Current Date: 28 Oct, 2025
{{entry.title}}

Jason Padgett: Became a Math genius after head injury in a robbery

Fate has no place in mathematics, yet fate played a role for Jason Padgett and his new fame for being a mathematical genius

Jason Padgett felt he was going to die when he was mugged outside a karaoke bar in Tacoma, Wash., a decade ago.

The attackers continuously kicked him in the head, claiming they were for his leather jacket. He not only miraculously survived the attack, but he also got a secret mathematical gift as a result of it, according to ABC News.

Jason Padgett does not see the world like most people do.

He sees intricate mathematical formulas everywhere he looks, such as the Pythagorean theorem. He told ABC News that “every single little curve, spiral, and tree is part of that calculation.” Padgett transforms these formulas into fractals, which are complicated diagrams. Fractals, he argues, are “form(s) where the pieces are the same or similar to the whole when you take the shape a part into pieces.”

He can, for example, create a graphic representation of Pi, the infinite mathematical constant that begins with the number 3.14.

Padgett is the only person known to have this skill, according to the Daily Mail.

Padgett, who is a college dropout, has no advanced math degree. He couldn’t even sketch before the mugging, according to Q13 Fox News.

Berit Brogaard, a neuroscientist and philosophy professor who has conducted tests on Padgett, told ABC News that his genius was most likely acquired by chance when he was savagely beaten by muggers. According to Q13 Fox News, two specific parts of his brain lit up throughout the tests: the area that regulates math and mental images.

Brogaard added that the attack caused damage to Padgett’s brain, forcing him to overcompensate in areas most people don’t have access to, turning him into a “acquired savant.”

“Savant syndrome is the extraordinary growth of a certain skill, which can be mathematical, spatial, or autistic (sic), that makes a person superhuman,” Brogaard explained.

Padgett says that his “superhuman” ability might be overwhelming at times. “I’d like to turn it off sometimes, but it won’t,” Padgett told ABC News. “However, the benefits much exceed the drawbacks, and I would not trade it for anything.”

According to the Daily Mail, the mathematical genius, who sells both original and print versions of his amazing drawings, intends to one day take his skills and newfound love for arithmetic out of the furniture business and into the classroom to teach others.

Similar Stories
The Mystery of Puma Punku’s Precise Stonework

The Mystery of Puma Punku’s Precise Stonework

Pumapunku's stone blocks were meticulously carved and polished to interlock with neighboring stones, forming a puzzle-like structure. The joints between them are incredibly precise. These characteristics show an intricate knowledge of descriptive geometry and stone cutting, indicating the use of highly advanced technology that would have seemed impossible at the time.

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen

For centuries, people have been fascinated and enchanted by the ghostly appearances of abnormally white animals. People have loved albinos and other unusually white animals so much that they may be helping to increase their numbers, despite the difficulties these animals face in the wild. While these unusual animals did not win the genetic lottery, they have persevered in the face of adversity.

The Remarkable story of jazz bassists Henry Grimes, lost but found as janitor and reclaimed the spotlight

The Remarkable story of jazz bassists Henry Grimes, lost but found as janitor and reclaimed the spotlight

Henry Grimes, one of the most versatile jazz bassists, disappeared in the 1960s and was later presumed dead. However, a jazz-loving social worker found him in 2002 working as a janitor in a hotel. Grimes found his way back into the limelight when a fellow musician sent him a bass as a gift. In 2016, he received a lifetime achievement award.

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?

Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.

The Unsolved mystery of Bobby Dunbar's Disappearance

The Unsolved mystery of Bobby Dunbar's Disappearance

In 1912, a four-year-old boy named Bobby Dunbar went missing on a family trip, 8 months later he was found and reunited with his family. Nearly a century later, DNA testing of his descendants revealed that the child reunited with the Dunbar family was not Bobby, but rather a boy named Charles (Bruce) Anderson who resembled Bobby.

The Heartbreaking Story Of Ella Harper, The ‘Camel Girl’

The Heartbreaking Story Of Ella Harper, The ‘Camel Girl’

Ella Harper, Professionally known as the “Camel Girl” was born with a rare orthopedic condition that cased her knee to bend backward. Due to this condition, had to walked on all four legs, which resulted in her nickname as “Camel Girl”. Tough it was hard at first, but soon she made a fortune out of it.

What Is the Taos Hum? The Strange Low-Frequency Noise Heard in New Mexico

What Is the Taos Hum? The Strange Low-Frequency Noise Heard in New Mexico

Since the early 1990s, residents of Taos, New Mexico, have reported hearing a mysterious low-frequency noise called the "Taos Hum." This strange, persistent buzzing or droning sound is only audible to a small fraction of the population and has baffled scientists and locals alike. Despite extensive investigations, the source of the Taos Hum remains unresolved, making it one of the most intriguing acoustic mysteries in the modern world.

El Ojo, The Mysterious Rotating Island

El Ojo, The Mysterious Rotating Island

In the middle of South America, a strange and nearly perfectly circle island moves on its own. The central landmass, known as 'El Ojo' or 'The Eye,' floats on a pond of clear and chilly water, looking strange and out of place in comparing to its surroundings. The bottom appears to be solid in compared to the marsh around it.

Mystery SOLVED: blood Rain in India

Mystery SOLVED: blood Rain in India

The dissemination of spores of microalgae has been identified as the origin of the 'Blood Rain' phenomena, according to a new study by Indian and Austrian experts. Since 1896, reports of intermittent red-colored rain in portions of Kerala and Sri Lanka have been coming in. The most recent one occurred in 2013 over Kerala.