgett had dropped out of Tacoma (Wash.) Community College, and was a self-described “goof” with zero interest in academics, let alone math. The only time he dealt in numbers was to track the hours until his shift ended at his father’s furniture store, tally up his bar tab, or count bicep curls at the gym.

With his mullet, leather vest open to a bare chest, and skintight pants, he was more like a high-school student stuck in the 1980s — even though it was 2002, and he was a 31-year-old with a daughter. He would race his buddies in a freshly painted red Camaro. His life was one adrenaline rush after another: cliff-jumping, sky-diving, bar-hopping. He was the “life of the party.” The guy who would funnel a beer before going out and would slip a bottle of Southern Comfort in his jacket pocket to avoid paying $6 for mixed drinks.

Party time came to end the night of Friday, Sept. 13, 2002, at a karaoke bar near his home. There, two men attacked him from behind, punching him in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground as the two men punched and kicked him, stopping only when he handed over his worthless jacket. He was rushed to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed a bruised kidney. He was released that same night.

The next morning, while running the water in the bathroom, he noticed “lines emanating out perpendicularly from the flow. At first, he was startled, and worried. Days went by, but the visuals remained. Padgett, who had scored relatively high on IQ tests in elementary school but reached only pre-algebra in high school, soon became “obsessed with every shape in my house, from rectangles of the windows to the curvature of a spoon.” When he looked at numbers, colorful shapes superimposed over them. He stopped going to work and began to read anything he could get his hands on about math and physics. He developed a fascination with fractals and pi.

The doctors called what happened to him a “profound concussion.” Little did they know just how profound it was. Padgett is one of only 40 people in the world with “acquired ­savant syndrome,” a condition in which prodigious talents in math, art or music emerge in previously normal individuals following a brain injury or disease.

There were downsides that came along with the new Padgett. Once gregarious and outgoing, he now refused to leave the house. He nailed blankets to the window and refused visitors. He became obsessed with germs and washed his hands until they were red and raw. He couldn’t even hug his own daughter until she washed her hands. He began to fear that this wasn’t a gift at all — that it all was a sign of mental illness.

Padgett reached out to Wisconsin psychiatrist Dr. Darold Treffert, the world-recognized expert on savantism who had studied Kim Peek.  Via e-mail — and later in person — Treffert diagnosed Padgett with acquired savant syndrome, one of only 30 people identified at the time.  Padgett wasn’t alone, and this comforted him. He tore the blankets off the windows and enrolled in a local community college. 

He is now an author, artist and mathematician. 

A Brain Injury turned him into a Math Genius

Jason Padgett had dropped out of Tacoma (Wash.) Community College, and was a self-described “goof” with zero interest in academics, let alone math. The only time he dealt in numbers was to track the hours until his shift ended at his father’s furniture store, tally up his bar tab, or count bicep curls at the gym.

With his mullet, leather vest open to a bare chest, and skintight pants, he was more like a high-school student stuck in the 1980s — even though it was 2002, and he was a 31-year-old with a daughter. He would race his buddies in a freshly painted red Camaro. His life was one adrenaline rush after another: cliff-jumping, sky-diving, bar-hopping. He was the “life of the party.” The guy who would funnel a beer before going out and would slip a bottle of Southern Comfort in his jacket pocket to avoid paying $6 for mixed drinks.

Party time came to end the night of Friday, Sept. 13, 2002, at a karaoke bar near his home. There, two men attacked him from behind, punching him in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground as the two men punched and kicked him, stopping only when he handed over his worthless jacket. He was rushed to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed a bruised kidney. He was released that same night.

The next morning, while running the water in the bathroom, he noticed “lines emanating out perpendicularly from the flow. At first, he was startled, and worried. Days went by, but the visuals remained. Padgett, who had scored relatively high on IQ tests in elementary school but reached only pre-algebra in high school, soon became “obsessed with every shape in my house, from rectangles of the windows to the curvature of a spoon.” When he looked at numbers, colorful shapes superimposed over them. He stopped going to work and began to read anything he could get his hands on about math and physics. He developed a fascination with fractals and pi.

