Shenk's evidence in footnote 89 describes the interesting phenomenon of savantism that is especially common in those with mental disabilities and damage, with around 50% of savants being autistic, and the other 50% having some other mental issue (274). While there is a sizable population of savants in the world, Shenk says there are only around 100 that can be considered "prodigious savants"; those that have abilities that would be amazing even in a non-disabled person (275).
Savants have some amazing abilities that would give them a very good chance at success in life, but unfortunately these savants have hindering mental disabilities that come with these mental super-abilities. Are these savant skills able to be unlocked in any person? Are they only caused by these genetic mental problems, or is there an environmental force at play, just like with any other trait according to the GxE model? If so, are savant skills and otherwise normal mental functions mutually exclusive? Why would prodigious savants be so rare if there indeed was an environmental cause? And if these traits hypothetically could be produced in any person, is it moral to push a child down a path with a certain savant ability to give them an amazing and rare chance at extraordinary achievement, or should they be left to their own choices?
David Whisler (dwhis428@gmail.com)
I believe that savant-ism is the result of the brains ability to adapt to damage and or deficiency in other areas. Savants seem to be hyper sensitive to certain issues and abilities while they fail to maintain complete and proper social and mental function. Following one study, “savantism has an established association with ASC [autism], and the combination of ASC with synesthesia may increase the likelihood of savantism” (Baron-Cohen, S., Bor, D., Billington, J., Asher, J., Wheelwright, S., & Ashwin, C. (2007). Savant Memory in a Man with Colour Form-Number Synaesthesia and Asperger Syndrome.Journal Of Consciousness Studies, 14(9/10), 237-251.). From case studies such as this, it becomes clear that some almost super-human abilities tend to come at the cost of other normal abilities.
ReplyDeleteFrom an evolutionary standpoint, it would appear that being a savant is likely not beneficial to survival. Savant syndrome is characterized by “people who despite serious mental or physical disability have quite remarkable, and sometimes spectacular, talents” (http://www.psy.dmu.ac.uk/drhiles/Savant%20Syndrome.htm). Following this definition, it would not be biologically efficacious for someone to have a disability, regardless of whether or not their brain compensates for it in other ways. Furthermore, since there is no direct genetic link and understanding of savantism, I would suggest that it is likely the result of a GXE scenario in which potential histone modification occurs causing some genes to be expressed while others are not. Furthermore, the environment can have a variety of factors.
Shenk suggests that “in savant syndrome, the left hemisphere of the brain is damaged, so the brain adapts by drawing more heavily on the right hemisphere” (275). Furthermore, another environmental factor describes that “an excess of circulating testosterone can impair left hemisphere development, causing nerve cells to migrate to the right hemisphere and over develop in that part of the brain” (275). Through this explanation, it would appear that some organic damage may be occurring to the brain in order to create the savant like abilities. According to Shenk, though the actual cause is unclear, evidently many people believe that savant abilities do not come without a cost. Furthermore, the idea of innate abilities has been extinguished by Shenk, who rather seems to group the talented either into people who have been determined to work hard and achieved, and those who have a limiting physical situation giving them a different environment to begin with.
Having determined that potential brain damage may be the cause of savantism, it seems to be highly unethical to induce this in anyone. An over focus on certain parts of the brain is not how the brain developed through natural selection, and thereby is not efficacious to survival and must not be the best possible way to survive. Having said that, it is fascinating that certain people who would be seen as at a mental deficit are actually incredibly talented and able to perform mental tasks that some normal physically fit people would never dream of. Furthermore, prodigious savants seem to be so rare because of the limits of biology. The human brain is obviously only capable of reaching its outer limits, and a prodigious savant would suggest someone who neither has these limits, nor has any reason that they would be able to break the limits. Overall, though savantism is fascinating, it appears to be evidence of damage and malformation rather than strong achievement and incredible ability. Having said that, everyone must reach the best of their potential, and given that we all have a different GXE set-up, we all must work towards our best potential.
Jacob Yomtoob (jakeyomtoob@gmail.com)