Perception October 2006 PMID 16836048

Savant-like numerosity skills revealed in normal people by magnetic pulses.

Allan Snyder, Homayoun Bahramali, Tobias Hawker, D John Mitchell

Mentions

13
Peak: 1 in Sep 2021
across 5 sources since Sep 2021

Extended reach

1,903,389
potential audience

Total likes

23,032

Video views

1,901,924

Mentions per month

Sep 2021 – Aug 2025

Where it's discussed

  • Bluesky3 posts
  • News3 articles
  • Blogs3 articles
  • X / Twitter2 posts
  • YouTube2 videos

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The posts demonstrate a neutral stance, with some users questioning the significance of the research, like one suggesting the paper was just a commentary, while others reflect on broader philosophical ideas about consciousness and spiritual experiences, highlighting a mix of scientific skepticism and metaphysical curiosity. The tone ranges from cautious to contemplative, which explains the overall neutral scores across agreement and impact with moderate interest.

AgreementNeither agree nor disagree

The discussions show skepticism towards the publication, especially with comments suggesting the study was just meta commentary or questioning its relevance, indicating neither strong agreement nor disagreement.

InterestModerate interest

While there is some curiosity about the research topic, such as the potential implications of brain stimulation on numerical abilities, overall interest remains moderate.

EngagementNeutral engagement

Most posts touch lightly on the subject, with one comment clarifying the nature of the research, showing minimal deep engagement.

ImpactNeutral impact

The comments suggest limited perception of the study's immediate impact, often framing it as speculative or philosophical rather than practically transformative.

Abstract in brief

  • The study was inspired by observations of autistic twins with extraordinary numerical abilities and aimed to see if normal people could temporarily display similar skills.
  • Researchers used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to inhibit a specific brain region (left anterior temporal lobe) associated with savant skills in twelve participants, resulting in improved ability to guess the number of objects, with most showing the best performance immediately after stimulation.
  • The findings suggest that normal individuals can exhibit savant-like numerosity skills when certain brain regions are temporarily inhibited, with statistical analysis indicating this effect is highly unlikely due to chance.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Mm
@Neuronaldeath · X

@yacinelearning Wait no, this author literally conducted experiments on it, this paper was just a sort of meta commentary on the possibility https://t.co/VlI41Jmsbl

Aug 8, 2025 · 1 like · 21 followers View post →
No Horizons
@1stmousecheese · X

@GarryPNolan @A51Guyy @TheZignal https://t.co/NI1zon650Y

Sep 12, 2024 · 1,445 followers View post →
Unmasked0rNot
@deeplove4all.bsky.social · Bluesky

youtu.be/m_GzwxNaI_Q?...

Jun 28, 2025 View post →
Johnny David Lafayette
@lafayette1111.bsky.social · Bluesky

youtu.be/m_GzwxNaI_Q?...

Feb 28, 2025 View post →

All mentions

Understanding Savant Syndrome and Its Neural Basis

Savant syndrome grants individuals remarkable skills in areas like art and mathematics. This video explores how brain damage or conditions like autism lead to these abilities and discusses potential methods to induce…

Sciencerely · Sep 19, 2021 1,900,706 views
Mm
@Neuronaldeath · X

@yacinelearning Wait no, this author literally conducted experiments on it, this paper was just a sort of meta commentary on the possibility https://t.co/VlI41Jmsbl

Aug 8, 2025 · 1 like · 21 followers View post →
Unmasked0rNot
@deeplove4all.bsky.social · Bluesky

youtu.be/m_GzwxNaI_Q?...

Jun 28, 2025 View post →
Johnny David Lafayette
@lafayette1111.bsky.social · Bluesky

youtu.be/m_GzwxNaI_Q?...

Feb 28, 2025 View post →
Johnny David Lafayette
@lafayette1111.bsky.social · Bluesky

youtu.be/m_GzwxNaI_Q?... I believe the ego separate us , like (the great filter) from our spirit conscious. That allows us in 3d to have a separate and unique experience. Light is as conscious of you, as you are of it! Trying to learn how to speak to people from a drop outs Intelligence is difficult

Dec 4, 2024 View post →
No Horizons
@1stmousecheese · X

@GarryPNolan @A51Guyy @TheZignal https://t.co/NI1zon650Y

Sep 12, 2024 · 1,445 followers View post →