The doctors called what happened to him a “profound concussion.” Little did they know just how profound it was. Padgett is one of only 40 people in the world with “acquired ­savant syndrome,” a condition in which prodigious talents in math, art or music emerge in previously normal individuals following a brain injury or disease.

There were downsides that came along with the new Padgett. Once gregarious and outgoing, he now refused to leave the house. He nailed blankets to the window and refused visitors. He became obsessed with germs and washed his hands until they were red and raw. He couldn’t even hug his own daughter until she washed her hands. He began to fear that this wasn’t a gift at all — that it all was a sign of mental illness.

Padgett reached out to Wisconsin psychiatrist Dr. Darold Treffert, the world-recognized expert on savantism who had studied Kim Peek.  Via e-mail — and later in person — Treffert diagnosed Padgett with acquired savant syndrome, one of only 30 people identified at the time.  Padgett wasn’t alone, and this comforted him. He tore the blankets off the windows and enrolled in a local community college. 

He is now an author, artist and mathematician. 

Source:fineartamerica.com

Quantum Hand Through My Eyes Drawing by Jason Padgett

Treffert theorizes that savant abilities arise from a process he calls the three Rs: recruitment, rewiring and release. Damage occurs within the cortex of one brain hemisphere, either congenitally or through trauma, causing the recruitment of undamaged areas to compensate. Rewiring occurs, and the dormant ability in the newly wired area is released. Support for this theory comes from individuals with acquired savant syndrome, people who suddenly manifest extraordinary abilities after a traumatic injury or a catastrophic medical event such as a stroke.

One example of such an individual is Jason Padgett, who was attacked and mugged while out with friends. He sustained a blow to the back of his head causing damage to the right hemisphere, which profoundly altered how his brain worked. As the left hemisphere rewired to compensate, the algebra dropout could now understand math and physics and was able to see mathematical geometric patterns in everything he observed (another form of synesthesia). This case, and others like it, reveals far greater plasticity of the adult brain in its ability to heal and rewire itself than initially thought.

-- Christian Smith, The Scientist and the Psychic

Congratulations!!! to the entire team of Smothered! We got 11 Indie Series Awards Nominations for Season 2!!! #grateful #lgbtqia #comedy #workignactors. We are so excited and a big thank you to all who voted for us!

Soooo ... for those of you who have not watched the series as of yet, check us out on the link below!

Best Comedy Series - Smothered Carlyle King, Mitch Hara & Jason Stuart Best Actor In A Comedy - Jason Stuart & Mitch Hara Best Director In A Comedy - Carlyle King Best Writer Comedy - Mitch Hara & Jason Stuart Best Supporting Actress in A Comedy - Amanda Bearse Best Supporting Actor In A Comedy - Armand Fields Best Editor - Robb Padgett Best Art Direction - Susan Hopper Best Guest Actor in A Comedy - Ellen Sue Gerstein & Robert Castanzo

Revry Damian Pelliccione Christopher J. Rodriguez Aida Rodriguez Carole Goldman Carole Ita White Erika Ervin Byron Quiros DawnMarie Ferrara

SALE IMAGE: Camden Padgett & Jason J. Purdy DATE: 10/18/2023 ADDRESS: 10775 Yeager Road MARKET: Jacksonville ASSET TYPE: Industrial BUYER: Massy Distribution BROKERS: Camden Padgett & Jason J. Purdy - NAI Capital (@NAICapital) SALE PRICE: $24,500,000 SF: 170,240 ~ PPSF: $144 NOTE: Massy Distribution, a global company, has purchased an industrial property in Imeson Industrial Park on the Northside for $24.5 million. The property at 10775 Yeager Road includes 170,240 square feet of warehouse space and 1,896 square feet of office space, offering a strategic location near JAX Airport, downtown, and Jaxport. #Miami #RealEstate #tradedmia #MIA #Jacksonville #Industrial #CamdenPadgett #JasonJPurdy #NAICapital #MassyDistribution

