Daniel's brain

The brain is an interesting thing, isn't it? Sometimes, a memory pops into your mind from nowhere and without prompting.

This happened to me recently when a memory of a TV story I saw many years ago surfaced in my brain. Ironically, it's a story about a man whose brain is extraordinary.

Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant, similar to the Rain Man character portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. Tammet's linguistic skills are otherworldly, and his skills were tested when he was challenged to learn Icelandic, one of the world's most difficult languages. The challenge didn't end there—he was given one week to become proficient and then be interviewed on Icelandic television, no English allowed.

Want to see how he did?