2. Orlando Serrell
After a brain injury caused when he was struck by a baseball on the left side of his head, Orlando Serrell of Virginia became what is known as an “acquired savant.” In his case, he gained extraordinary memory abilities that were not present before the accident.
Since that day in 1979 when he was just 10 years old, Serrell can remember the day of the week, weather, and details of his actions and whereabouts for any given day. Recent studies have shown that his ability to remember this information for days before the accident has also been positively affected, though it’s not quite at total recall.
Because of his abilities, and the unique way he came about them, Serrell has participated in numerous studies aimed at figuring out less painful ways to unlock similar abilities in the average person.