“In 2002, Jason Padgett was the victim of a vicious beating outside a karaoke bar in Tacoma, Washington. Upon regaining consciousness, Padgett’s sight was forever altered by a condition called acquired savant syndrome. The brain trauma opened his eyes to an entirely new world—one filled with patterns and strobes, like a stop-motion film This is a fascinating story into the hidden power of the mind and one man’s inspiring tale of courage and personal triumph The Acquired Savant is a film by Thomas Petersen” From Youtube channel Great Big Story: Meet the Accidental Genius What an incredible story - I hit my head many times before but nothing good happened xD Enjoy...

Does Jason Padgett Know?

https://krishnaswheel.blogspot.com

not to be dramatic but I’d absolutely die for dr spencer reid

Quantum Star II by Jason Padgett

If you have not seen our award winning series Smothered! Check it out and you will laugh #lol and maybe shed a tear. You can watch both seasons on our website! #Comedy#drama

Share and watch! #supportactors

Mitch HaraCarlyle KingRobb Padgett

Dalila Ali RajahKareem FergusonJai RodriguezAida RodriguezArmand Fields Amanda Bearse Helen HongEllen Sue GersteinCarole Ita WhiteCarole GoldmanByron QuirosErika Elizabeth ErvinScott KrinskyClent BowersJasper ColeNicole EvansNic FewLinna CarterSusan HopperDawnMarie FerraraSamantha TanVasilios FilippakisKaren TarletonKrishna SmithaErik AudéEmily PascalRobert Costanzo

#sagaftrastrong#out100#workingactors#lgbtqia

Many writers celebrate National Poetry Month by writing a new poem each day. This April, celebrate with your students in this popular and widespread writing challenge and create 30 poems in 30 days! Use this as an opportunity to explore different poetic forms and prompts, letting you and your students release the “inner-editor” voice and allow your poetic creativity to flow throughout the month.

30 poetry lessons for 30 days of Poetry

“Exploring Disability Justice through Writing” by Jennifer Bartlett

“Persona Poetry and Mask-Making: Unity for Middle School students” by Jacy Bryla

“I Remember” by Matthew Burgess (Writing Our Way Through)

“‘What If’: Trusting Students with Difficult and Challenging Model Texts” by Brittny Ray Crowell

“Teaching the Tritina and Unraveling Oppression with High School Students” by Trace DePass

“Two Poetry Prompts to Inspire Immigrant Teens” by Sarah Dohrmann

“Investigation Poetry” by Sherese Francis (Writing Our Way Through)

“The Map as Metaphor: Poetic Cartographies in the Virtual Classroom” by Joanna Fuhrman

“List Poems Inspired by Daily Life” by Melanie M. Goodreaux-Fiedler

Collage Poems with “The Jumblies” by Amina Henry

“Who Am I? Exploring Stereotypes and Identity Through Poetry” by Javan Howard

“Origin Story Lesson Plan Using Afro-Latina by Elizabeth Acevedo” by Candice Iloh

“What’s in a Name? Finding Hidden Pictures in the letters of the Alphabet” by Frank Ingrasciotta (Writing Our Way Through)

“The Lune Link” by Susan Karwoska

“Sensory Language” by Jason Leahey

“Reviving Revision through Storytelling and Poetry” by Caron Levis (Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry)

Making Small Moments Big: Teaching Haiku with Sydell Rosenberg by Erika Luckert

“Shout Out Poems” by Libby Mislan

“Rain Can be Anything: Kindergarten Poetry Lesson” by Linda Morel

“Teaching Poetry as a Part of Real Life” by Naomi Shahib Nye

“The Walk Poem” by Ron Padgett

“Math Meets Verse: Counting, Decoding, & Rhythm” by Alice Pencavel

“Visual Poems” by Maya Pindyck

“Rosebuds Folded Over in Sleep: Teaching the Sonnets of Ishle Yi Park to High School Students”, “Personification and War Poetry” by Bushra Rehman

