Could have come with the theory of relativity of Einstein? If not – why not? This is what Marcus du Sautoy, a mathematics professor, wants to explore.
Marcus admits that he is not a genius, but genius wants to know if they are simply an extreme version of himself – or if their brains are fundamentally different.
Marcus meets some remarkable individuals – Tommy, an obsessive artist uses all his house as his canvas, Derek: blind, autistic, and a pianist with prodigious gifts apparently, Claire who is also blind, but whose brain has learned to see with sound.
Marcus shows how babies have the remarkable ability that most of us lose in adolescence. He meets a neurologist who claims to have evidence of innate ability, a scientist who has identified a gene for learning, and Dr. Paulus, who has figured out how to sharpen the brain … by turbo-charging electrically.