“The Taste of Happiness” by Harriet Riley

“Odes in Science: A Lesson Plan” by Bertha Rogers

“Hidden Beauty: Using a Poem by Jane Cortez” by Mark Statman

“Found Poetry & Accessibility” by Donnie Welch

“Finding Your Voices: How Jericho Brown, Diana Ross and Janis Joplin Can Inspire Student Writing” by Tiphanie Yanique (Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry)

“Writing a Dream Poem” by Bill Zavatsky

Thomas Ligotti, The Red Tower, I Have a Special Plan for This World & This Degenerate Little Town LP, read by Jon Padgett, score by Chris Bozzone, with an essay by Matt Cardin, limited editions, Cadabra Records, 2020. Cover and interior art by Jason Barnett, info: cadabrarecords.com.

The second collaboration between reader Jon Padgett and musician Chris Bozzone is another adaptation of Thomas Ligotti’s writings. This triumvirate of reader, musician, and writer is a coming-together of individuals who are all on their own superlative talents, but when combined, form a particularly powerful collective. At the outset, Bozzone’s music swirls and eddies like “the gray emptiness” and “desolate horizon” which surround the titular Red Tower. There’s an energy here, matched by the intensity of Padgett’s reading. Together, they create an impression within the mind of the listener that this speaker could be either an exceptionally excited party, delighted to have the opportunity to share this tale or someone who has possibly succumbed to the lunacy of the “hallucinatory” accounts told to them, “rendered in borderline gibberish.” Given the narrator’s repeated referral to his own degeneracy, it is far more likely the latter, and we are hearing the tale of someone whose mania is total. As the tale descends from that desolate plain on which the Tower sits, delving deeper into the bowels of the building, several stories beneath the earth, the music becomes that of droning terror, and Padgett’s reading takes a matter-of-fact turn rendering all the more horrific that which he is describing. Never should any sane creature tell explain a “murky vision of graveyard […] a subterranean graveyard surrounded by a crooked picket fence” in anything less than horrified tones. Of special interest on this LP are the tracks on the album’s second side, as it marks the second adaptations of Ligotti’s “I Have A Special Plan For This World” and “This Degenerate Little Town,” both of which were first performed by the band Current 93 in the early ’00s. The original “I Have A Special Plan” was read by the band’s David Tibet, who is himself a poet, and “This Degenerate Little Town” was read by the author himself, with music which is discrete, blended as it is with the readers’ voices. While those recordings were marked by tape delay, pauses, and not a little bit of reverberant echo, here Padgett’s voice is in the forefront, marked by a weathered, raspy edge to his voice in the former and a world-weary sadness in the latter. This vocal stylings transform the pieces from their previous interpretations as the rambling rantings of a discombobulated madman to ones which are terrifyingly direct, especially in the case of “I Have A Special Plan.” Bozzone’s music for these two pieces has unique elements which come out of the ether to disconcert and charm. The disconcerting aspect comes in “I Have A Special Plan,” where a music box is so closely recorded that one can hear the ratcheting sound of the gears unwinding, adding mechanical dissonance to what would otherwise be charming beauty. The quiet desolation of “This Degenerate Little Town” is counterbalanced by spare piano, reversing the pattern of the track which precedes it.

This Degenerate Little Town Variant – Natural white with blue swirl: 80x copies available. I Have A Special Plan For This World Variant – Opaque orange mix: 90x copies available.

* 150 gram vinyl * Deluxe heavy weight tip-on gatefold jacket. * 8 page booklet with new essay by author Matt Cardin * Liner notes by composer Chris Bozzone * 18" x 24" promotional poster. * Newly commissioned art by Jason Barnett.